CN114667366A

CN114667366A - Assembly for material evaporation, vacuum deposition apparatus and method for material evaporation

Info

Publication number: CN114667366A
Application number: CN202080078304.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 佩曼·哈米吉尔; 塞巴斯蒂安·斯塔克
Original assignee: Applied Materials Inc
Current assignee: Applied Materials Inc
Priority date: 2020-01-07
Filing date: 2020-01-07
Publication date: 2022-06-24
Also published as: JP2023509764A; KR20220124149A; WO2021139878A1

Abstract

An assembly for evaporation of a material is described. The assembly for evaporation of material comprises: a crucible configured to contain a material for evaporation of the material; one or more mesh structures disposed inside the crucible; and one or more coils configured to provide inductive energy that heats the one or more mesh structures for material evaporation.

Description

Assembly for material evaporation, vacuum deposition apparatus and method for material evaporation

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to assemblies and methods for material evaporation (e.g., evaporation of organic materials). Embodiments of the present disclosure relate particularly to assemblies and methods for generating a vapor stream, and in particular a vapor stream of organic material suitable for forming Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) in vacuum deposition systems. In particular, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an assembly for material evaporation, a vacuum deposition apparatus and a method for material evaporation.

Background

Depositing a layer of material onto a substrate is beneficial in several areas of technology and for many applications. In particular, during the production of Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs), thin films of one or more materials are formed onto a substrate. Specifically, the organic material layer is formed by evaporation. To evaporate the material, a crucible may be used to generate a vapor stream. The vapor is directed through a mask to produce a film on a substrate in a given pattern. Co-deposition of two or more materials (e.g., host and dopant) is also contemplated for the fabrication of OLEDs.

An OLED is a light emitting diode in which the emissive layer comprises a thin film of some organic material. OLEDs are used in particular for television screens, computer monitors, displays (e.g. of mobile phones) and lighting applications. OLED displays have better performance than conventional LCD displays. In particular, OLED displays provide high levels of brightness and contrast, wide viewing angles, and improved color gamut. OLEDs are used in order to display pixels on a display and since OLEDs emit light directly, no backlight is required. Thus, in addition to improved performance, the energy consumption of OLED displays is also significantly reduced compared to conventional LCD displays. OLEDs can also be fabricated onto flexible substrates.

OLEDs include one or more layers of organic material between two electrodes. Thus, in OLED displays, layers are deposited onto a substrate with an organic evaporator to form a matrix with individually controllable pixels. In the organic vaporizer, organic materials are vaporized by heating. The vapor is then directed through a mask onto the substrate to form a layer having a given pattern.

For evaporating the material to be deposited, a crucible can be used. The material to be evaporated is positioned inside the crucible in solid form (typically as a powder) and heat is provided to evaporate the material positioned inside the crucible.

It may be difficult to ensure an accurate evaporation rate of the material inside the crucible while avoiding degradation of very sensitive organic materials that can easily degrade during evaporation.

Therefore, it is beneficial to control the heat or heat distribution inside the crucible to minimize material degradation. The benefits are particularly relevant to the production of OLEDs and OLED screens and displays.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above, an assembly for material evaporation, a vacuum deposition apparatus and a method for material evaporation are provided. Further details, aspects, advantages and features are apparent from the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.

According to one embodiment, an assembly for evaporation of a material is provided. The assembly for evaporation of material comprises: a crucible configured to contain a material for evaporation of the material; one or more mesh structures disposed inside the crucible; and one or more coils configured to provide inductive energy that heats the one or more mesh structures for material evaporation.

According to one embodiment, a vacuum deposition apparatus is provided. The vacuum deposition apparatus includes an assembly for evaporation of a material according to any one of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

According to one embodiment, a method for evaporation of a material is provided. The method for evaporation of a material comprises: providing a material inside the crucible such that at least one of the one or more webs is in contact with the material; applying an electrical current to one or more coils of the assembly; and evaporating the material by induction heating.

