KR102381054B1 - Deposition apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is to minimize the occurrence of clogging in the nozzle, and the deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a crucible in which a space for accommodating a deposition material is formed, and the crucible is disposed outside the crucible so that the deposition material is evaporated. It may include a heater unit for heating, a plurality of nozzles for supplying a deposition material evaporated from a deposition raw material to a deposition target, and a heat pipe disposed between the heater unit and the plurality of nozzles and having a heat transfer fluid therein.

Description

Deposition apparatus

The present invention relates to a deposition apparatus, and more particularly, to a deposition apparatus for depositing a deposition material on an object to be deposited.

Deposition is a method of coating gaseous particles with a thin solid film on the surface of an object such as metal or glass.

Recently, as organic light emitting diodes (OLED) displays are increasingly used in electronic devices such as TVs and mobile phones, research on devices and processes for manufacturing OLED display panels is active. In particular, the OLED display panel manufacturing process includes a process of depositing an organic material on a glass substrate in a vacuum state.

Specifically, the deposition process includes a process of heating a crucible in which the organic material is accommodated to evaporate the organic material in a gaseous state, and a process in which the gaseous organic material passes through a nozzle and is deposited on a substrate.

In this case, the organic material in the gaseous state cannot move to the substrate, but is deposited around the nozzle to form a film or a clogging phenomenon that blocks the hole of the nozzle may occur.

When the clogging phenomenon occurs, there may be a problem in that the organic material is non-uniformly deposited on the glass substrate. If the clogging phenomenon occurs more seriously, there may be a problem in that the deposition process must be stopped to clean the nozzle.

Accordingly, there may be a need for a deposition apparatus that minimizes the clogging phenomenon in which the organic material clogs the periphery of the nozzle during the deposition process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to solve the above and other problems.

An object of the present invention is to provide a deposition apparatus that minimizes the occurrence of a clogging phenomenon.

A deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a crucible having a space in which a deposition material is accommodated, a heater unit disposed outside the crucible to heat the crucible so that the deposition material is evaporated, and a deposition material evaporated from the deposition material as a deposition target. It may include a plurality of nozzle units for supplying, and a heat pipe disposed between the heater unit and the nozzle unit and accommodating the heat transfer fluid therein.

The heat pipe may include a straight tube portion elongated along the periphery of the plurality of nozzle portions.

A pair of straight tube units may be provided with a plurality of nozzle units interposed therebetween.

It may further include a connecting tube portion connecting the pair of straight tube portions.

The heat pipe may further include a protruding tube portion protruding from the straight tube portion toward the heater unit.

The straight tube portion may be disposed to be inclined between the connecting tube portion and the protruding tube portion.

Any one of the plurality of nozzles may face each of the straight tube part and the connecting tube part, and the remainder except for any one of the plurality of nozzles may face the straight tube part.

The protruding tube portion may be inclined downward as it approaches the heater unit.

The method may further include a heater cover having a hole through which the deposition material passes and covering the heater unit and the heat pipe, and a heat pipe mounter to which the heat pipe is fixed and mounted to the heater cover.

A nozzle part through-hole through which the nozzle unit passes and a heat pipe through-hole through which a part of the heat pipe passes may be formed in the heat pipe mounter.

The heat pipe includes a pair of straight tube parts elongated along the periphery of the plurality of nozzles, a connecting tube part connecting the pair of tube parts, and a protruding tube part protruding from each of the pair of straight tube parts toward the heater unit And, the vertical distance between the connecting tube part and the heater cover is shorter than the vertical distance between the protruding tube part and the heater cover, and the straight tube part may be inclined downward from the connecting tube part to the protruding tube part.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is an advantage in that the clogging of the nozzle can be minimized by heating the vicinity of the nozzle with a heat pipe. Specifically, by using a heat pipe, the heat use efficiency of the deposition apparatus system can be maximized, so that the temperature is not increased excessively to prevent clogging, and the heat source maintains an appropriate temperature while minimizing clogging, and It can reduce the thermal effect on the

In addition, it is possible to heat the vicinity of the nozzle without adding a separate heat source for intensively heating the nozzle, thereby minimizing the possibility of clogging while minimizing power consumption. In addition, since it is not necessary to add a separate electrical system to prevent clogging, the maintenance time of the operator is minimized, and the production cost is low, so there is an advantage of maximizing productivity.

In addition, there is an advantage in that the possibility of clogging can be minimized through a structure that is easy to mount and maintain a heat pipe.

In addition, since the heat pipe can heat the plurality of nozzles together, the number of parts can be minimized and the structure is simple.

In addition, there is an advantage that the heater cover can minimize heat loss of the heat pipe or heat loss emitted from the heat source to the substrate, and can protect the heat pipe.

1 is a view showing a top view of a deposition apparatus system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a view showing a side view of a deposition apparatus system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view of a deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is an exploded perspective view of a deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a perspective view of a guide according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view showing a nozzle cover according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a perspective view of a crucible according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a crucible according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a perspective view of a heater unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is an exploded perspective view of a heater unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a perspective view illustrating a cooling unit accommodating a heater unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is an enlarged perspective view of an upper surface of a crucible according to an embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a perspective view illustrating a heat pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention.
14 is a view illustrating the heat pipe shown in FIG. 13 in the direction of a straight tube part.
15 is a view illustrating the heat pipe shown in FIG. 13 in the direction of the protruding tube portion.
16 is a perspective view illustrating a heat pipe mounter for fixing a position of a heat pipe according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a view showing the heat pipe mounter shown in FIG. 16 in a lateral direction.
18 to 21 are views for explaining the movement of a heat transfer fluid accommodated in a heat pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention.
22 is a diagram illustrating a deposition apparatus system for monitoring clogging occurrence in a nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
23 is a flowchart illustrating a method for monitoring clogging occurrence according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A deposition apparatus system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 2 . 1 is a diagram illustrating a deposition apparatus system according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a side view of the deposition apparatus system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 2 , a deposition apparatus system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a support 10 , first drivers 11 and 12 positioned on the support 10 , and a first driver (11) The second driving unit 13 located on (12), located on the second driving unit 13, and moved by at least one of the first driving unit 11, 12 and the second driving unit 13 It includes a deposition apparatus 100, at least one or more vapor-deposited objects 14 and 15 to which a thin film material evaporated in the deposition apparatus 100 is attached, and an aligner 16 for fixing the vapor-deposited objects 14 and 15. can do.

