Environmental barrier material for organic light emitting device and method of making

• US 6,570,325 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2001
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: Rutherford, Nicole, Mast, Eric S., Hall, Michael G., Walty, Robert, Burrows, Paul E., Affinito, John D., Graff, Gordon L., Gross, Mark E., Martin, Peter M., Shi, Ming-Kun
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Vip
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERCK, KENNETH A
• Application Number:
  US09/887,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20020125822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 313/506, 313/504, 313/503, 313/502, 428/690, 428/917
• US Class Current: 313/506
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8445 multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8731 multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An encapsulated organic light emitting device. The device may include a substrate, an organic light emitting layer stack adjacent to the substrate, and at least one first barrier stack adjacent to the organic light emitting device, the at least one first barrier stack comprising at least one first barrier layer and at least one first decoupling layer wherein the at least one first barrier stack encapsulates the organic light emitting device. There may be a second barrier stack adjacent to the substrate and located between the substrate and the organic light emitting device. The second barrier stack has at least one second barrier layer and at least one second decoupling layer. A method of making the encapsulated organic light emitting device is also provided.

Claims

1. An encapsulated organic light emitting device comprising:

a substrate;

an organic light emitting device adjacent to the substrate; and

at least one first barrier stack adjacent to the organic light emitting device, the at least one first barrier stack comprising at least one first barrier layer and at least one first decoupling layer, wherein the at least one first barrier stack encapsulates the organic light emitting device.

2. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 1 further comprising at least one second barrier stack adjacent to the substrate and located between the substrate and the organic light emitting device, the at least one second barrier stack comprising at least one second barrier layer and at least one second decoupling layer, wherein the at least one first and second barrier stacks encapsulate the organic light emitting device.

3. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 1 wherein the at least one first barrier stack is substantially transparent.

4. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 2 wherein the at least one second barrier stack is substantially transparent.

5. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least one first barrier layers comprises a material selected from metals, metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal oxynitrides, metal oxyborides, or combinations thereof.

6. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 5 wherein at least one of the at least one first barrier layers is metal selected from aluminum, titanium, indium, tin, tantalum, zirconium, niobium, hafnium, yttrium, nickel, tungsten, chromium, zinc, alloys thereof, or combinations thereof.

7. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 5 wherein at least one of the at least one first barrier layers is metal oxide selected from silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, indium oxide, tin oxide, indium tin oxide, tantalum oxide, zirconium oxide, niobium oxide, hafnium oxide, yttrium oxide, nickel oxide, tungsten oxide, chromium oxide, zinc oxide, or combinations thereof.

8. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 5 wherein at least one of the at least one first barrier layers is metal nitride selected from aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, boron nitride, germanium nitride, chromium nitride, nickel nitride, or combinations thereof.

9. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 5 wherein at least one of the at least one first barrier layers is metal carbide selected from boron carbide, tungsten carbide, silicon carbide, or combinations thereof.

10. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 5 wherein at least one of the at least one first barrier layers is metal oxynitride selected from aluminum oxynitride, silicon oxynitride, boron oxynitride, or combinations thereof.

11. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 5 wherein at least one of the at least one first barrier layers is metal oxyboride selected from zirconium oxyboride, titanium oxyboride, or combinations thereof.

12. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 1 wherein the at least one first barrier stack is substantially opaque.

13. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 2 wherein the at least one second barrier stack is substantially opaque.

14. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least one first barrier layers comprises an opaque cermet selected from zirconium nitride, titanium nitride, hafnium nitride, tantalum nitride, niobium nitride, tungsten disilicide, titanium diboride, zirconium diboride, or combinations thereof.

15. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a flexible glass.

16. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a rigid substrate material is selected from ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, glass, silicon, or combinations thereof.

17. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least one first decoupling layers is selected from organic polymers, inorganic polymers, organometallic polymers, hybrid organic/inorganic polymer systems, and silicates.

18. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 17 wherein at least one of the at least one first decoupling layers is organic polymer selected from urethanes, polyamides, polyimides, polybutylenes, isobutylene isoprene, polyolefins, epoxies, parylene, benzocyclobutadiene, polynorbornenes, polyarylethers, polycarbonate, alkyds, polyaniline, ethylene vinyl acetate, and ethylene acrylic acid.

19. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 17 wherein at least one of the at least one first decoupling layers is inorganic polymer selected from silicones, polyphosphazenes, polysilazane, polycarbosilane, polycarborane, carborane siloxanes, polysilanes, phosphonitirles, sulfur nitride polmers and siloxanes.

20. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 17 wherein at least one of the at least one first decoupling layers is organometallic polymer selected from organometallic polymers of main group metals, transition metals, and lanthanide/actinide metals.

21. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 17 wherein at least one of the at least one first decoupling layers is hybrid organic/inorganic polymer system selected from organically modified silicates, preceramic polymers, polyimide-silica hybrids, (meth)acrylate-silica hybrids, polydimethylsiloxane-silica hybrids and ceramers.

22. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 1 further comprising at least one functional layer adjacent to the substrate and located between the substrate and the organic light emitting device.

23. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 22 wherein at least one of the at least one functional layers is selected from planarizing layers, scratch resistant layers, anti-reflective coatings, anti-fingerprint coatings, anti-static coatings, electrically conductive layers, color filters, uv protection layers, anticorrosion layers, flame retardant coatings, adhesive layers, or combinations thereof.

24. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 1 wherein the oxygen transmission rate through the at least one first barrier stack is less than 0.005 cc/m²/day at 23°

C. and 0% relative humidity.

25. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 1 wherein the oxygen transmission rate through the at least one first barrier stack is less than 0.005 cc/m²/day at 38°

C. and 90% relative humidity.

26. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 1 wherein the water vapor transmission rate through the at least one first barrier stack is less than 0.005 gm/m²/day at 38°

C. and 100% relative humidity.

27. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 1 further comprising a functional layer adjacent to the at least one first barrier stack on a side opposite the organic light emitting device.

28. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 1 further comprising a protective layer adjacent to the at least one first barrier stack on a side opposite the organic light emitting device.

29. An encapsulated organic light emitting device comprising:

at least one second barrier stack comprising at least one second barrier layer and at least one second decoupling layer;

an organic light emitting device adjacent to the at least one second barrier stack; and

at least one first barrier stack adjacent to the organic light emitting device, the at least one first barrier stack comprising at least one first barrier layer and at least one first decoupling layer, wherein the at least one first barrier stack and the at least one second barrier stack encapsulate the organic light emitting device.

30. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 29 further comprising a substrate adjacent to the at least one second barrier stack on a side opposite the organic light emitting device.

31. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 29 wherein at least one of the at least one first or second barrier layers comprises a material selected from metals, metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal oxynitrides, metal oxyborides, or combinations thereof.

32. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 31 wherein at least one of the at least one first or second barrier layers is metal selected from aluminum, titanium, indium, tin, tantalum, zirconium, niobium, hafnium, yttrium, nickel, tungsten, chromium, zinc, alloys thereof, or combinations thereof.

33. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 31 wherein at least one of the at least one first or second barrier layers is metal oxide selected from silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, indium oxide, tin oxide, indium tin oxide, tantalum oxide, zirconium oxide, niobium oxide, hafnium oxide , yttrium oxide, nickel oxide, tungsten oxide, chromium oxide, zinc oxide, or combinations thereof.

34. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 31 wherein at least one of the at least one first or second barrier layers is metal nitride selected from aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, boron nitride, germanium nitride, chromium nitride, nickel nitride, or combinations thereof.

35. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 31 wherein at least one of the at least one first or second barrier layers is metal carbide selected from boron carbide, tungsten carbide, silicon carbide, or combinations thereof.

36. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 31 wherein at least one of the at least one first or second barrier layers is metal oxynitride selected from aluminum oxynitride, silicon oxynitride, boron oxynitride, or combinations thereof.

37. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 31 wherein at least one of the at least one first or second barrier layers is metal oxyboride selected from zirconium oxyboride, titanium oxyboride, or combinations thereof.

38. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 29 wherein at least one of the at least one first or second barrier layers comprises opaque cermet selected from zirconium nitride, titanium nitride, hafnium nitride, tantalum nitride, niobium nitride, tungsten disilicide, titanium diboride, zirconium diboride, or combinations thereof.

39. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 29 wherein at least one of the at least one first or second decoupling layers is selected from organic polymers, inorganic polymers, organometallic polymers, hybrid organic/inorganic polymer systems, and silicates.

40. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 29 wherein the oxygen transmission rate through the at least one first barrier stack is less than 0.005 cc/m²/day at 23°

C. and 0% relative humidity.

41. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 29 wherein the oxygen transmission rate through the at least one first barrier stack is less than 0.005 cc/m²/day at 38°

C. and 90% relative humidity.

42. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 29 wherein the water vapor transmission rate through the at least one first barrier stack is less than 0.005 gm/m²/day at 38°

C. and 100% relative humidity.

43. The encapsulate organic light emitting device of claim 29 further comprising at least one functional layer adjacent to the at least one first barrier stack on a side opposite the organic light emitting device.

44. The encapsulated organic light emitting device of claim 29 further comprising a protective layer adjacent to the at least one first barrier stack on a side opposite the organic light emitting device.