Rotating Substrate Sealing Apparatus for OLED Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for sealing substrates in organic light emitting display manufacturing, such as the impulse sealing method using a nichrome heating bar, face challenges in maintaining a closed loop structure, which complicates the process and can lead to deteriorated sealing quality due to alien substances and increased complexity in maintaining a vacuum atmosphere.
Innovation Solution
A substrate sealing apparatus with a simplified structure featuring a chamber, a lower compressing member that elevates and rotates, and an upper compressing member, which reduces the number of driving shafts required and allows for easier maintenance of a vacuum atmosphere by using high-resistance materials like nichrome for heating and compressing the substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a closed loop shaped heating bar is used for impulse sealing, then sealing quality is improved, but device complexity increases and vacuum maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The heating bar is divided into multiple independent heating sections (first heating section, second heating section, third heating section) instead of a continuous closed loop. This segmentation allows simpler structure while maintaining effective sealing through multiple discrete heating zones that can independently contact the substrate and donor film.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a closed loop shape that requires passing through the chamber, the invention uses linear or partially linear heating sections that are positioned above the substrate. The heating bar moves horizontally to contact different sealing positions, inverting the traditional approach of having the substrate move under a fixed heating element.
2Reliability
If a closed loop shaped heating bar is used for impulse sealing, then sealing quality is improved, but maintaining vacuum atmosphere becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The heating bar is extracted from the chamber interior and positioned above it, connected through a rotationally movable connection at the chamber boundary. This extraction eliminates the need for complex vacuum seals required by in-chamber closed loop structures, simplifying vacuum maintenance while preserving heating functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating bar is made movable both horizontally (for contacting different sealing positions) and vertically (for applying compression force). This dynamic positioning allows effective sealing without requiring the heating bar to pass through or be fixed inside the vacuum chamber, simplifying vacuum atmosphere maintenance.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the lower compressing member rotates about vertical axis, then interference between compressing units is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lower compressing member is given rotational freedom about the vertical axis through a rotationally movable connection. This dynamic rotation allows the heating sections to be positioned optimally during compression, reducing interference between upper and lower compressing members while maintaining relatively simple structure through passive rotational capability rather than active control mechanisms.
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 simplifies the substrate sealing process, enhances sealing quality by reducing interference between compressing units, and facilitates easier vacuum maintenance, thereby improving the efficiency and reliability of substrate sealing in organic light emitting display manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
an impulse sealing method of instantaneously making a large capacity of current flow through the bar including a high resistance material such as nichrome to generate heat
Implementation Method 2
at a vacuum atmosphere, a donor film on which an organic light emitting layer is formed is laminated on the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate sealing apparatus includes a chamber, at least one lower compressing member, and at least one lower compressing member. The lower compressing member includes a lower compressing surface for emitting heat, is configured to be elevated up and lowered down in a vertical direction with respect to the compressing surface, and rotates about the vertical direction. The upper compressing member includes a lower compressing surface for emitting heat, and is configured to be elevated up and lowered down in the vertical direction.