Patent ID: 7517549
Filing Date: 2009-04-14
Classification: B41J,B41M,H01L

Abstract:
1. A method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescent (EL) device, in which: relative scanning is carried out between a substrate and a plurality of function liquid droplet ejection heads having introduced therein a light emitting function material; and the light emitting function material is selectively ejected such that an organic EL function layer is formed on a multiplicity of pixel regions on the substrate, the method comprising: providing a chamber room sealed from open air and having multiple regions; forming an atmosphere of inert gas in the chamber room by supplying gas from one corner region of the chamber room and exhausting gas from a diagonally opposite corner region to provide a diagonal inert gas flow through the chamber room; ejecting a first of the light emitting function material in the atmosphere of an inert gas; transporting the substrate into a drying apparatus; drying the first of the light emitting function material in a first chamber by exposing the substrate to a high-temperature inert gas atmosphere for a predetermined period of time; ejecting a second of the light emitting function material in an atmosphere of an inert gas after the drying of the first of the light emitting function material; transporting the substrate into a drying apparatus; drying the second of the light emitting function material in a second chamber by exposing the substrate to a high-temperature inert gas atmosphere for a predetermined period of time, wherein the drying of the second of the light emitting function material is separate from the drying of the first of the light emitting function material; ejecting a third of the light emitting function material in an atmosphere of an inert gas after the drying of the second of the light emitting function material; transporting the substrate into a drying apparatus; and drying the third of the light emitting function material in a third chamber by exposing the substrate to a high-temperature inert gas atmosphere for a predetermined period of time, wherein the drying of the third of the light emitting function material is separate from the drying of the first and second of the light emitting function material, wherein the ejecting steps are performed in the chamber room sealed from open air and supply of the inert gas to and exhaust from the chamber room is carried out constantly to maintain a stable atmosphere in the chamber room during manufacture of the EL device, with the plurality of function liquid droplet ejection heads being oriented in the chamber room so that a main gas flow passage from the supply to the exhaust passes the plurality of function liquid droplet ejection heads diagonally and evaporated solvent of the light emitting function material is appropriately exhausted out of the chamber room.