Deposition Apparatus Connection Chamber Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional deposition apparatuses for display manufacturing incur high costs due to the need for accurate layer deposition in organic light-emitting display apparatuses, which is not efficiently addressed by existing technologies.
Innovation Solution
A deposition apparatus with a dual-cluster design, including first and second process chambers, a connection chamber, and distinct gas supply lines to manage pressure and material deposition between organic and inorganic layers, allowing for accurate and cost-effective layer formation by controlling vacuum levels and gas flow rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conventional deposition apparatus is used to deposit various layers with high accuracy, then the deposition precision is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The deposition apparatus is divided into multiple independent deposition clusters (first deposition cluster with first process chambers, second deposition cluster with second process chambers). Each cluster can operate independently to deposit different layers (organic layers in first cluster, inorganic layers in second cluster), allowing specialized processing that maintains high deposition accuracy while improving overall system efficiency and reducing costs through parallel operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection chamber serves multiple functions: it acts as a transfer chamber between deposition clusters, a flip chamber to rotate substrates for different layer orientations, and a pressure control chamber. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized chambers, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining deposition precision through controlled transitions.
2Productivity
If the connection chamber pressure is changed quickly between vacuum and atmospheric pressure, then the productivity is improved, but the deposition precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connection chamber acts as an intermediary between the vacuum environment of deposition chambers and the atmospheric environment outside. It provides a controlled transition zone where pressure can be adjusted gradually through gas supply lines, preventing sudden pressure changes that would contaminate deposition layers while still enabling efficient substrate transfer and maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the pressure in the connection chamber based on operational requirements. Gas supply lines can introduce controlled amounts of gas to adjust pressure between vacuum levels for different deposition clusters, enabling flexible and efficient substrate transfer while maintaining deposition precision through controlled pressure transitions rather than abrupt changes.
3Manufacturing precision
If separate gas supply lines with different pressure control capabilities are used, then the deposition precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection chamber and its gas supply system serve multiple functions: pressure control for substrate transfer, flip chamber operation, and transition between different vacuum levels. This multi-functionality justifies the additional gas supply lines and control mechanisms, as they enable precise pressure management across different operational phases without requiring entirely separate systems for each function, thereby balancing complexity with precision.
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
The apparatus achieves accurate deposition of organic and inorganic layers while reducing manufacturing costs by efficiently managing pressure and gas flow, thereby enhancing the production process for organic light-emitting display apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
a first gas supply line connected to the connection chamber; a second gas supply line; and an exhaust line... the first gas supply line may supply a preset amount of gas into the connection chamber to change an inside pressure of the connection chamber into the atmospheric pressure
Implementation Method 2
a vacuum level within each of the plurality of first process chambers during a deposition performed therein may be greater than a vacuum level within each of the plurality of second process chambers during a deposition performed herein... an organic layer may be deposited on the substrate in the plurality of first process chambers, and an inorganic layer may be deposition on the substrate in the plurality of second process chambers
Data Source
AI summary
A deposition method using a deposition apparatus includes: depositing a first deposition layer on substrates in first process chambers of a first deposition cluster; transferring a substrate of the substrates in one of the first process chambers into a first transfer chamber of the first deposition cluster, which is connected to each of the first process chambers; transferring the substrate within the first transfer chamber of the first deposition cluster into a connection chamber, which is connected to the first transfer chamber and first and second gas supply lines; supplying a gas into the connection chamber through the second gas supply line to change an inside pressure of the connection chamber from a preset first pressure into a preset second pressure, which is different from an atmospheric pressure; and transferring the substrate within the connection chamber into a second transfer chamber of a second deposition cluster.