Drawings

So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to implementations, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only example implementations and are therefore not to be considered limiting of scope, for other equivalent implementations may be conceded.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an assembly for evaporation of a material according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an assembly for material evaporation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure with a distribution tube;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an assembly for evaporation of material according to an embodiment of the present disclosure having an opening near the bottom wall of the crucible;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of an evaporation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and is

Fig. 5 shows a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment for material evaporation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments, one or more examples of which are illustrated in each figure. Each example is provided by way of explanation and is not intended as a limitation. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used on or in conjunction with any other embodiment to yield yet a further embodiment. The present disclosure is intended to encompass such modifications and variations. Many of the details, dimensions, angles, and other features shown in the figures are merely illustrative of particular implementations. Accordingly, other implementations may have other details, components, and features without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, further implementations of the present disclosure may be practiced without several of the details described below.

Within the following description of the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or similar parts. Generally, only the differences with respect to the individual embodiments are described. Unless otherwise indicated, descriptions of parts or aspects in one embodiment may apply to corresponding parts or aspects in another embodiment.

The assemblies and methods described herein are particularly configured for material evaporation, for example in organic evaporators, for example for producing OLED and OLED displays, screens and monitors.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, the vapor is generated by induction phenomena (induction) in the crucible, particularly a ceramic crucible. The crucible includes one or more mesh structures. For example, one or more electrical conductors may be disposed inside the crucible, e.g., for transferring inductive heat to the one or more mesh structures. In some embodiments, the electrical conductor may be a ring, particularly a metal ring, disposed adjacent to the inner wall of the crucible.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, an assembly for evaporation of a material is provided. The assembly includes a crucible configured to contain a material for evaporation of the material and one or more mesh structures disposed inside the crucible. The one or more coils are configured to provide inductive energy that heats the one or more mesh structures for material evaporation. For example, one or more coils may indirectly heat one or more mesh structures by heating one or more electrical conductors. Additionally or alternatively, the one or more coils may directly heat the one or more mesh structures, for example, by generating an induced current within the mesh structures.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an assembly for material evaporation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The assembly 100 for evaporation of a material comprises a crucible 110, one or more mesh structures 130 arranged inside the crucible, and one or more coils 140. The current flowing in the coil of the one or more coils 140 heats at least one mesh of the one or more meshes. The coils of the one or more coils 140 are configured to provide induction heating that is transferred to at least one of the one or more meshes 130 inside the crucible 110. In some embodiments, three or more coils may be provided, wherein each coil is configured to provide heating to a corresponding mesh structure of the one or more mesh structures. For example, six or more coils may be provided.

According to some embodiments, three webs may be provided along the fill height of the crucible. Depending on the amount of material provided in the crucible, the web of the plurality of webs may be turned on or off. In particular, the more material provided in the crucible, the less the amount of web structure that is heated. Accordingly, while clogging of the mesh structure by the evaporated material can be avoided, the thermal load on the material provided in the crucible can be reduced.

As exemplarily shown in fig. 1, one or more electrical conductors 120 are inside the crucible 110. The current flowing in one or more of the one or more coils 140 induces a current within one or more of the one or more conductors 120. Accordingly, one or more conductors are heated by induction heating. The induction heating is transferred from the one or more conductors to a respective one of the one or more mesh structures 130 disposed inside the crucible 110.

In some embodiments, the crucible is at least partially filled with a material, and in particular with an organic material, for producing an OLED, for example or for producing an OLED display or screen. The material may be a powder that passes through the mesh in the one or more mesh structures 130, at least partially filling the volume inside the crucible 110 or the volume between the mesh structures and the walls of the crucible. To heat, the powder may contact one or more of the webs 130.

When an electric current flows in at least one of the one or more coils 140, at least one of the one or more electrical conductors 120 inside the crucible is heated by electromagnetic induction, i.e. by induction heating. In some embodiments, heat is further transferred from the at least one electrical conductor to at least one of the one or more mesh structures 130. When heat is transferred from the at least one electrical conductor to the at least one mesh structure, the mesh structure heats and further transfers the heat to the powder in contact with the mesh structure, or to the powder immersing the mesh structure, such that the powder evaporates.

