Evaporation device

Abstract

The utility model provides an evaporation device which comprises an evaporation source and a dredging mechanism, the evaporation source is provided with an evaporation cavity and a nozzle, the evaporation cavity is used for containing an evaporation material, and the nozzle is used for spraying out the evaporated evaporation material; and the dredging mechanism is used for conveying a dredging medium into the nozzle so as to feed the evaporation material in the nozzle into the evaporation cavity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of evaporation equipment, and in particular to an evaporation device. Background Art

[0002] Evaporation technology is the mainstream technology for producing OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) or QLED (Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode) displays. That is, the evaporation source in the evaporation device heats the evaporation material so that the evaporation material melts and vaporizes and then deposits on the surface of the glass substrate to form the required film layer.

[0003] During the evaporation process, due to factors such as materials, equipment, and temperature, the evaporation material often condenses at the nozzle of the evaporation source, which reduces the evaporation rate and even causes nozzle blockage. Therefore, the prior art mainly provides a dredging mechanism in the evaporation device, which flushes out the condensed material by inserting a rod into the nozzle, blowing air, etc., thereby achieving nozzle dredging.

[0004] However, the existing unblocking mechanism only flushes the condensed material in the nozzle into the evaporation source. After the condensed evaporation material falls into the interior of the evaporation source, it takes a long time to slowly melt, which will affect the subsequent evaporation process. Utility Model Content

[0005] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides a evaporation device, which includes an evaporation source and a dredging mechanism. The evaporation source is provided with an evaporation chamber and a nozzle. The evaporation chamber is used to place the evaporation material, and the nozzle is used to spray out the evaporated evaporation material; the dredging mechanism is used to transport a dredging medium into the nozzle to deliver the evaporation material in the nozzle into the evaporation chamber.

[0006] Optionally, in one embodiment, the dredging medium is used to stir or heat the evaporation material.

[0007] Optionally, in one embodiment, the dredging medium is a dredging rod, which is used to extend into the nozzle to squeeze the evaporation material condensed in the nozzle into the evaporation chamber; the dredging rod is also provided with a stirring paddle, which is used to stir the evaporation material in the evaporation chamber.

[0008] Optionally, in one embodiment, the stirring paddle also has a retracted state and an expanded state; when the stirring paddle is in the retracted state, the stirring paddle is accommodated inside the dredging rod; or, when the stirring paddle is in the expanded state, the stirring paddle protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the dredging rod.

[0009] Optionally, in one embodiment, the dredging mechanism further includes a sliding member and a connecting member, the sliding member is slidably installed in the dredging rod, one end of the connecting member is hinged to the sliding member, and the other end is hinged to one end of the stirring paddle, and the other end of the stirring paddle is hinged to the dredging rod; when the sliding member slides, the connecting member drives the stirring paddle to rotate so that the stirring paddle switches between the contracted state and the expanded state; and / or, optionally, in one embodiment, the dredging mechanism further includes a connecting rod, the dredging rod is rotatably connected to the connecting rod, and the dredging rod drives the stirring paddle to rotate when it rotates.

[0010] Optionally, in one embodiment, the dredging medium is dredging steam, and the dredging steam is used to impact the evaporation material condensed in the nozzle to squeeze the evaporation material condensed in the nozzle into the evaporation chamber, and the dredging steam also heats the evaporation material.

[0011] Optionally, in one embodiment, the dredging steam is formed by evaporating a dredging material disposed in the dredging mechanism, and the dredging material and the evaporation material are the same material.

[0012] Optionally, in one embodiment, the dredging mechanism includes an evaporation container and a first heating element, the evaporation container is used to accommodate the dredging material, and the first heating element is used to heat the dredging material so that the dredging material evaporates into the dredging steam.

[0013] Optionally, in one embodiment, the dredging mechanism further includes a delivery pipe and a second heating element; one end of the delivery pipe is connected to the evaporation container, and the other end is provided with an outlet head for spraying the dredging steam; the second heating element is arranged in the delivery pipe, and the second heating element is used to heat the delivery pipe.

[0014] Optionally, in one embodiment, the first heating element is a heating wire, and the first heating element is arranged around the evaporation container; and / or, the second heating element is a heating wire, and the second heating element is embedded in the interior of the delivery pipe; and / or, the first heating element has a first preset working temperature, the second heating element has a third preset working temperature, the evaporation source has a third preset working temperature, and the first preset working temperature and the second preset working temperature are both greater than the third preset working temperature.

