Eastman-kodak Company

Global Oled Technology LLC

Bruce E Koppe

Michael Edgar Long

Thomas W Palone

Jeremy M Grace

Neil P Redden

Michael L Boroson

Dennis R Freeman

David M Orlicki

Randolph Brost

Jinmei Zhang

David R Strip

John M Kresock

Robert L Walton

Robert F Zwaap

Paul T Brown

Apparatus for vaporizing a particulate material, comprising a metering apparatus including: a reservoir; a housing having an internal volume and first and second openings for respectively receiving and discharging the particulate material; a rotatable shaft disposed in the internal volume, the shaft having a smooth surface and a circumferential groove for receiving particulate material from the reservoir and for discharging the particulate material; the rotatable shaft and the internal volume cooperating such that the particulate material is transported by the circumferential groove and not along the remainder of the rotatable shaft; a scraper disposed in relation to the second opening, having at its end substantially the same cross section as the groove in the rotating shaft, the scraper cooperating with the groove to dislodge particulate material retained therein, and in response to the shaft rotating, delivers metered amounts of particulate material through the second opening; to the flash evaporator.

Vaporization apparatus with precise powder metering

A vaporizer for receiving and vaporizing particulate material, comprising: a heater having a reticulated material structure composed of ligands that define voids adapted to receive particulate materials, wherein the voids comprise greater than 85% of the volume of the reticulated material structure so that delivery of particulate material into the voids and conduction of vaporized material from the voids is facilitated; causes heat to be produced or conducted by the ligands to cause the particulate material in the voids to vaporize and be conducted through the voids.

Vaporization of thermally sensitive materials

A method for controlling the deposition of vaporized organic material onto a substrate surface, includes providing a manifold having at least one aperture through which vaporized organic material passes for deposition onto the substrate surface; and providing a volume of organic material and maintaining the temperature of such organic material in a first condition so that its vapor pressure is below that needed to effectively form a layer on the substrate, and in a second condition heating a volume percentage of the initial volume of such organic material so that the vapor pressure of the heated organic material is sufficient to effectively form a layer.

Controlling the vaporization of organic material

A method of vaporizing material at a uniform rate for forming a layer on a substrate includes feeding a column of vaporizable material from a temperature controlled region maintained below the vaporizable material's effective vaporization temperature to a source of vaporization energy, wherein the volume of the column can vary during vaporization; and providing a source of vaporization energy delivering a constant heat flux to the surface of the column so that a uniform volume per unit time of the vaporizable material is vaporized to form the layer on the substrate, irrespective of the feeding rate.

Vaporizing material at a uniform rate

A method for vaporizing organic materials onto a substrate surface to form a film including providing a quantity of organic material into a vaporization apparatus and actively maintaining the organic material in a first heating region in the vaporization apparatus to be below the vaporization temperature. The method also includes heating a second heating region of the vaporization apparatus above the vaporization temperature of the organic material and metering, at a controlled rate, organic material from the first heating region into the second heating region so that a thin cross section of the organic material is heated at a desired rate-dependent vaporization temperature, whereby organic material vaporizes and forms a film on the substrate surface.

Device and method for vaporizing temperature sensitive materials

A method for metering powdered or granular material onto a heated surface to vaporize such material, includes providing a container with powdered or granular material having at least one component; providing a rotatable auger disposed in material receiving relationship with the container for receiving powdered or granular material from the container and as the auger rotates, such rotating auger translates such powdered or granular material along a feed path to a feeding location; and providing at least one opening at the feeding location such that the pressure produced by the rotating auger at the feeding location causes the powdered or granular material to be forced through the opening onto the heated surface in a controllable manner.

Controllably feeding organic material in making OLEDs

A method for metering powdered or granular material onto a heated surface to vaporize such material. The method comprises providing a rotatable auger d for receiving powdered or granular material and as the rotatable auger rotates, such rotatable auger translates such powdered or granular material along a feed path to a feeding location. The method also providing at least one opening at the feeding location such that the pressure produced by the rotating rotatable auger at the feeding location causes the powdered or granular material to be forced through the opening onto the heated surface in a controllable manner. The material is agitated or fluidized proximate to the feeding location.

