Sealing structure for highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element and method for fabrication

• US 6,590,157 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Global OLED Technology LLC (LG Display Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Boroson, Michael L., Bessey, Peter G., Serbicki, Jeffrey P., Schmittendorf, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Reichard, Dean A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALKENHORST, DAVID W
• Application Number:
  US09/957,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20030062186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 174/52.2, 174/52.3, 174/262, 361/748, 361/762, 361/771, 257/787, 257/788, 257/789
• US Class Current: 174/521
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0038 using materials for controlling the level of pressure, contaminants or moisture inside of the package, e.g. getters
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/08 the material being an electrical insulator, e.g. glass
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/10 characterised by the material or arrangement of seals between parts, e.g. between cap and base of the container or between leads and walls of the container
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/26 including materials for absorbing or reacting with moisture or other undesired substances , e.g. getters
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14618 Containers
• 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: H10K 50/841 Self-supporting sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/846 comprising getter material or desiccants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/872 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8722 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/873 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/874 including getter material or desiccant
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/851 Division of substrate

Abstract

A highly moisture-sensitive element and method of making such element includes an encapsulation enclosure encapsulating all of the highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices on a substrate and a sealing material positioned between the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure to form a partial seal (later to be filled) between the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure around each highly moisture-sensitive electronic device or around groups of highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices.

Claims

1. A highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element having highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices comprising:

a) a substrate containing two or more moisture-sensitive electronic devices;

b) an encapsulation enclosure encapsulating all of the highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices on said substrate;

c) sealing material positioned between said substrate and said encapsulation enclosure to form a partial seal between said substrate and said encapsulation enclosure and a space around each moisture-sensitive electronic device or around groups of moisture-sensitive electronic devices; and

d) water absorbing material positioned between said substrate and said encapsulation enclosure and within the space defined by said sealing material.

2. The highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element of claim 1 wherein the substrate includes rigid or flexible:

glass, plastic, metal, ceramic, semiconductor, metal oxide, metal nitride, metal sulfide, semiconductor oxide, semiconductor nitride, semiconductor sulfide, carbon, or combinations thereof.

3. The highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element of claim 1 wherein the encapsulation enclosure includes rigid or flexible:

glass, plastic, metal, ceramic, semiconductor, metal oxide, metal nitride, metal sulfide, semiconductor oxide, semiconductor nitride, semiconductor sulfide, carbon, or combinations thereof.

4. The highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element of claim 1 wherein the sealing material is organic material, inorganic material, or combinations thereof that is melted and cooled or reaction cured.

5. The highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element of claim 4 wherein reaction curing includes reactions resulting from heat, radiation, mixing of two or more components, exposure to ambient moisture, removal of ambient oxygen, or combinations thereof.

6. The highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element of claim 4 wherein the organic material is selected from the group consisting of epoxies, polyurethanes, acrylates, silicones, polyamides, polyolefins, and polyesters, or combinations thereof.

7. The highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element of claim 4 wherein the inorganic material is selected from the group consisting of glass, ceramic, metal, semiconductor, metal oxide, semiconductor oxide, and metal solder, or combinations thereof.

8. The highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element of claim 1 wherein the water absorbing material is selected from the group consisting of alkaline metal oxides, alkaline earth metal oxides, sulfates, metal halides, perchlorates, molecular sieves, and metals with work functions less than 4.5 eV and capable of being oxidized in the presence of moisture, or combinations thereof.

9. A highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element having highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices comprising:

a) a substrate containing two or more moisture-sensitive electronic devices that have been coated with a temporary moisture protection layer;

b) an encapsulation enclosure encapsulating all of the highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices on said substrate; and

c) sealing material positioned between said substrate and said encapsulation enclosure to form a partial seal between said substrate and said encapsulation enclosure around each moisture-sensitive electronic device or around groups of moisture-sensitive electronic devices.

10. The highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element of claim 9 wherein the substrate includes rigid or flexible:

glass, plastic, metal, ceramic, semiconductor, metal oxide, metal nitride, metal sulfide, semiconductor oxide, semiconductor nitride, semiconductor sulfide, carbon, or combinations thereof.