The support part 10 may support the first driving part 11 and 12 , the second driving part 13 , and the deposition apparatus 100 . More specifically, the first driving units 11 and 12 are positioned on the support unit 10 , the second driving unit 13 is positioned on the first driving units 11 and 12 , and the deposition is performed on the second driving unit 13 . The device 100 may be located.

The first driving units 11 and 12 may be disposed on both sides of the support unit 10 .

A linear motor (not shown) is provided in the first driving units 11 and 12 to horizontally move the second driving unit 13 positioned on the first driving units 11 and 12 . In particular, the first driving units 11 and 12 may move the second driving unit 13 in one direction of the support unit 10 .

A linear motor (not shown) is provided in the second driving unit 13 to move the deposition apparatus 100 positioned on the second driving unit 13 . The driving direction of the second driving unit 13 may be a direction perpendicular to the driving direction of the first driving units 11 and 12 .

The deposition apparatus 100 may move on the support unit 10 by driving the first driving units 11 and 12 and the second driving unit 13 .

The deposition apparatus system 1 may include at least one or more vapor-deposited objects 14 and 15 . In the examples of FIGS. 1 and 2 , the deposition apparatus system 1 includes the first vapor-deposited object 14 and the second vapor-deposited object 15 as an example, but this is merely exemplary.

The vapor-deposited objects 14 and 15 may include a glass substrate.

At least one or more vapor-deposited objects 14 and 15 may be fixed by the aligner 16 . The vapor-deposited objects 14 and 15 may be disposed above the deposition apparatus 100 , so that a deposition material evaporated in the deposition apparatus 100 may be deposited on lower surfaces of the vapor-deposited objects 14 and 15 .

The deposition apparatus 100 may move on the support part 10 by the first driving part 11 and the second driving part 13 , and at least one of the deposition apparatus 100 positioned above the deposition apparatus 100 while moving on the support part 10 . A deposition material may be deposited on the deposition target 14 and 15 .

The support part 10 , the first driving part 11 , 12 and the second driving part 13 , the deposition apparatus 100 , at least one to-be-deposited object 14 , 15 , and the aligner 16 are provided in a vacuum chamber 2 . ) can be accommodated inside the

Next, the deposition apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

3 is a perspective view of a deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 to 4 , the deposition apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a moving unit 102 , a cooling unit 120 , a heater unit 130 accommodated in the cooling unit 120 , A crucible (140, crucible) accommodated in the inside of the heater unit 130, a nozzle cover 150 disposed on the upper surface of the crucible 140, and a guide 110 disposed on the upper surface of the nozzle cover 150 may include. there is.

In addition to the configurations listed above, the deposition apparatus 100 may further include at least one of an ATM box 101 and a QCM sensor 103 . However, in the deposition apparatus 100 according to the present invention, at least one of the ATM box 101 and the QCM sensor 103 may be omitted.

The moving unit 102 may be disposed on the second driving unit 13 . Accordingly, as the second driving unit 13 moves the moving unit 102 , the deposition apparatus 100 moves.

An ATM box 101 may be disposed in the mobile unit 102 . The ATM box 101 may accommodate electrical devices such as cables, sensors, and circuits of the deposition apparatus 100 . For example, the inside of the ATM box 101 may accommodate a cable connected to the QCM sensor 103 , a cable 139 connected to the heater unit 138 , a cable connected to a cooling channel (not shown), and the like. Accordingly, it is possible to minimize the problem that the cable connected to the deposition apparatus 100 interferes with the movement of the deposition apparatus 100 or interferes with the path of the deposition material.

The cooling unit 120 may block heat emitted from the heater unit 130 to heat the deposition material from being emitted to the outside of the deposition apparatus 100 .

An accommodating space is formed inside the cooling unit 120 , and the heater unit 130 may be disposed in the receiving space of the cooling unit 120 .

The cooling unit 120 may minimize leakage of heat emitted by the heater unit 130 accommodated therein to the outside.

The heater unit 130 may be accommodated in the inner space of the cooling unit 120 .

An accommodating space may be formed inside the heater unit 130, and a heater unit 138 (refer to FIG. 10) that emits heat and the crucible 140 may be accommodated in the accommodating space of the heater unit 130. .

Specifically, the heater unit 138 may be accommodated along the inner circumference of the heater unit 130 , and the crucible 140 may be accommodated inside the heater unit 138 .

Accordingly, the heater unit 138 of the heater unit 130 may emit heat, and the heat emitted from the heater unit 138 may heat the crucible 140 .

Meanwhile, the heater unit 130 may include a reflector 135 (refer to FIG. 10 ) that reflects heat emitted from the heater unit 138 . The reflector 135 may form an outer surface of the heater unit 130 . That is, the heater unit 130 includes a reflector 135 , a heater unit 138 , and a crucible 140 , the heater unit 138 is located inside the reflector 135 , and the inside of the heater unit 138 . The crucible 140 may be disposed to be located.

