Coating head, coating method and coating machine

Abstract

The invention provides a coating head, a coating method and a coating machine. The coating head comprises a die head body and a baffle, and the baffle is located in the die head body; the baffle is composed of a plurality of sub-baffles, each sub-baffle comprises a main body and two baffle teeth, the main body extends in the first direction, the baffle teeth are located at the two ends of the main body in the first direction and extend from the main body in the second direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction; the multiple sub-baffles are sequentially arranged in the first direction and comprise the first sub-baffle and the second sub-baffle which are adjacent, the first sub-baffle and the second sub-baffle comprise a first overlapping area and a second overlapping area, the first overlapping area and the second overlapping area are located at the adjacent ends of the first sub-baffle and the second sub-baffle, and the first overlapping area and the second overlapping area are overlapped in the thickness direction of the sub-baffles. The sum of the thicknesses of the first and second overlapping areas is the same as the thickness of the sub-baffle; the relative positions of the first sub-baffle and the second sub-baffle in the first direction are variable. According to the technical scheme, the single coating head can meet the production requirements of different coating film edge distances.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display technology, and more specifically, to a coating head, coating method, and coating machine. Background Technology

[0002] Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have advantages such as being thin and light-emitting, self-emissive, low power consumption, fast response, and having no backlight. They have gradually replaced liquid crystal display panels as the next generation of flat panel displays, and also have great potential in flexible displays.

[0003] However, in the manufacturing process of flexible OLED displays (such as active matrix organic light-emitting diodes (AMOLED)), a single coating head cannot meet the different coating film edge distance requirements of AMOLED flexible substrates. Different equipment is required to complete the process, and when there are new film edge distance requirements, the coating head needs to be disassembled and reassembled. The whole process has the problems of high equipment cost and low production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a coating head, a coating method, and a coating machine, which can solve the problem that a single coating head cannot meet the edge distance of different coated films.

[0005] In a first aspect, a coating head is provided, comprising: a die head body and a baffle, the baffle being located inside the die head body, the die head body and the baffle forming a slit for outputting slurry; the baffle comprising a plurality of sub-baffles, each sub-baffle comprising a main body and two baffle teeth, the main body extending along a first direction, the baffle teeth being located at both ends of the main body in the first direction, and the baffle teeth extending from the main body along a second direction, the first direction being perpendicular to the second direction, the baffle teeth being used to block the output of slurry in the slit; the plurality of sub-baffles being arranged sequentially in the first direction, the plurality of sub-baffles including adjacent first sub-baffles and second sub-baffles, the first sub-baffle including a first overlapping region, the second sub-baffle including a second overlapping region, the first overlapping region being located at one end of the first sub-baffle near the second sub-baffle, the second overlapping region being located at one end of the second sub-baffle near the first sub-baffle, the first overlapping region and the second overlapping region overlapping in the thickness direction of the sub-baffle, and the sum of the thickness of the first overlapping region and the thickness of the second overlapping region being the same as the thickness of the sub-baffle; the relative positions of the first sub-baffle and the second sub-baffle in the first direction being variable.

[0006] Based on the above solution, a coating head is provided, comprising a baffle composed of multiple sub-baffles. By designing an overlap area between the multiple sub-baffles, the relative displacement between them can be achieved, thereby changing the width of the slurry output blocked by the baffles in the coating head, and thus changing the edge distance of the coated film. This method eliminates the need for different equipment, can meet the requirements of different coated film edge distances with a single coating head, and when there is a new film edge distance production requirement, there is no need to disassemble and reassemble the coating head; the position of the baffles in the coating head can be changed to meet the new coated film edge distance requirement. This reduces equipment costs while improving production efficiency.

[0007] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the thickness of the first overlapping region is the same as the thickness of the second overlapping region.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the width of the first overlapping region in the first direction is the same as the width of the second overlapping region in the first direction.

[0009] Based on the above solution, the size of the overlapping area of ​​the neutron baffle in the coating head is standardized, which is more conducive to the industrial production of the coating head of this application.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the number of multiple sub-baffles is two.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the coating head further includes a movement control mechanism for controlling the relative positions of the first sub-baffle and the second sub-baffle in a first direction.