For example, it may be advantageous to provide one or more electrical conductors in the form of a ring or in the form of a loop. Accordingly, one or more conductors may surround the mesh structure to be indirectly heated by the one or more conductors. Additionally or alternatively, one or more electrical conductors 120 may be disposed near one or more inner walls of the crucible. Alternatively, the one or more electrical conductors may be positioned differently within the crucible, so long as the one or more electrical conductors are adapted to be heated by induction. One or more electrical conductors, in particular one or more metal rings, are heated by induction and the heat is transferred to the adjacent mesh structure. The material in contact with the web for evaporation of the material is heated, while the crucible walls are cold compared to the material being evaporated. Accordingly, the thermal load on the organic material can be reduced, especially compared to crucibles in which heat is provided by the crucible walls.

In some embodiments, the crucible includes walls, such as a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls/lateral walls. As shown in fig. 2, the opening 210 is provided in a wall (e.g., a top wall in fig. 1 and 2 or a bottom wall in fig. 3). The coil is wound around the outer lateral surface of the crucible. In some embodiments, the material may be delivered into the crucible through a fill opening in a wall of the crucible. The fill opening may be sealable, for example with a suitable seal or insert (plug).

In some embodiments, there are one or more coils, for example three coils, which may be operated separately, i.e. current may be applied separately to each coil. For example, the coil may be cooled, for example, by water cooling (such as active water cooling). In some embodiments, water or a cooling fluid may flow within the hollow wire of the one or more coils 140 to better cool the one or more coils 140. Additionally or alternatively, a cooling fluid may be provided between the wires or conductors of one or more coils. The fluid may be a gas or a liquid.

Fig. 5 shows a flow diagram of a method 600 for material evaporation. Considering the crucible shown in fig. 1 that may be filled to a mesh structure at the upper side of the interior of the crucible (i.e., the upper mesh structure in fig. 1), only the top coil may be operated (as shown in block 610). The surface of the organic material (e.g., the upper surface of the amount of powder filled in the crucible) is heated by the top mesh, which is in turn heated by the top coil. The remaining coils do not operate. Accordingly, the remaining web is not actively heated and degradation of the material can be avoided or reduced. During further operation of the evaporator, the organic material is consumed and, in the exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 1, the filling level of the organic material in the crucible is reduced. The filling level can be lowered below the top web. Accordingly, additional mesh structures below the previously operated mesh structure may be additionally heated (as shown in block 620) by operation of additional coils. Over time, the center coil and eventually the bottom coil will be added to the process to evaporate all the material inside the crucible.

The operation of running the coils from top to bottom, i.e. only running the top coil at the beginning and adding the central coil and finally the bottom coil over time, is beneficial, since only the material to be evaporated needs to be at the evaporation temperature. The remainder of the material may be kept cooler. Further, while operating the subsequent lower coil (e.g., heating the subsequent lower mesh (see block 620)), the upper coil remains active to avoid clogging of the upper mesh structure for low fill levels.

One particular benefit associated with the present disclosure is the avoidance or reduction of material degradation, for example, during the evaporation process. The thermal load of the evaporation material is also reduced and a larger surface area is available for evaporation. In other embodiments, there may be a different number of coils, and the current is sequentially applied to adjacent coils in a top-down direction. Active cooling may be used in order to dissipate heat generated in the coil, e.g. due to dissipated electrical power.

As shown in fig. 2, an opening 210 may be provided in or near the top wall of the crucible and the vapor of the vaporized material flows through the opening (e.g., in the distribution tube 200) to be directed onto the substrate to be coated through the opening 202. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, one or more electrical conductors 120 are coupled to one or more mesh structures 130 in order to transfer heat to the one or more mesh structures (e.g., via conduction). As described above, each electrical conductor may be coupled to a corresponding mesh structure. Alternatively, each electrical conductor may be coupled to a corresponding set of meshes, for example, two or more meshes disposed inside the crucible.

The material to be vaporized (e.g., powder) may be positioned inside crucible 110. For example, the powder may be introduced through an opening 210, for example, in or near the top wall of the crucible 110, or through a sealable opening. The distribution tube may be removable and temporarily detachable in order to introduce material into the crucible, for example, to allow introduction of powder. The material introduced into the interior of the crucible 110 may cover the network structure of the interior of the crucible. In fig. 2, three coils 140 are exemplarily shown.