[0015] In the evaporation device provided in the present application, the dredging medium provided by the dredging mechanism can squeeze the evaporation material condensed in the nozzle into the evaporation chamber to achieve dredging of the nozzle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the evaporation device of the present application;

[0018] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of an evaporation source and a dredging mechanism;

[0019] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the evaporation source and the dredging mechanism;

[0020] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment when the stirring blade is in a retracted state;

[0021] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment when the stirring blade is in an unfolded state;

[0022] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the evaporation source and the dredging mechanism;

[0023] Figure 7 It is a structural cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a dredging mechanism.

[0024] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0025] Label name Label name Label name 100 Evaporation device 31 Dredge medium 36 Evaporation container 10 Evaporation body 31a Dredging rod 37 First heating element 11 Vacuum chamber 311 Stirring paddle 38 Transportation pipeline 20 Evaporation source 32b Unblocking Steam 381 Vent 21 Evaporation chamber 32 Slide 39 Second heating element 22 nozzle 33 Connectors 40 Carrying mechanism 23 Heating elements 34 Connecting rod 50 Mask 30 Dredging Agency 35 Connector 60 Glass substrate

[0026] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0028] In the embodiments of the present application, Figure 1As shown, the evaporation device 100 mainly includes an evaporation body 10, in which a vacuum chamber 11 is provided, in which an evaporation source 20 and a carrying mechanism 40 are installed, the carrying mechanism 40 is located above the evaporation source 20, and the carrying mechanism 40 is used to carry a mask 50 and a glass substrate 60. The evaporation source 20 is provided with an evaporation chamber 21 and a nozzle 22, wherein the evaporation chamber 21 is used to place the evaporation material, and the evaporation source 20 is also provided with a heating element 23, which is generally a tungsten wire, a molybdenum wire, graphite, a silicon carbon rod, etc., and the heating element 23 is energized to heat the evaporation material in the evaporation chamber 21, so that the evaporation material evaporates into evaporation vapor; the nozzle 22 is located at the top of the evaporation source 20, and the nozzle 22 is connected to the evaporation chamber 21, after the evaporation material evaporates into evaporation vapor in the evaporation chamber 21, the evaporation vapor moves upward, and is ejected through the nozzle 22, and finally sprayed toward the glass substrate 60 above.

[0029] However, due to reasons such as materials, equipment, and temperature, the evaporated evaporation material will inevitably condense at the nozzle 22, which will lead to a decrease in the evaporation rate and even blockage of the nozzle 22. Therefore, in the present application, a dredging mechanism 30 is further provided in the evaporation device 100, and the dredging mechanism 30 is used to transport a dredging medium 31 into the nozzle 22. The dredging medium 31 can squeeze the evaporation material condensed in the nozzle 22 into the evaporation chamber 21, and the dredging medium 31 can also stir or heat the evaporation material to accelerate the melting speed of the condensed evaporation material in the evaporation chamber 21.

[0030] Specifically, the dredging medium 31 can be a fixed body or a gas, for example Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the dredging medium 31 is a dredging rod 31a, and the dredging rod 31a can be inserted into the nozzle 22. When the dredging rod 31a is inserted into the nozzle 22, the dredging rod 31a can push the evaporation material condensed in the nozzle 22 to move, so as to squeeze the evaporation material condensed in the nozzle 22 into the evaporation chamber 21. When the nozzle 22 is dredged, the dredging rod 31a is withdrawn from the nozzle 22 to avoid affecting the spraying of the evaporated evaporation material. It should be noted here that the dredging rod 31a can be a telescopic rod, and the dredging mechanism 30 controls the dredging rod 31a to extend or withdraw from the nozzle 22; or, the dredging rod 31a can also be a straight rod with a fixed length, in which case the dredging mechanism 30 can control the dredging rod 31a to rise and fall so as to allow the dredging rod 31a to extend or withdraw from the nozzle 22.

[0031] For example, in another embodiment, reference may be made to Figure 6 The dredging medium 31 is gas, and the dredging mechanism 30 blows gas into the nozzle 22. The blown gas can impact the evaporation material condensed in the nozzle 22, and then squeeze the condensed evaporation material into the evaporation chamber 21 to achieve dredging of the nozzle 22.

[0032] In order to accelerate the melting speed of the condensed evaporation material in the evaporation chamber 21, in this embodiment, the dredging medium 31 is also used to stir or heat the evaporation material.

