Dual-Layer Evaporation Crucible for OLED Material Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
In OLED display manufacturing via vacuum evaporation, the continuous reduction of evaporation material leads to a decreased heating area, necessitating increased crucible temperature, which can alter the properties of the evaporation material and affect the performance of the final OLED components.
Innovation Solution
A crucible design featuring an inner and outer heating layer with independently controlled heaters, allowing for adjustable heating area and rate to maintain consistent evaporation, along with a guide cover and linkage structure for uniform evaporation and airflow management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the temperature of the crucible is increased continuously to maintain evaporation rate as material is reduced, then the evaporation rate is maintained, but the properties of the evaporation material are changed and performance of OLED components is adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system is divided into multiple independent heating zones (first heating zone, second heating zone, third heating zone) along the crucible. Each zone can be independently controlled to provide different heating intensities. This segmentation allows the evaporation material to be heated uniformly without requiring continuous temperature increase, thereby maintaining material properties while ensuring stable evaporation rate.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the crucible are provided with different heating characteristics through the multi-zone heating system. The heating intensity can be locally adjusted to match the material distribution, ensuring that areas with less material receive appropriate heating while areas with more material are not overheated. This local quality control prevents material property degradation.
2Device complexity
If a point evaporation source is adopted, then the structure is simple, but the heating area is reduced as material is consumed, requiring continuous temperature increase
Solution Approach 1:
The single point evaporation source is replaced with a distributed heating system comprising multiple heating zones arranged along the crucible. This segmentation transforms the concentrated heating into distributed heating, maintaining a large effective heating area throughout the evaporation process without requiring continuous temperature increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating approach transitions from a zero-dimensional point source to a one-dimensional distributed heating system along the crucible length. This dimensional change allows the heating area to be maintained across different material levels, eliminating the need for continuous temperature compensation.
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
Enables stable evaporation of materials at a preset rate without altering heating power, maintaining material properties and ensuring uniform deposition of the film layer.
Implementation Method 1
The crucible body includes: an inner heating layer with a first heater assembly and an outer heating layer with a second heater assembly
Implementation Method 2
a space between the outer heating layer and the inner heating layer defines an accommodation space for a to-be-evaporated material
Data Source
AI summary
A crucible, an evaporation source and an evaporation device are disclosed. The crucible includes a crucible body. The crucible body includes: an inner heating layer with a first heater assembly and an outer heating layer with a second heater assembly. The outer heating layer is at a periphery of the inner heating layer, and surrounds the inner heating layer, and a space between the outer heating layer and the inner heating layer defines an accommodation space for a to-be-evaporated material.