Crucible and evaporation device
By installing a filter device inside the crucible, and using a blocking structure and a guide plate to intercept impurities in the vapor deposition gas, the problem of substrate defects caused by direct vapor deposition gas ejection is solved, thus improving the vapor deposition effect.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- YUNGU GUAN TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-02-06
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-05
AI Technical Summary
In existing crucibles, during the vapor deposition process, the vapor deposition gas is directly ejected from the nozzle, which can easily cause impurities to adhere to the substrate, leading to substrate defects.
A filtration device is installed inside the crucible body, including a blocking structure and a guide plate arranged along a first direction. The blocking structure consists of multiple inclined blocking plates, and the guide plate is provided with guide holes for intercepting and filtering impurities in the vapor deposition gas.
It effectively reduces the impurity content in the vapor deposition gas, improves the vapor deposition yield and reliability of the substrate, and reduces the probability of impurities adhering to the substrate.
Smart Images

Figure CN122147245A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of display device technology, and more specifically, to a crucible and vapor deposition apparatus. Background Technology
[0002] Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology is considered the most promising next-generation display technology. Compared with liquid crystal display technology, OLED display technology has advantages such as low energy consumption, low cost, self-emissiveness, wide viewing angle, and fast response speed.
[0003] In the traditional OLED display panel manufacturing process, a fine metal mask (FMM) is typically used to pattern the light-emitting pixels. FMM technology is mature and has extensive mass production experience. However, FMM technology also suffers from limitations in precision and high cost. Fine metal mask-less technology eliminates the limitations of traditional OLED processes on display size, resolution, and other screen performance characteristics, offering advantages such as high performance, full-size display, and agile delivery. Patents CN118251982A, CN116648095A, CN117062489A, CN118742138A, CN118678783A, CN118660598A, CN118675450A, CN118824188A, and CN118781966A describe relevant content regarding fine metal mask-less technology and are provided for reference.
[0004] In addition, the fabrication of traditional OLED display panels requires vapor deposition equipment to deposit a film layer on the substrate surface. The core component of the vapor deposition equipment is the evaporation source. During the vapor deposition process, the crucible of the evaporation source is heated, and the material to be vaporized placed in the crucible sublimates or melts and evaporates, reaching the substrate through the nozzle of the crucible to form a film layer on the substrate surface. Because some molten materials will have large particles of solution or non-molten impurities during the evaporation process, the material to be vaporized in the crucible directly reaches the substrate after evaporation, which can easily cause large particles of solution or non-molten impurities to adhere to the substrate, resulting in poor electrical properties or reliability of the substrate. Summary of the Invention
[0005] To overcome the technical problems mentioned in the above background, this application provides a crucible, including a crucible body, a crucible lid, a crucible nozzle, and a filtering device. The crucible body is used to contain vapor deposition material and has an opening. The crucible lid covers the opening. The crucible nozzle is disposed on the crucible lid and is used to spray vapor deposition gas after the vapor deposition material has vaporized. The filtering device is disposed in the crucible body and covers the opening. The filtering device includes a plurality of blocking structures arranged along a first direction and a plurality of guide plates arranged at intervals along the first direction, which is the height direction of the crucible body. The blocking structures are used to block impurities in the vapor deposition gas. The blocking structures include a plurality of blocking plates located on different planes. The plurality of blocking plates are arranged at intervals along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the second direction. The blocking plates are inclined relative to the first direction, and the inclination directions of the blocking plates of two adjacent blocking structures relative to the first direction are different. The guide plates are provided with a plurality of guide holes that penetrate the guide plates along the first direction.
[0006] In one embodiment, a plurality of the flow guides are located between a plurality of the blocking structures and the crucible lid.
[0007] In one embodiment, the plurality of the deflectors are respectively located on both sides of the plurality of the blocking structures along the first direction.
[0008] In one embodiment, the crucible body has a bottom wall for supporting the vapor-deposited material;
[0009] The orthographic projections of two adjacent blocking plates along the second direction on the bottom wall overlap each other.
[0010] In one embodiment, the obstruction plates of two adjacent obstruction structures have opposite tilt directions relative to the first direction.
[0011] In one embodiment, the blocking plates of two adjacent blocking structures are tilted at the same angle relative to the first direction.
[0012] In one embodiment, the surface of the blocking plate at least away from the crucible nozzle is provided with a protrusion, the surface of the protrusion being inclined relative to the first direction.
[0013] In one embodiment, the orthographic projections of the flow guide holes on two adjacent flow guide plates overlap on the crucible lid.
[0014] In one embodiment, the orthographic projections of the flow guide holes on two adjacent flow guide plates onto the crucible lid do not overlap.
[0015] In one embodiment, the flow guide holes on two adjacent flow guide plates are staggered in the first direction.
[0016] In one embodiment, the plurality of flow guide holes on the flow guide plate are evenly distributed.
[0017] In one embodiment, along the first direction, a plurality of the blocking structures are arranged at intervals, and a gap is provided between adjacent blocking structures and the guide plate.
[0018] In one embodiment, the filtering device further includes a mounting frame having a frame wall that abuts against the inner wall of the crucible body, a plurality of the blocking plates being connected to the frame wall, and a plurality of the flow guide plates being connected to the frame wall.
[0019] This application also provides a vapor deposition apparatus, including a vacuum chamber and a crucible as described in the above embodiments, wherein the crucible is disposed in the vacuum chamber and a vapor deposition material is disposed inside the crucible.
[0020] The beneficial effects of the crucible and vapor deposition apparatus provided in this application are as follows: Compared with the prior art, this application sets up a filter device in the crucible body. The vapor deposition gas needs to pass through the filter device before reaching the crucible nozzle. The blocking structure included in the filter device will intercept and filter impurities in the vapor deposition gas. The multiple guide plates included in the filter device will also block impurities in the vapor deposition gas. That is, during the process of the vapor deposition gas passing through the filter device, the impurities in the vapor deposition gas will undergo multiple interception and filtration, which greatly reduces the impurity content in the vapor deposition gas reaching the crucible nozzle. As a result, after the crucible nozzle sprays the vapor deposition gas onto the substrate to be vapor deposition, the probability of impurities adhering to the substrate to be vapor deposition is greatly reduced, effectively improving the yield and reliability of the substrate after vapor deposition. Attached Figure Description
[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the crucible structure provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 ; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the crucible structure provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 ; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the crucible structure provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 3 ; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the orthographic projection of two adjacent blocking plates of the blocking structure onto the bottom wall. Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the arrangement of multiple blocking structures Figure 1 ; Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the arrangement of multiple blocking structures Figure 2 ; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of the guide holes on the guide plate; Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing the distribution of the orthographic projections of the flow guide holes on two adjacent flow guide plates onto the crucible lid. Figure 1 ; Figure 9 A schematic diagram showing the distribution of the orthographic projections of the flow guide holes on two adjacent flow guide plates onto the crucible lid. Figure 2 ; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the evaporation source of the crucible used in the embodiments of this application; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the vapor deposition apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel fabricated using the vapor deposition apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 ; Figure 13 for Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the partial film layer cross-section structure in the BB direction of a local area of the display panel; Figure 14 for Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the array substrate structure; Figure 15 This is the circuit schematic of the pixel circuit; Figure 16 This is a top view of the isolated structure; Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-section of the isolation structure; Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the light-emitting structure; Figure 19 A schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel fabricated using the vapor deposition apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 ; Figure 20 This is a flowchart illustrating the manufacturing process of a display panel. Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of the display device.
[0023] Reference numerals: 200, vapor deposition apparatus; 201, vacuum chamber; 20, evaporation source; 1, vapor deposition material; 2, crucible; 21, crucible body; 211, opening; 212, bottom wall; 22, crucible lid; 23, crucible nozzle; 24, blocking structure; 241, blocking plate; 25, guide plate; 251, guide hole; 26, mounting frame; 261, frame wall; 300, substrate to be vapor deposited; 10. Display panel; 11. Array substrate; 12. Isolation structure; 12a. Isolation opening; 12a1. First isolation opening; 12a2. Second isolation opening; 12a3. Third isolation opening; 121. Blocking portion; 122. Isolation portion; 123. Base; 13. Light-emitting device; 13a. First light-emitting device; 13b. Second light-emitting device; 13c. Third light-emitting device; 131. First electrode; 132. Light-emitting structure; 133. Second electrode; 14. Encapsulation portion; 14a. First encapsulation portion; 14b. Second encapsulation portion; 14c. Third encapsulation portion; 15. Second encapsulation layer; 16. Third encapsulation layer; 17. Pixel defining layer; 18. Transistor; 19. Planarization layer; 100. Display device. Detailed Implementation
[0024] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.
