Recess structure for print deposition process and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a recess structure for print deposition process and manufacturing method thereof. By disposing the dam (2) enclosing the recess (3) as comprising at least two stacked branch dam layers, and increasing the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of recess (3) enclosed by the branch dam layers and ink in a layer-by-layer manner, to limit height the ink able to climb on the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess (3), the invention can improve the thickness uniformity of the organic functional layers printed in the recess and the photoelectric properties of organic functional layers. The recess (3) fabricated by the manufacturing method can limit height the ink able to climb on inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess (3) to improve the thickness uniformity of the organic functional layers printed in the recess and the photoelectric properties of organic functional layers.

Claims

1. A recess structure for print deposition process, the recess structure being disposed on the a substrate, which comprises a dam, and a recess enclosed by the dam; the dam at least comprising two stacked branch dam layers, the branch dam layer enclosing to form an inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess, and forming a contact angle with an ink increasing gradually from a lowermost branch dam layer to an uppermost branch dam layer in a layer-by-layer manner; wherein the recess structure is used for print deposition process for fabricating organic functional layers of an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display; the substrate is disposed with an anode, and the dam enclosing the recess is disposed on the edge of the circumference of the anode and on the substrate; wherein the dam comprises a first branch dam layer disposed on the edge of the circumference of the anode and on the substrate, a second branch dam layer stacked on top of the first branch dam layer, and a third branch dam layer stacked on top of the second branch dam layer; and wherein the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess enclosed by the first branch dam layer and ink is less than 10?, the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess enclosed by the second branch dam layer and ink is greater than 20? and less than 30?, the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess enclosed by the third branch dam layer and ink is greater than 30? and less than 40?, and the distance between the upper surface of the first branch dam layer and the upper surface of the anode is 50 nm-800 nm.

2. A manufacturing method of recess structure for print deposition process, which comprises: Step 1: providing a substrate and materials for at least two branch dam layers; and Step 2: using the materials for at least two branch dam layers to fabricate sequentially at least two stacked layers of branch dam layers on the substrate by coating, drying, and etching processes to form a dam, the dam enclosing to form a recess; a contact angle with an ink between an inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess formed by the enclosure of the branch dam layers increasing gradually from a lowermost branch dam layer to an uppermost branch dam layer in a layer-by-layer manner; wherein in Step 1, an anode is disposed on the substrate, and Step 2 specifically comprises: Step 21: using a first material for branch dam layer to form a first branch dam layer at the edge of the circumference of the anode and on the substrate by coating, drying, and etching processes; the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess enclosed by the first branch dam layer and ink being less than 10?, and the distance between the upper surface of the first branch dam layer and the upper surface of the anode is 50 nm-800 nm; Step 22: using a second material for branch dam layer to form a second branch dam layer on top of the first branch dam layer by coating, drying, and etching processes; the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess enclosed by the second branch dam layer and ink being greater than 20? and less than 30?; Step 23: using a third material for branch dam layer to form a third branch dam layer on top of the second branch dam layer by coating, drying, and etching processes; the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess enclosed by the third branch dam layer and ink being greater than 30? and less than 40?.

3. The manufacturing method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least two materials for branch dam layers provided in Step 1 have different hydrophilic property.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) To make the technical solution of the embodiments according to the present invention, a brief description of the drawings that are necessary for the illustration of the embodiments will be given as follows. Apparently, the drawings described below show only example embodiments of the present invention and for those having ordinary skills in the art, other drawings may be easily obtained from these drawings without paying any creative effort. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the organic functional layers of a known OLED display fabricated a print deposition process;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the relation between the recess and ink in a know print deposition process;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the relation between the ink and the recess in a known print deposition process when the ink climbing too high on the declined inner circumferential surface of the dam enclosing the recess;

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing recess structure for print deposition process provided by a first embodiment of the present invention;

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing recess structure for print deposition process provided by a second embodiment of the present invention; and

(7) FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the flowchart of the manufacturing method of recess for print deposition process provided by another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(8) To further explain the technical means and effect of the present invention, the following refers to embodiments and drawings for detailed description.

(9) Refer to FIGS. 4-5 for the first embodiment and the second embodiment of the recess structure for print deposition process provided by the present invention.

(10) The recess structure is disposed on a substrate 1, which comprises: a dam 2, and a recess 3 enclosed by the dam 2.

(11) The dam 2 at least comprises two stacked branch dam layers, the branch dam layer enclosing to form an inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess 3, and forming a contact angle with an ink increasing gradually from a lowermost branch dam layer to an uppermost branch dam layer in a layer-by-layer manner.

(12) The at least two stacked branch dam layers are made of materials with different hydrophilic property so that the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess 3 and the ink is different for each layer.

(13) Moreover, the recess structure is used for print deposition process for fabricating organic functional layers of an OLED display; the substrate 1 is disposed with an anode 11, and the dam 2 enclosing the recess 3 is disposed on the edge of the circumference of the anode 11 and on the substrate 1. Preferably, the substrate 1 is a glass substrate, and the anode 11 is made ITO.

(14) Specifically, refer to FIG. 4. In the first embodiment of the recess structure for print deposition process, dam comprises a first branch dam layer 21 disposed on the edge of the circumference of the anode 11 and on the substrate 1, and a second branch dam layer 22 stacked on top of the first branch dam layer 21.