According to the method 600 for material evaporation, as shown in fig. 5, a current is applied to the top coil shown in fig. 2, and thus, the top mesh structure closest to the opening 210 is heated, according to block 610. Thus, the material in contact with the top web is evaporated. When all of the material in contact with the top web is completely evaporated, current is also applied to the middle coil of the three coils 140 shown in fig. 2, and the material on top of the middle web of the web 130 shown in fig. 2 evaporates, according to block 620. When the material in contact with the intermediate mesh is also completely evaporated, current is also ultimately applied to the bottom coil of the three coils 140 for heating the bottom mesh of the three meshes 130 shown in fig. 2, according to block 620 in fig. 5.

During evaporation, the vapor passes through the openings 210 in or near the top wall of the crucible 110 and flows through the distribution pipe 200, eventually exiting from the openings 202 of the distribution pipe 200 in a uniform flow for coating a substrate in a vacuum deposition apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, good thermal contact is provided between the mesh structure and a ring (e.g., a metal ring) forming the electrical conductor. The one or more network structures exhibit good thermal conductivity. In some embodiments, one or more of the network structures comprises a ceramic material. For example, the one or more network structures may include or may consist of AlN or Shapal (i.e., a combination of AlN and BN, e.g., 70% aluminum nitride and 30% boron nitride). The one or more mesh structures may comprise silicon carbide.

According to embodiments described herein, organic material may be contained in a crucible at a relatively low temperature. Accordingly, degradation of the material can be avoided. The organic material is heated for a short period of time to be evaporated, e.g. only the material close to the network is heated. Accordingly, exemplary embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein have crucibles of substantially low thermal conductivity. The crucible may comprise a ceramic material. Even though the crucible may include SiC, ceramics having a thermal conductivity below that of silicon carbide may be used. Accordingly, the heat introduced in the assembly of the crucible and the one or more web structures may have a reduced temperature rise in other regions of the crucible (e.g., the currently unheated region). According to some embodiments, the crucible may comprise or consist of ZrO2, AlO2 or PBN (pyrolytic boron nitride).

In some embodiments, individually controlling the current flowing through each of the one or more coils 140 allows for separately controlling the inductive heating of one or more electrical conductors coupled with the coils. Individually controlling the current flowing through each of the one or more coils 140 allows for separately controlling the heating of the one or more mesh structures.

In some embodiments, an assembly 100 for material evaporation comprises: a bottom wall; a top wall; a side wall; an opening in or near the top wall; wherein one or more coils are positioned around the sidewall of the crucible.

In some embodiments, the bottom and top walls of the assembly for evaporation of material are positioned parallel to the earth's surface, with the top wall of the assembly being at a higher distance/height from the earth's surface than the bottom wall. In some embodiments, the vapor generated in the crucible flows in a vertical direction through an opening 210 in or near the top wall.

One or more of the coils 140 may further be actively cooled. For example, water may flow around one or more coils in the space between the wall of the crucible and the further outer wall of the assembly for evaporation of the material. Further additionally or alternatively, the coil may comprise a hollow winding or conductor. The hollow windings or conductors may allow cooling to occur within the windings or conductors of the coil.

In some embodiments, an assembly for evaporation of a material comprises: a bottom wall; a top wall; a side wall; an opening 310 in or near the bottom wall; wherein one or more coils are positioned around the sidewall of the crucible. The vapor of the vaporized material flows through the openings 310 in or near the bottom wall, thereby following an opposite direction compared to other embodiments in which the vapor flows through the openings in the top wall.

In some embodiments, the powder of the material to be vaporized cannot pass through the mesh of the one or more mesh structures, and thus the powder cannot submerge the one or more mesh structures. In those embodiments, the powder is supported by one or more mesh structures. As exemplarily shown in fig. 3, the powder may be positioned over a mesh of the one or more meshes, for example, through additional openings (e.g., in the sidewalls) (e.g., through sealable openings), over a mesh of the one or more meshes, and may not pass through the mesh of the one or more meshes. In some embodiments, when current is applied to at least one of the one or more coils, the material (e.g., powder) on top of the mesh structure of the one or more mesh structures is heated such that evaporation occurs. Through the mesh of the mesh structure, the vapor can extend through the mesh structure in the space below the mesh structure towards the bottom of the crucible.