[0025] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0026] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, different features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.
[0027] For ease of understanding, the accompanying diagram shows the mutually orthogonal X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. The direction along the X-axis is called the X-direction, the direction along the Y-axis is called the Y-direction, and the direction along the Z-axis is called the Z-direction. The Z-direction is the normal direction relative to the plane containing the X and Y directions. Furthermore, a view where various elements are observed parallel to the plane containing the X and Y directions is called a top view. Alternatively, the planes in the X and Y directions can be planes parallel to the display surface of the display panel, and the Z-direction can be a direction parallel to the thickness direction of the display panel.
[0028] For certain elements, terms like "above" or "overhead" are sometimes used when describing the position of an element in the Z direction, and "below" or "under" are used when describing the position of an element in the opposite direction. Furthermore, when using terms like "above," "overhead," "below," "under," or "relative" to define the positional relationship between two elements, this includes not only the state where the two elements are directly adjacent, but also the state where the two elements are separated by gaps or other elements. Additionally, terms like "first," "second," and "third" are used only for distinguishing descriptions and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0029] Currently, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) Emitting Diode (OLED) display technology is currently one of the hottest research areas in display devices due to its advantages such as fast response time, wide viewing angle, high contrast, light weight, and low power consumption. Furthermore, its inherent flexibility allows for the fabrication of bendable and foldable displays, demonstrating its immense potential in emerging applications such as wearable devices, flexible electronic devices, and curved displays. OLED technology mainly includes small-molecule OLED technology based on vacuum evaporation technology and polymer OLED technology based on solution processing.
[0030] Evaporation deposition machines are the main equipment for the production of currently mass-produced small-molecule OLED devices, with the evaporation source device being the core component. During the evaporation process, the evaporation source is placed inside a vacuum chamber, and the material to be deposited is placed in a crucible within the evaporation source. The crucible is heated within the evaporation source chamber, causing the material to sublimate and evaporate, reaching the substrate through nozzles. However, because some molten materials may produce large particles of solution or non-molten impurities during evaporation, the material in the existing crucible directly reaches the substrate after evaporation, easily leading to the adhesion of large particles of solution or non-molten impurities, resulting in poor electrical properties or reliability of the substrate. For example, some organic or metallic materials may undergo ashing (i.e., residues left after material combustion or decomposition) or partial deterioration (change in chemical composition) after heating and evaporation, producing impurity particles. These impurity particles, along with the effective material, evaporate through nozzles and deposit onto the substrate, affecting the performance and yield of the display panel. For instance, these impurity particles may cause areas on the display surface that cannot emit light or shine normally, affecting the user's visual experience. For example, when the evaporation temperature is high, the metal material may boil. The metal particles splashed out during boiling may be ejected along with the vapor deposition gas when passing through the crucible nozzle and eventually deposited on the substrate, thus affecting the uniformity of the deposited layer.
[0031] Therefore, this application provides a crucible and a vapor deposition apparatus, which solves the problem that the vapor deposition gas generated in the existing crucible is directly ejected from the nozzle, which easily causes impurities carried in the vapor deposition gas to adhere to the substrate, resulting in substrate defects.
[0032] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The crucible 2 provided in this embodiment includes a crucible body 21, a crucible lid 22, a crucible nozzle 23, and a filtering device. The crucible body 21 is used to contain the vapor deposition material 1 and has an opening 211. The crucible lid 22 is placed over the opening 211. The crucible nozzle 23 is disposed on the crucible lid 22 and is used to spray out the vapor deposition gas after the vapor deposition material 1 has vaporized. The filtering device is disposed inside the crucible body 21 and covers the opening 211. The filtering device includes a plurality of blocking structures 24 arranged along the first direction Z and a plurality of guide plates arranged along the first direction Z. 25, the first direction Z is the height direction of the crucible body 21; the blocking structure 24 is used to block impurities in the vapor deposition gas, the blocking structure 24 includes multiple blocking plates 241 located on different planes, the multiple blocking plates 241 are arranged at intervals along the second direction X, the first direction Z and the second direction X are perpendicular to each other; the blocking plates 241 are inclined relative to the first direction Z, and the inclination directions of the blocking plates 241 of two adjacent blocking structures 24 relative to the first direction Z are different; the guide plate 25 is provided with multiple guide holes 251 that penetrate the guide plate 25 along the first direction Z.
[0033] The crucible body 21 is used to hold the vapor deposition material 1 to be sublimated or evaporated. The vapor deposition material 1 may include the hole transport layer, hole injection layer, light emission layer, electron transport layer, electron injection layer, electron blocking layer, cathode and light extraction layer in the structure of an organic light-emitting diode device, or other materials that need to be formed by vapor deposition process. This application embodiment does not limit the scope of the application.
[0034] Impurities in the vapor deposition gas refer to components that are not desired to adhere to the substrate to be vapor-deposited, such as particulate impurities or external contaminants. For example, some molten materials may produce large particles of solution or non-molten impurities during the evaporation process. These large particles of solution or non-molten impurities will flow into the vapor deposition nozzle along with the vapor deposition gas. Since these large particles of solution or non-molten impurities are components that are not desired to adhere to the substrate during film deposition, they need to be intercepted during the flow of the vapor deposition gas to prevent them from adhering to the substrate.
[0035] The crucible body 21 in this embodiment can be a pluggable structure, allowing the type of vapor deposition material 1 placed inside to be changed according to actual vapor deposition requirements. The crucible body 21 is typically cylindrical, with an open top and a closed bottom. During operation, the open top of the crucible body 21 faces upwards, and the closed bottom is placed at the bottom of the evaporation source 20. The vapor deposition material 1 is typically deposited in the crucible in solid or liquid form. Upon heating, it will sublimate or evaporate into a gaseous phase depending on the material and its corresponding heating temperature.
[0036] Optionally, the crucible body 21 in this embodiment further includes a heating element, which is disposed around the crucible body 21. The heating element can be a heating wire or a heating resistor. The heating element is used to heat the crucible body 21, and the heating temperature range of the crucible body 21 is between 150°C and 1500°C, which can be determined according to the vapor deposition material 1 contained in the crucible body 21. By distributing the heating element around the crucible body 21, the vapor deposition material 1 contained in the crucible body 21 can be uniformly heated and evaporated.
[0037] It should be noted that the number of crucible nozzles 23 can be at least one, with at least one nozzle disposed on the crucible cover 22, located at the top of the crucible body 21. Alternatively, the number of crucible nozzles 23 can be at least two, arranged linearly. Reasonably controlling the placement of the crucible nozzles 23 can maximize the uniformity of the thickness of the vapor-deposited film layer formed by vapor deposition through the crucible body 21. The crucible nozzles 23 are used to guide the vapor deposition gas formed after the vapor deposition material 1 evaporates and to adjust the emission range of the vapor deposition gas. In this embodiment, a filter device is provided inside the crucible body 21. After the vapor deposition gas is generated inside the crucible, it passes through the filter device before being ejected from the crucible nozzle 23. Since the vapor deposition material 1 has a relatively high gas pressure when it vaporizes under heating conditions, the impurities it contains are easily moved upward with the gas flow. Therefore, when the vapor deposition gas passes through the filter device, the large particles of solution or non-molten impurities carried in the vapor deposition gas are intercepted and filtered by the filter device, thereby greatly reducing the impurity content in the vapor deposition gas ejected from the crucible nozzle 23. This significantly reduces the probability of impurities adhering to the substrate 300 to be vapor-deposited, effectively improving the yield and reliability of the substrate 300 after vapor deposition.
[0038] Specifically, the filtration device includes multiple blocking structures 24 and multiple guide plates 25. Since the vapor deposition gas flows vertically upward along the first direction Z in the crucible body 21, the multiple blocking structures 24 and multiple guide plates 25 are arranged along the first direction Z. In this way, the vapor deposition gas will all pass through the filtration device before reaching the crucible nozzle 23, thereby effectively filtering out large particles of solution or non-molten impurities mixed in the vapor deposition gas.
[0039] The blocking structure 24 includes multiple blocking plates 241 located on different planes, and the blocking plates 241 are inclined. This allows the vapor deposition gas to first reach the surface of the blocking plates 241 when flowing through the blocking structure 24. Because large particles of solution or non-molten impurities have their own weight, they detach from the vapor deposition gas under their own gravity. Some adhere directly to the surface of the blocking plates 241, while others fall directly to the bottom of the crucible body 21, thus blocking impurities in the vapor deposition gas. The vapor deposition gas then continues to flow towards the crucible nozzle 23 after being reflected from the surface of the blocking plates 241. Since the blocking structure 24 includes multiple blocking plates 241 located on different planes, the vapor deposition gas passes through the gaps between the blocking plates without affecting the gas flow rate.
