Kateeva, Inc.

Other

Shandon Alderson

Alexander Sou-Kang Ko

Eliyahu Vronsky

Justin Mauck

Robert B Lowrance

Karl Mathia

Aleksey Khrustalev

Alexey Stepanov

Stephen Mark Smith

The present teachings relate to various embodiments of a 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 a 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.

Gas enclosure assembly and system

The present teachings disclose various embodiments of a printing system for printing substrate, in which the printing system can be housed in a gas enclosure, where the environment within the enclosure can be maintained as a controlled printing environment. A controlled environment of the present teachings can include control of the type of gas environment within the gas enclosure, the size and level particulate matter within the enclosure, control of the temperature within the enclosure and control of lighting. Various embodiments of a printing system of the present teachings can include a Y-axis motion system and a Z-axis moving plate that are configured to substantially decrease excess thermal load within the enclosure by, for example, eliminating or substantially minimizing the use of conventional electric motors.

Printing system assemblies and methods

A method comprises processing a substrate in a gas enclosure to form a film on one or more portions of the substrate. The method further comprises, while processing the substrate, circulating gas along a circulation path through the gas enclosure. Circulating the gas may comprise flowing gas through an exhaust housing enclosing a printhead assembly housed in the gas enclosure and filtering the gas flowing downstream of the printhead assembly from the exhaust housing.

Low-particle gas enclosure systems and methods

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.

The present teachings disclose various embodiments of a printing system for printing a substrate, in which the printing system can be housed in a gas enclosure, where the environment within the enclosure can be maintained as a controlled printing environment. A controlled environment of the present teachings can include control of the type of gas environment within the gas enclosure, the size and level particulate matter within the enclosure, control of the temperature within the enclosure and control of lighting. Various embodiments of a printing system of the present teachings can include a Y-axis motion system and a Z-axis moving plate that are configured to substantially decrease excess thermal load within the enclosure by, for example, eliminating or substantially minimizing the use of conventional electric motors.

A method for printing a substrate may comprise positioning a substrate within an enclosure enclosing a printing system, wherein the printing system comprises a printhead device assembly comprising at least one printhead, and performing a printing process on the substrate. and. The printing process may comprise supplying ink from a local ink dispensing reservoir to the printhead device assembly, the local ink dispensing reservoir located inside the enclosure; supplying ink from a local ink replenishment reservoir to the local ink dispensing reservoir so as to maintain, in the local ink dispensing reservoir, a level of ink within a first predetermined range, the local ink dispensing reservoir located inside the enclosure; supplying ink from a bulk ink delivery system, through a fluid line disposed inside an outer conduit, and to the local ink replenishment reservoir so as to maintain, in the local ink replenishment reservoir, a level of ink within a second predetermined range, the bulk ink delivery system located outside the enclosure; and depositing ink from the at least one printhead on the substrate

Ink delivery systems and methods

The present teachings relate to various embodiments of a gas enclosure system that can have various components comprising a particle control system that can provide a low-particle zone proximal to a substrate. Various components of a particle control system can include a gas circulation and filtration system, a low-particle-generating motion system for moving a printhead assembly relative to a substrate, a service bundle housing exhaust system, and a printhead assembly exhaust system. In addition to maintaining substantially low levels for each species of various reactive species, including various reactive atmospheric gases, such as water vapor and oxygen, for various embodiments of a gas enclosure system that have a particle control system, an on-substrate particle specification can be readily met. Accordingly, processing of various substrates in an inert, low-particle gas environment according to systems and methods of the present teachings can have substantially lower manufacturing defects.

The present teachings disclose various embodiments of a gas enclosure system can have a gas enclosure that can include a printing system enclosure and an auxiliary enclosure. In various embodiments of a gas enclosure system of the present teachings, a printing system enclosure can be isolated from an auxiliary enclosure. Various systems and methods of the present teachings can provide for the ongoing management of a printing system by utilizing various embodiments of isolatable enclosures. For example, various measurement and maintenance process steps for the management of a printhead assembly can be performed in an auxiliary enclosure, which can be isolated from a printing system enclosure of a gas enclosure system, thereby preventing or minimizing interruption of a printing process.

Gas enclosure systems and methods utilizing an auxiliary enclosure

The present teachings disclose various embodiments of a printing system for printing a substrate, in which the printing system can be housed in a gas enclosure, where the environment within the enclosure can be maintained as a controlled printing environment. A controlled environment of the present teachings can include control of the type of gas environment within the gas enclosure, the size and level particulate matter within the enclosure, control of the temperature within the enclosure and control of lighting. Various embodiments of a printing system of the present teachings can include a bulk ink delivery system that can be external to a gas enclosure. A bulk ink delivery system according to the present teachings can supply ink to a local ink delivery system that is internal to the gas enclosure. Various embodiments of a local ink delivery system of the present teachings can be proximal to a printhead device assembly, and can include a two-stage ink supply having a local ink replenishment reservoir that is configured to supply a local ink dispensing reservoir to a constant volume. According to the present teachings, a local ink dispensing reservoir can be in flow communication with a plurality of printhead devices. As such, a two-stage local ink delivery system maintaining a constant volume in a local ink dispensing reservoir can provide constant head pressure to the plurality of printhead devices.

Growing community of inventors

San Carlos, CA, United States of America

Shandon Alderson