[0012] Based on the above solution, adding a movement control mechanism to the coating head can automatically control the displacement of the baffle in the coating head. The relative position of the baffle can be automatically set and adjusted according to the edge distance requirements of the coating film, thereby further improving production efficiency.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the motion control mechanism includes: a transmission member and a motor, the motor being connected to the transmission member, the transmission member being connected to a first sub-baffle and a second sub-baffle, and the motor being used to drive the first sub-baffle and the second sub-baffle to displacement in a first direction via the transmission member.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the motion control mechanism further includes a track extending along a first direction, and the transmission element is displaced along the track.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the movement control mechanism further includes a measuring component extending along a first direction, the measuring component being used to detect the relative position of the first sub-baffle and the second sub-baffle in the first direction.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the motion control mechanism is specifically used to control the relative position of the first sub-baffle and the second sub-baffle in a first direction based on the detection results of the measuring component.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the measuring component includes a grating ruler.

[0018] Based on the above solution, adding a measuring component to the motion control mechanism can further refine the detection of the relative position of the baffle, enabling more precise control of the coating head film edge distance.

[0019] In a second aspect, a coating method is provided, which is applied to any coating head in the first aspect and its implementation described above, the method comprising: receiving a control command, the control command indicating a positional requirement of a baffle in a first direction; and controlling the displacement of at least one of a plurality of sub-baffles in the first direction according to the control command.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving a detection result, the detection result being used to indicate the relative positions of a plurality of sub-baffles in a first direction; and controlling the displacement of at least one of the plurality of sub-baffles in the first direction based on the detection result.

[0021] Based on the above solution, a coating method is provided. By using the coating head of this application, the position requirements of the baffle can be designed in advance, and the edge distance of the coating film can be controlled during the coating process to realize the production process of irregular shape coating combinations such as rhombus (parallelogram) and curved shape.

[0022] Thirdly, a coating machine is provided, which includes any of the coating heads described in the first aspect and its implementations.

[0023] Fourthly, a display panel manufacturing apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising any of the coating heads of the first aspect and its implementations above or the coating machine of the third aspect, wherein the substrate of the display panel is generated by a slurry.

[0024] Fifthly, a display panel is provided, which is manufactured using the production equipment described in the fourth aspect above, and the display panel includes a substrate formed from a slurry.

[0025] The beneficial effects achieved by the third to fifth aspects of this application and their implementation methods are similar to those of the first and second aspects and their implementation methods, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the fabrication of a PI substrate for AMOLED displays. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a coating head. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a baffle 300 provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a coating head 400 provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a baffle in a coating head provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a coating method 600 provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the fabrication of a PI substrate for AMOLED provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a coating method provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a coating machine 900 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0028] Figure label: L is the edge distance of the left coated film, M is the edge distance of the middle coated film, and R is the edge distance of the right coated film. 310 is the main body of the baffle, 320 is the baffle tooth, 330 is the overlapping area, 410 is the transmission component, 420 is the track, 430 is the measuring component, and 910 is the control unit. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to a system comprising multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches are also possible. Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary," "for example," etc., are used to indicate that they are examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplary" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being better or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the term "exemplary" is intended to present the concept in a concrete manner. The business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of technology and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0031] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" as described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0032] In this application embodiment, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0033] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," "vertical," and "horizontal," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship relative to the orientation or position of the components shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts, used for relative description and clarification, and not to indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. They can change accordingly depending on the orientation of the components in the accompanying drawings, and therefore should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0034] In the embodiments of this application, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same component or part. For the same part in the embodiments of this application, only one part or component may be labeled with reference numerals in the figures. It should be understood that the reference numerals also apply to other identical parts or components. In addition, the various parts in the figures are not drawn to scale, and the dimensions and sizes of the parts shown in the figures are only exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0035] Embodiments of this application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the various drawings, the same elements are represented by similar reference numerals. For clarity, the various parts in the drawings are not drawn to scale. Furthermore, some well-known parts may not be shown in the drawings.

[0036] In recent years, with the continuous advancement of technology, people's requirements for display devices have gone beyond just image quality and refresh rate; they have also begun to demand higher standards in terms of product form, such as lightness, foldability, and flexibility. Currently, the fabrication of flexible display devices typically involves first coating a precursor solution of an organic polymer (such as a polyamic acid solution) onto glass, and then transforming it into a flexible substrate (such as a polyimide (PI) substrate material) through appropriate heat treatment methods (such as low-temperature baking and high-temperature baking). Driving and display elements are then fabricated on the flexible PI substrate, followed by encapsulation processes, and finally, the entire structure is peeled off from the glass (e.g., via laser peeling).