[0040] Furthermore, this application provides multiple blocking structures 24, allowing the vapor deposition gas to pass through them sequentially, greatly improving the interception efficiency of impurities in the vapor deposition gas. Moreover, the obstruction plates 241 of adjacent blocking structures 24 have different inclination directions, meaning the direction of the channel formed between adjacent obstruction plates 241 is different. The channel for vapor deposition gas flow formed by the multiple blocking structures 24 is bent, thus the path of the vapor deposition gas through the multiple blocking structures 24 is bent, further increasing the contact area between the vapor deposition gas and the obstruction plates 241, improving the interception efficiency of impurities in the vapor deposition gas. The flow rate of the vapor deposition gas is also slowed down, prolonging the contact time between the vapor deposition gas and the obstruction plates 241, thereby enhancing the blocking effect of the obstruction plates 241 on impurities in the vapor deposition gas.
[0041] The guide plate 25 is provided with a plurality of guide holes 251. The guide holes 251 penetrate the guide plate 25 along the first direction Z, that is, the axial direction of the guide holes 251 is consistent with the first direction Z. The flow direction of the vapor deposition gas can be restricted by passing through the guide holes 251.
[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, multiple guide plates 25 are provided, and the guide holes 251 on two adjacent guide plates 25 are staggered in the first direction Z. That is, the guide holes 251 on two adjacent guide plates 25 are not completely connected. When the vapor deposition gas flows to the crucible nozzle 23, it will first contact the guide plate 25. When it contacts the part of the guide plate 25 without guide holes 251, it will intercept the impurities in the vapor deposition gas. When it contacts the guide hole 251, it will pass directly. However, the vapor deposition gas that passes directly through the guide hole 251 will then contact the part of another guide plate 25 without guide holes 251, and the impurities in the vapor deposition gas will be intercepted again. After passing through multiple guide plates 25, a large number of impurities in the vapor deposition gas can be intercepted, reducing the impurity content in the vapor deposition gas.
[0043] The filter device in this embodiment is disposed inside the crucible body 21. The vapor deposition gas must pass through the filter device before reaching the crucible nozzle 23. The blocking structure 24 included in the filter device intercepts and filters impurities in the vapor deposition gas. The multiple guide plates 25 included in the filter device also block impurities in the vapor deposition gas. In other words, during the process of the vapor deposition gas passing through the filter device, the impurities in the vapor deposition gas undergo multiple interception and filtration, which greatly reduces the impurity content in the vapor deposition gas reaching the crucible nozzle 23. As a result, after the crucible nozzle 23 sprays the vapor deposition gas onto the substrate 300 to be vapor deposition, the probability of impurities adhering to the substrate 300 to be vapor deposition is greatly reduced, effectively improving the yield and reliability of the substrate 300 after vapor deposition.
[0044] It is understandable that the filter device is used to intercept and filter impurities in the vapor deposition gas. The multiple blocking structures 24 and multiple guide plates 25 included in the filter device can be arranged in any order. However, for better filtration effect, at least two blocking structures 24 should be arranged as a group and at least two guide plates 25 should be arranged as a group. However, after passing through the filter device, the vapor deposition gas is ejected from the crucible nozzle 23. Therefore, the direction in which the vapor deposition gas flows out of the filter device should be the same as the first direction Z. Since the guide plates 25 can restrict the direction of vapor deposition gas flow to the first direction Z, when arranging the blocking structures 24 and guide plates 25, it is necessary to ensure that at least two guide plates 25 are provided on the side of the filter device closest to the crucible nozzle 23. This ensures that the vapor deposition gas flows along the first direction Z to the crucible nozzle 23 after passing through the filter device, so that the flow rate and direction of the vapor deposition gas ejected from each crucible nozzle 23 are the same, which is beneficial to improving the uniformity of the vapor deposition film.
[0045] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 Multiple guide plates 25 are located between multiple obstruction structures 24 and crucible cover 22. That is, the vapor deposition gas first passes through multiple obstruction structures 24, then through multiple guide plates 25, and finally reaches crucible nozzle 23.
[0046] With the above settings, the vapor deposition gas after the sublimation and evaporation of the vapor deposition material 1 first passes through multiple blocking structures 24 in sequence. When the vapor deposition gas comes into contact with the blocking plate 241 of the blocking structure 24, large particles of solution or non-molten impurities in the vapor deposition gas will be separated from the vapor deposition gas under the action of their own gravity. The vapor deposition gas with some impurities removed will be reflected on the blocking plate 241 and continue to flow towards the crucible nozzle 23, and then enter multiple guide plates 25. When the vapor deposition gas comes into contact with the guide plate 25, the part of the guide plate 25 without the guide hole 251 will intercept the impurities in the vapor deposition gas, thereby greatly reducing the impurities in the vapor deposition gas flowing out of the guide hole 251. Moreover, the flow direction of the vapor deposition gas flowing out of the guide hole 251 is the same as the first direction Z, which can make the vapor deposition gas enter the crucible nozzle 23 more smoothly and be sprayed onto the substrate 300 to be vapor deposition. At the same time, the flow rate of the vapor deposition gas sprayed from different crucible nozzles 23 is the same, which is beneficial to the uniform thickness of the vapor deposition film on the substrate 300 to be vapor deposition.
[0047] It should be noted that the number of multiple blocking structures 24 and multiple deflectors 25 is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the application. For example, see reference... Figure 1 The number of multiple blocking structures 24 can be two, and the number of multiple guide plates 25 can also be two, with the two guide plates 25 located between the two blocking structures 24 and the crucible nozzle 23. (Reference) Figure 2The number of multiple blocking structures 24 can be three, and the number of multiple guide plates 25 can also be three, with the three guide plates 25 located between the three blocking structures 24 and the crucible nozzle 23.
[0048] In some embodiments, reference Figure 3 Multiple guide plates 25 are located on both sides of multiple blocking structures 24 along the first direction Z. That is, the vapor deposition gas first passes through multiple guide plates 25, then through multiple blocking structures 24, and finally through multiple guide plates 25 again before flowing into the crucible nozzle 23.
[0049] With the above settings, the vaporized gas after the sublimation and evaporation of the vaporized material 1 first passes through multiple guide plates 25 in sequence. When the vaporized gas comes into contact with the guide plate 25, the part of the guide plate 25 without the guide hole 251 will intercept the impurities in the vaporized gas, thereby greatly reducing the impurities in the vaporized gas flowing out of the guide hole 251. Then the vaporized gas passes through multiple blocking structures 24 in sequence. When the vaporized gas comes into contact with the blocking plate 241 of the blocking structure 24, large particles of solution or non-molten impurities in the vaporized gas will be separated from the vaporized gas under the action of their own gravity. The vaporized gas with some impurities removed will be reflected on the blocking plate 241 and continue to flow toward the crucible nozzle 23, and then continue to enter multiple guide plates 25. The multiple guide plates 25 will filter and intercept the impurities in the vaporized gas again before entering the crucible nozzle 23. In this way, the vapor deposition gas flows out from multiple guide plates 25 and enters the crucible nozzle 23, which ensures that the vapor deposition gas flows into the crucible nozzle 23 along the first direction Z, which is conducive to the vapor deposition gas entering the crucible nozzle 23 more smoothly and being sprayed onto the substrate 300 to be vapor deposited.
[0050] Example, reference Figure 3The number of multiple blocking structures 24 can be two, and the number of multiple guide plates 25 can be four. The two blocking structures 24 are located between the two guide plates 25 and the two guide plates 25. The vapor deposition gas first passes through the two guide plates 25, then through the two blocking structures 24, and then through the two guide plates 25 again. This is equivalent to triple interception of impurities in the vapor deposition gas, which can improve the filtration and interception efficiency of impurities in the vapor deposition gas. Of course, the number of multiple blocking structures 24 can also be three, and the number of multiple guide plates 25 can be six. The three blocking structures 24 are located between the three guide plates 25. The vapor deposition gas first passes through the three guide plates 25, then through the three blocking structures 24, and then through the three guide plates 25. This is equivalent to triple interception of impurities in the vapor deposition gas, and the effect of each interception is improved. This allows more impurities in the vapor deposition gas to be filtered out, significantly reducing the impurity content in the vapor deposition gas ejected from the crucible nozzle 23, reducing the probability of impurities adhering to the substrate 300 to be vapor deposition, and improving the yield and reliability of the vapor deposition film layer after vapor deposition on the substrate 300.
