High-precision shadow-mask-deposition system and method therefor

Abstract

A direct-deposition system capable of forming a high-resolution pattern of material on a substrate is disclosed. Vaporized atoms from an evaporation source pass through an aperture pattern of a shadowmask to deposit on the substrate in the desired pattern. Prior to reaching the shadow mask, the vaporized atoms pass through a collimator that operates as a spatial filter that blocks any atoms not travelling along directions that are nearly normal to the substrate surface. As a result, the vaporized atoms that pass through the shadow mask exhibit little or no lateral spread (i.e., feathering) after passing through its apertures and the material deposits on the substrate in a pattern that has very high fidelity with the aperture pattern of the shadow mask. The present invention, therefore, mitigates the need for relatively large space between regions of deposited material normally required in the prior art, thereby enabling high-resolution patterning.

Description

[0001] Statement of related cases [0002] This case claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62 / 340,793 (Attorney Docket: 6494-208PR1), filed May 24, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference. technical field [0003] The present invention relates generally to thin film deposition, and more particularly, the present invention relates to evaporation based thin film deposition. Background technique [0004] Shadow mask based deposition is the process of depositing material onto the surface of a substrate such that the deposited material is patterned as desired during the deposition process itself. This is often referred to as "directly patterning" the patterned layer of the material. [0005] In a typical shadow mask deposition process, the desired material is vaporized at a source some distance from the substrate. As the vaporized atoms of the material travel towards the substrate, they must pass through a shadow mask positioned directly in ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, these color filters absorb up to 80% of the emitted light, which significantly reduces display brightness, again requiring operation at higher than desired drive currents

[0010] In the prior art, there remains an unmet need for a process suitable for direct patterning of high-resolution material patterns onto substrates

Images