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the fabrication of a PI substrate for AMOLED displays. Figure 1 As shown in the illustration, AMOLED production can be completed in a single half-coating process (i.e., coating two substrates simultaneously). The flexible substrate consists of two layers of PI material and one inorganic film layer (e.g., SiOx), with the inorganic film layer located between the two PI layers. During the laser peeling process to separate the PI from the glass, the edge distance of the PI film has a significant impact on the peeling effect. When the edge distance of the second PI layer (PI2) is smaller than that of the first PI layer (PI1), the residue of PI2 will prevent the laser from peeling it off, resulting in product scrap and wasted production capacity.

[0038] In general, when using a single coating head (nozzle) to produce a two-layer PI coating process, the PI adhesive can only flow out from a fixed slit area because the shim in the coating head has a fixed design and cannot be adjusted. When coating PI2, the slit area changes, and the PI adhesive may flow and overflow along the shape of PI1, resulting in the PI2 film edge distance being smaller than PI1. To solve this problem, the current common practice is to custom-design shims of different sizes according to the film edge distance requirements.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a coating head. (Example) Figure 2 As shown in the diagram, as an example, the coating head comprises two parts, with a baffle installed between the two parts. The baffle includes three baffle teeth: a, b, and c. Baffle teeth a and c affect the edge distance of the film on both sides of the coating (e.g., ...). Figure 1 In the L and R), the baffle teeth b affect the film edge distance in the middle area of ​​the coating (e.g., Figure 1 The widths (or masking dimensions) of a, b, and c can be designed according to different product requirements, thereby further determining the different film edge distances to be coated. Different coating heads on different equipment are equipped with baffles of different a, b, and c widths, and different equipment is used to produce different film edge distances. Furthermore, when there is a new film edge distance production requirement, the coating head and baffles need to be disassembled and reassembled. The entire process suffers from high equipment costs and low production efficiency.

[0040] In view of the above problems, embodiments of this application provide a coating head, a coating method and a coating machine, which can use a single coating head to meet the coating requirements of different film edge distances.

[0041] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a baffle 300 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, as an example, the baffle 300 is located inside the coating head die body and is composed of two sub-baffles arranged in the first direction. The two sub-baffles include a baffle body 310, two baffle teeth 320 and an overlapping area 330.

[0042] Specifically, the baffle teeth 320 are located at both ends of the sub-baffle in the first direction, and the baffle teeth 320 extend from the baffle body 310 along the second direction. The sub-baffle #1 (i.e., the first sub-baffle) includes baffle teeth A and B1, the sub-baffle #2 (i.e., the second sub-baffle) includes baffle teeth B2 and C, and the overlapping area 330 (i.e., the first overlapping area and the second overlapping area) is located on the adjacent side of the two sub-baffles, that is, the side close to the baffle teeth B1 / B2.

[0043] The sum of the thicknesses of the overlapping areas of sub-baffle #1 and sub-baffle #2 is the thickness of the sub-baffle. For example, the thicknesses of the overlapping areas of the two sub-baffles can be the same. For instance, the thickness of the sub-baffle is 0.4 mm, and the thickness of the overlapping area of ​​the two sub-baffles is 0.2 mm.

[0044] The two sub-baffles of the baffle can overlap each other through the overlapping area and can move horizontally within the width range of the overlapping area in the first direction. For example, when the width of the overlapping area of ​​sub-baffles #1 and #2 is 20mm, the two sub-baffles can move relative to each other within the range of 0mm to 20mm. When the two sub-baffles overlap, the baffle teeth B1 and B2 located in the overlapping area also overlap and affect the film edge distance of the coating middle area as a whole (masking dimension b); when the two sub-baffles move horizontally within the overlapping area, the masking dimension b formed by the baffle teeth B1 and B2 will also change.

[0045] The widths of the baffle teeth A, B1, B2, and C, and the overlapping area of ​​the sub-baffles can be designed independently. The width of the overlapping area can be greater than the width of the baffle teeth B1 / B2, meaning that the baffle teeth B1 and B2 of two sub-baffles can overlap in opposite directions. For example, if the widths of baffle teeth B1 and B2 are 20mm and the width of the overlapping area of ​​the sub-baffles is 30mm, when sub-baffles #1 and #2 overlap by 0mm, B1 and B2 do not overlap at all, and the width of the overall blocking dimension b of B1 and B2 is 2*20mm=40mm; when sub-baffles #1 and #2 overlap by 10mm, B1 and B2 partially overlap, and the width of the overall blocking dimension b of B1 and B2 is 2*20mm-10mm. m=30mm; When sub-baffle #1 and sub-baffle #2 overlap by 20mm, B1 and B2 completely overlap, and the width of the overall blocking dimension b of B1 and B2 is 2*20mm-20mm=20mm; When sub-baffle #1 and sub-baffle #2 overlap by 30mm, sub-baffle #1 and sub-baffle #2 completely overlap, B1 and B2 overlap in opposite directions, and the width of the overall blocking dimension b of B1 and B2 is 2*20mm-10mm=30mm.

