WO2008082050A1

WO2008082050A1 - Evaporation source scanning device and evaporation apparatus having the same

Info

Publication number: WO2008082050A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/003133
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dae-Soo Lee; Seung-Heon Han; Kyoung-Ook Lee
Original assignee: Doosan Mecatec Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2006-12-29
Filing date: 2007-06-28
Publication date: 2008-07-10
Also published as: KR100842183B1; TW200827980A; TWI396065B

Abstract

Disclosed is an evaporation source scanning device. The evaporation source scanning device includes an arm section having at least one articulation, wherein the evaporation source is mounted to a front end of the arm section; and a driving section operable to rotate the arm section so that the evaporation source mounted to the arm section is linearly moved. There is an advantage in the evaporation source scanning device according to the present invention in that since the evaporation sources are linearly moved by the multi-articulated arms, particle generation can be minimized and uniform thin layers can be obtained.

Description

EVAPORATION SOURCE SCANNING DEVICE AND EVAPORATION APPARATUS

HAVING THE SAME

Technical Field The present invention relates to an evaporation source scanning device, and more particularly to an evaporation source scanning device and an evaporation apparatus having the same, in which the evaporation source scanning device moves an evaporation source linearly using a multi-articulated arm.

Background Art

Recently, flat panel displays have been in the spotlight as displays according to rapid development and market expansion of information and communication technology. Representative examples of the flat panel displays include Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) , Plasma Display Panels (PDP) , Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED), etc.

The OLEDs have been in the spotlight as next generation displays because they have very beneficial advantages, such as quick response time, lower power consumption than existing LCDs, light weight, an ultra-slim profile which does not require a back-light, high brightness, etc.

The OLED is fabricated by sequentially forming, on a substrate, an anode, a hole injection layer, a hole transfer layer, an emitting layer, an electron transfer layer, an electron injection layer, and a cathode.

An evaporation apparatus 100 will be explained with reference to FIG. 1. The evaporation apparatus 100 includes a vacuum chamber 110, within which a substrate S is loaded in the upper region, and an evaporation source 200 holding an evaporation material is disposed under the loaded substrate. In this state, when the evaporation source 200 is heated, the evaporation material is vaporized to adhere to the substrate S, thereby forming a thin layer.

However, as the area of substrates has become larger, there has been a problem that a formed thin layer is non-uniform in thickness in the conventional evaporation apparatus 100 described above.

A number of attempts have been made to solve such problems, a representative method of which is to perform an evaporation deposition while scanning an evaporation source over a surface of a substrate from under the substrate.

FIG. 2 is a view of a conventional evaporation source scanning device 300. The conventional evaporation source scanning device 300 includes a guider consisting of a base 340 and a sliding member 321, a conveying screw 332 connected to the sliding member 321 through a connecting member 322, and a servo motor 331 driving the conveying screw 332. Also, an evaporation source 200 is mounted to a mounting member connected to the connecting member 322, and a heater 210 is wound around the outer circumference of the evaporation source 200. Also, there is provided a casing 310 housing all of these components.

The evaporation scanning device as above performs an evaporation deposition while scanning the evaporation source over the substrate.

However, there are problems with the conventional scanning device described above that the configuration of the conventional apparatus is too complex, and frictional wear is generated while the sliding member is moving along the base whereby particles is generated. Furthermore, in the conventional scanning device, there is an outgassing problem from wires for operation of the evaporation source.

Disclosure Technical Problem Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and the present invention provides an evaporation source scanning device and an evaporation apparatus having the same, in which the evaporation source scanning device moves an evaporation source linearly using a multi-articulated arm, thereby allowing particle generation to be minimized.

Technical solution In order to accomplish the object, there is provided an evaporation source scanning device which includes: an arm section having at least one articulation, wherein the evaporation source is mounted to a front end of the arm section; and a driving section operable to rotate the arm section so that the evaporation source mounted to the arm section is linearly moved.

Also, the device may include at least one pair of arm sections disposed parallel to each other so as to stably support the load of the evaporation source. Especially, the device may include one pair of arm sections disposed opposite to each other with respect to the evaporation source, and one pair of driving sections disposed opposite to each other with respect to the evaporation source, in which the evaporation source is mounted to both front ends of the one pair of arm sections.

Also, the evaporation source may be a linear source or a point source, and preferably at least one evaporation source is mounted to the front end of the arm section.

It is also preferable that the driving section is operable to reciprocate the evaporation source linearly.

It is also preferable that at least one sealing member is provided to outer circumference surface of the at least one articulation so as to minimize particle generation due to operation of the arm section.