In some embodiments, as exemplarily and schematically illustrated in fig. 3, one or more of the mesh structures may be one mesh structure 130. One or more of the coils may be one coil 150. The crucible may for example be capable of being filled from the top, e.g. from an opening in the top or through a removable or sealable portion of the top wall. The powder of the material to be vaporized is supported by, for example, a net structure. According to the method 600 for material evaporation shown in fig. 5, one coil 140 shown in fig. 3 provides induction heating to heat one web structure according to block 610, causing the material to evaporate. The vapor of the vaporized material passes through the mesh of one mesh structure 130 shown in fig. 3 and flows toward the bottom of the crucible, where the vapor eventually passes through openings 310 in or near the bottom wall of the crucible 110. In fig. 3, the assembly 100 for material evaporation is further connected to a distribution tube 300 having one or more openings 302, which is configured to distribute the vapor passing through openings 310 in or near the bottom wall of the crucible towards the substrate to be coated. According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the one or more mesh structures may be one mesh structure in contact with the powder. However, additional mesh structures may be provided. For example, the further network may be in contact with the evaporating material in the liquid state and/or a release (tipping) of the material in the liquid state below the one network in contact with the powder may be avoided. According to some examples, the additional mesh structure may improve two-step evaporation, i.e. from solid to liquid and from liquid to gas. Additionally or alternatively, dripping of material under or through one of the webs in contact with the powder may be reduced or avoided. Furthermore, additional mesh structures may be included to increase the energy provided into the powder.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the component for evaporation of material can be configured to prevent direct contact between the powder of the material to be evaporated and the one or more electrical conductors to avoid overheating of the material. For example, the crucible may comprise a shield provided around the one or more electrical conductors in order to prevent direct contact between the powder of the material to be vaporized and the one or more electrical conductors in order to avoid overheating of the material. For example, a shield may be provided such that the one or more electrical conductors are disposed between the shield and the wall of the crucible. Reducing the contact of the organic material with the one or more electrical conductors may further reduce the degradation of the organic material.

The method for material evaporation may comprise: providing a material inside the crucible 110 such that at least one of the one or more webs 130 is in contact with the material; applying current to one or more coils 140 of the assembly; and evaporating the material by induction heating. For example, current is applied to each of the one or more coils 140 sequentially. According to fig. 5, a method 600 for evaporation of a material is provided, wherein an electric current is applied to a top coil 610, as indicated at block 610, operating a top mesh structure associated with the top coil, i.e. heating the top mesh structure; then, iteratively, additional and sequential operations (i.e., heating (as shown in block 620)) of further webs below the previously operated web are performed until all of the webs are operated or evaporation or coating of the substrate is completed.

First, the current is applied only to the coil near the top wall of the crucible, and subsequently, the current is also applied to the coil adjacent to the coil in which the current has flowed. The current is then applied sequentially to the further coils, for example, sequentially wherein the current is applied sequentially to coils adjacent to the coil in which the current has been applied in which the current has not been applied. In some embodiments, the application of the current to the coil is in a direction from top to bottom (e.g., from the top wall to the bottom wall, e.g., from the coil near the top wall toward the coil near the bottom wall of the crucible). Once current is applied to the coils, current remains applied to the coils until current flows in all of the coils and/or until the evaporation process is completed. In some embodiments, the sequentially applied currents ensure uniform evaporation of the material from the surface of the material and avoid material degradation due to excessive temperatures within the material to be evaporated.

