MULTILAYER COMPONENT FOR THE ENCAPSULATION OF A SENSITIVE ELEMENT

• US 20120258295A1
• Filed: 04/06/2012
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Thoumazet, Claire, Leyder, Charles, Python, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 10,036,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/212
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/42 at least one coating of an organic material and at least one non-metal coating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/10 Optical coatings produced by application to, or surface treatment of, optical elements G02B1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/11 Anti-reflection coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/16 having an anti-static effect, e.g. electrically conducting coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 39/10 Organic photovoltaic [PV] modules; Arrays of single organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8445 multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/86 Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one organic light-emitting element covered by group H10K50/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 Flexible substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31507 Of polycarbonate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31536 Including interfacial reaction product of adjacent layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3154 Of fluorinated addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31544 Addition polymer is perhalogenated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31551 Of polyamidoester [polyurethane, polyisocyanate, polycarbamate, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 Of metal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31721 Of polyimide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31725 : Of polyamide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31786 : Of polyester [e.g., alkyd, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31935 : Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer

Abstract

This multilayer component (11) for encapsulating an element (12) which is sensitive to air and/or moisture comprises an organic polymer layer (1) and at least one barrier stack (2). The barrier stack (2) comprises at least three successive thin layers (21-23) having alternately lower and higher degrees of crystallinity, the ratio of the degree of crystallinity of a layer of higher degree of crystallinity to the degree of crystallinity of a layer of lower degree of crystallinity being greater than or equal to 1.1.

Claims

1. A multilayer component comprising an organic polymer layer;

and

at least one barrier stack, wherein the at least one barrier stack comprises at least three successive layers having alternately lower and higher degrees of crystallinity, the ratio of the degree of crystallinity of a layer of higher degree of crystallinity to the degree of crystallinity of a layer of lower degree of crystallinity being greater than or equal to 1.1.

2. The multilayer component according to claim 1, wherein the organic polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polycarbonate, polyurethane, polymethyl methacrylate, polyamide, polyimide, and a fluoropolymer.

3. The multilayer component according to claim 2, wherein the organic polymer consists essentially of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN).

4. The multilayer component according to claim 2, wherein the fluoropolymer is selected from the group consisting of ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE), and fluorinated ethylene-propylene copolymers (FEP).

5. The multilayer component according to claim 1, wherein the layers of the at least one barrier stack comprise a metal, a metal oxide, a metal nitride, a metal oxynitride, or a combination thereof.

6. The multilayer component according to claim 5, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of Si, Al, Sn, Zn, Zr, Ti, Hf, Bi, Ta, and alloys thereof.

7. The multilayer component according to claim 5, wherein the metal oxide, the metal nitride, or the metal oxynitride include an oxide, a nitride, or an oxynitride from the group consisting of Si, Al, Sn, Zn, Zr, Ti, Hf, Bi, Ta, and alloys thereof.

8. The multilayer component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratio of the degree of crystallinity of a layer of higher degree of crystallinity to the degree of crystallinity of a layer of lower degree of crystallinity is equal to or greater than 1.2, equal to or greater than 1.5, or equal to or greater than 1.7.

9. The multilayer component as claimed in claim 1, wherein each layer of the at least one barrier stack comprises a volume degree of crystallinity, wherein a difference between the volume degree of crystallinity of a layer of higher degree of crystallinity and the volume degree of crystallinity of a layer of lower degree of crystallinity is equal to or greater than 10%.

10. The multilayer component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polymer layer and each barrier stack have a transparency of at least 75%.

11. The multilayer component as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least three successive layers are alternately in an amorphous state and in an at least partially crystalline state.

12. The multilayer component as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one layer of the barrier stack has a geometric thickness of at least 5 nm, such as at least 10 nm, at least 20 nm, at least 40 nm, or at least 100 nm.

13. The multilayer component as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one layer of the barrier stack has a geometric thickness of no greater than 200 nm, such as no greater than 150 nm, no greater than 120 nm, no greater than 100 nm, or no greater than about 80 nm.

14. The multilayer component as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an organic or hybrid organic-inorganic interfacial layer positioned between the polymer layer and the barrier stack.

15. The multilayer component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the constituent layers of the barrier stack have alternately lower and higher refractive indices.

16. (canceled)

17. A device comprising an element sensitive to air and/or moisture, which includes a multilayer component an organic polymer layer;

and

at least one barrier stack, wherein the at least one barrier stack comprises at least three successive layers having alternately lower and higher degrees of crystallinity, the ratio of the degree of crystallinity of a layer of higher degree of crystallinity to the degree of crystallinity of a layer of lower degree of crystallinity being greater than or equal to 1.1.

18. The device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the sensitive element is an organic light-emitting diode, a photovoltaic cell, an electrochromic system, an electronic-ink display system, or of an inorganic light-emitting system.

19. A method of fabricating a multilayer component, the method comprising:

providing an organic polymer layer;

depositing a first layer onto the organic polymer layer, the first layer having a first degree of crystallinity;

depositing a second layer onto the first layer, the second layer having a second degree of crystallinity different from the first degree of crystallinity;

depositing a third layer onto the second layer, the third layer having a third degree of crystallinity different from the second degree of crystallinity;

wherein the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer form a barrier stack.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the depositing of the first, the second, or the third layer is selected from sputtering or depositing by chemical vapor deposition.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the chemical vapor deposition is selected from plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, or a combination thereof.