[0051] It should be noted that the filter device in this embodiment is installed inside the crucible body 21, which is mainly used to contain the vapor deposition material 1. Therefore, when setting the filter device, the overall height of the filter device needs to be designed according to the actual height inside the crucible body 21. That is, the number of blocking structures 24 and the number of guide plates 25 should be reasonably selected so that the distance between the filter device and the bottom wall 212 of the crucible body 21 is greater than the height of the vapor deposition material 1. This ensures that the vapor deposition material 1 has sufficient space to be contained and will not touch the filter device. This will not affect the working efficiency of the crucible while meeting the requirement of effectively filtering and intercepting impurities in the vapor deposition gas.
[0052] In some embodiments, the crucible body 21 has a bottom wall 212 for supporting the vapor-deposited material 1; the orthographic projections of two adjacent baffles 241 along the second direction X on the bottom wall 212 overlap each other.
[0053] For details, please refer to Figure 4 The orthographic projection of one of the two adjacent blocking plates 241 along the second direction X onto the bottom wall 212 is the first shape S1, and the orthographic projection of the other blocking plate 241 onto the bottom wall 212 is the second shape S2. The first shape S1 and the second shape S2 overlap each other, and the third shape S3 is the overlapping part of the first shape S1 and the second shape S2. Figure 4 The solid line represents the first figure S1, and the dashed line represents the second figure S2.
[0054] It should be noted that the orthographic projections of two adjacent baffles 241 on the bottom wall 212 of the same baffle structure 24 overlap. That is, when the vapor deposition gas flows to the baffle structure 24 along the first direction Z, all the vapor deposition gas will come into contact with the baffles 241. There will be no vapor deposition gas passing directly through the channel between two adjacent baffles 241 along the first direction Z. As a result, all the vapor deposition gas passing through the baffle structure 24 will be intercepted and filtered by the baffles 241, which greatly reduces the impurity content in the vapor deposition gas. This greatly reduces the probability that impurities will adhere to the substrate 300 when the vapor deposition gas is sprayed onto it, effectively improving the yield and reliability of the vapor deposition film layer on the substrate 300.
[0055] In this embodiment, the multiple blocking plates 241 included in the blocking structure 24 have the same shape and size. The width of the blocking plate 241, which is also the height of the blocking structure 24 in the first direction Z, can be set according to the specific space size inside the crucible body 21. It is only necessary to ensure that the orthographic projections of two adjacent blocking plates 241 on the bottom wall 212 overlap each other. The multiple blocking plates 241 can be arranged at equal intervals, which allows the vapor deposition gas to pass through the blocking structure 24 uniformly and also facilitates the arrangement of two adjacent blocking structures 24 according to requirements. Of course, the distance between different blocking plates 241 can also be set differently, thereby reducing the difficulty and limitations of the operator's arrangement operation of the blocking plates 241 and improving the efficiency of the manufacturing of the blocking structure 24.
[0056] Furthermore, the space between two adjacent baffle plates 241 is used for the passage of vapor deposition gas. In order to increase the throughput of vapor deposition gas through the baffle structure 24, the thickness of the baffle plate 241 can be made as thin as possible, for example, the thickness of the baffle plate 241 can be set to 0.1 mm. In this way, the total area of the channel opening 211 of the baffle structure 24 for the vapor deposition gas to pass through will be basically consistent with the area of the bottom wall 212. Thus, when the vapor deposition gas passes through the baffle structure 24, not only can impurities in the vapor deposition gas be intercepted and filtered, but the throughput of the vapor deposition gas will not be affected, the vapor deposition efficiency will not be affected, and the gas pressure inside the crucible body 21 will not be too high, thus not affecting the pressure relief capacity of the crucible body 21.
[0057] In some embodiments, reference Figures 1-3 The obstruction plates 241 of two adjacent obstruction structures 24 are tilted in opposite directions relative to the first direction Z. In this way, the axial directions of the channels between the obstruction plates 241 of two adjacent obstruction structures 24 are different, which makes the channel direction of the vapor deposition gas curved when passing through the two adjacent obstruction structures 24. This is beneficial to the longer contact time between the vapor deposition gas and the surface of the obstruction plate 241, so that more impurities in the vapor deposition gas are intercepted by the obstruction plate 241.
[0058] It should be noted that the opposite tilt direction of the blocking plates 241 of two adjacent blocking structures 24 relative to the first direction Z specifically means that the tilt directions of the blocking plates 241 of two adjacent blocking structures 24 are opposite. For example, referring to... Figure 1 In two adjacent blocking structures 24, the blocking plate 241 of one of the blocking structures 24 is tilted to the left relative to the first direction Z, and the blocking plate 241 of the other blocking structure 24 is tilted to the right relative to the first direction Z. Here, left and right are relative to the first direction Z. Figure 1 The left and right sides shown in the figure illustrate that the obstruction plates 241 of two adjacent obstruction structures 24 have opposite tilt directions relative to the first direction Z. Based on this, the tilt angle of the obstruction plate 241 of one of the two adjacent obstruction structures 24 relative to the first direction Z can be the same as or different from the tilt angle of the obstruction plate 241 of the other obstruction structure 24 relative to the first direction Z. This application embodiment does not make specific limitations.
[0059] In this embodiment, as long as the tilting directions of the blocking plates 241 of two adjacent blocking structures 24 are different relative to the first direction Z, the path of the vapor deposition gas passing through the multiple blocking structures 24 can be curved. This is beneficial to prolonging the contact time between the vapor deposition gas and the blocking plates 241 of the blocking structure 24, so that the blocking plates 241 can block more impurities in the vapor deposition gas. There is no specific limitation on whether the tilting angles of the blocking plates 241 of two adjacent blocking structures 24 relative to the first direction Z need to be the same.
[0060] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1 The obstruction plates 241 of two adjacent obstruction structures 24 are tilted at the same angle relative to the first direction Z. In this way, when multiple obstruction structures 24 of the filter device are arranged, the same specification of obstruction structure 24 can be used to change the installation direction to achieve the requirement that the obstruction plates 241 of two adjacent obstruction structures 24 have different tilt directions.
[0061] In some embodiments, the angle at which the blocking plate 241 is tilted relative to the first direction Z is an acute angle.
[0062] It should be noted that the angle of inclination of the blocking plate 241 relative to the first direction Z is between 0° and 90°. This indicates that the blocking plate 241 is tilted, which means that the axial direction of the channel formed between two adjacent blocking plates 241 changes from being parallel to the first direction Z to intersecting the first direction Z. As a result, the vapor deposition gas will come into contact with each blocking plate 241 during its flow to the crucible nozzle 23, so that impurities in the vapor deposition gas are adsorbed and rebounded. This makes it difficult for impurities to pass through the channel formed between the blocking plates 241 along with the vapor deposition gas, thereby reducing the impurities deposited on the substrate 300 to be vapor deposited and improving the product performance and yield.
[0063] For example, the angle at which the blocking plate 241 is tilted relative to the first direction Z is 45°.
[0064] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1 Each of the multiple blocking plates 241 in the blocking structure 24 is tilted at the same angle relative to the first direction Z. This ensures that the axial directions of the multiple channels formed between the blocking plates 241 are the same, meaning that the vapor deposition gas flows through the multiple channels of the blocking structure 24 in the same direction. This facilitates the uniform passage of the vapor deposition gas through the blocking structure 24, ensuring that the temperature and pressure of the vapor deposition gas remain consistent at all locations within the blocking structure 24, and contributing to stable pressure within the crucible body 21.
[0065] In this embodiment of the application, after the multiple blocking pieces 241 of the blocking structure 24 are arranged along the second direction X, the distance between any two adjacent blocking pieces 241 may be the same or different. This embodiment of the application does not make specific limitations.
[0066] In some embodiments, reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 The multiple blocking plates 241 of the blocking structure 24 are arranged at equal intervals along the second direction X. That is, the distance between any two adjacent blocking plates 241 in the multiple blocking plates 241 of the blocking structure 24 is equal. In this way, the vapor deposition gas can pass through the blocking structure 24 uniformly, so that the temperature and pressure of the vapor deposition gas at all positions of the blocking structure 24 can be kept consistent, which is beneficial to maintaining the stable gas pressure in the crucible body 21.
[0067] It should be noted that, taking the multiple blocking plates 241 of the blocking structure 24 arranged at equal intervals along the second direction X as an example, refer to... Figure 5 The channel formed between the blocking plates 241 of two adjacent blocking structures 24 can be directly aligned in the first direction Z, as shown in the reference. Figure 6 The channels formed between the blocking plates 241 of two adjacent blocking structures 24 can also be staggered in the first direction Z, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment. Since there is a gap between two adjacent blocking structures 24, both of the above arrangements can allow the vapor deposition gas to flow out of one blocking structure 24 and smoothly enter the channel formed between the blocking plates 241 of the other adjacent blocking structure 24, so that impurities in the vapor deposition gas can be filtered and intercepted.
