Metal seal packaging for organic light emitting diode device

• US 20040201348A1
• Filed: 04/05/2004
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Organic Lighting Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Organic Lighting Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Anandan, Munisamy
• Granted Patent: US 7,202,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/512
• 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 50/846 comprising getter material or desiccants

Abstract

A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device comprising a lid, containing a recessed portion to accommodate large quantity of getter/dessicant, a band of metal stack at the perimeter over which is laid a band of low temperature melting solder alloy, pre-tinned subsequently, and a substrate. The substrate containing organic light emitting diode at the central area with a band of metal stack at the perimeter. The lid and the substrate are placed together in substantial alignment such that the pre-tinned low melting solder band of the lid contacts the metal stack of the substrate and thermally sealed in a controlled atmosphere. Multiples of substrates are sealed with a single lid containing multiplicity of recessed portions with multi-segmented metal stack and pre-tinned solder band to derive a large area device.

Claims

1. A metal sealed Organic Light Emitting Diode device comprising:

a flat top glass lid member having two surfaces of which inner surface has a central recessed portion, the said recessed portion providing a reservoir space for getter and dessicant, the said dessicant and getter laid flat on the said recessed portion to be in strong bond with the surface of the said recessed portion, a band of metal stack laid flat at the perimeter of the inner surface of said glass lid member so as to be in strong bond with the said surface of the glass lid member, a low temperature melting solder metal alloy laid flat on the said metal stack and pre-tinned to be in strong bond with the said metal stack;

a bottom glass substrate member having two surfaces of which the inner surface, centrally containing a transparent anode and an active organic light emitting diode device, faces the inner surface of the said glass lid member, the inner surface of the said glass substrate member further containing a band of dielectric layer laid at the perimeter of the inner surface of the said glass substrate member to be in strong bond with the transparent anode and inner surface of the said glass substrate member, a band of metal stack laid over the said dielectric layer forming a strong bond with the dielectric layer;

said glass lid member and said glass substrate member placed in contact with their inner surfaces facing each other inside a Nitrogen controlled environment;

said band of metal stack of said glass substrate member and pre-tinned band of said solder alloy of said glass lid member contacting their surfaces in substantial alignment;

said glass lid member and glass substrate member thermally sealed in substantial alignment through the said solder alloy, enclosing pure Nitrogen.

2. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface of the recessed portion of glass lid is sand-blasted to increase the surface area over which the dessicant is laid.

3. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 1 where in the lid member is made of metal and the recessed portion of the metal is welded with metallic screen mesh to hold large quantity of dessicant.

4. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 2 and 3 wherein the dessicant is composed of Calcium Oxide or Barium Oxide or Strontium Oxide or Aluminum Oxide or Magnesium Oxide or combinations of all these Oxides.

5. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said metal stack comprises Chromium-Copper-Nickel or Chromium-Nickel-Silver or Chromium-Nickel-Gold or Titanium-Nickel-Silver or Titanium-Nickel-Gold or Silver mixed frit glass.

6. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the thickness of bottom metal is in the range between 500 Angstroms and 5000 Angstroms, the middle layer between 2000 Angstroms and 7000 Angstroms and the top layer between 5000 Angstroms and 15000 Angstroms.

7. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the material of low temperature melting solder alloy is composed of a combination of Indium and Tin or Indium, Tin and Lead in eutectic proportions.

8. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said dielectric layer is composed of silicon dioxide or titanium dioxide or zirconium dioxide or aluminum dioxide or hafnium dioxide or Magnesium fluoride or combinations of these oxides or fused frit glass.

9. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the said dielectric layer has thickness in the range between 1 micron and 15 micron.

10. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the glass substrate member is replaced by a flexible substrate member.

11. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the width of the metal stack is between 0.1 mm and 2 mm and the width of solder alloy is between 0.1 mm and 2 mm.

15. A metal sealed Organic Light Emitting Diode device as claimed in claims 1 through 14 is applied in general purpose lighting, backlighting liquid crystal displays and special information displays.

12. A large area metal sealed flat organic light emitting diode device comprising:

a flat top glass lid member having two surfaces of which inner surface has plurality of N centrally recessed portions, the said plurality of N recessed portions providing a reservoir space for getter and dessicant, the said dessicant and getter laid flat on each of the said N recessed portions to be in strong bond with the surface of the said N recessed portions, a band of metal stack laid flat at the perimeter of the inner surface of said glass lid member bordering each of N recessed portions so as to be in strong bond with the said surface of the glass lid member, a low temperature melting solder metal alloy laid flat on the said metal stack and pre-tinned to be in strong bond with the said metal stack;

a bottom glass substrate member having two surfaces of which the inner surface, centrally containing a transparent anode and an active organic light emitting diode device, faces the inner surface of the said glass lid member, the inner surface of the said glass substrate member further containing a band of dielectric layer laid at the perimeter of the inner surface of the said glass substrate member to be in strong bond with the transparent anode and inner surface of the said glass substrate member, a band of metal stack laid over the said dielectric layer forming a strong bond with the dielectric layer;

said glass lid member and plurality of N said glass substrate members placed in contact with their inner surfaces facing each other inside a Nitrogen controlled environment;

said band of metal stack of each of the said plurality of N glass substrate members and each pre-tinned band of said solder alloy bordering each of the plurality of N recessed portions of said glass lid member, contacting their surfaces in substantial alignment;

said glass lid member and each of the plurality of N glass substrate members thermally sealed in substantial alignment through the said solder alloy, enclosing pure Nitrogen.

13. A large area metal sealed flat organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 12 wherein the material of the lid member is Nickel plate steel or Nickel or selectively gold plated Nickel or stainless steel.

14. A large area metal sealed flat organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 12 wherein the plurality of N glass substrates is replaced by one glass substrate member.