The reflector 135 may reflect heat emitted from the heater unit 138 in an inner direction of the heater unit 130 , and the reflected heat may further heat the crucible 140 . Accordingly, the power consumption used by the heater unit 138 to dissipate heat can be reduced.

The crucible 140 may accommodate the deposition raw material 3 (refer to FIG. 8 ) therein. When the crucible 140 is heated, the deposition raw material 3 accommodated in the crucible 140 may be evaporated into a deposition material 4 (refer to FIG. 8 ).

Here, the deposition raw material 3 is a material that is filled in the crucible 140 to be deposited on at least one or more of the deposition materials 14 and 15 , and represents a material in a state before being evaporated into the deposition material 4 . The deposition material 4 is a gaseous material in which the deposition raw material 3 in the liquid state is evaporated, and indicates a material that can be deposited on at least one or more objects 14 and 15 to be inspected. For convenience of description, this is merely a name for distinguishing between a liquid state material and a gaseous material, and thus does not need to be limited thereto.

At least one nozzle 141 and 142 (refer to FIG. 7 ) having a hole through which the deposition material 4 can pass may be positioned on the crucible 140 . The deposition material 4 evaporated inside the crucible 140 may pass through the nozzles 141 and 142 and be sprayed to the guide 110 .

The guide 110 may guide the deposition material 4 passing through the nozzles 141 and 142 toward the deposition target 14 and 15 . Also, the guide 110 may guide the deposition material 4 passing through the nozzles 141 and 142 to be uniformly deposited on the deposition target 14 and 15 .

Meanwhile, a nozzle cover 150 may be positioned between the crucible 140 and the guide 110 . The nozzle cover 150 may be a cover that covers the periphery of the nozzles 141 and 142 formed on the upper portion of the crucible 140 . The nozzle cover 150 minimizes the transfer of heat formed in the crucible 140 to the guide 110 , thereby minimizing the influence of the guide 110 heating on the vapor-deposited objects 14 and 15 .

Hereinafter, each configuration of the deposition apparatus 100 described above will be described in detail.

First, Figure 5 is a perspective view of a guide according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The guide 110 may have a hexahedral shape, and at least one surface may have a hole formed therein.

Specifically, at least one injection hole 112 through which the deposition material 4 passing through the nozzles 141 and 142 is injected into the inside of the guide 110 may be formed on the lower surface of the guide 110 . The size of the injection hole 112 may be larger than the size of the nozzles 141 and 142 .

An open space 113 through which the deposition material 4 moves may be formed inside the guide 110 . The deposition material 4 may pass through the open space 113 to be deposited on the vapor-deposited objects 14 and 15 .

In addition, at least one sensing hole 111 may be formed on a side surface of the guide 110 . At least one QCM sensor 103 may be disposed in the sensing hole 111 .

The QCM sensor 103 may sense the inside of the guide 110 through the sensing hole 111 . Specifically, the QCM sensor 103 may sense the deposition material 4 present in the guide 110 to obtain information such as an evaporation amount and state of the deposition material 4 .

Next, FIG. 6 is a view showing a nozzle cover according to an embodiment of the present invention.

At least one nozzle hole 151 may be formed in the nozzle cover 150 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The nozzle hole 151 may be a hole through which the nozzles 141 and 142 pass when the nozzle cover 150 is disposed on the crucible 140 . Accordingly, the deposition material 4 passing through the nozzles 141 and 142 may pass through the nozzle hole 151 and be sprayed to the guide 110 .

The nozzle cover 150 may block heat transfer between the crucible 140 and the guide 110 while passing the deposition material 4 therethrough. Specifically, the vapor-deposited substances 14 and 15 may be positioned on the upper portion of the guide 110 , and when the vapor-deposited substances 14 and 15 are heated, the deposition material 4 is deposited on the vapor-deposited substances 14 and 15 . It can be deposited non-uniformly. Therefore, heat transfer to the vapor-deposited objects 14 and 15 should be blocked, and the nozzle cover 150 may block heat transfer to the vapor-deposited objects 14 and 15 .

The nozzle cover 150 may be mounted on the crucible 140 .

7 is a perspective view of a crucible according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the crucible according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A space 143 in which the deposition raw material 3 and the deposition material 4 are accommodated may be formed in the crucible 140 . The deposition raw material 3 may be accommodated in the space 143 , and as the crucible 140 is heated, the deposition raw material 3 may be evaporated into the evaporation material 3 .

The deposition material 4 may move upward in the space 143 and may be discharged to the outside of the crucible 140 through at least one nozzle 141 and 142 . The deposition material 4 discharged from the crucible 140 may be injected into the guide 110 .

Meanwhile, at least one or more nozzles 141 and 142 may be formed on the crucible 140 . At least one or more nozzles 141 and 142 may supply the deposition material 4 evaporated from the deposition raw material 3 to the deposition target 14 and 15 .

The deposition apparatus 100 may include at least one vertical nozzle 141 and at least one inclined nozzle 142 .

Here, the vertical nozzle 141 means a nozzle in which the nozzle hole through which the deposition material 4 passes is formed in a vertical direction, and the inclined nozzle 142 is a nozzle in which the nozzle hole through which the deposition material 4 passes is formed in an inclined shape. may mean, but it is reasonable that it is not limited to such a name.

The vertical nozzle 141 and the inclined nozzle 142 may have different shapes, positions, and sizes.