[0068] In some embodiments, the surface of the blocking plate 241 at least on the side opposite to the crucible nozzle 23 is provided with a protrusion, the surface of the protrusion being inclined relative to the first direction Z. This increases the surface area of the blocking plate 241. The protrusion can be a dot or a bump.
[0069] It should be noted that, since impurities in the vapor deposition gas will detach from the gas under their own gravity after contacting the baffle plate 241, thus intercepting impurities in the vapor deposition gas, this embodiment of the application provides a protrusion on at least one side of the baffle plate 241 facing away from the crucible nozzle 23. This increases the contact area between the vapor deposition gas and the surface of the baffle plate 241, which is beneficial for more impurities in the vapor deposition gas to be intercepted by the baffle plate 241, greatly reducing the impurity content in the vapor deposition gas. This reduces the probability of impurities adhering to the substrate 300 after the crucible nozzle 23 sprays the vapor deposition gas onto the substrate 300 to be vapor deposition, effectively improving the yield and reliability of the substrate after vapor deposition. In addition, the protruding surface is inclined relative to the first direction Z, which allows more impurities in the vapor deposition gas to be intercepted by the protrusion after contacting it. This avoids the situation where the protruding surface is parallel to the first direction Z, causing the vapor deposition gas to flow along the first direction Z along the protruding surface, thus failing to intercept more impurities in the vapor deposition gas.
[0070] In some embodiments, reference Figure 8 The orthographic projections of the flow guide holes 251 on the crucible lid 22 of two adjacent flow guide plates 25 overlap. That is, the flow guide hole 251 on one of the two adjacent flow guide plates 25 is opposite to the flow guide hole 251 on the other flow guide plate 25 in the first direction Z, but the area of the opposite opening 211 is only a part of the orifice area of the flow guide hole 251.
[0071] With the above configuration, the guide holes 251 on two adjacent guide plates 25 are partially aligned in the first direction Z. When the vapor deposition gas comes into contact with the guide plate 25, some of the vapor deposition gas will continue to pass through the guide holes 251 on the multiple guide plates 25 along the first direction Z, while some of the vapor deposition gas will come into contact with the position on the guide plate 25 where no guide holes 251 are provided, thereby blocking impurities in the vapor deposition gas. This not only allows the vapor deposition gas to pass smoothly through the guide plate 25 along the first direction Z, but also further blocks impurities in the vapor deposition gas, resulting in a significant reduction in the impurity content in the vapor deposition gas ejected from the crucible nozzle 23. This reduces the probability of impurities adhering to the substrate 300 to be vapor-deposited, and improves the yield and reliability of the substrate after vapor deposition.
[0072] In some embodiments, reference Figure 9 The orthographic projections of the flow guide holes 251 on two adjacent flow guide plates 25 onto the crucible cover 22 do not overlap. That is, the orthographic projection of the flow guide hole 251 on one of the two adjacent flow guide plates 25 onto the other flow guide plate 25 is located at the position where no flow guide hole 251 is provided on the other flow guide plate 25.
[0073] With the above configuration, the guide holes 251 on the two adjacent guide plates 25 are completely misaligned in the first direction Z. Thus, when the vapor deposition gas contacts the first guide plate 25, a portion of the gas will encounter the area on the guide plate 25 without guide holes 251, blocking impurities in the gas, and then pass through the guide holes 251. The other portion of the gas will pass directly through the guide holes 251, continuing to flow towards the second guide plate 25. The vapor deposition gas will first come into contact with the position on the second guide plate 25 where no guide hole 251 is provided, so as to further block the impurities in the vapor deposition gas. Then the vapor deposition gas will turn and pass through the guide hole 251 on the second guide plate 25. If there is a third guide plate 25, the vapor deposition gas passing through the guide hole 251 on the second guide plate 25 will come into contact with the position on the third guide plate 25 where no guide hole 251 is provided, so as to further block the impurities in the vapor deposition gas. Then the vapor deposition gas will turn and pass through the guide hole 251 on the third guide plate 25. It can be seen that every time the vapor deposition gas passes through a guide plate 25, the impurities in the vapor deposition gas are blocked once. Moreover, the flow direction of the vapor deposition gas after passing through the guide plate 25 is still along the first direction Z. This ensures that the vapor deposition gas flows along the first direction Z toward the crucible nozzle 23. At the same time, it can further block the impurities in the vapor deposition gas during the flow process, greatly reducing the impurity content in the vapor deposition gas ejected from the crucible nozzle 23, reducing the probability of impurities adhering to the substrate 300 to be vapor deposition, and improving the yield and reliability of the substrate after vapor deposition.
[0074] In this embodiment, the flow guide holes 251 on the flow guide plate 25 serve to restrict the direction of the vapor deposition gas flow toward the crucible nozzle 23. Therefore, the distribution pattern of the flow guide holes 251 on the flow guide plate 25 is not specifically limited in this embodiment.
[0075] In some embodiments, reference Figure 7 The multiple guide holes 251 on the guide plate 25 are evenly distributed. Specifically, the guide holes 251 can be distributed in an array on the guide plate 25.
[0076] It should be noted that, based on the fact that the guide holes 251 are evenly distributed on the guide plate 25, the orthogonal projection of the guide hole 251 on one of the two adjacent guide plates 25 onto the other guide plate 25 can be located in the middle of the position where no guide hole 251 is provided on the other guide plate 25. In this way, the vapor deposition gas passing through the guide hole 251 on one guide plate 25 will come into contact with the middle of the position where no guide hole 251 is provided on the other guide plate 25, and then flow evenly to the guide holes 251 around it, so that the vapor deposition gas can pass through the guide plate 25 evenly. Of course, during actual installation, due to installation errors or manufacturing errors, the orthographic projection of the guide hole 251 on one of the two adjacent guide plates 25 onto the other guide plate 25 may not be located in the middle of the position where the guide hole 251 is not set on the other guide plate 25. As long as the guide holes 251 on the two adjacent guide plates 25 are completely misaligned in the first direction Z, the vapor deposition gas can still flow along the first direction Z after passing through the guide plate 25, and further block impurities in the vapor deposition gas during the process of passing through the guide plate 25.
[0077] In this embodiment, the shape of the guide hole 251 is not specifically limited. In some embodiments, reference is made to... Figure 7 The orifice of the guide hole 251 is circular. Circular holes are easier to create, which improves the efficiency of creating the guide hole 251 on the guide plate 25.
[0078] Of course, the orifice shape of the guide hole 251 can also be elliptical, square, etc. In addition, the shapes of the guide holes 251 provided on two adjacent guide plates 25 can be the same or different. For example, the guide hole 251 on one of the two adjacent guide plates 25 can be a circular hole, and the guide hole 251 on the other guide plate 25 can be a square hole. This embodiment does not limit whether the shapes of the guide holes 251 on the two adjacent guide plates 25 need to be the same, as long as the guide holes 251 on the two adjacent guide plates 25 meet the requirement of being staggered in the first direction Z.
[0079] Specifically, taking a circular orifice 251 as an example, the diameter of the orifice 251 is greater than or equal to 45 micrometers and less than or equal to 1000 micrometers. For example, an Inver36 substrate with a thickness of 20 micrometers can be etched to make the diameter of the orifice 251 reach 45 micrometers. By setting this orifice diameter range, the orifice 251 can ensure that the vaporized evaporation material 1 is quickly ejected from the crucible body 21, avoiding excessive pressure inside the crucible body 21. At the same time, it can also effectively block impurities in the vaporization gas at the positions on the guide plate 25 where no orifice 251 is provided, further improving the reliability of the crucible.
[0080] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1 Along the first direction Z, multiple blocking structures 24 are arranged at intervals, and gaps are provided between adjacent blocking structures 24 and guide plates 25.
[0081] It should be noted that the multiple blocking structures 24 are arranged at intervals along the first direction Z, which can ensure that most of the impurities in the vapor deposition gas are filtered by the blocking structure 24, while keeping the stability of the vapor deposition gas unchanged after passing through a blocking structure 24. This is beneficial to the stability of the gas pressure in the crucible body 21 and ensures that the stability of the crucible during operation is not affected.