The interior of the crucible is filled up to a given height, i.e. up to a given fill level, with the fill level being variable over time during the evaporation process, in particular with a powder of the unevaporated material. The boundary between the non-evaporated material and the vapour forms a surface during evaporation of the material, and the filling level to which the non-evaporated material fills the crucible can be defined, for example as the distance of said surface from the bottom wall of the crucible. In some embodiments, the current is applied to the coil at a level/height relative to the bottom of the crucible at or near the actual fill level at which the crucible is filled with the non-evaporated material, e.g., near the fill level at which the crucible is filled with the powder of the non-evaporated material. The sequential application of current to each coil has the effect of heating all of the web near or above the fill level of the non-evaporated material (e.g., powder) filled crucible.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a heating, in particular an induction heating, is provided in order to keep the material to be evaporated close to the boundary between the non-evaporated material and the vapour inside the crucible at an optimal temperature, while avoiding degradation of the interior of the material to be evaporated due to excessive heat. Thus, in particular to avoid material degradation, a beneficial thermal profile is provided. The heat load of the evaporation material can be reduced. A larger surface area is available for evaporation.

Fig. 4 illustrates a deposition apparatus according to embodiments described herein. The deposition apparatus 400 may be configured to deposit the vaporized material on the substrate 410. The deposition apparatus 400 includes a deposition chamber 470, particularly a vacuum deposition chamber. In the embodiment of the deposition apparatus 400 as shown in fig. 4, the deposition apparatus 400 comprises the assembly 100 for material evaporation and the distribution assembly 420 according to any of the embodiments described herein in a deposition chamber (in particular a vacuum deposition chamber) to deposit an evaporated deposition material. The dispensing assembly 420 includes at least one dispensing tube. In some embodiments, the dispensing assembly 420 may include a rotatable dispensing tube configured to be rotatable about an axis of the dispensing tube. In some embodiments, the dispensing assembly 420 may include a plurality of dispensing tubes. In some embodiments, the distribution assembly 420 comprises the distribution tube 200 illustrated in fig. 2, i.e., a distribution tube positioned on top of the assembly 100 for material evaporation. In other embodiments, the distribution assembly 420 comprises the distribution tube 300 shown in fig. 3, i.e. a distribution tube configured to receive vapor flowing through an opening in or near the bottom wall of the crucible 110 of the assembly 100 for material evaporation. In some embodiments, the dispensing assembly 420 may further include a heating unit. In some embodiments, the dispensing assembly 420 may further include a cooling unit.

Embodiments described herein relate particularly to the deposition of organic materials, for example for OLED display fabrication on large area substrates. According to some embodiments, the large area substrate or the carrier supporting one or more substrates may have a thickness of 0.5m²Or more, in particular 1m²Or larger in size. For example, the deposition apparatus 400 may be adapted for processing large area substrates, such as generation 5 (corresponding to about 1.4 m)²Substrate (1.1m × 1.3m)), generation 7.5 (corresponding to about 4.29 m)²Substrate (1.95m × 2.2m)), generation 8.5 (corresponding to about 5.7 m)²Substrate (2.2 m.times.2.5 m)) or even generation 10 (corresponding to about 8.7 m)²Substrate (2.85m × 3.05 m)). Even higher generations (such as 11 th generation and 12 th generation) and corresponding substrate areas may be similarly achieved. For example, for OLED display manufacturing, half the size of the above substrate generations (including generation 6) may be coated by evaporation. Half the size of a substrate generation may result from some processes performed on a full substrate size, and subsequent processes performed on half of previously processed substrates.

According to embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the substrate thickness may be from 0.1mm to 1.8mm, and the holding arrangement for the substrate may be adapted for such substrate thickness. The substrate thickness may be about 0.9mm or less, such as 0.5mm or 0.3mm, and the holding means may be adapted for such substrate thickness. Typically, the substrate 410 may be made of a material suitable for material deposition. For example, the substrate may be made of a material selected from the group consisting of: glass (e.g., soda lime glass, borosilicate glass, etc.), metal, polymer, ceramic, composite, carbon fiber material, or any other material or combination of materials that can be coated by a deposition process.

According to embodiments described herein, material may be deposited on the substrate in a predetermined pattern, for example, by using a mask 463 such as a Fine Metal Mask (FMM) having a plurality of openings. A plurality of pixels may be deposited on a substrate.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with any other embodiments described herein, the deposition chamber 470 can be a vacuum deposition chamber. In the present disclosure, a "vacuum deposition chamber" may be understood as a chamber configured for vacuum deposition. The term "vacuum" as used herein may be understood in the sense of a technical vacuum having a vacuum pressure of less than e.g. 10 mbar. Typically, the pressure in the vacuum chamber as described herein may be at 10^-5Mbar and about 10^-8Between mbar, more typically 10^-5Mbar and 10^-7Between millibars, and even more typically about 10^-6Mbar and about 10^-7Between mbar.

