Laser Induced Thermal Imaging Apparatus for OLED Micro-Pattern Transfer

The patent replaces the mechanical shadow mask system with a laser-induced thermal imaging system. Instead of using a physical mask that deforms, the invention uses a laser beam to selectively vaporize organic material deposited on a donor film, transferring the pattern to the substrate without mechanical contact. This substitution of mechanical patterning with optical-thermal processing eliminates mask deformation issues and enables precise micro-pattern formation on large-size displays.

The patent replaces the chemical lithographic process with a laser-based thermal imaging process. Instead of using photoresist coatings, developing solutions, and etching chemicals that damage the organic light-emitting layer, the invention directly patterns the organic material through selective laser vaporization. This mechanical-to-optical-thermal substitution eliminates exposure to harmful chemical solutions while maintaining fine pitch pattern capability.

The patent employs a preliminary deposition step where organic material is first deposited uniformly across the entire donor film surface using vacuum deposition. This preliminary action creates a uniform layer that can then be selectively removed by the laser. This approach ensures uniform layer thickness and high output, overcoming the limitations of direct ink jet printing while maintaining process simplicity.

The patent uses vacuum deposition to preliminarily form a uniform organic layer on the donor film before laser patterning. This preliminary uniform deposition ensures consistent layer thickness across the entire surface, which is then selectively removed by the laser to create the desired pattern. This approach achieves superior thickness uniformity compared to direct ink jet printing while keeping the overall process simple.