[0082] Similarly, gaps are provided between adjacent blocking structures 24 and guide plates 25, allowing the area between the blocking structures 24 and guide plates 25 to form a rectifier cavity. Evaporation gases passing through multiple blocking structures 24 enter the rectifier cavity, where they converge and mix, balancing the temperature and pressure of the evaporation gases and ensuring uniformity. The gases then enter the crucible nozzle 23 through the guide holes 251 on the guide plate 25. This not only maintains stable gas pressure within the crucible body 21 but also directs the evaporation gases along the first direction Z towards the guide plate 25, allowing them to pass through the guide holes 251 on the guide plate 25 more quickly.
[0083] There are also gaps between adjacent guide plates 25, which provides a channel for the vapor deposition gas passing through the guide hole 251 on one guide plate 25, so that it can re-enter the guide hole 251 on another guide plate 25. For example, when the guide holes 251 on two adjacent guide plates 25 are completely staggered in the first direction Z, that is, when the orthogonal projection of the guide hole 251 on one of the two adjacent guide plates 25 on the other guide plate 25 is completely located at the position where no guide hole 251 is provided on the other guide plate 25, in this case, if the two adjacent guide plates 25 are set close together, the vapor deposition gas will not be able to pass through the overall structure composed of multiple guide plates 25, affecting the normal use of the crucible. Therefore, in the embodiments of this application, multiple guide plates 25 are arranged at intervals.
[0084] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1 The filtration device also includes a mounting frame 26, which has a frame wall 261 that abuts against the inner side wall of the crucible body 21. Multiple baffles 241 are connected to the frame wall 261, and multiple guide plates 25 are connected to the frame wall 261.
[0085] It should be noted that multiple baffles 241 are connected to the frame wall 261 of the mounting frame 26 to form a baffle structure 24. The baffle structure 24 and the guide plate 25 are both set inside the mounting frame 26 to form a whole, which is the filter device. In this way, when installing the filter device into the crucible body 21, the filter device can be directly installed into the crucible body 21 at one time, which greatly shortens the installation time of the filter device and improves the manufacturing efficiency of the crucible in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the filter device can be detachably installed in the crucible body 21. In this way, the filter device can be disassembled according to different needs. For example, when the vapor deposition material 1 contained in the crucible body 21 is used up and needs to be added, the filter device can be disassembled so that the operator can add vapor deposition material 1 into the crucible body 21. Or, if the impurity content in the vapor deposition gas after the vapor deposition material 1 evaporates is large, the filter device installed in the crucible body 21 can be replaced with a filter device with a larger number of baffle structures 24 and guide plates 25.
[0086] Specifically, the deflector plate 25 can be connected to the frame wall 261 in various ways, such as bolt and screw fixing, welding fixing, clip and slot fixing, magnetic fixing, clamping structure fixing, pin fixing or suspension fixing.
[0087] The filter device can be installed inside the crucible body 21 by providing a mounting part on the inner wall of the crucible body 21, through which the mounting frame 26 can be installed inside the crucible body 21. For example, the mounting part can be multiple strip-shaped protrusions on the inner wall of the crucible body 21. It is understood that these strip-shaped protrusions are at the same height, and the mounting frame 26 can be placed directly on these strip-shaped protrusions to achieve the installation of the filter device inside the crucible body 21; or it can be an annular step on the inner wall of the crucible body 21, where the mounting frame 26 can be placed directly to achieve the installation of the filter device inside the crucible body 21. The above design makes the disassembly of the filter device more convenient.
[0088] In this embodiment of the application, placing the vapor deposition material 1 inside the crucible 2 will form an evaporation source 20, as shown in the reference. Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the evaporation source 20. The vapor deposition material 1 includes the cathode vapor deposition material in the organic light-emitting diode display panel.
[0089] In this process, the evaporation source 20 heats the vapor deposition material 1, causing it to adhere to the surface of the substrate 300 in a gaseous phase, thus completing the vapor deposition. The vapor deposition material 1 may include the cathode vapor deposition material 1 in an organic light-emitting diode display panel, such as preparing a Mg / Ag-doped cathode film layer. The Mg / Ag is heated to a high temperature by the evaporation source 20, causing the Mg / Ag evaporation material in the crucible to form a gaseous vapor deposition material 1, thereby forming a Mg / Ag-doped cathode film layer on the surface of the substrate 300.
[0090] refer to Figure 11 This application also provides a vapor deposition apparatus 200, including a vacuum chamber 201 and a crucible 2 as described in the above embodiment. The crucible 2 is disposed in the vacuum chamber 201, and the crucible 2 is provided with vapor deposition material 1.
[0091] The vapor deposition apparatus 200 also includes a fixed structure and a power supply. The evaporation source 20 is fixedly set by the fixed structure, ensuring structural stability during the vapor deposition process and thus guaranteeing the vapor deposition effect. The power supply provides power to the heating device in the evaporation source 20, that is, it is electrically connected to the heating component in the crucible body 21, so that the vapor deposition material 1 placed in the crucible body 21 is heated and evaporated to carry out the vapor deposition process and complete the formation of a film layer on the surface of the substrate 300 to be vapor deposited.
[0092] Optionally, the vapor deposition apparatus 200 can be a line source vapor deposition apparatus, or the vapor deposition apparatus 200 can be a point source vapor deposition apparatus.
[0093] It should be noted that the vapor deposition apparatus 200 provided in this embodiment has the same or corresponding beneficial effects as those in the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.
[0094] The vapor deposition apparatus 200 of this application embodiment can be applied to the fabrication of display panels. In the fabrication process of display panels, the vapor deposition apparatus 200 (especially in the OLED field) is mainly used to deposit organic light-emitting materials or metal electrode materials onto a substrate in vapor phase. The following is its typical application process and key steps: 1. Substrate cleaning and pretreatment: Glass or flexible substrates are cleaned and plasma treated to remove contaminants, ensuring surface flatness and adhesion. 2. Fine Metal Mask (FMM) installation: High-precision metal masks (used for RGB pixel vapor deposition) need to be aligned and fixed to ensure the accuracy of the vapor deposition pattern. 3. Vacuuming: The vapor deposition chamber is evacuated to a high vacuum (approximately 10 ppm). -6 ~ 10 -7 4. Material Loading: Small molecule luminescent materials (such as HTL / EML / ETL) are loaded into a crucible, and electrode materials such as aluminum (Al) and silver (Ag) are loaded into a tungsten filament or electron beam evaporation source. 5. Heating and Evaporation: The organic material is sublimated by heating the crucible with an electric current. 6. Film Deposition: The vaporized material condenses on the substrate surface to form a uniform thin film (typically nanometer-thick). Red, green, and blue organic materials are deposited in stages by changing the mask or moving the substrate. 7. Real-time Monitoring: The film thickness and deposition rate are measured in real time using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) or an optical monitoring system.
[0095] Figure 12This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel 10 fabricated using the vapor deposition apparatus 200 according to an embodiment of this application. The display panel 10 can be an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel or a quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) display panel. The display panel 10 includes a display area AA with display function and a non-display area NA.
[0096] The display area AA of the display panel 10 can be rectangular, square, circular, oval, or other shapes.
[0097] The display area AA includes a plurality of pixels PX arranged in the X and Y directions. Each pixel PX includes a plurality of sub-pixels SPX displaying different colors. In some embodiments, a pixel PX includes a first sub-pixel SPX1, a second sub-pixel SPX2, and a third sub-pixel SPX3. For example, the first sub-pixel SPX1 is a blue sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel SPX2 is a green sub-pixel SPX2, and the third sub-pixel SPX3 is a red sub-pixel SPX3. In some embodiments, in addition to sub-pixels SPX1, SPX2, and SPX3, a pixel PX also includes sub-pixels SPX that emit white or other colors of light.
[0098] A sub-pixel (SPX) includes a pixel circuit and a light-emitting device driven by the pixel circuit to emit light of the corresponding color. The first sub-pixel (SPX1) includes a first light-emitting device, the second sub-pixel (SPX2) includes a second light-emitting device, and the third sub-pixel (SPX3) includes a third light-emitting device. One pixel circuit drives at least one light-emitting device to emit light. For example, the display area AA includes a normal display area and a light-transmitting display area. The light-transmitting display area is a display area set according to a corresponding sensor and has light-transmitting properties, while the normal display area is a display area not set according to a corresponding sensor. In the normal display area, one pixel circuit drives one light-emitting device to emit light, and in the light-transmitting display area, one pixel circuit drives one or more light-emitting devices to emit light.
[0099] In one implementation, Figure 13 It shows Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of the film layer in the BB direction of a local area of the display panel 10. (Reference) Figure 13 The display panel 10 includes an array substrate 11, an isolation structure 12, and multiple light-emitting devices 13.