According to some embodiments, the pressure in the vacuum chamber may be considered to be the partial or total pressure of the evaporated material within the vacuum chamber (both may be approximately the same when only the evaporated material is present in the vacuum chamber as the component to be deposited). In some embodiments, the total pressure in the vacuum chamber may be at about 10^-4Mbar to about 10^-7In the range of millibar, especially in case a second component (such as a gas or the like) other than the evaporated material is present in the vacuum chamber.

As exemplarily shown in fig. 4, the assembly 100 for material evaporation and the distribution assembly 420 may be disposed on a track or linear guide 464. The linear guide 464 may be configured for translational movement of the assembly 100 and the dispensing assembly 420 for material evaporation. Furthermore, there may be a drive for providing a translational movement of the assembly for evaporation of the material and the dispensing assembly. In particular, a transport device for the contactless transport of components for the evaporation of material may be provided in a vacuum deposition chamber.

As exemplarily shown in fig. 4, the deposition chamber 470 may have a gate valve 465 via which the vacuum deposition chamber may be connected to an adjacent routing module or an adjacent maintenance module. Typically, the routing module is configured to transport the substrate to further vacuum deposition equipment for further processing, and the service module is configured for maintenance inside the deposition chamber. In particular, the gate valve allows vacuum sealing to an adjacent vacuum chamber, for example to an adjacent routing module or to an adjacent maintenance module, and can be opened and closed to move the substrate and/or mask into or out of the vacuum deposition apparatus.

According to embodiments, which can be combined with any other embodiments described herein, a substrate can be processed in the deposition apparatus 400. In particular, two substrates (e.g., a first substrate and a second substrate) may be supported on respective transport rails within the deposition chamber 470. Further, two tracks for providing the mask 463 on the tracks may be provided. In particular, the track for transporting the substrate carrier and/or the mask carrier may be provided with further transport devices for contactless transport of the carriers.

Typically, depositing material on the substrate 410 may include masking the substrate by a corresponding mask 463, such as masking the substrate by an edge exclusion mask or a shadow mask. According to some embodiments, masks 463 (e.g., a first mask corresponding to a first substrate and a second mask corresponding to a second substrate) are disposed in the mask frame to hold the respective masks in predetermined positions.

As shown in fig. 4, linear guides 464 provide directions for translational movement of the assembly for material evaporation and the dispensing assembly 420. On both sides of the assembly 100, masks 463 (e.g., a first mask for masking a first substrate and a second mask for masking a second substrate) may be provided. The mask may be substantially parallel to a direction of translational movement of the assembly for evaporation of the material. Furthermore, the substrate at the opposite side of the deposition source may also extend substantially parallel to the direction of the translational movement.

Referring exemplarily to fig. 4, an assembly support 461 configured for translational movement of the assembly 100 and the dispensing assembly 420 along the linear guide 464 for material evaporation may be provided. Typically, the assembly support 461 supports the assembly 100 for material evaporation and a distribution assembly 420 disposed above the crucible, as schematically shown in fig. 4. Accordingly, the evaporated material generated in the assembly for evaporation of material may move upwards and out of the one or more openings of the at least one distribution pipe of the distribution assembly. Accordingly, the dispensing assembly is configured for providing a plume of vaporized material, in particular vaporized organic material, from the dispensing assembly 220 to the substrate 10, as described herein. In embodiments in which the distribution tube is rotatable, a single distribution tube may be rotated so as to distribute the vapor of the vaporized material toward the substrates 410 positioned on opposite sides of the distribution assembly 420. In such embodiments, the distribution assembly 420 may translate parallel to the substrate 410 and may rotate to first distribute the vapor of the evaporated material toward the first substrate and then distribute the vapor of the evaporated material toward the second substrate. The rotation and translation may be repeated multiple times during the coating of one or more substrates.