It is also preferable that pipes and wires of the scanning device are disposed within the arm section. Meanwhile, the above described object may be accomplish by an evaporation apparatus, which includes: a vacuum chamber within which a substrate is loaded; at least one evaporation source from which an evaporation material is vaporized to adhere to the substrate; an arm section having one end to which the evaporation source is mounted, the arm section having a plurality of arms connected to one another so as to be capable of moving the evaporation source linearly; and a driving section operable to rotate one of the plurality of arms so as to move the evaporation source linearly, so that the evaporation material is uniformly deposited to the substrate.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a conventional evaporation apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a partially cut schematic perspective view of a conventional evaporation source scanning device;

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of an evaporation source scanning device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4 to 6 are schematic plan views for illustrating operation states of the scanning device shown FIG.3;

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of an evaporation apparatus including the scanning device shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of an evaporation source scanning device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view of an evaporation source scanning device according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of an evaporation source scanning device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of an evaporation source scanning device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Invention Hereinafter, configurations and operation of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 3, a scanning device 30 according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a driving section 31 and an arm section 33, 34.

The driving section 31 is installed within a support unit 32 vertically disposed in a lower region of a chamber.

The arm section 33, 34 includes a first arm 33 transversely arranged at an upper portion of the support unit 32 and a second arm 34 transversely arranged and overlapped with a rear end of the first arm 33. At an upper portion of a front end of the second arm 34, there is provided an evaporation source mounting unit 34a to which evaporation source is mounted.

Also, a plurality of linking members and reduction members are provided in order to move the evaporation source mounted to the front end of the second arm 34 linearly.

In more detail, a first linking member 35 and a second linking member 36 are respectively provided within the first arm 33 and the second arm 34 in a manner that both ends of the first linking member 35 are respectively engaged with a first reduction member 37 and a second reduction member 38b, and both ends of the second linking member 36 are respectively engaged with a second reduction member 38a and a third reduction member 39.

Also, the first reduction member 37 is connected to a rotation axis, the second reduction members 38 are disposed at an overlapping portion of the first arm 33 and the second arm 34, and the third reduction member 39 is connected to the evaporation source mounting unit 34a.

Here, it is obvious that reduction ratios of the first, second and third reduction members 37, 38 and 39 can be appropriately configured so that the evaporation source is not moved in a rotation movement but is moved in a linear movement by a rotation force of the driving section 31. If, for example, a gear ratio between the first reduction member 37 and the second reduction member is 2 : 1, and a gear ratio between the second reduction member and the third reduction member 39 is 1 : 2, the evaporation source mounting unit 34a will be moved in the linear movement.

In more detail, as shown in FIG. 4, the first arm 33 and the second arm 34 form a virtual fiducial line F on a driving axis of the driving section 31, and the sum of an angle Θ3 between a line parallel to the virtual fiducial line F and the second arm 34 and an angle θl between the virtual fiducial line F and the first arm 33 is configured to be the same as an angle Θ2 between the first arm 33 and the second arm 34. Then, the gear ratio between the first reduction member 37 and the second reduction members 38 is configured to be 2 : 1, and the gear ratio between the second reduction member 38 and the third reduction member 39 is configured to be 1 : 2. When the driving section 31 is in operation in the condition described above, θl and Θ3 are maintained to be equal to each other, and Θ2 is maintained to be twice as large as each of θl and Θ3. Of course, all of θl, Θ2 and Θ3 are 0° when the first arm 33 and the second arm 34 are fully overlapped with each other. Here, the first linking member 35 and the second linking member 36 are belts, but may also be chains, gears, etc. When the first linking member 35 and the second linking member 36 are belts as above, particle generation caused by frictional wear between the reduction members 37, 38, 39 and the linking members 35, 36 can be minimized as well as shortening mechanical response time and reducing operation errors.

FIGS. 4 to 6 are views of the operation of the evaporation source scanning device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the evaporation source 21 is mounted to the evaporation source mounting unit 34a positioned at the front end of the second arm 34. Especially, a casing 20 mounting a plurality of point evaporation source 21 is mounted to the evaporation source mounting unit 34a. Therefore, by moving the casing 20, the plurality of point evaporation sources 21 are moved together with the casing 20. Although in this embodiment the casing 20 designed to mount a plurality of point evaporation source is exemplified as a component for moving the plurality of point evaporation source 21, the evaporation source mounting unit 34a may also mount a single evaporation source and then move.

In this state, when a driving power is applied to the driving section 31, the casing 20 mounting the plurality of point evaporation source 21 is linearly moved by the linking members 35, 36 and the reduction members 37, 38, 39.

