Method and Device for Manufacturing a Barrier Layer on a Flexible Substrate

• US 20140242365A1
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Manufacturing Europe BV (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Manufacturing Europe BV (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: De Vries, Hindrik, Starostine, Serguei
• Application Number:
  US14/349,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20140242365A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/216
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/0272 Deposition of sub-layers, e.g. to promote the adhesion of the main coating
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45536 Use of plasma, radiation or electromagnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45555 applied in non-semiconductor technology
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/513 using plasma jets
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/545 for coating elongated substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24975 No layer or component greater than 5 mils thick

Abstract

Method and apparatus for manufacturing a barrier layer (1b) on a substrate. The apparatus comprises an atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD) plasma apparatus having at least two electrodes (2, 3) arranged to generate an atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma in a treatment space (5) formed between said two electrodes (2, 3), and an atomic layer deposition (ALD) device. The apparatus is arranged to provide an inorganic oxide layer (1a) on the substrate (1) using the atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD) plasma apparatus, and to provide a consecutive deposition (1b) of between 1 and 70 atomic layers on the inorganic oxide layer (1a) using the ALD device. The result is a flexible barrier substrate having excellent water vapor transmission ratio, which is able to be manufactured efficiently.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a barrier layer on a flexible substrate, the method comprising:

a first step comprising depositing an inorganic oxide layer on the flexible substrate using an atmospheric pressure plasma;

a second step comprising consecutive deposition of between 1 and 70 atomic layers (ALD) on the inorganic oxide layer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first step is executed using an atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD) plasma apparatus.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first step comprises deposition of the inorganic oxide layer with a thickness between 10 and 100 nm.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first step comprises deposition of the inorganic oxide layer, the inorganic oxide layer having a free pore volume between 0.3 and 10%.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second step is executed using a plasma assisted atomic layer deposition (ALD).

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second step is executed using a thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) step.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic oxide layer is a silicon-oxide layer.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ALD layer deposited in the second step is Al₂O₃ having a thickness of between 0.5 to 10 nm.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ALD layer deposited in the second step is Al₂O₃ having a thickness of between 0.5 and 5 nm.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

(i) the first step is executed using an atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD) plasma apparatus and comprises deposition of the inorganic oxide layer with a thickness between 10 and 100 nm, wherein the inorganic oxide layer has a free pore volume between 0.3 and 10%; and

(ii) the second step is executed using a plasma assisted atomic layer deposition (ALD).

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

(i) the first step is executed using an atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD) plasma apparatus and comprises deposition of the inorganic oxide layer with a thickness between 10 and 100 nm, wherein the inorganic oxide layer has a free pore volume between 0.3 and 10%; and

(ii) the second step is executed using a thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) step.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the inorganic oxide layer is a silicon-oxide layer and the ALD layer deposited in the second step is Al₂O₃ having a thickness of between 0.5 to 10 nm.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the inorganic oxide layer is a silicon-oxide layer and the ALD layer deposited in the second step is Al₂O₃ having a thickness of between 0.5 to 10 nm.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the barrier layer has improved water vapor barrier properties.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the barrier layer has improved water vapor barrier properties.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein the barrier layer has improved water vapor barrier properties.

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. A flexible barrier substrate comprising a 10 to 100 nm thick inorganic oxide layer having a free pore volume of 0.3 to 10% and a 0.5 to 10 nm ALD layer.

16. The flexible barrier substrate according to claim 15 comprising a 0.5 to 5 nm ALD layer.

17. The flexible barrier substrate according to claim 15 wherein the inorganic oxide is an SiO₂ layer having a free pore volume of 0.3 to 10% and the ALD layer is a 0.5 to 10 nm Al₂O₃ layer.