OLED Evaporation Heating Device with Independent Zone Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heating devices for OLED material vapor deposition face inefficiencies and quality risks due to the inability to independently control temperatures, leading to jamming of the gas release hole and exposure to moisture and oxygen during temperature adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A heating device with separate upper and lower heating coils and thermally conductive sleeves allows independent temperature control of the crucible sections, maintaining the gas release hole at a high temperature while lowering the OLED material temperature, preventing solidification and exposure to moisture and oxygen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the heating coil temperature is lowered to prevent OLED material solidification, then the risk of quality change is reduced, but the gas release hole becomes jammed due to material accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The heating coil is divided into multiple independently controllable heating zones (first heating zone, second heating zone, third heating zone) along the crucible height. Each zone can be controlled at different temperatures, allowing the lower zones to maintain high temperature to prevent material solidification and accumulation at the gas release hole, while upper zones can be controlled at appropriate temperatures for evaporation. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling simultaneous prevention of both jamming and quality degradation.
2Productivity
If the heating coil temperature is increased to maintain gas release hole openness, then manufacturing efficiency is maintained, but the OLED material is exposed to moisture and oxygen causing quality changes
Solution Approach 1:
Different temperature conditions are applied to different spatial locations within the crucible. The lower heating zones maintain high temperature to prevent material solidification and ensure gas release hole openness, while the upper heating zones where OLED material is loaded are controlled at lower temperatures to prevent material degradation from excessive heat. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction by optimizing temperature for each specific location's functional requirements.
3Device complexity
If the heating coil is controlled synchronously, then the structure is simple, but the temperature distribution is uneven causing material accumulation at the gas release hole
Solution Approach 1:
The heating coil is segmented into multiple independently controllable zones with separate power supplies. This allows precise temperature control at different heights of the crucible, creating a temperature gradient that prevents material accumulation at the gas release hole while maintaining evaporation conditions at the material loading zone. The segmentation enables manufacturing precision improvement while accepting increased control system complexity as a necessary trade-off.
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 maintains manufacturing efficiency by preventing gas release hole jamming and reduces the risk of quality changes in OLED materials, ensuring continuous operation and improved product quality.
Implementation Method 1
an upper heating coil that surrounds outside an outer circumference of the top cover section... The upper and lower heating coils are each connected to a power supply for individually controlling a heating temperature
Implementation Method 2
a lower thermally conductive temperature homogenizing sleeve arranged between the body section and the lower heating coil, an upper thermally conductive temperature homogenizing sleeve arranged between the top cover section and the upper heating coil
Implementation Method 3
a thermal insulation ring arranged between the upper and lower thermally conductive temperature homogenizing sleeves
Implementation Method 4
Film formation with vacuum thermal evaporation is to heat, in a vacuum environment of less than 5×10−5Pa, a sublimateable or meltable OLED material for changing from a solid state to a vapor state
Implementation Method 5
a sublimateable or meltable OLED material for changing from a solid state to a vapor state
Implementation Method 6
in a vacuum environment of less than 5×10−5Pa, a sublimateable or meltable OLED material for changing from a solid state to a vapor state. Gas molecules are moving at a high speed to reach a glass substrate
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a heating device for evaporation of an OLED material, which includes a crucible (1) for receiving and containing therein an OLED material (10), a lower heating coil (2) surrounding outside an outer circumference of the body section (11) of the crucible (1), an upper heating coil (3) surrounding outside an outer circumference of the top cover section (13) of the crucible (1), a lower thermally conductive temperature homogenizing sleeve (4) arranged between the body section (11) and the lower heating coil (2), an upper thermally conductive temperature homogenizing sleeve (5) arranged between the top cover section (13) and the upper heating coil (3), and a thermal insulation ring (6) arranged between the upper and lower thermally conductive temperature homogenizing sleeves (5, 4). The upper and lower heating coils (3, 2) are each connected to a power supply for individually controlling a heating temperature of each of the top cover section (13) and the body section (11). The heating device prevents gaseous molecules of the OLED material (10) from getting condensed and solidified at a gas release hole (131) of the crucible (1) so as to prevent jamming and blocking of the gas release hole (131).