For example, the vertical nozzle 141 may have a circular cross section in a horizontal direction, and may include a nozzle hole for moving the deposition material 4 in a vertical direction. The inclined nozzle 142 has a rectangular cross section in the horizontal direction and may include a nozzle hole for moving the deposition material 4 in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle. The deposition material 4 passing through the vertical nozzle 141 and the inclined nozzle 142 may be sprayed into the nozzle hole 151 .

The vertical nozzle 141 and the inclined nozzle 142 may be formed on the upper surface of the crucible 140 , respectively. Specifically, the vertical nozzle 141 may be formed inside the deposition apparatus 100 rather than the inclined nozzle 142 on the upper surface of the crucible 140 . The vertical nozzle 141 may be formed in a region closer to the center of the guide 110 than the inclined nozzle 142 . The vertical nozzle 141 may be positioned between a pair of inclined nozzles 142 . Accordingly, the deposition material 4 evaporated inside the crucible 140 is discharged in a vertical direction in an area close to the center of the guide 110 , and is discharged in an inclined direction in an area close to the side of the guide 110 . can

Meanwhile, a heater unit 130 for evaporating the deposition material 3 into the evaporation material 4 may be disposed outside the crucible 140 .

9 is a perspective view of a heater unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a heater unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The heater unit 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a frame 134, at least one reflector 135 mounted on the frame 134, and a heater unit 138 accommodated in the frame 134, At least one of the heater unit 138 and the heater cover 133 covering the upper portion of the frame 134 may be included.

The frame 134 supports the heater unit 130 , and may accommodate at least one heater unit 138 and the crucible 140 .

First, an accommodating space S1 in which the heater unit 138 and the crucible 140 are accommodated may be formed in the frame 134 . Specifically, the heater unit 138 may be accommodated along the inner circumference of the frame 134 , and the crucible 140 may be accommodated inside the heater unit 138 . The heater unit 138 may radiate heat to heat the crucible 140 .

The heater unit 138 may be divided into an upper heater unit 136 and a lower heater unit 137 . The upper heater unit 136 may be parallel to the nozzles 141 and 142 in the horizontal direction, and the lower heater unit 137 may be disposed in parallel with the space 143 of the crucible 140 in the horizontal direction.

The upper heater unit 136 heats the nozzles 141 and 142 to suppress the occurrence of a clogging phenomenon in which the deposition material 4 is deposited around the nozzles 141 and 142, and the lower heater unit ( 137 may heat the space 143 of the crucible 140 to evaporate the deposition raw material 3 .

The heater unit 130 may include a cable 139 for supplying power to the heater unit 138 , and the cable 139 may be accommodated in the ATM box 101 .

In addition, the heater unit 130 may further include a heater cover 133 that minimizes the transfer of heat emitted from the heater unit 138 to the vapor-deposited objects 14 and 15, the heater cover 133 is It may be disposed above the upper heater unit 136 .

The heater cover 133 has a hole through which at least one of the nozzles 141 and 142 passes, so that the upper heater unit 136 can be covered while passing through the nozzles 141 and 142 . The nozzle cover 150 may be disposed on the heater cover 133 , and the guide 110 may be disposed on the nozzle cover 150 .

Meanwhile, the heater unit 130 may include at least one reflector 135 for concentrating the heat emitted from the heater unit 138 to the crucible 140 .

The reflector 135 may be mounted on the outer surface of the frame 134 . Specifically, the reflector 135 may be mounted on the side and the lower surface of the frame 134 .

The reflector 135 may be formed of a material having high thermal reflectivity. Alternatively, the reflector 135 may be formed of a material having low thermal conductivity.

The reflector 135 may reflect the heat emitted from the heater unit 138 toward the outside of the heater unit 130 toward the crucible 140 . Accordingly, there is an advantage that the crucible 140 can be heated with little heat. In addition, there is an advantage of increasing the reusability of the thermal energy emitted to the outside, increasing the energy efficiency of the system, and reducing the effect on the vapor-deposited material. In addition, there is an advantage in that the heat emitted from the heater unit 138 can be minimized from being discharged to the outside of the deposition apparatus 100 .

The cooling unit 120 may be formed outside the heater unit 130 so that heat emitted from the heater unit 138 is not discharged to the outside of the deposition apparatus 100 .

11 is a perspective view illustrating a cooling unit accommodating a heater unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The deposition apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least one crucible 140 (additional crucible reference numeral 140 in FIG. 11 ), at least one heater unit 130 , and at least one cooling unit 120 . may include

The crucible 140 may be accommodated in the heater unit 130 , and the heater unit 130 may be accommodated in the cooling unit 120 . Accordingly, the size of the crucible 140 may be smaller than the size of the heater unit 130 , and the size of the heater unit 130 may be smaller than the size of the cooling unit 120 .

The number of crucibles 140 and the number of heater units 130 may be the same.

According to an embodiment, the deposition apparatus 100 may include a plurality of cooling units 120 , and each of the heater units 130 is accommodated in each of the cooling units 120 , the number of the crucibles 140 , and the heaters. The number of units 130 and the number of cooling units 120 may all be the same.

According to another embodiment, the deposition apparatus 100 may include a single cooling unit 120 , and a plurality of separation spaces are formed in one cooling unit 120 , so that each separation space has a heater unit. 130 may be accommodated.

The cooling unit 120 may block heat emitted from the heater unit 138 from being emitted to the outside of the deposition apparatus 100 . In the cooling unit 120 , the heat emitted from the heater unit 138 is emitted to the outside of the deposition apparatus 100 , and the deposition material 4 is deposited on the objects 14 and 15 positioned higher than the deposition apparatus 100 . It is possible to minimize the case of non-uniform deposition.

