Bake System Atmosphere Control for OLED Film Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing bake systems for organic light-emitting display devices are prone to quality deterioration and reduced lifespan due to oxygen, moisture, and impurity exposure during the thin film formation process, which affects the characteristics of the organic layer.
Innovation Solution
A bake system with a controlled chamber environment that includes a gas ejection structure, exhaust structure, and atmosphere analyzer to monitor and control oxygen and moisture levels, ensuring a reliable process by removing impurities and optimizing the flow rate of process gases to prevent contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional bake system is used for forming organic thin films, then the process is simple and fast, but oxygen, moisture, and impurities contaminate the organic layer causing quality deterioration and reduced device lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an inert atmosphere environment within the bake system by introducing nitrogen gas to displace oxygen and maintain a controlled atmosphere. The system includes a nitrogen supply unit connected to the bake chamber that continuously supplies nitrogen gas during the baking process, preventing oxidation and contamination of the organic light-emitting layers while maintaining process simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a nitrogen gas supply system as an intermediary between the external environment and the bake chamber. This intermediary (nitrogen atmosphere) mediates the interaction between the organic solution and environmental contaminants, preventing direct contact between oxygen/moisture and the organic layers during the sensitive baking process.
2Productivity
If the bake system operates at high temperature to evaporate organic solvent, then film formation is efficient, but moisture and oxygen exposure accelerates organic material degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains an inert nitrogen atmosphere throughout the high-temperature baking process. The nitrogen supply unit ensures continuous nitrogen flow into the bake chamber, creating an oxygen-free environment that allows aggressive heat treatment to proceed without causing oxidation or moisture-related degradation of the organic materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary purging of the bake chamber with nitrogen gas before introducing the substrate and during the entire baking process. This preliminary and continuous inert atmosphere preparation prevents harmful factors from affecting the organic layers before and during the high-temperature film formation process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution significantly improves the quality and lifespan of the light-emitting display devices by maintaining a controlled environment within the bake system, reducing impurity and moisture exposure, and ensuring consistent film formation.
Implementation Method 1
a bake system may include a chamber having an internal space, a stage disposed in the internal space of the chamber and on which a target substrate is disposed, a gas ejection structure providing a process gas in the chamber
Implementation Method 2
a cooling part disposed in the guide part and configured to decrease the temperature of the internal space of the chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A bake system may include a chamber having an internal space, a stage disposed in the internal space of the chamber and on which a target substrate is disposed, a gas ejection structure providing a process gas in the chamber, an exhaust structure, an atmosphere analyzer monitoring moisture and oxygen in the chamber, and a gas supplier controlling a flow rate of the process gas based on information provided from the atmosphere analyzer. The exhaust structure may include a suction part disposed in the internal space, and an exhaust part connected to the suction part and is disposed outside the chamber.