Metal seal packaging for organic light emitting diode device

• US 7,202,602 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2004
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Organic Lighting Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Organic Lighting Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Anandan, Munisamy
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ashok
• Application Number:
  US10/818,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20040201348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 313/512, 313/504, 313/506, 313/509, 313/549, 313/561, 313/553, 428/917, 257/88, 257/100, 315/169.3
• US Class Current: 313/512
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8423 Metallic sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/846 comprising getter material or desiccants

Abstract

A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device comprising a lid, containing a recessed portion to accommodate large quantity of getter/dessicant, a band of metal stack at the perimeter over which is laid a band of low temperature melting solder alloy, pre-tinned subsequently, and a substrate. The substrate containing organic light emitting diode at the central area with a band of metal stack at the perimeter. The lid and the substrate are placed together in substantial alignment such that the pre-tinned low melting solder band of the lid contacts the metal stack of the substrate and thermally sealed in a controlled atmosphere. Multiples of substrates are sealed with a single lid containing multiplicity of recessed portions with multi-segmented metal stack and pre-tinned solder band to derive a large area device.

Claims

1. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device comprising:

(1) a flat top lid assembly, made of a glass material or a metal material, and including an inner surface with a central recessed portion, said recessed portion providing a reservoir space for getter and desiccant, said getter and desiccant laid on said recessed portion to be in strong bond with said recessed portion, the top lid assembly further comprising;

(a) a band of a first metal stack laid flat at a perimeter of the inner surface of said top lid assembly forming a strong bond with said inner surface of the top lid assembly; and

(b) a band of a low temperature melting solder metal alloy laid flat on said band of a first metal stack and pre-tinned to be in strong bond with said band of a first metal stack; and

(2) a bottom substrate assembly, made of either a glass material or a plastic material, and including an inner surface centrally containing a transparent anode and an active organic light emitting diode device, the inner surface of the bottom substrate assembly facing the inner surface of said top lid assembly, the bottom substrate assembly further comprising;

(a) a band of a dielectric layer laid at a perimeter of the inner surface of said bottom substrate assembly to be in strong bond with a perimeter of the transparent anode and inner surface of said bottom substrate assembly; and

(b) a band of a second metal stack laid over said band of a dielectric layer forming a strong bond with the band of a dielectric layer,

wherein the top lid assembly and the bottom substrate assembly are placed in a substantial alignment and thermally sealed together in a pure nitrogen controlled environment.

2. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface of the recessed portion of the top lid assembly is sand-blasted to increase the surface area over which the getter and desiccant is laid.

3. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the getter and desiccant is composed of Calcium Oxide or Barium Oxide or Strontium Oxide or Aluminum Oxide or Magnesium Oxide or combinations of all these Oxides.

4. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said first and second metal stacks comprises either Chromium layer-Copper layer-Nickel layer or Chromium layer-Nickel layer-Silver layer or Chromium layer-Nickel layer-Gold layer or Titanium layer-Nickel layer-Silver layer or Titanium layer-Nickel layer-Gold layer or Silver metal mixed with glass powder.

5. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 4,

wherein the first band of the metal stack includes a first metal in contact with the inner surface of the top lid assembly and the second band of the metal stack includes a first metal in contact with the inner surface of the bottom substrate assembly, wherein a thickness of each of the first metals of the first and second bands is in the range between 500 Angstroms and 5000 Angstroms;

wherein the first band of the metal stacks includes a second metal in contact with the first metal of the first band and the second band of the metal stack includes a second metal in contact with the first metal of the second band, wherein a thickness of each of the second metals of the first and second bands is in the range between 2000 Angstroms and 7000 Angstroms; and

wherein the first band of the metal stacks includes a third metal in contact with the second metal of the first band, facing the second metal of the first band wherein the second band of the metal stack includes a third metal in contact with the second metal of the second band, facing the second metal of the second band, wherein a thickness of each of the third metals of the first and second bands is in the range between 5000 Angstroms and 15000 Angstroms.

6. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the material of low temperature melting solder alloy is composed of a combination of Indium and Tin or Indium, Tin and Lead in eutectic proportions.

7. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said dielectric layer is composed of silicon dioxide or titanium dioxide or zirconium dioxide or aluminum dioxide or hafnium dioxide or Magnesium fluoride or combinations of these oxides or fused frit glass.

8. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said dielectric layer has thickness in the range between 1 micron and 15 micron.

9. A metal sealed organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a width of said first and second metal stacks is between 0.1 mm and 2 mm and the width of the second band of the solder alloy is between 0.1 mm and 2 mm.

10. A large area metal sealed flat organic light emitting diode device comprising:

(1) a flat top lid assembly, made of a glass material or a metal material, and including an inner surface with a plurality of centrally recessed portions, said plurality of recessed portions providing a reservoir space for getter and desiccant, said getter and desiccant laid on each of said recessed portions to be in strong bond with said recessed portions, the top lid assembly further comprising;

(a) a band of a first metal stack laid flat at a perimeter of the inner surface of said top lid assembly bordering each of said recessed portions to be in strong bond with said inner surface of the top lid assembly; and

(b) a band of a low temperature melting solder metal alloy laid flat on said first band of a metal stack and pre-tinned to be in strong bond with said band of a first metal stack; and

(2) a bottom substrate assembly, made of a glass material or a plastic material, and including a plurality of substrate members, the bottom substrate assembly having an inner surface centrally containing a transparent anode and an active organic light emitting diode device, and facing the inner surface of said top lid assembly, the bottom substrate assembly further comprising;

(a) a band of dielectric layer laid at a perimeter of the inner surface of said bottom substrate assembly to be in strong bond with a perimeter of the transparent anode and inner surface of said bottom substrate assembly; and

(b) a band of a second metal stack laid over said dielectric layer forming a strong bond with the dielectric layer,

wherein the top lid assembly and the bottom substrate assembly are placed in a substantial alignment and thermally sealed together in a pure nitrogen controlled environment.

11. A large area metal sealed flat organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the metal material of the top lid assembly comprises Nickel plated steel or Nickel or gold plated Nickel or stainless steel.