[0046] Optionally, the baffle may also include at least two sub-baffles. Correspondingly, when the baffle includes at least two sub-baffles, each sub-baffle has an overlapping area at one end with the adjacent sub-baffle. The middle sub-baffle can overlap with the sub-baffles on both sides through the overlapping areas on both sides. At least two sub-baffles can move horizontally within the width range of the overlapping area in the first direction.

[0047] After the baffles and coating head are assembled, when the two sub-baffles move horizontally within the width range of the first direction of the overlapping area, in addition to the change in the occlusion dimension b of the baffle teeth B1 and B2 due to the overlap, the occlusion dimensions a and c formed by the baffle teeth A and C with the two ends of the coating head will also change, thereby meeting the coating requirements of different film edge distances.

[0048] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a coating head 400 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the top of the coating head is a groove structure, and a movement control mechanism is provided in the groove. The movement control mechanism includes: a transmission component 410, a motor (not shown in the figure), a track 420, and a measuring component 430.

[0049] The transmission component 410 is positioned on the central axis of the groove, while the track 420 and measuring component 430 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the central axis. A motor is housed inside the transmission component 410, with the baffle body 310 fitted into it. The track 420 connects to both sides of the transmission component 410. The motor within the transmission component 410 drives the entire structure to move on the track 420, thereby controlling the movement of the sub-baffle 300. During this movement, the measuring component 430 can further refine the control of the sub-baffle's movement distance.

[0050] Optionally, the number of transmission components 410 can be an integer multiple of the number of sub-baffles. For example, each sub-baffle body 310 can have one / two / three transmission components 410 connected to it.

[0051] Alternatively, the measuring component 430 may include a grating ruler.

[0052] Alternatively, the components in the motion control mechanism can be replaced by any component with similar functionality.

[0053] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a baffle in a coating head provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 As shown, as an example, baffle 300 is installed inside coating head 400. Two sub-baffles move horizontally within the width range of the overlap area 330 in the first direction, and the blocking dimensions a, b, c change, and the corresponding coating film edge distances L, M, R also change.

[0054] like Figure 5 As shown in (a), as an example, when the baffle teeth B1 and B2 of the two sub-baffles completely overlap, the width of the occlusion dimension b is the smallest, and the width of the occlusion dimensions a and c formed by the baffle teeth A and C on both sides and the two ends of the coating head is the smallest. Correspondingly, the edge distances L, M, and R of the coating film are also the smallest.

[0055] When the baffle teeth B1 and B2 of the two sub-baffles completely overlap, the width of the blocking dimension b is the largest width of the baffle teeth B1 and B2. For example, when B1=B2=20mm, b=B1=B2=20mm; when B1=30mm and B2=20mm, b=B1=30mm; when B1=20mm and B2=30mm, b=B2=30mm.

[0056] It should be noted that the widths of the masking dimensions a and c are related to the widths at both ends of the coating head and the size of the panel to be coated, but this application does not limit these dimensions. For ease of explanation, the size of the coating head and the panel to be coated are not considered here. It is assumed that there are no excess portions at both ends of the coating head, and that the width of the panel to be coated is the same as the width of the coating. That is, when the baffle teeth B1 and B2 completely overlap, the widths of the baffle teeth A / C, masking dimensions a / c, and film edge distance L / M are the same. For example, when baffle teeth A=C=10mm, the masking dimensions a=c=10mm, and L=R=10mm.

[0057] When the movement control mechanism controls the sub-baffle, from such Figure 5 When the position shown in (a) moves towards the center, that is, the left sub-baffle moves to the right and the right sub-baffle moves to the left, the widths of the blocking dimensions a, b, and c all increase. For example... Figure 5 As shown in (b), as an example, when the baffle teeth B1 and B2 of the two sub-baffles move from complete overlap to complete non-overlap, the width of the occlusion dimension b increases, and the width of the occlusion dimensions a and c formed by the baffle teeth A and C on both sides and the ends of the coating head also increases.