11. The highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element of claim 9 wherein the encapsulation enclosure includes rigid or flexible:

glass, plastic, metal, ceramic, semiconductor, metal oxide, metal nitride, metal sulfide, semiconductor oxide, semiconductor nitride, semiconductor sulfide, carbon, or combinations thereof.

12. The highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element of claim 9 wherein the sealing material is organic material, inorganic material, or combinations thereof that is melted and cooled or reaction cured.

13. The highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element of claim 12 wherein reaction curing includes reactions resulting from heat, radiation, mixing of two or more components, exposure to ambient moisture, removal of ambient oxygen, or combinations thereof.

14. The highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element of claim 12 wherein the organic material is selected from the group consisting of epoxies, polyurethanes, acrylates, silicones, polyamides, polyolefins, and polyesters, or combinations thereof.

15. The highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element of claim 12 wherein the inorganic material is selected from the group consisting of glass, ceramic, metal, semiconductor, metal oxide, semiconductor oxide, and metal solder, or combinations thereof.

16. A method of making highly moisture-sensitive electronic device elements having a plurality of highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices such as OLED devices on a single substrate wherein the devices are protected from moisture prior to separating the individual devices from the substrate, comprising the steps of:

a) coating a substrate containing two or more highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices with a temporary moisture protection layer;

or coating a water absorbing material onto either the substrate or an encapsulation enclosure in positions on the substrate or on the encapsulation enclosure such that after bonding, the water absorbing material will be positioned within each highly moisture-sensitive electronic device or within each group of highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices;

or coating both said temporary moisture protection layer and said water absorbing material;

b) placing the sealing material around each highly moisture-sensitive electronic device or around groups of highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices on the substrate or in positions on the encapsulation enclosure such that after sealing the sealing material will be positioned around each highly moisture-sensitive electronic device or around groups of highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices, leaving one or more positions wherein there is a gap not covered by sealing material;

c) disposing the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure, one of which contains the sealing material, in close aligned proximity to each other, but spaced apart, in such aligned proximate position providing an initial ambient pressure;

d) providing relative motion between the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure until the sealing material contacts both the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure, the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure are spaced apart within a predetermined range, and excess ambient gas exits through the gaps but leaving at least portions of the gaps;

e) bonding the sealing material to both the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure;

f) separating the highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices into individual devices or groups of devices having a portion of the initial substrate; and

g) sealing the gaps.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the sealing material or other enclosing material is used to seal the gaps.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the bonding step is accomplished by melting and cooling, reaction curing, or a combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the reaction includes reactions resulting from heat, radiation, mixing of two or more components, exposure to ambient moisture, removal of ambient oxygen, or combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the substrate includes rigid or flexible:

glass, plastic, metal, ceramic, semiconductor, metal oxide, metal nitride, metal sulfide, semiconductor oxide, semiconductor nitride, semiconductor sulfide, carbon, or combinations thereof.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the encapsulation enclosure includes rigid or flexible:

glass, plastic, metal, ceramic, semiconductor, metal oxide, metal nitride, metal sulfide, semiconductor oxide, semiconductor nitride, semiconductor sulfide, carbon, or combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the sealing material is organic material, inorganic material, or combinations thereof.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the organic material is selected from the group consisting of epoxies, polyurethanes, acrylates, silicones, polyamides, polyolefins, and polyesters, or combinations thereof.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the inorganic material is selected from the group consisting of glass, ceramic, metal, semiconductor, metal oxide, semiconductor oxide, and metal solder, or combinations thereof.

25. The method of claim 16 wherein the water absorbing material is selected from the group consisting of alkaline metal oxides, alkaline earth metal oxides, sulfates, metal halides, perchlorates, molecular sieves, and metals with work functions less than 4.5 eV and capable of being oxidized in the presence of moisture, or combinations thereof.

26. The method of claim 16 wherein the temporary moisture protection layer is organic material, inorganic material, or a combination thereof.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the organic material is selected from the group consisting of epoxies, polyurethanes, polyureas, acrylates, silicones, polyamides, polyimides, phenolics, polyvinyls, phenoxies, polysulfones, polyolefins, and polyesters, or combinations thereof.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the inorganic material is selected from the group consisting of glass, ceramic, metal, semiconductor, metal oxide, metal nitride, metal sulfide, semiconductor oxide, semiconductor nitride, semiconductor sulfide, and carbon, or combinations thereof.