[0033] Specifically, Figure 3 As shown, in one embodiment, the dredging medium 31 is a dredging rod 31a, and the dredging rod 31a is also provided with a stirring blade 311, and a plurality of stirring blades 311 are provided, and the stirring blades 311 can rotate relative to the evaporation material in the evaporation chamber 21, thereby stirring the evaporation material in the evaporation chamber 21. It can be understood that the evaporation material in the evaporation chamber 21 can be made to flow through the stirring of the stirring blades 311, so that the heat exchange efficiency between the condensed evaporation material and the uncondensed evaporation material can be accelerated, thereby making the condensed evaporation material melt faster in the evaporation chamber 21, avoiding the situation that the condensed evaporation material takes a long time to melt slowly, thereby affecting the subsequent evaporation process.

[0034] It should be noted that the stirring blade 311 can be driven to rotate by the dredging rod 31a, or can rotate relative to the dredging rod 31a. Figure 3 As shown, in one embodiment, the dredging mechanism 30 also includes a connecting rod 34 and a connecting seat 35, one end of the connecting rod 34 is connected to the connecting seat 35, and the other end is connected to the dredging rod 31a, and the dredging rod 31a is rotatably connected to the connecting rod 34. Because the stirring paddle 311 is installed on the dredging rod 31a, the stirring paddle 311 is driven to rotate when the dredging rod 31a rotates.

[0035] Furthermore, the connecting rod 34 can be rotatably connected to the connecting seat 35, or the connecting seat 35 can also be rotatably installed in the vapor deposition machine body 10, so that the dredging rod 31a can be driven to switch between the working position and the non-working position. Specifically, when the dredging rod 31a is in the working position, the dredging rod 31a can be extended into the nozzle 22 to dredge the nozzle 22; when the dredging rod 31a is in the non-working position, the dredging rod 31a and the connecting rod 34 are both staggered with the nozzle 22 to avoid blocking the sprayed vapor deposition material.

[0036] Of course, the stirring paddle 311 can also rotate relative to the dredging rod 31a. For example, a mounting base (not shown) can be set at the end of the dredging rod 31a. The mounting base is rotatably connected to the dredging rod 31a, and the stirring paddle 311 is connected to the mounting base. At this time, the dredging rod 31a does not rotate, and the mounting base drives the stirring paddle 311 to rotate relative to the dredging rod 31a, thereby stirring the vapor deposition material.

[0037] Furthermore, in one embodiment, if Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the stirring blade 311 also has a retracted state and an expanded state, wherein Figure 4 As shown, when the stirring blade 311 is in the retracted state, the stirring blade 311 is accommodated inside the dredging rod 31a, so that when the outer diameter of the dredging rod 31a is adapted to the inner diameter of the nozzle 22, the stirring blade 311 can be prevented from affecting the dredging rod 31a from extending into or exiting the nozzle 22. That is, when the dredging rod 31a needs to be extended into or exited from the nozzle 22, the stirring blade 311 can be controlled to switch to the retracted state. Figure 5 As shown, when the stirring paddle 311 is in the expanded state, the stirring paddle 311 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the dredging rod 31a, and then when the stirring paddle 311 rotates, the portion of the stirring paddle 311 protruding from the dredging rod 31a can push the evaporation material to flow, that is, to achieve stirring of the evaporation material. Therefore, after the dredging rod 31a squeezes the evaporation material condensed in the nozzle 22 into the evaporation chamber 21, the stirring paddle 311 can be controlled to switch to the expanded state to stir the evaporation material in the evaporation chamber 21.

[0038] In order to switch the stirring blade 311 between the contracted state and the expanded state, Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the dredging mechanism 30 also includes a sliding member 32 and a connecting member 33. The sliding member 32 is slidably installed in the dredging rod 31a. The shape of the sliding member 32 is not limited, and can be a block, a rod or other shapes. One end of the connecting member 33 is hinged to the sliding member 32, and the other end is hinged to one end of the stirring blade 311. The other end of the stirring blade 311 is hinged to the dredging rod 31a. Therefore, when the sliding member 32 slides, the connecting member 33 drives the stirring blade 311 to rotate, so that the stirring blade 311 switches between the retracted state and the expanded state. Specifically, in the state as shown in FIG. Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the structural scheme shown, when the sliding member 32 slides toward the bottom of the evaporation chamber 21, the connecting member 33 pushes the stirring blade 311 outward, so that the stirring blade 311 switches to the extended state. When the sliding member 32 slides toward the direction close to the nozzle 22, the connecting member 33 pulls the stirring blade 311 back into the dredging rod 31a, so that the stirring blade 311 switches to the retracted state.