Fig. 5 shows a flow diagram of a method 600 for material evaporation with an assembly for material evaporation according to embodiments described herein. Block 610 includes operating the mesh structure (e.g., top mesh structure) by applying an electrical current to the coils, and providing a temperature gradient within the crucible 110 using inductive heating provided by the at least one coil 140. The one or more electrical conductors 120 can be inductively heated by the coil and transfer heat to the one or more mesh structures 130. Additionally or alternatively, one or more mesh structures 130 may be directly heated by induction by one or more coils. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a crucible, one or more coils, one or more mesh structures, and/or one or more electrical conductors may be provided.

According to an embodiment, a crucible may provide a material to be deposited on a substrate. The material may be positioned inside the crucible 110 and vaporized at one or more webs 130 within the crucible. The one or more web-like structures may be heated by induction heating to the evaporation temperature T of the material to be deposited_E. Heating may provide a temperature gradient that includes a temperature below the vaporization temperature T of the material to be deposited_EThe temperature range of (a). This allows for parallel storage and evaporation of the material.

The additional mesh structure is operated to apply current to the coil to heat the mesh structure adjacent to the already operated mesh structure, according to block 620. Block 620 may include sequentially heating additional webs positioned below and adjacent to the previously heated web, particularly when the additional webs are the highest webs in the crucible that are covered by or in contact with the material to be vaporized. The mesh structures may be operated sequentially, where for example, first, the top mesh structure is operated by applying current to a coil (e.g., a top coil) according to block 610, and the additional mesh structures are operated sequentially according to block 620. Thus, the mesh structure is inductively heated starting from the top mesh structure and the remaining mesh structures are sequentially heated in top-down order.

According to an embodiment, the material feeding system may provide fresh material to the crucible for evaporating the material at the one or more web structures. The material feed system may be configured to store material while simultaneously feeding material to the crucible, e.g., through an additional opening in a wall of the crucible. Additionally, the material feed system may allow for easy refilling without interfering with the feeding and/or deposition process.

This written description uses examples to disclose the disclosure, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the described subject matter, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. Although various specific embodiments have been disclosed in the foregoing, the non-mutually exclusive features of the embodiments described above may be combined with each other. The scope of protection is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. An assembly (100) for evaporation of a material, comprising:

a crucible (110) configured to contain a material for evaporation of the material;

one or more mesh structures (130) disposed inside the crucible; and

one or more coils (140) configured to provide inductive energy that heats the one or more mesh structures for material evaporation.

2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more electrical conductors (120) inside the crucible.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the one or more electrical conductors are rings, in particular rings arranged adjacent to an inner wall of the crucible.

4. The assembly of any of claims 2 to 3, wherein the one or more electrical conductors are coupled to the one or more mesh structures so as to transfer heat to the mesh structures.

5. The assembly of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the crucible is a ceramic crucible.

6. The assembly of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the one or more mesh structures comprise a ceramic material.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the one or more mesh structures comprise silicon carbide.

8. The assembly of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein current flow through the one or more coils is individually controllable for each coil.

9. The assembly of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the one or more coils are water-cooled.

10. The assembly of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the crucible comprises:

a bottom wall, a top wall and a bottom wall,

a top wall of the container body,

the side wall is provided with a plurality of side walls,

an opening 210 in or near the top wall, wherein the one or more coils are positioned around the side wall of the crucible.

11. The assembly of claim 10, further comprising:

a distribution tube 200 in communication with the opening in or near the top wall, the distribution tube configured for distribution of vaporized material.

12. The assembly of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the crucible comprises:

a bottom wall, a top wall and a bottom wall,

a top wall of the container body,

the side wall is provided with a plurality of side walls,

an opening 310 in or near the bottom wall, wherein the one or more coils are positioned around the sidewall of the crucible.

13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the one or more mesh structures is a mesh structure and the one or more coils is a coil.

14. A vacuum deposition apparatus (400), comprising:

assembly (100) for the evaporation of materials according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. A method (600) for evaporation of a material, the method comprising:

providing a material inside the crucible such that at least one of the one or more webs is in contact with the material;

applying (610, 620) a current to one or more coils of the assembly; and

the material is evaporated by induction heating.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein current is applied to each of the one or more coils sequentially.