(15) Wherein the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess 3 enclosed by the first branch dam layer 21 and ink is less than 10?, the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess 3 enclosed by the second branch dam layer 22 and ink is greater than 20?, and the distance between the upper surface of the first branch dam layer 21 and the upper surface of the anode 11 is 50 nm-800 nm.

(16) Specifically, by using the difference between the contact angles between the first branch dam layer 21 and the ink, and between the second branch dam layer 22 and the ink to limit height the ink able to climb on the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess 3, the invention can improve the thickness uniformity of the organic functional layers printed in the recess and the photoelectric properties of organic functional layers as well as the display quality of the OLED display.

(17) To further limit the climbing height of the ink on the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess 3, refer to FIG. 5 for the second embodiment, wherein the dam 2 further comprises a third branch dam layer 23 stacked on top of the second branch dam layer 22.

(18) Wherein the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess enclosed by the second branch dam layer and ink is greater than 20? and less than 30?, and the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess enclosed by the third branch dam layer and ink is greater than 30? and less than 40?.

(19) The remaining is the same as the first embodiment and will not be repeated here.

(20) Refer to FIG. 6, in combination with FIGS. 4-5. The present invention also provides a manufacturing method of recess structure for print deposition process, which comprises:

(21) Step 1: providing a substrate and materials for at least two branch dam layers.

(22) Specifically, the at least two materials for branch dam layers provided in Step 1 have different hydrophilic property.

(23) An anode 11 is disposed on the substrate 1. Preferably, the substrate 1 is a glass substrate, and the anode 11 is made of ITO.

(24) Step 2: using the materials for at least two branch dam layers to fabricate sequentially at least two stacked layers of branch dam layers on the substrate 1 by coating, drying, and etching processes to form a dam 2, the dam 2 enclosing to form a recess 3; a contact angle with an ink between an inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess 3 formed by the enclosure of the branch dam layers increasing gradually from a lowermost branch dam layer to an uppermost branch dam layer in a layer-by-layer manner.

(25) Optionally, to fabricate the recess 3 shown in FIG. 4, Step 2 specifically comprises:

(26) Step 21: using a first material for branch dam layer to form a first branch dam layer 21 at the edge of the circumference of the anode 11 and on the substrate 1 by coating, drying, and etching processes, the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess 3 enclosed by the first branch dam layer 21 and ink being less than 10?, and the distance between the upper surface of the first branch dam layer 21 and the upper surface of the anode 11 being 50 nm-800 nm.

(27) Step 22: using a second material for branch dam layer to form a second branch dam layer 22 on top of the first branch dam layer 21 by coating, drying, and etching processes, the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess 3 enclosed by the second branch dam layer 22 and ink being greater than 20?.

(28) Optionally, to fabricate the recess 3 shown in FIG. 5, Step 2 specifically comprises:

(29) Step 21: using a first material for branch dam layer to form a first branch dam layer 21 at the edge of the circumference of the anode 11 and on the substrate 1 by coating, drying, and etching processes, the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess 3 enclosed by the first branch dam layer 21 and ink being less than 10?, and the distance between the upper surface of the first branch dam layer 21 and the upper surface of the anode 11 being 50 nm-800 nm.

(30) Step 22: using a second material for branch dam layer to form a second branch dam layer 22 on top of the first branch dam layer 21 by coating, drying, and etching processes, the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess 3 enclosed by the second branch dam layer 22 and ink being greater than 20? and less than 30?.

(31) Step 23: using a third material for branch dam layer to form a third branch dam layer 23 on top of the second branch dam layer 22 by coating, drying, and etching processes, the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess 3 enclosed by the third branch dam layer 23 and ink being greater than 30? and less than 40?.

(32) The recess 3 obtained by the above manufacturing method, because the dam 2 enclosing the recess 3 comprises at least two stacked branch dam layers, and the contact angle between ink and the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess 3 formed by the enclosure of the branch dam layers increases gradually from a lowermost branch dam layer to an uppermost branch dam layer in a layer-by-layer manner, by using the difference between the contact angles between the different branch dam layers, can limit height the ink able to climb on the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess 3, the invention can improve the thickness uniformity of the organic functional layers printed in the recess and the photoelectric properties of organic functional layers as well as the display quality of the OLED display.

(33) In summary, the present invention provides a recess structure for print deposition process and a manufacturing method thereof. By disposing the dam enclosing the recess as comprising at least two stacked layers of branch dam layers, and increasing the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess enclosed by the branch dam layers and ink in a layer-by-layer manner, to limit height the ink able to climb on the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess, the invention can improve the thickness uniformity of the organic functional layers printed in the recess and the photoelectric properties of organic functional layers. The present invention provides a manufacturing method of recess structure for print deposition process. A recess fabricated by the method can limit height the ink able to climb on the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess, the invention can improve the thickness uniformity of the organic functional layers printed in the recess and the photoelectric properties of organic functional layers.

(34) It should be noted that in the present disclosure the terms, such as, first, second are only for distinguishing an entity or operation from another entity or operation, and does not imply any specific relation or order between the entities or operations. Also, the terms comprises, include, and other similar variations, do not exclude the inclusion of other non-listed elements. Without further restrictions, the expression comprises a . . . does not exclude other identical elements from presence besides the listed elements.

(35) Embodiments of the present invention have been described, but not intending to impose any unduly constraint to the appended claims. Any modification of equivalent structure or equivalent process made according to the disclosure and drawings of the present invention, or any application thereof, directly or indirectly, to other related fields of technique, is considered encompassed in the scope of protection defined by the claims of the present invention.