Controllably feeding powdered or granular material

A method for vaporizing particulate material and condensing it onto a surface to form a layer provides a quantity of first particulate material in a first container and a quantity of second particulate material in a second container spaced apart from the first container, the first and second containers respectively having first and second openings. The first particulate material is transferred through the first opening in the first container into a manifold and vaporized in the manifold. The second particulate material is transferred through the second opening in the second container into the manifold and vaporized in the manifold, whereby the first and second vaporized particulate materials are mixed. The mixed vaporized materials are delivered from the manifold to the surface to form the layer.

Delivering particulate material to a vaporization zone

A method for vaporizing particulate materials and condensing them onto a surface to form a layer provides a quantity of particulate material in a first container having an opening, dimensioned to allow free flow of the particulate material through the opening. The particulate material is transferred through the opening to an auger. At least a portion of the auger is rotated to transfer the particulate material from the first container along a feeding path to a vaporization zone where at least a component portion of the particulate material is vaporized and delivered to the surface to form the layer. The auger size is selected to facilitate the free flow of the particulate material through the opening.

A method for controlling the deposition of vaporized organic material onto a substrate surface, includes providing a heating device to produce vaporized organic material; providing a manifold having at least one aperture through which vaporized organic material passes for deposition onto the substrate surface; providing a controller operating independently of the heating device and effective in a first condition for limiting the passage of vaporized organic material through the aperture, and effective in a second condition for facilitating the passage of vaporized organic material through the aperture; and wherein the heating device, or the controller, or both are contiguous to the manifold.

Method for controlling the deposition of vaporized organic material

A method for the vaporization of particulate material includes providing one or more containers each containing possibly distinct particulate materials each having at least one component, fluidizing the particulate material in at least one of the containers, and providing a vaporization zone that is thermally isolated from at least one of the containers. The method further includes delivering particulate material received from each container to the vaporization zone, and applying heat to vaporize the delivered particulate materials at the vaporization zone.

Method of feeding particulate material to a heated vaporization surface

A vapor deposition source for use in vacuum chamber for coating an organic layer on a substrate of an OLED device, includes a manifold including side and bottom walls defining a chamber for receiving organic material, and an aperture plate disposed between the side walls, the aperture plate having a plurality of spaced apart apertures for emitting vaporized organic material; the aperture plate including conductive material which in response to an electrical current produces heat; means for heating the organic material to a temperature which causes its vaporization, and heating the side walls of the manifold; and an electrical insulator coupling the aperture plate to the side walls for concentrating heat in the unsupported region of the aperture plate adjacent to the apertures, whereby the distance between the aperture plate and the substrate can be reduced to provide high coating thickness uniformity on the substrate. A method for coating an organic layer on onto a substrate in a vacuum chamber includes providing a manifold including side and bottom walls defining a chamber for receiving organic material. and an aperture plate disposed between the side walls, the aperture elate having a plurality of spaced apart apertures for emitting vaporized organic material; heating the organic material to a temperature which causes its vaporization, and the side walls of the manifold, the aperture plate includes a first aperture plate emissive surface that radiates energy into the chamber and a second aperture plate emissive surface that radiates less energy to the substrate wherein the second aperture elate emissive surface has an emissivity lower than the first aperture plate emissive surface; and concentrating heat in an unsupported region of the aperture plate adjacent to the apertures by providing an electrical insulator coupling the aperture plate to the side walls.

Method for coating an organic layer onto a substrate in a vacuum chamber

A method for vaporizing organic materials and condensing them onto a surface to form a layer, comprising: providing a quantity of organic material in a powdered form in a first container; fluidizing the organic material in the first container and transferring such fluidized material to an auger structure; and rotating at least a portion of the auger structure to transfer fluidized powder from the first container along a feeding path to a vaporization zone where such powder is vaporized and delivered to the substrate to form the layer.

Delivering organic powder to a vaporization zone

A method for vaporizing organic material and condensing it onto a surface to form a layer, comprising: providing a quantity of first organic material in a powdered form in a first container and a quantity of second organic material in a second container spaced from the first container; fluidizing the first organic material in the first container, transferring the fluidized first organic material from the first container into a manifold, and vaporizing the first organic material in the manifold; fluidizing the second organic material in the second container, transferring the fluidized second organic material from the second container into the manifold, and vaporizing the second organic material in the manifold where the first and second vaporized organic materials are mixed; and delivering from the manifold the mixed vaporized materials to the substrate surface to form the layer.

Growing community of inventors

Caledonia, NY, United States of America

Bruce E Koppe