METHOD FOR EDGE SEALING BARRIER FILMS

• US 20090191342A1
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Vitex Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Hall, Michael G., Burrows, Paul E., Graff, Gordon L., Chu, Xi, Bennett, Wendy D., Bonham, Charles C., Mast, Eric S., Gross, Mark E., Martin, Peter M., Rosenblum, Martin Philip
• Application Number:
  US12/345,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20090191342A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/264
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/564 Details not otherwise provided for, e.g. protection against moisture getters H01L23/26
• 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: H01L 2924/12044 OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8445 multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/873 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/851 Division of substrate

Abstract

Methods of making an edge-sealed, encapsulated environmentally sensitive device. One method includes providing an environmentally sensitive device with a contact on a substrate; depositing a decoupling layer adjacent to the environmentally sensitive device, the decoupling layer having a discrete area and covering the environmentally sensitive device and not covering the contact, the decoupling layer deposited using a printing process; depositing a first barrier layer adjacent to the decoupling layer, the first barrier layer having a first area greater than the discrete area of the decoupling layer, and the first barrier layer having a second area covering the decoupling layer and the contact, the decoupling layer being sealed between the edges of the first barrier layer and the substrate or an optional second barrier layer; and removing the second area of the first barrier layer from the contact.

Claims

1. A method of making an edge-sealed, encapsulated environmentally sensitive device comprising:

providing an environmentally sensitive device with a contact on a substrate;

depositing a decoupling layer adjacent to the environmentally sensitive device, the decoupling layer having a discrete area and covering the environmentally sensitive device and not covering the contact, the decoupling layer deposited using a printing process;

depositing a first barrier layer adjacent to the decoupling layer, the first barrier layer having a first area greater than the discrete area of the decoupling layer and covering the decoupling layer, the first barrier layer having a second area covering the contact, the decoupling layer being sealed between the edges of the first barrier layer and the substrate or an optional second barrier layer; and

removing the second area of the first barrier layer from the contact.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second area of the first barrier layer is removed from the contact by a process selected from wet etching, dry etching, laser ablation, polishing, grinding, or combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising depositing a release layer on the contact before depositing the decoupling layer and wherein the second area of the barrier layer is removed from the contact by removing the release layer.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the release layer is made of a material selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, fluorinated polymers, polydimethyl siloxane, graphite, MoS₂, photodecomposable aryltriazene polymers, and polyimides.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

depositing a second barrier layer adjacent to the environmentally sensitive device before depositing the decoupling layer, the second barrier layer having a first area greater than the discrete area of the decoupling layer and covering the decoupling layer, the second barrier layer having a second area covering the contact, the decoupling layer being sealed between the edges of the first and second barrier layers; and

removing the second area of the second barrier layer from the contact.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising depositing a release layer on the contact before depositing the second barrier layer and wherein the second area of the second barrier layer is removed from the contact by removing the release layer.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising depositing a functional layer adjacent to the first barrier layer.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the functional layer is selected from hardcoat layers, photoresist layers, antiglare layers, antireflective layers, impact protective coatings, and antismear/fingerprint coatings.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the functional layer is a hardcoat layer made of an etch resistant material.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the etch resistant material is selected from silanes, siloxanes, hexafluorobenzene, pentafluorostyrene, perfluoro-1,3-butadiene, chlorocarbon compounds, and thermoplastic polymers.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the functional layer is deposited by a printing process selected from ink jet printing, screen printing, gravure printing, offset printing, flexo printing, or combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the hardcoat layer does not cover the contact.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

depositing a second decoupling layer adjacent to the first barrier layer, the second decoupling layer having a discrete area and covering the environmentally sensitive device and not covering the contact, the second decoupling layer deposited using a printing process; and

depositing a third barrier layer adjacent to the second decoupling layer, the third barrier layer having a first area greater than the discrete area of the second decoupling layer and covering the second decoupling layer, the third barrier layer having a second area covering the contact, the second decoupling layer being sealed between the edges of the first barrier layer and the third barrier layer; and

removing the second area of the third barrier layer.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing the decoupling layer and depositing the first barrier layer are done in the absence of a mask.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein there are at least two environmentally sensitive devices on the substrate and further comprising separating the edged sealed environmentally sensitive devices.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the printing process is selected from ink jet printing screen printing, gravure printing, offset printing, flexo printing, or combinations thereof.

20. The product made by the method of claim 1.

17. A method of making an edge-sealed, encapsulated environmentally sensitive device comprising:

providing an environmentally sensitive device on a substrate;

depositing a polymeric decoupling layer using a thermal gradient, the polymeric decoupling layer adjacent to the environmentally sensitive device, the polymeric decoupling layer having a discrete area and covering the environmentally sensitive device; and

depositing a first barrier layer adjacent to the polymeric decoupling layer, the first barrier layer having an area greater than the discrete area of the polymeric decoupling layer and covering the polymeric decoupling layer, the polymeric decoupling layer being sealed between the edges of the first barrier layer and the substrate or an optional second barrier layer.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein depositing the polymeric decoupling layer using a thermal gradient comprises:

cooling a first portion of the substrate and not cooling a second portion of the substrate;

depositing a monomer on the first portion of the substrate and not on at least a part of the second portion of the substrate; and

processing the monomer into the polymeric decoupling layer.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein depositing the polymeric decoupling layer using a thermal gradient comprises:

heating a first portion of the substrate and not heating a second portion of the substrate;

depositing a monomer on the second portion of the substrate and not on at least a part of the first portion of the substrate; and

processing the monomer into the polymeric decoupling layer.

21. The product made by the method of claim 17.