Encapsulating emissive portions of an OLED device

• US 20060246811A1
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Boroson, Michael L., Winters, Dustin L., Ghosh, Amalkumar P.
• Application Number:
  US11/116,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20060246811A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 445/25
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/179 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/873 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass

Abstract

A method of providing an encapsulation layer over an emissive portion of an OLED device includes providing an OLED substrate having one or more OLED devices, each device having an emissive portion and a connector portion, positioning the OLED substrate in sealing engagement with at least one opening in a deposition chamber to define a deposition environment for the emissive portion(s) and a non-deposition environment for the connector portion(s), and depositing in the deposition environment an encapsulation layer onto the emissive portion of the OLED device through the opening without depositing the encapsulation layer over the connector portion.

Claims

1. A method of providing an encapsulation layer over an emissive portion of an OLED device comprising:

a) providing an OLED substrate having one or more OLED devices, each device having an emissive portion and a connector portion;

b) positioning the OLED substrate in sealing engagement with at least one opening in a deposition chamber to define a deposition environment for the emissive portion(s) and a non-deposition environment for the connector portion(s); and

c) depositing in the deposition environment an encapsulation layer onto the emissive portion of the OLED device through the opening without depositing the encapsulation layer over the connector portion.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the deposition environment is at a lower pressure than the non-deposition environment.

3. The method according to claim 1 further including providing a second encapsulation layer directly on the encapsulation layer.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the second encapsulation layer includes a parylene.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sealing engagement is provided by a sealing material on the deposition chamber, the OLED substrate, or both.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the sealing material is an O-ring.

7. The method according to claim 5 wherein the deposition environment is at a lower pressure than the non-deposition environment.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein an inert gas is provided in the non-deposition environment.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the encapsulation layer is deposited by atomic layer deposition.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the encapsulation layer includes aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, magnesium oxide, hafnium dioxide, tantalum oxide, aluminum titanium oxide, or tantalum hafnium oxide.

11. The method according to claim 9 further including providing a second encapsulation layer directly on the encapsulation layer.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein the OLED substrate has a plurality of OLED devices and there are a plurality of openings in the deposition chamber, with each opening corresponding to one or more OLED devices.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein the OLED substrate has a plurality of OLED devices and there is a single opening in the deposition chamber.

14. A method of providing an encapsulation layer over an emissive portion of an OLED device comprising:

a) providing an OLED substrate having one or more OLED devices, each device having an emissive portion and a connector portion;

b) positioning the OLED substrate in sealing engagement with at least one opening in a deposition chamber to define a deposition environment for the emissive portion(s) and a non-deposition environment for the connector portion(s); and

c) depositing by atomic layer deposition an encapsulation layer onto the emissive portion of the OLED device through the opening without depositing the encapsulation layer over the connector portion.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the deposition environment is at a lower pressure than the non-deposition environment.

16. The method according to claim 14 further including providing a second encapsulation layer directly on the encapsulation layer.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the second encapsulation layer includes a parylene.

18. The method according to claim 14 wherein the sealing engagement is provided by a sealing material on the deposition chamber, the OLED substrate, or both.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the sealing material is an O-ring.

20. The method according to claim 18 wherein the deposition environment is at a lower pressure than the non-deposition environment.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein an inert gas is provided in the non-deposition environment.

22. The method according to claim 14 wherein the encapsulation layer includes aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, magnesium oxide, hafnium dioxide, tantalum oxide, aluminum titanium oxide, or tantalum hafnium oxide.

23. The method according to claim 14 wherein the OLED substrate has a plurality of OLED devices and there are a plurality of openings in the deposition chamber, with each opening corresponding to one or more OLED devices.

24. The method according to claim 14 wherein the OLED substrate has a plurality of OLED devices and there is a single opening in the deposition chamber.