Encapsulated display devices

• US 6,573,652 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2000
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: Shi, Ming Kun, Hall, Michael Gene, Gross, Mark Edward, Martin, Peter Maclyn, Graff, Gordon Lee, Mast, Eric Sidney
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimeshkumar D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Guharay, Karabi
• Application Number:
  US09/553,187
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 313/504, 313/505, 313/506, 313/512, 313/503, 437/211, 437/209, 428/690, 428/446
• US Class Current: 313/512
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133311 Environmental protection, e.g. against dust or humidity
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133337 Layers preventing ion diffusion, e.g. by ion absorption
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/562 Protection against mechanical damage H01L23/02, H01L23/28 take precedence
• 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 2924/09701 Low temperature co-fired ceramic [LTCC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12044 OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/193 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/873 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An encapsulated display device. The device includes a substrate, an environmentally sensitive display device adjacent to the substrate, and at least one first barrier stack adjacent to the environmentally sensitive display device. The barrier stack encapsulates the environmentally sensitive display device. It includes at least one first barrier layer and at least one first polymer layer. The encapsulated display device optionally includes at least one second barrier stack located between the substrate and the environmentally sensitive display device. The second barrier stack includes at least one second barrier layer and at least one second polymer layer. A method for making an encapsulated display device is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An encapsulated display device comprising:

a substrate;

an environmentally sensitive display device adjacent to the substrate, wherein the environmentally sensitive display device is selected from liquid crystal displays, and electrophoretic inks; and

at least one first barrier stack comprising at least one first barrier layer and at least one first polymer layer, the at least one first barrier stack adjacent to the environmentally sensitive display device, wherein the at least one first barrier stack encapsulates the environmentally sensitive display device, and 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.

2. The encapsulated display device of claim 1 further comprising at least one second barrier stack located between the substrate and the environmentally sensitive display device, the at least one second barrier stack comprising at least one second barrier layer and at least one second polymer layer.

3. The encapsulated display device of claim 2 wherein the at least one second barrier layer is substantially transparent.

4. The encapsulated display device of claim 2 wherein the at least one second barrier layer is substantially opaque.

5. The encapsulated display device of claim 2 wherein at least one of the at least one second barrier layers is selected from opaque metals, opaque polymers, opaque ceramics, and opaque cermets.

6. The encapsulated display device of claim 2 wherein at least one of the at least one second polymer layers comprises an acrylate-containing polymer.

7. The encapsulated display device of claim 1 wherein the at least one first barrier layer is substantially transparent.

8. The encapsulated display device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least one first barrier layers comprises a material selected from metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal oxynitrides, metal oxyborides, and combinations thereof.

9. The encapsulated display device of claim 8 wherein the metal oxides are selected from silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, indium oxide, tin oxide, indium tin oxide, tantalum oxide, zirconium oxide, niobium oxide, and combinations thereof.

10. The encapsulated display device of claim 8 wherein the metal nitrides are selected from aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, boron nitride, and combinations thereof.

11. The encapsulated display device of claim 8 wherein the metal oxynitrides are selected from aluminum oxynitride, silicon oxynitride, boron oxynitride, and combinations thereof.

12. The encapsulated display device of claim 1 wherein the at least one first barrier layer is substantially opaque.

13. The encapsulated display device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least one first barrier layers is selected from opaque metals, opaque polymers, opaque ceramics, and opaque cermets.

14. The encapsulated display device of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a flexible substrate material.

15. The encapsulated display device of claim 14 wherein the flexible substrate material is selected from polymers, metals, paper, fabric, and combinations thereof.

16. The encapsulated display device of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a rigid substrate material.

17. The encapsulated display device of claim 16 wherein the rigid substrate material is selected from ceramics, metals, and semiconductors.

18. The encapsulated display device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least one first polymer layers comprises an acrylate-containing polymer.

19. The encapsulated display device of claim 1 further comprising at least one functional layer adjacent to the substrate.

20. The encapsulated display device of claim 19 wherein the at least one functional layer is selected from organic layers, inorganic layers, planarizing layers, electrode layers, antireflective coatings, or scratch resistant layers.

