Encapsulated organic semiconductor device and method

• US 20030183915A1
• Filed: 04/02/2002
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kalyanasundaram, Krishna, Scheifers, Steven, Gamota, Daniel, Skipor, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US10/114,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20030183915A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/682
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/468 characterised by the gate dielectrics
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/88 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/841 Self-supporting sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8423 Metallic sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/846 comprising getter material or desiccants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/871 Self-supporting sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8721 Metallic sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/873 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/874 including getter material or desiccant

Abstract

A semiconductor device comprising organic semiconductor material (14) has one or more barrier layers (16) disposed at least partially thereabout to protect the organic semiconductor material (14) from environment-driven changes that typically lead to inoperability of a corresponding device. If desired, the barrier layer can be comprised of partially permeable material that allows some substances therethrough to thereby effect disabling of the encapsulated organic semiconductor device after a substantially predetermined period of time. Getterers (141) may also be used to protect, at least for a period of time, such organic semiconductor material.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an organic semiconductor device containing at least some organic semiconductor material;

an oxygen barrier disposed between the organic semiconductor material and local environment such that the organic semiconductor material is substantially protected from significant electrical performance degradation due to oxygen in the local environment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the organic semiconductor device further includes a substrate and wherein the at least some organic semiconductor material is disposed overlying the substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the substrate comprises a material that is substantially impermeable to oxygen.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the substrate comprises a material that is permeable to oxygen.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the substrate has an oxygen barrier disposed thereon such that the organic semiconductor material is substantially protected from electrical performance degradation due to oxygen in the local environment that would otherwise permeate through the substrate.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the oxygen barrier is comprised of an oxygen permeable carrier and an oxygen barrier material that is disposed on the carrier.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the oxygen permeable carrier comprises mylar and the oxygen barrier material comprises one of a metal and silica.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 and further comprising an adhesive material disposed between the oxygen barrier and the organic semiconductor material.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the oxygen barrier is comprised of silica.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the silica is disposed on an oxygen permeable carrier layer.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising an H₂O barrier disposed between the organic semiconductor material and local environment such that the organic semiconductor material is substantially protected from significant electrical performance degradation due to H₂O.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the H₂O barrier is a barrier to both condensed and gaseous phase H₂O.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising a barrier that is opaque with respect to at least one wavelength of light energy and that is disposed between the organic semiconductor material and external light sources such that the organic semiconductor material is substantially protected from significant electrical performance degradation due to the at least one wavelength of light energy from external light sources.

14. A method comprising:

providing at least one organic semiconductor device having at least some organic semiconductor material;

disposing an oxygen barrier between the organic semiconductor material and local environment such that the organic semiconductor material is substantially protected from significant electrical performance degradation due to oxygen in the local environment.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein disposing an oxygen barrier includes disposing a film comprising a gas permeable carrier and an oxygen non-permeable layer.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein disposing an oxygen barrier includes disposing silica over the organic semiconductor material.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein disposing an oxygen barrier includes disposing a first layer comprising a gas barrier over the organic semiconductor material and a second layer comprising a condensed water barrier over the first layer.

18. The method of claim the 17 wherein disposing a first layer comprising a gas barrier over the organic semiconductor material and a second layer comprising a condensed water barrier over the first layer includes disposing an adhesive between the first layer and the organic semiconductor material.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein disposing an oxygen barrier includes disposing a first layer comprising a condensed water barrier over the organic semiconductor material and a second layer comprising a gas barrier over the first layer.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein providing at least one organic semiconductor device comprises providing at least a first and second organic semiconductor device and wherein disposing an oxygen barrier includes disposing a first oxygen barrier over at least a part of the first organic semiconductor device and disposing a second oxygen barrier over at least a part of the second organic semiconductor device, wherein the first and second oxygen barriers are different from one another.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the first oxygen barrier is less impermeable to oxygen than the second oxygen barrier.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein disposing an oxygen barrier includes disposing an oxygen barrier between the organic semiconductor material and local environment such that the organic semiconductor material is substantially protected for a predetermined period of time from electrical performance degradation due to oxygen in the local environment.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the predetermined period of time is less than 90 days.

24. An organic semiconductor assembly comprising:

a substrate;

at least one device comprising organic semiconductor material disposed on the substrate;

environmental barrier means disposed over the organic semiconductor material for substantially preventing, for at least a predetermined period of time, oxygen in a surrounding environment from contacting the organic semiconductor material and causing significant electrical performance degradation of the device.

25. The organic semiconductor assembly of claim 24 and further comprising a plurality of devices comprised of organic semiconductor material and being disposed on the substrate, wherein the environmental barrier means are disposed over the plurality of devices.

26. The organic semiconductor assembly of claim 24 wherein the environmental barrier means includes a material that is substantially impermeable to oxygen.

27. The organic semiconductor assembly of claim 26 wherein the material that is substantially impermeable to oxygen has small openings intentionally disposed therethrough which openings are permeable to oxygen.

28. The organic semiconductor assembly of claim 24 wherein the environmental barrier means are effective for only a predetermined period of time to substantially prevent oxygen in a surrounding environment from contacting the organic semiconductor material and causing significant electrical performance degradation of the device.

29. The organic semiconductor assembly of claim 24 wherein at least one device comprised of the organic semiconductor material as disposed on the substrate does not have the environmental barrier means disposed thereover.

30. An apparatus comprising:

an organic semiconductor device containing at least some organic semiconductor material;

a getterer disposed between the organic semiconductor material and an external environment such that the organic semiconductor material is substantially protected from significant electrical performance degradation due to at least some contents of the external environment for at least some period of time.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the getterer comprises an H₂O desiccant.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the getterer comprises an oxygen scavenger.

33. An apparatus comprising:

an organic semiconductor device containing at least some organic semiconductor material;

an H2O vapor barrier disposed between the organic semiconductor material and local environment such that the organic semiconductor material is substantially protected from significant electrical performance degradation due to H2O vapor in the local environment.

34. A method comprising:

providing at least one organic semiconductor device having at least some organic semiconductor material, which organic semiconductor material is sensitive to at least one wavelength of light energy;

disposing a barrier that is partially, but not wholly, opaque to the at least one wavelength of light energy between the organic semiconductor material and local environment such that the organic semiconductor material is substantially protected from significant electrical performance degradation due to the at least one wavelength of light energy for a period of time, but wherein the organic semiconductor material will eventually degrade due to the at least one wavelength of light energy.