[0058] Specifically, when the baffle teeth B1 and B2 of the two sub-baffles move from complete overlap to complete non-overlap, the width of the blocking dimension b is the sum of the widths of the baffle teeth B1 and B2 minus the overlap of B1 and B2. The width of the blocking dimension a / c is the sum of the width of the baffle teeth A / C and the amount of horizontal movement of the sub-baffle. For example, when A=C=10mm and B1=B2=20mm, the sub-baffles #1 and #2 have moved horizontally by 10mm, a=c=10mm+10mm=20mm, and b=B1+B2=40mm.

[0059] For example, the relationship between the coating head baffle and the edge distance of the coating film provided in the embodiments of this application is shown in the following table.

[0060] Table 1

[0061] For example, taking Table 1 as an example, the baffle teeth A=10mm, B1=B2=20mm, C=10mm, and the width of the overlapping area is 40mm. Using the coating head provided in this embodiment, the sub-baffle can be controlled in... Figure 5(a) shows the position to Figure 5 (b) The coating head provided in this embodiment can move between the positions shown. At this time, the coating head can achieve coating within the range of 10mm to 20mm for the film edge distance L / R and within the range of 20mm to 40mm for the film edge distance M. For example, when both sub-baffles move 7mm towards the middle, the two sub-baffles overlap by 14mm, that is, the baffle teeth B1 and B2 overlap by 14mm. At this time, the middle film edge distance M = B1 + B2 - 14mm = 26mm, and the film edge distances on both sides L = A + 7mm = 17mm and R = C + 7mm = 17mm.

[0062] It is understandable that by using a split baffle and setting an overlap area with half the thickness on the sub-baffle, horizontal movement of the sub-baffle within the coating head can be achieved within a certain range. The movement of the sub-baffle can be further precisely controlled through a movement control mechanism. This allows for control of the coated film edge distance within a certain range using a single coating head, eliminating the need for different equipment to meet different production film edge distance requirements, reducing equipment costs, and improving production efficiency. Furthermore, when new film edge distance production requirements are needed, there is no need to disassemble the old baffle, improving equipment utilization.

[0063] The above text combined Figures 1 to 5 The coating head provided in the embodiments of this application has been described in detail. The coating method and coating machine provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below. For similar descriptions of the coating head, coating method and coating machine provided in the embodiments of this application, please refer to the description of the coating head, and they will not be repeated here.

[0064] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a coating method 600 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 As shown, as an example, coating method 600 includes: S610 receives control commands.

[0065] The control command is used to indicate the relative positions of the multiple sub-baffles in the first direction.

[0066] S620, according to the control command, controls the displacement of at least one of the multiple sub-baffles of the baffle in the first direction.

[0067] Optionally, coating method 600 further includes: Receive the detection results, which are used to indicate the relative positions of multiple sub-baffles in the first direction; Based on the detection results, the displacement of at least one of the multiple sub-baffles in the first direction is controlled.

[0068] Using the above method, the relative position of the sub-baffles in the baffle can be controlled in the first direction, thereby forming different shielding sizes and coating different film edge distances.

[0069] The specific coating implementation of this method is as follows.

[0070] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the fabrication of a PI substrate for AMOLED provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 As shown in the example, in the process of producing AMOLEDs using a two-layer PI coating, after coating the first PI layer (PI1), the masking dimensions a, b, and c can be increased by controlling the coating head provided in this embodiment, thereby coating a second PI layer (PI2) with larger edge distances L, M, and R. This makes PI2 larger than PI1, avoiding product scrap and wasted production capacity due to PI2 residue. This allows the process of producing AMOLEDs using a single coating head, reducing equipment costs while improving production efficiency.

[0071] Optionally, the coating method can be applied to other preparation processes with similar production needs. The coating slurry used is only exemplary and is not limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0072] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a coating method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 8 As shown, as an example, in addition to controlling the change of the masking size through the coating head after coating is completed to meet the production requirements of different coating film edge distances, the change of coating size can also be controlled during the coating process to achieve irregular film edge distance shape coating.

[0073] For example, during the coating process, the baffle as a whole can be controlled to move at a fixed speed, that is, the position of the baffle changes steadily over time.

[0074] For example, the overall moving speed of the baffle is k, which is a constant. At this time, the moving speed of the two sub-baffles is also k. The two sub-baffles are relatively stationary, and the middle film edge distance (i.e., the blocking size) does not change. The film edge distance on one side increases with time, and the film edge distance on the other side decreases with time, which can achieve parallelogram film edge distance coating.

