Edge barrier film for electronic devices

• US 9,312,511 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2012
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Display Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Display Corporation
• Inventors: Mandlik, Prashant, Ma, Ruiqing, Brown, Julia J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong Q
• Application Number:
  US13/422,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20130244079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 257777-788
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/873 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23 Sheet including cover or casing

Abstract

In some embodiments, a first product is provided. The first product may include a substrate, a device having a device footprint disposed over the substrate, and a barrier film disposed over the substrate and substantially along a side of the device footprint. The barrier film may comprise a mixture of a polymeric material and non-polymeric material. The barrier film may have a perpendicular length that is less than or equal to 3.0 mm from the side of the device footprint.

Claims

1. A first product comprising:

a substrate;

a device disposed over the substrate having a device footprint; and

a barrier film disposed over the substrate and substantially along a side of the device footprint;

wherein the barrier film comprises a mixture of a polymeric material and non-polymeric material; and

wherein the barrier film has a perpendicular length that is less than or equal to 3.0 mm from the side of the device footprint.

2. The first product of claim 1,

wherein the device footprint comprises an active device area and an inactive device area;

and

wherein the barrier film has a perpendicular length that is less than or equal to 3.0 mm from the side of the inactive device area.

3. The first product of claim 1,

wherein the device footprint comprises an active device area and an inactive device area;

and

wherein the barrier film does not extend to a distance of greater than 3.0 mm from a side of the active device area.

4. The first product of claim 1, wherein the device footprint comprises an active device area, and wherein the barrier film has a perpendicular length that is less than or equal to 3.0 mm from the side of the active device area.

5. The first product of claim 1, wherein the barrier film comprises a mixture of a polymeric silicon and inorganic silicon.

6. The first product of claim 5, wherein the mixture of polymeric silicon and inorganic silicon is substantially uniform across the layer.

7. The first product of claim 1, wherein the barrier film does not have a perpendicular length that is greater than 3.0 mm.

8. The first product of claim 1, wherein the barrier film has a perpendicular length that is less than or equal to 1.0 mm.

9. The first product of claim 1, wherein the barrier film does not have a perpendicular length that is greater than 1.0 mm.

10. The first product of claim 1, wherein the barrier film does not have a perpendicular length that is greater than 3.0 mm or less than 1.0 mm.

11. The first product of claim 1, wherein the barrier film comprises a uniform material.

12. The first product of claim 1, wherein the barrier film comprises a mixture of an oxide and polymeric silicone.

13. The first product of claim 1, wherein the barrier film comprises at least 40% inorganic silicon.

14. The first product of claim 1, further comprising a conductive layer disposed over the active device area, wherein a portion of the barrier film is disposed at least partially over the conductive layer.

15. The first product of claim 1, further comprising a conductive layer disposed over the active device area;

wherein a top sealant layer is disposed over the conductive layer; and

wherein the top sealant layer and the barrier film comprise different materials.

16. The first product of claim 1, wherein the first product comprises any one of:

a consumer device, a solar cell, a thin film battery, an organic electronic device, a lighting panel or a lighting source having a lighting panel, a display or an electronic device having a display, a mobile phone, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a television, or an OLED.

17. A first method comprising:

providing a substrate having a device disposed over the substrate having a device footprint; and

fabricating a barrier film over the substrate and substantially along a side of the device footprint, wherein the barrier film is fabricated so as to have a perpendicular length that is less than or equal to 3.0 mm from the side of the device footprint, and wherein the barrier film comprises a mixture of a polymeric material and non-polymeric material.

18. The first method of claim 17, wherein the step of fabricating the barrier film comprises chemical vapor deposition.

19. The first method of claim 18, wherein the step of fabricating the barrier film utilizes an organosilicon precursor.

20. A first product prepared by a process comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate having a device disposed over the substrate, wherein the device has a device footprint; and

fabricating a barrier film over the substrate and substantially along a side of the device footprint, wherein the barrier film is fabricated so as to have a perpendicular length that is less than or equal to 3.0 mm from the side of the device footprint, and wherein the barrier film comprises a mixture of a polymeric material and non-polymeric material.

21. The first product of claim 20, wherein the step of fabricating the barrier film comprises depositing the first barrier film using an organosilicon precursor.

22. The first product of claim 21, wherein the step of fabricating the barrier film comprises chemical vapor deposition.

23. The first product of claim 21,

wherein the barrier film consists essentially of a mixture of polymeric silicon and inorganic silicon;

wherein the weight ratio of polymeric silicon to inorganic silicon is in the range of 95;

5 to 5;

95; and

wherein the polymeric silicon and the inorganic silicon are created from the same precursor material.

24. The first product of claim 23,

wherein at least an 0.1 μ

m thickness of the barrier film is deposited under the same reaction conditions for all the reaction conditions in the deposition process; and

wherein the water vapor transmission rate is less than 10<sup>−

6</sup> g/m²/day through the at least 0.1 μ

m thickness of the barrier film.