21. The encapsulated display device of claim 1 wherein the at least one first barrier layer comprises two barrier layers in contact with one another.

22. The encapsulated display device of claim 21 wherein the two barrier layers are made of the same barrier material.

23. The encapsulated display device of claim 21 wherein the two barrier layers are made of different barrier materials.

24. The encapsulated display 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.

25. The encapsulated display device of claim 1 further comprising a lid adjacent to the at least one first barrier stack.

26. The encapsulated display 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.

27. An encapsulated display device comprising:

at least one first barrier stack comprising at least one first barrier layer and at least one first polymer layer;

an environmentally sensitive display device adjacent to the at least one first barrier stack, wherein the environmentally sensitive display device is selected from liquid crystal displays, and electrophoretic inks; and

at least one second barrier stack comprising at least one second barrier layer and at least one second polymer layer, wherein the at least one first barrier stack and the at least one second barrier stack encapsulate the environmentally sensitive display device, and wherein the oxygen transmission rate through the at least one first barrier stack or the at least one second barrier stack is less than 0.005 cc/m²/day at 23°

C. and 0% relative humidity.

28. The encapsulated display device of claim 27 further comprising a substrate adjacent to the at least one first barrier stack on a side opposite the environmentally sensitive display device.

29. An encapsulated display device comprising:

a substrate;

an environmentally sensitive display device adjacent to the substrate, wherein the environmentally sensitive display device is selected from liquid crystal displays, and electrophoretic inks; and

at least one first barrier stack comprising at least one first barrier layer and at least one first polymer layer, the at least one first barrier stack adjacent to the environmentally sensitive display device, wherein the at least one first barrier stack encapsulates the environmentally sensitive display device, and 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.

30. The encapsulated display 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.

31. The encapsulated display 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.

32. The encapsulated display device of claim 29 further comprising at least one second barrier stack located between the substrate and the environmentally sensitive display device, the at least one second barrier stack comprising at least one second barrier layer and at least one second polymer layer.

33. The encapsulated display device of claim 29 wherein at least one of the at least one first barrier layers comprises a material selected from metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal oxynitrides, metal oxyborides, and combinations thereof.

34. The encapsulated display device of claim 33 wherein the metal oxides are selected from silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, indium oxide, tin oxide, indium tin oxide, tantalum oxide, zirconium oxide, niobium oxide, and combinations thereof.

35. The encapsulated display device of claim 33 wherein the metal nitrides are selected from aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, boron nitride, and combinations thereof.

36. The encapsulated display device of claim 33 wherein the metal oxynitrides are selected from aluminum oxynitride, silicon oxynitride, boron oxynitride, and combinations thereof.

37. The encapsulated display device of claim 29 wherein at least one of the at least one first barrier layers is selected from opaque metals, opaque polymers, opaque ceramics, and opaque cermets.

38. The encapsulated display device of claim 29 wherein at least one of the at least one first polymer layers comprises an acrylate-containing polymer.

39. The encapsulated display device of claim 29 wherein the at least one first barrier layer comprises two barrier layers in contact with each other.

40. The encapsulated display device of claim 39 wherein the two barrier layers are made of the same barrier material.

41. The encapsulated display device of claim 39 wherein the two barrier layers are made of different barrier materials.

42. The encapsulated display device of claim 29 further comprising at least one functional layer adjacent to the substrate.

43. The encapsulated display device of claim 41 wherein the functional layer is selected from organic layers, inorganic layers, planarizing layers, electrode layers, antireflective coatings, or scratch resistant layers.

44. An encapsulated display device comprising:

a substrate;

an environmentally sensitive display device adjacent to the substrate, wherein the environmentally sensitive display device is selected from liquid crystal displays, and electrophoretic inks; and

at least one first barrier stack comprising at least one first barrier layer and at least one first polymer layer, the at least one first barrier stack adjacent to the environmentally sensitive display device, wherein the at least one first barrier stack encapsulates the environmentally sensitive display device, and 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.