[0039] It can be understood that by setting the sliding member 32 and the connecting member 33, not only can the stirring blade 311 be smoothly switched between the retracted state and the extended state, but also the structure is simple and easy to implement. Among them, the sliding member 32 can be installed on the screw to achieve sliding, or it can be driven by gears and racks to achieve sliding, and it can also be driven by the telescopic rod directly to achieve sliding. In short, there can be many ways to drive the sliding member 32 to slide, and the specific method can be designed according to the relevant existing technology, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0040] like Figure 6 As shown, in another embodiment, the dredging medium 31 can accelerate the melting speed of the condensed evaporation material in the evaporation chamber 21 by heating the evaporation material in addition to accelerating the melting speed by stirring the evaporation material. Specifically, the dredging medium 31 is dredging steam 32b, and the dredging steam 32b can impact the evaporation material condensed in the nozzle 22 to squeeze the evaporation material condensed in the nozzle 22 into the evaporation chamber 21. It can be understood that because the dredging steam 32b itself has a higher temperature, the dredging steam 32b also heats the condensed evaporation material when impacting the condensed evaporation material in the nozzle 22. After the condensed evaporation material falls into the evaporation chamber 21, the dredging steam 32b can enter the evaporation chamber 21 through the nozzle 22, and then continue to heat the evaporation material in the evaporation chamber 21, thereby accelerating the melting speed of the condensed evaporation material in the evaporation chamber 21, thereby avoiding the situation where the condensed evaporation material takes a long time to melt slowly, thereby affecting the subsequent evaporation process.

[0041] It should be noted in this embodiment that the gas type of the dredging steam 32b is recommended to be a dry, clean gas that is not easy to react with the evaporation material, such as nitrogen, argon, etc.

[0042] Optionally, in one embodiment, the dredging steam 32b is formed by evaporating the dredging material arranged in the dredging mechanism 30, and the dredging material and the evaporation material are the same material, that is, the material used to evaporate into the dredging steam 32b in the dredging mechanism 30 is the same as the evaporation material in the evaporation source 20. In this way, on the basis of unblocking the nozzle 22, the introduction of other impurities can be avoided, thereby ensuring the film formation quality of the evaporated film material.

[0043] Further, for placing and heating the dredging material, such as Figure 7 As shown, the dredging mechanism 30 includes an evaporation container 36 and a first heating element 37. The evaporation container 36 is used to accommodate the dredging material, and the first heating element 37 is used to heat the dredging material so that the dredging material evaporates into dredging steam 32b. Specifically, in this embodiment, the evaporation container 36 is made of a material with good thermal conductivity, such as metal, ceramic, graphite, etc., and the size and shape of the evaporation container 36 can be flexibly designed according to actual conditions, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0044] The first heating element 37 can be made of tungsten wire, molybdenum wire, graphite, silicon carbon rod, etc., and the first heating element 37 can be arranged around the outer periphery of the evaporation container 36. For example, in one embodiment, the first heating element 37 is a heating wire, and the first heating element 37 is arranged around the evaporation container 36. In this way, the evaporation container 36 and the dredging material can be heated more comprehensively and efficiently, so that the dredging material can be better evaporated to become dredging steam 32b.

[0045] Furthermore, in order to deliver the dredging steam 32b to the nozzle 22 of the evaporation source 20, as Figure 7 As shown, the dredging mechanism 30 further includes a delivery pipe and a second heating element 39, one end of the delivery pipe is connected to the evaporation container 36, and the other end is provided with an outlet head 381 for ejecting the dredging steam 32b. When the nozzle 22 needs to be dredged, the outlet head 381 can be controlled to correspond to the top of the nozzle 22. When the dredging material in the evaporation container 36 evaporates into the dredging steam 32b, the dredging steam 32b flows along the delivery pipe to the outlet head 381, then rushes out of the outlet head 381 and rushes into the nozzle 22, and then the evaporation material condensed on the nozzle 22 is rushed into the evaporation chamber 21, so as to achieve the dredging of the nozzle 22.

[0046] It should be emphasized that in the present embodiment, the second heating element 39 is arranged in the delivery pipe, and the second heating element 39 is used to heat the delivery pipe. It can be understood that after the delivery pipe is heated by the second heating element 39, the delivery pipe can keep the dredging steam 32b in a high temperature state during the delivery process, thereby avoiding the situation where the dredging steam 32b cools down before reaching the nozzle 22.

[0047] Similarly, the second heating element 39 can also be made of tungsten wire, molybdenum wire, graphite, silicon carbon rod, etc. For example, in one embodiment, the second heating element 39 is a heating wire, and the second heating element 39 is embedded in the interior of the conveying pipe. This can ensure that the heat generated by the second heating element 39 can be transferred to the conveying pipe, thereby ensuring the heating effect on the conveying pipe and avoiding heat waste.

