Low tempertature sintering using Sn2+ containing inorganic materials to hermetically seal a device

• US 20080206589A1
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Aitken, Bruce Gardiner, Quesada, Mark Alejandro
• Application Number:
  US11/803,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20080206589A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/639
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1266 O, S, or organic compound in metal component

Abstract

A method for inhibiting oxygen and moisture degradation of a device (e.g., an OLED device) and the resulting device are described herein. To inhibit the oxygen and moisture degradation of the device, a Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material is used to form a barrier layer on the device. The Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material can be, for example, SnO, blended SnO & P₂O₅ powders, and blended SnO & BPO₄ powders.

Claims

1. A method for inhibiting oxygen and moisture penetration of a device, said method comprising the steps of:

depositing an Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material over at least a portion of said device; and

heat treating said Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material that is deposited over said at least a portion of said device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said depositing step includes utilizing a selected one or a combination of the following:

a sputtering process;

a reactive sputtering process;

a soot gun spraying process; and

a laser ablation process.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat treating step is performed in less than three hours and at a temperature which does not damage components in said device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat treating step is performed in a vacuum or in an inert environment and at a temperature which does not damage components in said device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat treating step is performed at a temperature <

400°

C.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat treating step is performed at a temperature <

200°

C.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat treating step at a temperature <

100°

C.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat treating step at a temperature <

40°

C.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material includes stannous oxide.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material contains more than 50% of the stannous oxide.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material is one of the following, or any combination thereof:

SnO;

SnO and a borate material;

SnO and a phosphate material; and

SnO and a borophosphate material.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat treated Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material has an oxygen permeance of less than 0.01 cc/m²/atm/day and a water permeance of less than 0.01 g/m²/day.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said deposited Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material is opaque at visible wavelengths.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said deposited Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material is transparent at visible wavelengths.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material is doped with a dopant to achieve a desired specific physical-chemical property including one of the following, or any combination thereof:

an opacity-transparency;

a refractive index;

a coefficient of thermal expansion;

a sensitization;

a fermi level/resistivity;

a solubility/interface wettability; and

a hardness.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said device is a selected one of:

an organic-electronic device including;

an organic emitting light diode (OLED),

a polymer light emitting diode (PLED),

a photovoltaic,

a metamaterial,

a thin film transistor; and

a waveguide;

an inorganic-electronic device including;

a light emitting diode (LED),

a photovoltaic,

a metamaterial,

a thin film transistor; and

a waveguide;

an optoelectronic device including;

an optical switch;

a waveguide;

a flexible substrate;

a food container; and

a medical container.

17. A device which has at least a portion thereof sealed with a Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein said Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material includes stannous oxide.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein said Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material is one of the following:

SnO;

SnO+P₂O₅; and

SnO+BPO₄.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein said Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material is heat-treated at a temperature <

40°

C.

21. An organic-electronic device comprising:

a substrate plate;

at least one organic electronic or optoelectronic layer; and

a Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material wherein said at least one electronic or optoelectronic layer is hermetically sealed between said Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material and said substrate plate.

22. The organic-electronic device of claim 21, wherein said Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material includes a stannous oxide.

23. The organic-electronic device of claim 21, wherein said Sn²⁺-containing inorganic oxide material is one of the following:

SnO;

SnO+P₂O₅; and

SnO+BPO₄.

24. An organic emitting light diode (OLED) device, comprising:

a substrate plate;

at least one organic light emitting diode; and

a sputtered and non-heat treated SnO film, wherein said at least one organic light emitting diode is hermetically sealed between said sputtered and non-heat treated SnO film and said substrate plate.

25. The OLED device of claim 24, wherein said sputtered and non-heat treated SnO film has an oxygen permeance of less than 0.01 cc/m²/atm/day and a water permeance of less than 0.01 g/m²/day.