In this way, in the deposition apparatus 100, the heater unit 138 heats the crucible 140, and as the crucible 140 is heated, the deposition raw material 3 accommodated therein is evaporated into the deposition material 4, and the nozzle ( It is injected into the guide 110 through 141 and 142 , and the deposition material 4 may be deposited on the vapor-deposited objects 14 and 15 by moving in a direction in which the guide 110 guides.

At this time, the deposition material 4 is attached to the vicinity of the nozzles 141 and 142 , and clogging may occur. If clogging occurs, a smooth deposition process may be difficult.

The deposition apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a high heat transfer unit for suppressing the occurrence of a clogging phenomenon. An example of the high heat transfer unit is a heat pipe system, and the heat pipe system will be described below as an example. The deposition apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a heat pipe 200 . The heat pipe 200 may minimize clogging of the nozzles 141 and 142 by using heat generated from the heater unit 138 as a heat source without adding a separate heat source. That is, a material having an extremely low thermal resistance of the heat generated from the heater unit 138 may be transferred to the plurality of nozzles 141 and 142 , which causes the heater unit 138 to have an excessively high temperature to prevent clogging. It has the advantage of not having to maintain

The heat pipe 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be formed around the plurality of nozzles 141 and 142 .

Specifically, the heat pipe 200 may be located on the upper surface of the crucible 140 . First, the upper surface of the crucible 140 in which the heat pipe 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be located will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 12 .

12 , an upper heater unit 136 , a lower heater unit 137 , and a crucible 140 may be accommodated in the heater unit 130 . Specifically, an upper heater unit 136 and a lower heater unit 137 may be positioned on both sides of the crucible 140 . In particular, the upper heater unit 136 may be positioned in parallel with the plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c in the horizontal direction, and the lower heater unit 137 may be positioned below the upper heater unit 136 .

The heat pipe 200 may be disposed around the plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c.

13 is a perspective view showing a heat pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 14 is a view showing the heat pipe shown in FIG. 13 in the direction of the straight tube part, and FIG. 15 is the heat pipe shown in FIG. 13 It is a view shown in the direction of the protruding tube part.

Referring to FIG. 13 , the heat pipe 200 may be disposed between the heater unit 138 and the plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c.

A heat transfer fluid 250 (refer to FIG. 19 ) may be accommodated in the heat pipe 200 . An inner flow path through which the heat transfer fluid 250 may flow may be formed in the heat pipe 200 , and the heat transfer fluid 250 may move within the heat pipe 200 while flowing along the inner flow path.

The heat transfer fluid may transfer heat to the plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c while moving inside the heat pipe 200 .

Here, the heat transfer fluid 250 is a material capable of high heat transfer. Specifically, the heat transfer fluid 250 may be a material that does not react with the heat pipe 200, a material having a relatively large specific heat, and a material having a boiling point that can be evaporated by heat emitted from the heater unit 138. . Accordingly, the heat transfer fluid 250 may vary depending on the temperature of the heat emitted from the heater unit 138 , the type of the evaporation material 3 , and the like. For example, the heat transfer fluid 250 may include distilled water, naphthalene, and the like, but this is merely exemplary and not limited thereto.

The heat pipe 200 includes a protruding tube portion 210 that is an area where the heat transfer fluid 250 is evaporated, a straight tube portion 220 that is an area where the evaporated heat transfer fluid 250 emits heat, and a connection tube It may include a part 230 . The heat transfer fluid 250 may be condensed in the straight tube part 220 and the connection tube part 230 , and more specifically, the condensation of the heat transfer fluid 250 may be completed in the connection tube part 230 .

The protruding tube part 210 may include a first protruding tube part 210a and a second protruding tube part 210b that are spaced apart from each other, and the first protruding tube part 210a and the second protruding tube part 210b are Each of the plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c may be located on both sides.

The straight tube part 220 may be disposed to be elongated along the periphery of the plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c. A pair of straight tube units 220 may be provided with a plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c interposed therebetween. That is, the straight tube part 220 may include a first straight tube part 220a and a second straight tube part 220b that are spaced apart from each other. The first straight tube part 220a may be connected to the first protruding tube part 210a, and the second straight tube part 220b may be connected to the second protruding tube part 220b.

The connecting tube part 230 may connect a pair of straight tube parts 220a and 220b.

The connection tube part 230 is positioned between the first straight tube part 220a and the second straight tube part 220b, and one end of the connection tube part 230 is connected to the first straight tube part 220a and , the other end may be connected to the second straight tube portion 220b.

The protruding tube portion 210 may protrude from the straight tube portion 220 toward the heater unit 138 .

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 14 , the protruding tube part 210 may be positioned lower than the connecting tube part 230 . That is, the height of the protruding tube part 210 may be lower than the height of the connection tube part 230 . Accordingly, the straight tube portion 220 may be disposed in a inclined shape at a predetermined angle. That is, the straight tube part 220 may be disposed to be inclined between the connecting tube part 230 and the protruding tube part 210 .

Accordingly, the heat transfer fluid 250 evaporated from the protruding tube portion 210 may move in the direction of the connecting tube portion 230 along the straight tube portion 220 in the direction in which the internal pressure is low. The heat transfer fluid 250 may be radiated and condensed while moving in the direction of the connection tube part 230 along the straight tube part 220, and the heat pipe 200 heats the plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c together. can

The heat transfer fluid 250 is condensed in the straight tube part 220 or the connection tube part 230 , and the condensed heat transfer fluid may move in the direction of the protruding tube part 210 along the straight tube part 220 .

