OLED manufacturing equipment and methods

Abstract

OLED manufacturing can be classified into two categories: Dry and wet methods. The dry manufacturing method refers to the conversion of raw organic materials from a solid powder form into a gas phase. In this method, the powder is heated to above its sublimation temperature to form a vapor which then condenses onto a substrate, all while in a high-vacuum environment. The wet method refers to the application oforganic materials dissolved in a solution or a condensed liquid phase. In this wet form, the solution is applied to the substrate by spin coating, slit coating, inkjet printing, or other methods and then dried before applying the next layer. In both methods, the organic material is finally condensed onto a substrate in a solid phase form. This chapter describes the methods and equipment typically used to manufacture OLED devices, with a focus on dry manufacturing methods such as vacuum thermal evaporation (VTE) and other vapor deposition techniques.