[0100] refer to Figure 14 The array substrate 11 includes a pixel circuit layer and a planarization layer 19. The pixel circuit layer includes pixel circuits for driving the light-emitting device 13 to emit light. Figure 14A transistor 18 in a pixel circuit is shown. A via is provided in the planarization layer 19, and a first electrode 131 is electrically connected to the transistor 18 in the pixel circuit layer through the via. Furthermore, the pixel circuit layer includes at least one insulating layer, which may include at least one of an inorganic layer and an organic layer. Additionally, the array substrate 11 includes scan lines providing the scan signal Scan and data lines providing the data signal Data to the pixel circuit.
[0101] refer to Figure 15 The pixel circuit includes a driving transistor T1 and a data transistor T2. The source of the data transistor T2 is connected to the data line that provides the data signal Data, the gate of the data transistor T2 is connected to the scan line that provides the scan signal Scan, and the drain of the data transistor T2 is connected to the gate of the driving transistor T1. The two ends of the storage capacitor C1 are respectively connected to the gate and the source of the driving transistor T1, and the drain of the driving transistor T1 is connected to the light-emitting device 13. Figure 15 This is one implementation of a pixel circuit; the pixel circuit described in this application is not limited to... Figure 15 The 2T1C pixel circuit shown can also be other pixel circuits, such as 7T1C, 8T1C pixel circuits, etc.
[0102] refer to Figure 13 and Figure 16 An isolation structure 12 is located on one side of the array substrate 11 and encloses multiple isolation openings 12a, including multiple first isolation openings 12a1, multiple second isolation openings 12a2, and multiple third isolation openings 12a3. Multiple light-emitting devices 13 are located on one side of the array substrate 11 and include multiple first light-emitting devices 13a, multiple second light-emitting devices 13b, and multiple third light-emitting devices 13c. First light-emitting devices 13a are disposed corresponding to first isolation openings 12a1, second light-emitting devices 13b are disposed corresponding to second isolation openings 12a2, and third light-emitting devices 13c are disposed corresponding to third isolation openings 12a3. In one embodiment, one light-emitting device 13 is disposed corresponding to one isolation opening 12a. For example, one first light-emitting device 13a is disposed one-to-one with one first isolation opening 12a1, one second light-emitting device 13b is disposed one-to-one with one second isolation opening 12a2, and one third light-emitting device 13c is disposed one-to-one with one third isolation opening 12a3. At least a portion of the first light-emitting device 13a is disposed within a corresponding first isolation opening 12a1, at least a portion of the second light-emitting device 13b is disposed within a corresponding second isolation opening 12a2, and at least a portion of the third light-emitting device 13c is disposed within a corresponding third isolation opening 12a3. In another embodiment, multiple light-emitting devices 13 are correspondingly disposed with one isolation opening 12a; for example, multiple light-emitting devices with the same emission color are corresponding to one isolation opening 12a.
[0103] In one example, the isolation structure 12 includes an isolation portion 122 and a blocking portion 121 stacked along a direction away from the array substrate 11 (i.e., the Z direction), with the width of the blocking portion 121 being greater than the width of the isolation portion 122. Thus, the two ends of the blocking portion 121 protrude compared to the sides of the isolation portion 122, and this shape of the isolation structure 12 is also referred to as a pendant shape. The isolation portion 122 and the blocking portion 121 are made of different materials, and the etching rate of the blocking portion 121 is lower than that of the isolation portion 122. The material of the isolation portion 122 includes a conductive material, specifically including at least one of aluminum (Al), aluminum alloys, and aluminum alloys including at least one of aluminum-neodymium alloy (AlNd), aluminum-yttrium alloy (AlY), or aluminum-silicon alloy (AlSi). The blocking portion 121 can be a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure. If the blocking portion 121 is a single-layer structure, the material of the blocking portion 121 can include at least one of titanium, titanium nitride, molybdenum, tungsten, molybdenum-tungsten alloy, or molybdenum-niobium alloy. When the blocking part 121 has a multi-layer structure, one layer of the blocking part 121 is made of at least one of titanium, titanium nitride, molybdenum, tungsten, molybdenum-tungsten alloy or molybdenum-niobium alloy, and the other layer of the blocking part 121 may be made of conductive oxide or inorganic insulating material, such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO).
[0104] In some embodiments, reference Figure 17 The isolation structure 12 may further include a base 123 located on the side of the isolation portion 122 near the array substrate 11. The base 123 protrudes relative to the isolation portion 122 in the direction toward the isolation opening 12a, and the orthographic projection of the isolation portion 122 on the array substrate 11 lies within the orthographic projection of the base 123 on the array substrate 11. The material of the base 123 may include at least one of molybdenum (Mo), titanium (Ti), titanium nitride (TiN), molybdenum-tungsten alloy (MoW), or molybdenum-niobium alloy (MoNb).
[0105] In one embodiment, the display panel 10 may further include a pixel defining layer 17, on which an isolation structure 12 is disposed. The pixel defining layer 17 has pixel openings communicating with isolation openings 12a. Specifically, the pixel defining layer 17 has a first pixel opening communicating with a first isolation opening 12a1, a second pixel opening communicating with a second isolation opening 12a2, and a third pixel opening communicating with a third isolation opening 12a3. The areas of the orthographic projections of the first, second, and third pixel openings onto the array substrate 11 may be the same or different. The shapes of the orthographic projections of the pixel openings and the corresponding isolation openings 12a onto the array substrate 11 may be the same or different. Generally, the area of the orthographic projection of the isolation opening 12a onto the array substrate 11 is larger than the area of the orthographic projection of the pixel opening communicating with the isolation opening 12a onto the array substrate 11. The orthographic projections of the pixel openings of the light-emitting device 13 onto the array substrate 11 overlap with the orthographic projections of the isolation openings 12a onto the array substrate 11. The pixel defining layer 17 is made of an inorganic material, such as an inorganic insulating material formed by using at least one of silicon nitride (SiNx), silicon oxide (SiOx), and silicon oxynitride (SiON).
[0106] In another embodiment, the isolation structure 12 is disposed within the groove of the pixel limiting layer 17. Alternatively, the pixel limiting layer 17 may not be provided in the display panel 10, and the isolation structure 12 may be disposed on one side of the array substrate 11, with the isolation structure 12 in contact with one side of the array substrate 11.
[0107] The first light-emitting device 13a, the second light-emitting device 13b, and the third light-emitting device 13c emit light of different colors. Each of the three devices includes a first electrode 131, a light-emitting structure 132, and a second electrode 133 stacked together. The first electrode 131 is disposed on the array substrate 11, and a pixel defining layer 17 covers the end of the first electrode 131. A pixel opening is provided on the pixel defining layer 17, through which the first electrode 131 is exposed. The light-emitting structure 132 of the first light-emitting device 13a, the second light-emitting device 13b, and the third light-emitting device 13c covers the sidewall of the pixel opening of the pixel defining layer 17 and the side of the pixel defining layer 17 facing away from the array substrate 11. Each light-emitting structure 132 is located within the pixel opening and is in contact with the first electrode 131.
[0108] The second electrodes 133 of the first light-emitting device 13a, the second light-emitting device 13b, and the third light-emitting device 13c respectively cover the corresponding light-emitting structure 132. The second electrodes 133 are electrically connected to the isolation structure 12. For example, the second electrodes 133 are connected to the isolation portion 122 of the isolation structure 12, and / or the second electrodes 133 are connected to the base portion 123 of the isolation structure 12.
[0109] The first electrode 131 can be an anode, and the second electrode 133 can be a cathode. The first electrode 131 of each light-emitting device 13 can be connected to the pixel circuit through a via, so that the pixel circuit drives the light-emitting device 13 to emit light.
[0110] The first electrode 131 may include a multilayer structure, such as a reflective layer and a pair of conductive oxide layers covering the upper and lower surfaces of the reflective layer, respectively. The reflective layer can be formed, for example, using silver, a metallic material with excellent light reflectivity. Each conductive oxide layer can be formed, for example, from a transparent conductive oxide such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), IZO (Indium Zinc Oxide), or IGZO (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide). The second electrode 133 is formed, for example, from a metallic material such as an alloy of magnesium and silver (MgAg).
[0111] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of a light-emitting structure 132 according to one embodiment of this application. The light-emitting structure 132 of at least one of the first light-emitting device 13a, the second light-emitting device 13b, and the third light-emitting device 13c includes a hole injection layer HIL, a hole transport layer HTL, an electron blocking layer EBL, a light-emitting material layer EML, a hole blocking layer HBL, an electron transport layer ETL, and an electron injection layer EIL stacked along a direction away from the array substrate 11 (i.e., the Z direction). The light-emitting structure 132 may include a single light-emitting material layer EML, or a stacked light-emitting structure including multiple light-emitting material layers EML.