The heat pipe 220 is disposed around the plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c, and any one 141c of the plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c faces the straight tube portion 220 and the connection tube portion 230, respectively. , except for any one (141c) of the plurality of nozzles (141a to 141c) (141a, 141b) may face the straight tube portion (220).

The straight tube part 220 may be inclined downward as it approaches the protruding tube part 210 . That is, the straight tube portion 220 may be inclined downward from the connecting tube portion 230 toward the protruding tube portion 310 . Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 14 , the vertical distance L1 between the heater cover 133 and the connecting tube part 230 is the vertical distance L2 between the heater cover 133 and the protruding tube part 210 . ) can be shorter. Accordingly, the heat transfer fluid 250 may move along the straight tube portion 220 and transfer heat to each of the plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c while moving.

The protruding tube portion 210 may be disposed to be elongated in a vertical direction to the straight tube portion 220 .

Referring to FIG. 15 , one end of the protruding tube unit 210 may be connected to the straight tube unit 220 , and the other end may face the heater units 136 and 137 . The protruding tube part 210 may be inclined downward as it approaches the heater unit 138 .

Accordingly, a height of a region of the protruding tube part 210 connected to the straight tube part 220 may be higher than a height of a region closest to the heater units 136 and 137 . Accordingly, the heat transfer fluid in a condensed state may move to a region close to the heater units 136 and 137 to exist.

The heat transfer fluid 250 may be located in an area adjacent to the heater units 136 and 137 in a condensed state, and may be evaporated by heat supplied from the heater units 136 and 137 . The evaporated heat transfer fluid 250 may move from the protruding tube portion 210 to the straight tube portion 220 .

The connecting tube part 230 may be located farther from the heater units 136 and 137 than the protruding tube part 210 . Specifically, the shortest distance between the connecting tube part 210 and the heater unit heater units 136 and 137 may be longer than the shortest distance between the protruding tube part 210 and the heater units 136 and 137 . Accordingly, the heat transfer fluid 250 may be evaporated by the heat supplied from the heater units 136 and 137 in the protruding tube portion 210 and condensed in the straight tube portion 220 or the connecting tube portion 230 . .

Meanwhile, the deposition apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include at least one heat pipe mounter 240 for fixing the heat pipe 200 .

16 is a perspective view illustrating a heat pipe mounter according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 17 is a side view of the heat pipe mounter shown in FIG. 16 .

The heat pipe mounter 240 may fix the position of the heat pipe 200 .

A nozzle through-hole 241 through which a nozzle passes and a heat pipe through-hole 242 through which a part of the heat pipe 200 passes may be formed in the heat pipe mounter 240 .

The nozzle through hole 241 and the through direction and the heat pipe through hole 242 in the through direction may be different from each other. Specifically, the nozzle through-hole 241 may penetrate in a vertical direction, and the heat pipe through-hole 242 may penetrate in a horizontal direction. Any one of the plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c may pass through the nozzle through hole 241 , and a portion of the heat pipe 200 may pass through the heat pipe through hole 242 .

The deposition apparatus 100 may include one heat pipe mounter 240 , and the location of the heat pipe mounter 240 is not limited. That is, as shown in FIG. 16 , the heat pipe mounter 240 may be positioned such that any one of the plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c passes through the nozzle through hole 241 . However, since the location of the heat pipe mounter 240 shown in FIG. 16 is merely exemplary, it is appropriate that the location is not limited thereto.

Alternatively, the deposition apparatus 100 may include a plurality of heat pipe mounters 240 . The number and positions of the heat pipe mounters 240 are not limited.

Meanwhile, the heat pipe mounter 240 may be fixed to the heater cover 133 . Specifically, a heat cover 133 having a through hole through which the deposition material 4 passes may be positioned on the crucible 140 . The heat cover 133 may cover the heater units 136 and 137 and the heat pipe 200 .

A heat pipe mounter 240 may be mounted on the heater cover 133 . The heat pipe mounter 240 may be mounted on a lower surface of the heater cover 133 . The heat pipe mounter 240 may be fixed to the heater cover 133 by a mounting member (not shown) such as a screw or an adhesive member (not shown). Accordingly, the heat pipe mounter 240 may be fixed so that the heat pipe 200 does not move.

Next, the role of the heat transfer fluid accommodated in the heat pipe 200 will be described in detail.

18 to 21 are diagrams for explaining the movement of a heat transfer fluid accommodated in a heat pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The heater units 136 and 137 may supply heat so that the crucible 140 is heated. Some of the heat supplied by the heater units 136 and 137 may be transferred to the protruding tube parts 210a and 210b. That is, the heater units 136 and 137 may heat at least one of the crucible 140 and the protruding tube portions 210a and 210b.

Referring to FIG. 18 , heat transfer fluids 250a and 250b may be present in the protruding tube portions 210a and 210b. In the protruding tube portions 210a and 210b, the heat transfer fluids 250a and 250b may exist in a condensed state or may exist in an evaporated state. A portion of the heat transfer fluids 250a and 250b may be in a condensed state, and the remaining portion may be in an evaporated state.

When the protruding tube parts 210a and 210b are heated, the heat transfer fluids 250a and 250b in a condensed state may be evaporated.

Referring to FIG. 19 , the evaporated heat transfer fluids 250c and 250d may move in the direction of the connection tube 230 .

One end of the protruding tube portions 210a and 210b is positioned adjacent to the heater units 136 and 137, and the other end is connected to the straight tube portions 220a and 220b, and the protruding tube portions 210a and 210b. The height of one end connected to the straight tube portions 220a and 220b is higher than the height of the other end adjacent to the heater units 136 and 137 .