As shown in FIG. 5, the casing 20 and the evaporation source 21 are linearly moved so that the casing 20, the first arm 33, and the second arm 34 are fully overlapped with one another by the operation of the driving section 31, and then the casing 20 and the evaporation source 21, as shown in FIG. 6, continue to be linearly moved toward the opposite side also by the continuing operation of the driving section 31. FIG. 7 is a view illustrating an evaporation apparatus 1 employing the evaporation source scanning device 30 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG.7, a substrate S is loaded within a chamber 10, and the casing 20 mounting the plurality of point evaporation source 21 is mounted to the evaporation source mounting unit disposed below the position where the substrate is mounted. In this state, while the casing 20 and the plurality of point evaporation sources 21 are linearly moved (from the left side to the light side in the drawing) , an evaporation material is deposited on the substrate S.

Since the evaporation source is linearly moved by means of the multi-articulated arm as described above, frictional regions between components due to the linear movement can be minimized, which allows the particle generation to be minimized, accordingly. Furthermore, since the friction arises at small regions of contact portions between the first arm 33 and the second arm 34 and between the front end of the second arm 34 and the evaporation source mounting unit, sealing members may be provided to seal the portions. Also, pipes and wires may be disposed within the arm section 33, 34, thereby preventing the outgassing problem from wires for operation of the evaporation source.

In this way, the evaporation scanning device of the present invention may be modified by using multi-articulated arms. Such various modifications are shown in FIGS. 8 to 11.

Referring to FIG. 8, an evaporation scanning device 40 according to a second embodiment of the present invention includes a single driving section 41 and one pair of arm sections 42a, 42b which are mounted to the single driving section 41 and each includes a first arm and a second arm. In this state, the evaporation source 21 is linearly moved relative to the single driving section 41 from a left side to a light side in the drawing.

Next, referring to FIG. 9, an evaporation scanning device 50 according to a third embodiment of the present invention includes one pair of driving sections 51a, 51b as well as one pair of arm sections 52a, 52b. Both arm sections 52a, 52b and the one pair of driving sections 51a, 51b are disposed opposite to each other with respect to the evaporation source 21. In this state, the evaporation source 21 is mounted to both one pair of arm sections 52a, 52b. In this way, the evaporation source 21 is linearly moved between the one pair of driving sections 51a, 52b. Of course, each of the one pair of arm sections 52a, 52b includes a first arm and a second arm similar to that of the first and second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, an evaporation source scanning device 60 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention includes two pairs of driving sections 61a, 61b, 61c, 61d and two pairs of arm sections 62a, 62b, 62c, 62d, in which each pair of the two pairs of driving sections are disposed opposite to each other with respect to the evaporation source 21, and each pair of the two pairs of arm sections are disposed opposite to each other with respect to the evaporation source 21. In this way, the evaporation source 21 is linearly moved between the two pairs of driving sections βla, 61b, 61c, 61d. Of course, each of each pairs of arm sections 62a, 62b, 62c, 62d includes a first arm and a second arm similar to that of the first to third embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 11, an evaporation source scanning device 70 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention includes one pair of driving sections 71a, 7b disposed opposite to each other with respect to the evaporation source 21. Especially, arm sections 72a, 72b are respectively mounted to the one pair of driving sections 71a, 71b, in which each of the arm sections 72a, 72b includes eight links that are connected to one another so as to move the evaporation source 21 linearly.

Industrial Applicability

There is an advantage in the evaporation source scanning device according to the present invention in that since the evaporation sources are linearly moved by the multi-articulated arms, the particle generation can be minimized and uniform thin layers can be obtained.

Claims

1. A device for scanning an evaporation source, comprising: an arm section having at least one articulation, wherein the evaporation source is mounted to a front end thereof; and a driving section operable to rotate the arm section so that the evaporation source mounted to the arm section is linearly moved.

2. The device for scanning an evaporation source as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device comprises at least one pair of arm sections.

3. The device for scanning an evaporation source as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device comprises one pair of arm sections disposed opposite to each other with respect to the evaporation source, and one pair of driving sections disposed opposite to each other with respect to the evaporation source, and the evaporation source is mounted to a front end of each of the one pair of arm sections.

4. The device for scanning an evaporation source as claimed in claim 1, wherein the evaporation source is a linear source or a point source.

5. The device for scanning an evaporation source as claimed in claim 4, wherein the device comprises at least one evaporation source mounted to the front end of the arm section.

6. The device for scanning an evaporation source as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving section is operable to reciprocate the evaporation source linearly.

7. The device for scanning an evaporation source as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one sealing member is provided to outer circumference surface of the articulation.

8. The device for scanning an evaporation source as claimed in claim 1, wherein pipes and wires of the device are disposed within the arm section.

9. An evaporation apparatus comprising: a vacuum chamber within which a substrate is loaded; at least one evaporation source from which evaporation material is vaporized to adhere to the substrate; an arm section having one end to which the evaporation source is mounted, the arm section having a plurality of arms connected to one another so as to be capable of moving the evaporation source linearly; and a driving section operable to rotate one of the plurality of arms so as to move the evaporation source linearly, so that the evaporation material is uniformly deposited to the substrate.