[0075] Specifically, taking the parameters in Table 1 as an example, the achievable distance between the two sides of the film edge is between 10mm and 20mm. The overall moving speed k of the baffle can be set to satisfy: k=10 / t, where t is the time required for the entire panel to be coated to complete the coating (t is a quantitative value). The distance between the two sides of the parallelogram film that can be coated is within the range of 10mm to 20mm.

[0076] For example, the overall moving speed of the baffle can also be controlled to be related to time during the coating process, that is, the position of the baffle has a certain functional relationship with time. For example, the overall moving speed of the baffle is k, and T is the time when coating starts (T is a variable). The value of k and the value of T satisfy a sine function relationship. At this time, the coating head can achieve coating of curved film edge distance.

[0077] Specifically, taking the parameters in Table 1 as an example, when the value of k and the value of t satisfy a sine function relationship, the edge distance of the coated curved film on both sides is in the range of 10mm to 20mm.

[0078] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a coating machine provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 9 As shown, by way of example, this application provides a coating machine, including: any of the possible coating heads 400 described above, and a control unit 910, wherein the control unit 910 is used to control the movement of the baffle in the coating head.

[0079] The control unit 910 can be a programmable controller.

[0080] It should be noted that this application is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The above embodiments are merely examples, and any embodiments with the same structure and effect as the technical concept within the scope of this application are included in the technical scope of this application. Furthermore, various modifications that can be conceived by those skilled in the art to the embodiments, and other ways of constructing by combining some of the constituent elements of the embodiments, without departing from the spirit of this application, are also included in the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A coating head, characterized in that, include: The die head body and the baffle are located inside the die head body, and the die head body and the baffle are arranged to form a slit for outputting slurry; The baffle is composed of multiple sub-baffles. Each sub-baffle includes a main body and two baffle teeth. The main body extends along a first direction, and the baffle teeth are located at both ends of the main body in the first direction. The baffle teeth also extend from the main body along a second direction, where the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. The baffle teeth are used to block the slurry output in the slit. The plurality of sub-baffles are arranged sequentially in the first direction. The plurality of sub-baffles include adjacent first sub-baffles and second sub-baffles. The first sub-baffle includes a first overlapping area, and the second sub-baffle includes a second overlapping area. The first overlapping area is located at the end of the first sub-baffle closer to the second sub-baffle, and the second overlapping area is located at the end of the second sub-baffle closer to the first sub-baffle. The first overlapping area and the second overlapping area overlap in the thickness direction of the sub-baffle, and the sum of the thickness of the first overlapping area and the thickness of the second overlapping area is the same as the thickness of the sub-baffle. The relative positions of the first sub-baffle and the second sub-baffle in the first direction are variable.

2. The coating head according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the first overlapping region is the same as the thickness of the second overlapping region.

3. The coating head according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The width of the first overlapping area in the first direction is the same as the width of the second overlapping area in the first direction.

4. The coating head according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The number of the plurality of sub-baffles is two.

5. The coating head according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The coating head also includes a movement control mechanism for controlling the relative positions of the first sub-baffle and the second sub-baffle in the first direction.

6. The coating head according to claim 5, characterized in that, The motion control mechanism includes: a transmission component and a motor. The motor is connected to the transmission component, and the transmission component is connected to the first sub-baffle and the second sub-baffle. The motor is used to drive the first sub-baffle and the second sub-baffle to move in the first direction through the transmission component.

7. The coating head according to claim 6, characterized in that, The motion control mechanism further includes a track extending along a first direction, and the transmission element is displaced along the track.

8. The coating head according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that, The movement control mechanism further includes a measuring component extending along a first direction, the measuring component being used to detect the relative positions of the first sub-baffle and the second sub-baffle in the first direction.

9. The coating head according to claim 8, characterized in that, The motion control mechanism is specifically used to control the relative positions of the first sub-baffle and the second sub-baffle in the first direction based on the detection results of the measuring component.

10. The coating head according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The measuring component includes a grating ruler.

11. A coating method, characterized in that, Applied to a coating head as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, the method comprises: Receive a control command, the control command being used to indicate the positional requirement of the baffle in the first direction; According to the control command, at least one of the plurality of sub-baffles is controlled to move in the first direction.

12. The coating method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive detection results, which are used to indicate the relative positions of the plurality of sub-baffles in a first direction; Based on the detection results, the displacement of at least one of the plurality of sub-baffles in the first direction is controlled.

13. A coating machine, characterized in that, Includes the coating head as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

14. A display panel manufacturing equipment, characterized in that, The substrate of the display panel is generated by the slurry, including the coating head as described in claim 1 or the coating machine as described in claim 13.

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