In addition, one end of the straight tube parts 220a and 220b is connected to the protruding tube parts 210a and 210b, and the other end is connected to the connection tube part 230, and among the straight tube parts 220a and 220b. The height of the region connected to the connecting tube part 230 is higher than the height of the region connected to the protruding tube parts 210a and 210b.

Due to the above structure, the heat transfer fluids 250c and 250d evaporated from the protruding tube portions 210a and 210b move toward the connecting tube portion 230 having a low internal pressure. That is, the heat transfer fluids 250c and 250d in an evaporated state move in the arrow direction shown in FIG. 19 .

At this time, some of the heat transfer fluids 250c and 250d may be condensed to release heat. Specifically, when the heat transfer fluids 250c and 250d are located in the straight tube portions 220a and 220b, they are farther from the heater units 136 and 137 than when they are located in the protruding tube portions 210a and 210b. It can be condensed while moving inside the straight tube parts 220a and 220b by receiving less heat from the outside.

Heat emitted while the heat transfer fluids 250c and 250d are condensed may be supplied to the plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c. Accordingly, it is possible to minimize the case in which the deposition material 4 is deposited on any one nozzle while passing through the nozzle holes 143a to 143c formed in the plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c.

Also, when the heat pipe 200 is included, the upper heater unit 136 may emit less heat than when the heat pipe 200 is not included. That is, when the heat pipe 200 is included, the heat resistance value that prevents heat transfer from the heat source to the plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c can be lowered, so that the process can be performed at a lower temperature of the heat source. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the power consumed by the upper heater unit 136 and also to minimize the effect of excessive heat dissipation from the upper heater unit 136 on the vapor-deposited objects 14 and 15 . there is.

That is, when the deposition apparatus 100 includes the heat pipe 200 and does not include the heat pipe 200 , the temperature that the upper heater unit 136 must maintain in order to minimize clogging at the nozzle. lower than Accordingly, when the deposition apparatus 100 includes the heat pipe 200 , the effect of the heat emitted from the upper heater unit 136 on the vapor-deposited objects 14 and 15 may be reduced.

Referring to FIG. 20 , the heat transfer fluids 250c and 250d may be all condensed in the connection tube unit 230 . The heat supplied to the connecting tube part 230 is less than the heat supplied to the straight tube parts 220a and 220b. In addition, in the connection tube part 230 , the heat transfer fluid 250c moving the first straight tube part 220a and the heat transfer fluid 250d moving the second straight tube part 220b are fused, and the connection tube It may be condensed in part 230 . The heat transfer fluid 250c moving the first straight tube part 220a and the heat transfer fluid 250d moving the second straight tube part 220b may be mixed in the connection tube part 230 and condensed A heat transfer fluid 250e may be present.

Referring to FIG. 21 , the condensed heat transfer fluids 250f and 250g may move in the direction of the protruding tube portions 210a and 210b along the straight tube portions 220a and 220b. The condensed heat transfer fluids 250f and 250g may move in the arrow direction shown in FIG. 21 by the inclination of the heat pipe 200 . The heat transfer fluids 250f and 250g may move to the protruding tube portions 210a and 210b as shown in FIG. 18 .

The heat transfer fluids 250a to 250g may repeatedly circulate inside the heat pipe 200 as described with reference to FIGS. 18 to 21 . The heat transfer fluids 250a to 250g have the advantage of being able to heat the plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c while circulating around the plurality of nozzles 141a to 141c.

In addition, the heat pipe 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention has an advantage that it is relatively small in size, has a simple shape, and does not need to be mounted on the heater unit 130 . That is, the heat pipe 200 can be easily attached to and detached from the heater cover 133 through the heat pipe mounter 240 , so that the heat pipe 200 can be easily replaced.

In addition, even if the deposition apparatus 100 includes the heat pipe 200 , there is an advantage in that the crucible 140 can be easily replaced.

In addition, since the deposition apparatus 100 includes the heat pipe 200 , there is an advantage in that clogging in the nozzle 141 can be suppressed without adding a heat source or maintaining a higher temperature.

The deposition apparatus system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may monitor clogging occurring in the nozzles 141 and 142 .

22 is a diagram illustrating a deposition apparatus system for monitoring clogging occurrence in a nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In addition to the configuration described with reference to FIG. 2 , the deposition apparatus system 1 includes a camera 310 , a lighting device 311 , a view port 312 , a view port 312 , a shutter 313 , a control device 314 , and a monitor 350 . It may further include at least one or more of.

The camera 310 may photograph at least one of the nozzles 141 and 142 . The camera 310 may photograph at least one nozzle 141 , 142 every preset period.

The camera 310 may be a vision camera, and may precisely photograph at least one or more nozzles 141 and 142 .

The camera 310 may be connected to the control device 314 wirelessly or by wire, and the camera 310 may transmit a captured image to the control device 314 .

The camera 310 may be positioned higher than the nozzles 141 and 142 . The camera 310 may be positioned to be vertically spaced apart from the nozzles 141 and 142 .

The camera 310 may be located outside the vacuum chamber 2 .

The lighting device 311 may be connected to the side of the camera 310 . The lighting device 311 may adjust the brightness around the nozzles 141 and 142 so that the camera 310 clearly captures the nozzles 141 and 142 .

The viewport 312 is for displaying the clogging positions in the nozzles 141 and 142 on the screen.

The shutter 313 allows light to pass through for a predetermined time.

The viewport 312 and the shutter 313 may be positioned between the camera 310 and the nozzles 414 and 412 , and the nozzles 414 and 412 , the shutter 313 , the viewport 312 , and the camera 310 . ) may be arranged to be spaced apart in the height direction.

