Interface for UV-curable adhesives

• US 20040135268A1
• Filed: 01/14/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pictiva Displays International Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 5 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Frischknecht, Kyle D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,372,069 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/788
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8423 Metallic sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/851 Division of substrate

Abstract

In an embodiment of this invention, an adhesion layer is deposited on an encapsulation lid to provide strong adhesion with the UV-curable adhesive in order to improve encapsulation of an organic electronic device. The adhesion layer is comprised of a metallic layer or a ceramic layer that is thin enough to be nonopaque and thick enough to provide stronger adhesion at an interface with said UV-curable adhesive than said encapsulation lid.

Claims

1. An encapsulated organic electronic device, comprising:

a substrate;

an organic electronic device on said substrate;

an ultraviolet (“

UV”

)-curable adhesive on said substrate, said UV-curable adhesive surrounds a perimeter of said organic electronic device;

an adhesion layer on said UV-curable adhesive; and

an encapsulation lid on said adhesion layer, said encapsulation lid is nonopaque,

wherein said adhesion layer is comprised of a metallic layer or a ceramic layer that is thin enough to be nonopaque and thick enough to provide stronger adhesion at an interface with said UV-curable adhesive than said encapsulation lid.

2. The encapsulated organic electronic device of claim 1 wherein said metallic layer or said ceramic layer is thin enough to provide a reasonable TAC time.

3. The encapsulated organic electronic device of claim 1 wherein said metallic layer is comprised of a metal or a metal alloy.

4. The encapsulated organic electronic device of claim 1 wherein said metallic layer is comprised of a transition metal or a transition metal alloy.

5. The encapsulated organic electronic device of claim 1 wherein said metallic layer is comprised of chromium, titanium, tantalum, tungsten, aluminum, nickel, vanadium, or an alloy thereof.

6. The encapsulated organic electronic device of claim 1 wherein said ceramic layer is comprised of an oxide, a carbide, a nitride, a boride, or a mixture thereof.

7. The encapsulated organic electronic device of claim 1 wherein said organic electronic device is an OLED, an organic transistor, an organic light sensor, an organic solar cell, or an organic laser.

8. A method to encapsulate an organic electronic device, comprising:

fabricating said organic electronic device on a substrate;

depositing an adhesion layer on an encapsulation lid, said adhesion layer is comprised of a metallic layer or a ceramic layer that is thin enough to be nonopaque and thick enough to provide stronger adhesion than said encapsulation lid;

applying a UV-curable adhesive on said substrate or on said adhesion layer such that when said encapsulation lid, said substrate, and said UV-curable adhesive are brought together, said organic electronic device is sealed around its perimeter;

moving together said substrate and said encapsulation lid such that said UV-curable adhesive contacts said substrate and said adhesion layer to seal said organic electronic device around its perimeter; and

applying UV radiation to said UV-curable adhesive to cure said UV-curable adhesive.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said metallic layer or said ceramic layer is thin enough to provide a reasonable TAC time.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said metallic layer is comprised of a metal or a metal alloy.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said metallic layer is comprised of a transition metal or a transition metal alloy.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein said metallic layer is comprised of chromium, titanium, tantalum, tungsten, aluminum, nickel, vanadium, or an alloy thereof.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein said ceramic layer is comprised of an oxide, a carbide, a nitride, a boride, or a mixture thereof.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein said organic electronic device is an OLED, an organic transistor, an organic light sensor, an organic solar cell, or an organic laser.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein said encapsulation lid is comprised of glass, or plastic with a barrier layer on said plastic, wherein said barrier layer is nonopaque.

16. An encapsulated organic electronic device, comprising:

a substrate;

an organic electronic device on said substrate;

a UV-curable adhesive that surrounds said organic electronic device;

an adhesion layer on said UV-curable adhesive; and

an encapsulation lid on said adhesion layer,

wherein said adhesion layer is comprised of chromium or titanium and wherein said adhesion layer is thin enough to be nonopaque and thick enough to provide stronger adhesion at an interface with said UV-curable adhesive than said encapsulation lid.

17. The encapsulated organic electronic device of claim 16 wherein said adhesion layer passes through at least fifty percent of received UV radiation.

18. The encapsulated organic electronic device of claim 16 wherein said adhesion layer has a thickness of approximately fifty angstroms.