[0048] Optionally, in one embodiment, the first heating element 37 has a first preset working temperature, the second heating element 39 has a third preset working temperature, the evaporation source 20 has a third preset working temperature, and the first preset working temperature and the second preset working temperature are both greater than the third preset working temperature. In this way, the temperature of the unblocking steam 32b can be higher than the temperature in the evaporation chamber 21, thereby increasing the impact force of the unblocking steam 32b on the condensed evaporation material in the nozzle 22 (Note: the higher the temperature of the unblocking steam 32b, the greater the movement rate and the greater the impact force generated), and providing greater heat for the evaporation material in the evaporation chamber 21, thereby allowing the condensed evaporation material to melt faster.

[0049] In summary, it can be understood that in the evaporation device 100 of the present application, the unblocking medium 31 provided by the unblocking mechanism 30 can not only squeeze the evaporation material condensed in the nozzle 22 into the evaporation chamber 21 to achieve unblocking of the nozzle 22, but also stir or heat the evaporation material, thereby accelerating the melting speed of the condensed evaporation material in the evaporation chamber 21, thereby avoiding the situation where the condensed evaporation material takes a long time to melt slowly, thereby affecting the subsequent evaporation process.

[0050] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant description of other embodiments. In the description of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features.

[0051] The above is a detailed introduction to the evaporation device provided in the embodiment of the present application. Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present application and its core idea. At the same time, for technical personnel in this field, according to the idea of ​​the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation method and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

Claims

1. A vapor deposition device, characterized in that: include: An evaporation source, wherein the evaporation source is provided with an evaporation chamber and a nozzle, wherein the evaporation chamber is used to place the evaporation material, and the nozzle is used to spray the evaporated evaporation material; as well as, The dredging mechanism is used to transport a dredging medium into the nozzle to deliver the evaporation material in the nozzle into the evaporation chamber, wherein the dredging medium is used to stir the evaporation material, or the dredging medium is dredging steam used to heat the evaporation material.

2. The evaporation device according to claim 1, characterized in that The dredging medium is a dredging rod, and the dredging rod is used to extend into the nozzle to squeeze the evaporation material condensed in the nozzle into the evaporation chamber; The dredging rod is also provided with a stirring paddle, and the stirring paddle is used to stir the evaporation material in the evaporation chamber.

3. The evaporation device according to claim 2, characterized in that The stirring blade also has a retracted state and an expanded state; When the stirring paddle is in the retracted state, the stirring paddle is accommodated inside the dredging rod; or, when the stirring paddle is in the extended state, the stirring paddle protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the dredging rod.

4. The evaporation device according to claim 3, characterized in that The dredging mechanism further comprises a sliding member and a connecting member, wherein the sliding member is slidably installed in the dredging rod, one end of the connecting member is hinged to the sliding member, and the other end of the connecting member is hinged to one end of the stirring blade, and the other end of the stirring blade is hinged to the dredging rod; When the sliding member slides, the connecting member drives the stirring blade to rotate, so that the stirring blade switches between the contracted state and the extended state; And / or, the dredging mechanism further includes a connecting rod, the dredging rod is rotatably connected to the connecting rod, and the dredging rod drives the stirring blade to rotate when it rotates.

5. The evaporation device according to claim 1, characterized in that The dredging medium is dredging steam, which can impact the evaporation material condensed in the nozzle to squeeze the evaporation material condensed in the nozzle into the evaporation chamber, and the dredging steam can also heat the evaporation material.

6. The evaporation device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The dredging steam is formed by evaporating the dredging material arranged in the dredging mechanism, and the dredging material and the evaporation material are the same material.

7. The evaporation device according to claim 6, characterized in that The dredging mechanism includes an evaporation container and a first heating element. The evaporation container is used to accommodate the dredging material. The first heating element is used to heat the dredging material so that the dredging material evaporates into the dredging steam.

8. The evaporation device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The dredging mechanism also includes a delivery pipe and a second heating element; one end of the delivery pipe is connected to the evaporation container, and the other end is provided with an outlet head for the dredging steam to be sprayed out; the second heating element is arranged in the delivery pipe, and the second heating element is used to heat the delivery pipe.

9. The evaporation device according to claim 8, characterized in that The first heating element is a heating wire, and the first heating element is arranged around the evaporation container; And / or, the second heating element is a heating wire, and the second heating element is embedded in the interior of the delivery tube; And / or, the first heating element has a first preset operating temperature, the second heating element has a second preset operating temperature, the evaporation source has a third preset operating temperature, and the first preset operating temperature and the second preset operating temperature are both greater than the third preset operating temperature.

Images