The camera 310 may photograph the nozzles 414 and 412 at the moment when light shines on the nozzles 414 and 412 through the shutter 313 . The camera 310 may transmit the captured nozzle image to the control device 314 .

The control device 314 may image-process the nozzle image. The control device 314 may transmit the image-processed nozzle image to the monitor 315 , and the monitor 315 may display the nozzle image.

Also, the control device 314 may control the deposition apparatus system 1 based on the nozzle image.

Next, a method of monitoring the clogging of the nozzles 141 and 142 in the deposition apparatus system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 23 .

The camera 310 may photograph the nozzles 141 and 142 ( S11 ).

The camera 310 may transmit the captured nozzle image to the control device 314 .

The control device 314 may detect clogging (S13).

The control device 314 may detect clogging based on the nozzle image. If clogging is not detected, the control device 314 may photograph the nozzles 141 and 142 again.

When clogging is detected, the control device 314 may control the temperature of the upper heater unit 136 to be higher than the first temperature (S15).

Here, the first temperature may be a temperature of heat emitted by the upper heater unit 136 in a first state in which clogging is not detected in the nozzles 141 and 142 . The first temperature may be a temperature set by default or a temperature set by a user input.

When clogging is detected, the control device 314 may control the temperature of the upper heater unit 136 to be higher than the first temperature, so that the clogging formed in the nozzle is evaporated and automatically removed.

The control device 314 may control to display the nozzle state (S17).

The nozzle state may include a nozzle image, a density of clogs formed in the nozzle, a cross-sectional area of clogs formed in the nozzle, and the like.

The control device 314 may control the monitor 315 to display the nozzle image by transmitting the nozzle image to the monitor 315 . The monitor 315 may be a separate device from the control device 314 or a device included in the control device 314 .

Alternatively, the control device 314 may calculate and display the density of clogging, the cross-sectional area of clogging, etc. based on the nozzle image.

The camera 310 may re-photograph the nozzles 141 and 142 (S19).

The camera 310 may transmit the captured nozzle image to the control device 314 .

The control device 314 may determine whether clogging is removed (S21).

When it is determined that the clogging is removed, the control device 314 may control the temperature of the upper heater unit 136 to the first temperature (S23).

When it is determined that clogging is not removed, the control device 314 may control the temperature of the upper heater unit 136 to a second temperature (S25).

Here, the second temperature may be a temperature for cooling the nozzles 141 and 142 so that clogging generated in the nozzles 141 and 142 can be manually removed by a user. The second temperature may be lower than the first temperature.

In this way, the deposition apparatus system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention can monitor the nozzles 141 and 142 by photographing them through the camera 310, and depending on the state of the nozzles 141 and 142, the upper The heater unit 136 may be heated to control clogging to be automatically removed, or the upper heater unit 135 may be cooled to control clogging to be manually removed.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical spirit of the present invention, and various modifications and variations will be possible without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical spirit of the present invention, but to explain, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments.

The protection scope of the present invention should be construed by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

1: deposition apparatus system 14, 15: vapor-deposited object
100: deposition apparatus 110: guide
120: cooling unit 130: heater unit
135: reflector 138: heater unit
140: crucible 141, 142: nozzle
200: heat pipe 210: protruding tube portion
220: straight tube portion 230: connecting tube portion
240: heat pipe mounter

Claims (11)

a crucible having a space in which the deposition material is accommodated;
a heater unit disposed outside the crucible to heat the crucible so that the deposition raw material is evaporated;
a plurality of nozzles supplying the deposition material evaporated from the deposition raw material to the deposition target; and
and a heat pipe disposed between the heater unit and the plurality of nozzles and accommodating a heat transfer fluid therein,
the heat pipe
A protruding tube portion that protrudes toward the heater unit and is an area in which the heat transfer fluid is evaporated;
A straight tube portion which is disposed along the periphery of the plurality of nozzles and is a region in which the heat transfer fluid evaporated from the protruding tube portion emits heat, and
It includes a connecting tube portion connected to the straight tube portion,
The straight tube portion is disposed to be inclined downward from the connecting tube portion toward the protruding tube portion,
A deposition apparatus in which the heat transfer fluid is condensed in the straight tube portion and the connecting tube portion. delete According to claim 1,
A deposition apparatus in which a pair of the straight tube portions are provided with the plurality of nozzles interposed therebetween. 4. The method of claim 3,
the connecting tube
A deposition apparatus connecting the pair of straight tube parts. 5. The method of claim 4,
The protruding tube portion
A deposition apparatus protruding from the straight tube portion toward the heater unit. 6. The method of claim 5,
The straight tube portion is disposed between the connecting tube portion and the protruding tube portion. 5. The method of claim 4,
Any one of the plurality of nozzles is directed toward each of the straight tube portion and the connecting tube portion,
The deposition apparatus of the plurality of nozzles, except for one, is directed toward the straight tube portion. 6. The method of claim 5,
The protruding tube portion is inclined downward as it approaches the heater unit. According to claim 1,
a heater cover having a hole through which the deposition material passes and covering the heater unit and the heat pipe;
and a heat pipe mounter to which the heat pipe is fixed, and a heat pipe mounter mounted to the heater cover. 10. The method of claim 9,
The heat pipe mounter has
A deposition apparatus having a nozzle through-hole through which the nozzle passes and a heat pipe through-hole through which a part of the heat pipe passes. 10. The method of claim 9,
the heat pipe
A vertical distance between the connecting tube part and the heater cover is shorter than a vertical distance between the protruding tube part and the heater cover.

Images