Modular Gas Enclosure Assembly for Low-Volume OLED Printing Facilities
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in creating a hermetically sealed gas enclosure system that can maintain an inert, substantially particle-free environment for OLED printing, particularly for larger substrate sizes, while allowing for easy access and minimal downtime during processing and maintenance, as existing solutions struggle with scaling and maintaining low levels of reactive species like oxygen and water vapor.
Innovation Solution
A gas enclosure assembly with a modular design featuring frame members that can be sealed together using reusable fasteners, incorporating ductwork for gas circulation and filtration, and a pressurized inert gas recirculation system to maintain low levels of reactive species and particles, allowing for easy access and rapid volume turnover.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large facility is hermetically sealed to maintain inert atmosphere for large-format OLED printing, then the inert environment can be maintained, but the complexity of sealing and maintaining low levels of reactive species increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The gas enclosure is divided into multiple modular panels that can be assembled together to form a hermetically sealed facility. Each panel includes integrated sealing mechanisms and gasket systems that simplify the overall sealing process while maintaining the inert atmosphere across the entire large-format printing facility.
2Ease of operation
If cabling, wiring and tubing are provided for OLED printing system operation, then the system can function, but dead volume increases where reactive species can be occluded
Solution Approach 1:
A gas distribution manifold system serves as an intermediary between the external gas supply and the printing system components. This manifold minimizes dead volume by providing direct gas pathways to cabling, wiring, and tubing connections while maintaining system operability through centralized gas distribution and purification.
3Reliability
If the facility is kept hermetically sealed for inert environment processing, then reactive species levels are controlled, but access for maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The hermetically sealed facility is constructed from modular panels with standardized connection interfaces. These panels can be disassembled and reconfigured to provide maintenance access to internal components while maintaining the inert atmosphere in the remaining sealed portions of the facility.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas enclosure system incorporates dynamic sealing mechanisms that allow temporary opening of specific panels for maintenance while automatically re-sealing after service. This enables easy access to internal components without compromising the overall inert environment control.
4Productivity
If the gas enclosure is designed for large substrate printing, then fabrication capability is improved, but gas volume increases requiring more purification
Solution Approach 1:
The gas enclosure system implements localized gas purification zones near the substrate printing area rather than purifying the entire large gas volume. Gas distribution manifolds deliver purified inert gas directly to the printing zone, reducing the total gas volume that requires continuous purification while maintaining large-format fabrication capability.
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 system effectively maintains low levels of reactive species and particles, enabling the fabrication of OLED panels on larger substrates with reduced downtime and improved maintenance access, thus overcoming the limitations of existing technologies in scaling OLED printing.
Implementation Method 1
incorporating ductwork for gas circulation and filtration, and a pressurized inert gas recirculation system to maintain low levels of reactive species and particles
Implementation Method 2
incorporating ductwork for gas circulation and filtration
Data Source
AI summary
The present teachings relate to various embodiments of an hermetically-sealed gas enclosure assembly and system that can be readily transportable and assemblable and provide for maintaining a minimum inert gas volume and maximal access to various devices and apparatuses enclosed therein. Various embodiments of an hermetically-sealed gas enclosure assembly and system of the present teachings can have a gas enclosure assembly constructed in a fashion that minimizes the internal volume of a gas enclosure assembly, and at the same time optimizes the working space to accommodate a variety of footprints of various OLED printing systems. Various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly so constructed additionally provide ready access to the interior of a gas enclosure assembly from the exterior during processing and readily access to the interior for maintenance, while minimizing downtime.