[0112] In order for the light-emitting structure 132 to emit light, a pixel voltage is provided to the first electrode 131 and a common voltage is provided to the second electrode 133, forming a potential difference between the first electrode 131 and the second electrode 133, so that the light-emitting structure 132 disposed between the first electrode 131 and the second electrode 133 emits light. In one embodiment, if a potential difference is formed between the first electrode 131 and the second electrode 133 of the first light-emitting device 13a, the light-emitting material layer EML of the light-emitting structure 132 emits blue light; if a potential difference is formed between the first electrode 131 and the second electrode 133 of the second light-emitting device 13b, the light-emitting material layer EML of the light-emitting structure 132 emits green light; and if a potential difference is formed between the first electrode 131 and the second electrode 133 of the third light-emitting device 13c, the light-emitting material layer EML of the light-emitting structure 132 emits red light.
[0113] In this configuration, the pixel voltage of the first electrode 131 is provided by the pixel circuit, and the common voltage of the second electrode 133 is provided by the isolation structure 12. Specifically, the second electrode 133 is electrically connected to the isolation structure 12, and the common voltage is supplied to the second electrode 133 by providing the isolation structure 12. That is, the isolation structure 12 has the function of supplying a common voltage to the second electrode 133.
[0114] The display panel 10 further includes a first encapsulation layer, which includes a plurality of encapsulation portions 14. The encapsulation portions 14 are located on the side of the second electrode 133 facing away from the array substrate 11, and extend through the sidewall of the isolation structure 12 to the side of the isolation structure 12 facing away from the array substrate 11. The plurality of encapsulation portions 14 include a plurality of first encapsulation portions 14a corresponding to a plurality of first light-emitting devices 13a, a plurality of second encapsulation portions 14b corresponding to a plurality of second light-emitting devices 13b, and a plurality of third encapsulation portions 14c corresponding to a plurality of third light-emitting devices 13c. The first encapsulation portions 14a are disposed on the side of the corresponding first light-emitting device 13a facing away from the array substrate 11, the second encapsulation portions 14b are disposed on the side of the corresponding second light-emitting device 13b facing away from the array substrate 11, and the third encapsulation portions 14c are disposed on the side of the corresponding third light-emitting device 13c facing away from the array substrate 11.
[0115] like Figure 19 As shown, the display panel 10 further includes a second encapsulation layer 15 and a third encapsulation layer 16. The second encapsulation layer 15 covers the isolation structure 12 and the encapsulation portion 14, and the third encapsulation layer 16 covers the second encapsulation layer 15. Both the first encapsulation layer and the third encapsulation layer 16 are inorganic materials, and the materials of the first encapsulation layer and the third encapsulation layer 16 include at least one of silicon nitride (SiN), silicon oxide (SiO), and silicon oxynitride (SiON). The second encapsulation layer 15 is an organic insulating material, such as epoxy resin, acrylic resin, or other resin materials. The second encapsulation layer 15 and the third encapsulation layer 16 are continuously disposed at least over the entire display area AA, with a portion of them also disposed in the bezel area NA.
[0116] The display panel 10 may also include at least one film layer such as a touch layer, a polarizer, a color filter substrate, and a protective cover. This film layer may also be bonded to the display panel via an adhesive layer such as OCA (Optical Clear Adhesive).
[0117] The manufacturing method of the display panel 10 according to the embodiments of this application will be described below.
[0118] refer to Figure 20 The manufacturing method of the display panel 10 includes: Step S11: Provide an array substrate 11.
[0119] Step S12: An isolation structure 12 is formed on one side of the array substrate 11. The isolation structure 12 is provided with a plurality of isolation openings 12a, including a plurality of first isolation openings 12a1, a plurality of second isolation openings 12a2 and a plurality of third isolation openings 12a3.
[0120] Step S13: Fabricate the film layer of the first light-emitting device 13a. The film layer of the first light-emitting device 13a includes the light-emitting structure layer and the second electrode layer of the first light-emitting device 13a.
[0121] Step S14: Fabricate the first encapsulation layer of the first light-emitting device 13a. Since the film layer and the first encapsulation layer of the first light-emitting device 13a are both fabricated as a single layer, the film layer and the first encapsulation layer of the first light-emitting device 13a are present at the positions of the plurality of first isolation openings 12a1, the plurality of second isolation openings 12a2 and the plurality of third isolation openings 12a3.
[0122] Step S15: Etch away the film layer and the first encapsulation layer of the first light-emitting device 13a at the locations of the plurality of second isolation openings 12a2 and the plurality of third isolation openings 12a3, thereby forming the light-emitting structure 132 and the second electrode 133 of the first light-emitting device 13a, as well as the first encapsulation portion 14a of the first light-emitting device 13a, only at the locations of the plurality of first isolation openings 12a1.
[0123] Based on the above steps S13 to S15, the light-emitting structure 132 and the second electrode 133 of the second light-emitting device 13b and the second encapsulation part 14b of the second light-emitting device 13b are respectively provided at the positions of the multiple second isolation openings 12a2, and the light-emitting structure 132 and the second electrode 133 of the third light-emitting device 13c and the third encapsulation part 14c of the third light-emitting device 13c are respectively provided at the positions of the multiple third isolation openings 12a3.
[0124] In some possible implementations, refer to Figure 21 This application also provides a display device, which includes the display panel described in this application. The display device may include devices with image processing capabilities, such as mobile phones, desktop computers, laptops, tablets, automotive displays, wearable devices, etc. Because this display device includes the display panel described in this application, the electronic device has higher reliability.
[0125] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0126] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A crucible, characterized in that, include: The crucible body (21) is used to contain the vapor deposition material (1), and the crucible body (21) has an opening (211). A crucible lid (22) is placed over the opening (211). A crucible nozzle (23) is provided on the crucible cover (22) for spraying out the vaporized gas after the vaporized material (1) is vaporized; A filter device is disposed inside the crucible body (21) and covers the opening (211). The filter device includes a plurality of blocking structures (24) arranged along a first direction and a plurality of guide plates (25) arranged at intervals along the first direction, the first direction being the height direction of the crucible body (21). The blocking structure (24) is used to block impurities in the vapor deposition gas. The blocking structure (24) includes a plurality of blocking plates (241) located on different planes. The plurality of blocking plates (241) are arranged at intervals along a second direction. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. The blocking plate (241) is inclined relative to the first direction, and the blocking plates (241) of two adjacent blocking structures (24) have different inclination directions relative to the first direction; The guide plate (25) is provided with a plurality of guide holes (251) that penetrate the guide plate (25) along the first direction.
2. The crucible according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of the baffles (25) are located between the plurality of the blocking structures (24) and the crucible lid (22); Alternatively, the plurality of the deflectors (25) are located on both sides of the plurality of the blocking structures (24) along the first direction.
3. The crucible according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The crucible body (21) has a bottom wall (212) for supporting the vapor-deposited material (1). The orthographic projections of two adjacent blocking plates (241) along the second direction onto the bottom wall (212) overlap each other.
4. The crucible according to claim 3, characterized in that, The obstruction plates (241) of two adjacent obstruction structures (24) have opposite tilt directions relative to the first direction; And / or, the blocking plates (241) of two adjacent blocking structures (24) are tilted at the same angle relative to the first direction.
5. The crucible according to any one of claims 1-2 and 4, characterized in that, The surface of the blocking plate (241) at least away from the crucible nozzle (23) is provided with a protrusion, the surface of the protrusion being inclined relative to the first direction.
6. The crucible according to any one of claims 1-2 and 4, characterized in that, The orthographic projections of the flow guide holes (251) on two adjacent flow guide plates (25) on the crucible lid (22) may or may not overlap.
7. The crucible according to any one of claims 1-2 and 4, characterized in that, The guide holes (251) on two adjacent guide plates (25) are staggered in the first direction; And / or, the plurality of the flow guide holes (251) on the flow guide plate (25) are evenly distributed.
8. The crucible according to any one of claims 1-2 and 4, characterized in that, Along the first direction, a plurality of the blocking structures (24) are arranged at intervals, and a gap is provided between adjacent blocking structures (24) and the guide plate (25).
9. The crucible according to any one of claims 1-2 and 4, characterized in that, The filtration device further includes a mounting frame (26), which has a frame wall (261) that abuts against the inner sidewall of the crucible body (21), and a plurality of the baffles (241) are connected to the frame wall (261) and a plurality of the guide plates (25) are connected to the frame wall (261).
10. A vapor deposition apparatus, characterized in that, include: Vacuum chamber (201); The crucible (2) as described in any one of claims 1-9 is disposed in the vacuum chamber (201), and the crucible (2) is provided with vapor deposition material (1).