Glass package that is hermetically sealed with a frit and method of fabrication

• US 7,407,423 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2004
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Widjaja, Sujanto, Lamberson, Lisa A., Schroeder, Joseph F. III, Aitken, Bruce G., Streltsov, Alexander, Morena, Robert, Miller, Richard J. II, Hagy, Henry E., Carberry, Joel P., DeMartino, Steven E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Joseph L
• Application Number:
  US10/823,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20050001545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 446 23- 25, 428/426, 501/15, 501/17, 501/20
• US Class Current: 445/25
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 27/005 with compositions containing more than 50% lead oxide by weight
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 27/06 Joining glass to glass by processes other than fusing fusing C03B23/20; units for use as elements for closing wall or like openings and comprising two or more parallel glass panes in spaced relationship, the panes being permanently secured together E06B3/66
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/072 containing boron
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/17 containing aluminium or beryllium
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/19 containing boron
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/21 containing titanium, zirconium, vanadium, tungsten or molybdenum
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 8/24 Fusion seal compositions being frit compositions having non-frit additions, i.e. for use as seals between dissimilar materials, e.g. glass and metal; Glass solders
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 8/245 containing more than 50% lead oxide, by weight
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8722 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants

Abstract

A hermetically sealed glass package and method for manufacturing the hermetically sealed glass package are described herein using an OLED display as an example. Basically, the hermetically sealed OLED display is manufactured by providing a first substrate plate and a second substrate plate and depositing a frit onto the second substrate plate. OLEDs are deposited on the first substrate plate. An irradiation source (e.g., laser, infrared light) is then used to heat the frit which melts and forms a hermetic seal that connects the first substrate plate to the second substrate plate and also protects the OLEDs. The frit is glass that was doped with at least one transition metal and possibly a CTE lowering filler such that when the irradiation source heats the frit, it softens and forms a bond. This enables the frit to melt and form the hermetic seal while avoiding thermal damage to the OLEDs.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an organic light emitting diode device, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a first glass plate;

providing a second glass plate;

positioning a frit made from glass doped with at least one transition metal and a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) lowering filler between said first and second glass plates, said filler comprising no more than about 30% of said frit and wherein a mean particle size of said frit is less than or equal to about 20 μ

m;

positioning an organic light emitting diode between said first and second glass plates; and

heating said frit with a laser in a manner that would cause said frit to soften and form a hermetic seal between said first and second glass plates, thereby hermetically sealing said organic light emitting diode between said which first and second glass plates.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of placing an adhesive within a gap located between outer edges of said first and second glass plates, wherein said gap is caused by the presence of the hermetic seal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a T_g of said frit is less than about 350°

C.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said CTE lowering filler is an additive filler including lithium alumino-silicate compounds.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said frit comprises vanadium or neodymium.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said frit excluding said CTE lowering filler has the following composition:

K₂O (0-10 mole %)

Fe₂O₃ (0-20 mole %)

Sb₂O₃ (0-40 mole %)

P₂O₅ (20-40 mole %)

V₂O₅ (30-60 mole %)

TiO₂ (0–

20 mole %)

Al₂O₃ (0-5 mole %)

B₂O₃ (0-5 mole %)

WO₃ (0–

5 mole %)

Bi₂O₃ (0-5 mole %).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said frit excluding said CTE lowering filler has the following composition:

K₂O (0-10 mole %)

Fe₂O₃ (0-20 mole %)

Sb₂O₃ (0-20 mole %)

ZnO (0–

20 mole %)

P₂O₅ (20-40 mole %)

V₂O₅ (30-60 mole %)

TiO₂ (0-20 mole %)

Al₂O₃ (0-5 mole %)

B₂O₃ (0-5 mole %)

WO₃ (0-5 mole %)

Bi₂O₃(0-5 mole %).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said frit is selected from the group of glasses consisting of a titano-vanadium-phosphate glass, a vanadate-iron-phosphate glass, a zinc-vanadium-phosphate glass, a Sn—

Zn-phosphate glass, a mixed alkali zinc-phosphate glass, a vanadium-phosphate glass, a Pb-borate glass, and a mixed alkali zinc-phosphate glass with vanadium and lead.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein a mean particle size of said frit is between about 15 μ

m and 20 μ

m.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a mean particle size of said frit is between about 5 μ

m and about 10 μ

m.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said frit was deposited by screen printing.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a maximum temperature of said organic light emitting diode during said heating is less than about 100°

C.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein a maximum temperature of said organic light emitting diode during said heating is less than about 80°

C.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said frit is lead free.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said filler comprises between about 20% and about 30% of said frit:

9. A method for manufacturing an organic light emitting diode device, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a first substrate plate;

providing a second substrate plate;

positioning a frit made from lead-free glass comprising vanadium and a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) lowering filler between said first and second substrate plates, said frit having a T_g less than about 350°

C.; and

positioning an organic light emitting diode between said first and second substrate plates; and

heating said frit with a laser in a manner that would cause said frit to melt and bond to said first and second substrate plates, thereby forming a hermetic seal between said first and second substrate plates, and wherein a temperature of said organic light emitting diode does not exceed about 100°

C. during said heating.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said CTE lowering filler is an inversion filler or an additive filler.

18. The method of claim 9 wherein a thickness variation of said frit prior to said heating is less than about 10 μ

m.

19. The method of claim 9 wherein a thickness variation of said frit prior to said heating is less than about 5 μ

m.

20. The method of claim 9 wherein a mean particle size of said frit is less than or equal to about 20 μ

m.

21. The method of claim 9 wherein a mean particle size of said frit is between about 15 μ

m and about 20 μ

m.

22. The method of claim 9 wherein a mean particle size of said frit is between about 5 μ

m and 10 μ

m.

23. A method for manufacturing a hermetically sealed glass package, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a first glass plate;

providing a second glass plate;

positioning a frit made from glass doped with at least one transition metal and a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) lowering filler between said first glass plate and said second glass plate, said filler comprising no more than about 30% of said fit and wherein a mean particle size of said frit is less than or equal to about 20 μ

m;

positioning a temperature sensitive material between said first and second glass plates; and

heating said frit with a laser in a manner that would cause said frit to soften and form a hermetic seal between said first and second glass plates, thereby hermetically sealing said temperature sensitive material between said first and second glass plates and wherein a temperature of said temperature sensitive material does not exceed about 100°

C. during said heating.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said temperature sensitive material is an organic material.