Method for inhibiting oxygen and moisture degradation of a device and the resulting device

Abstract

A method for inhibiting oxygen and moisture degradation of a device and the resulting device are described herein. To inhibit the oxygen and moisture degradation of the device, a low liquidus temperature (LLT) material which typically has a low liquidus temperature (or in specific embodiments a low glass transition temperature) is used to form a barrier layer on the device. The LLT material can be, for example, tin fluorophosphate glass, chalcogenide glass, tellurite glass and borate glass. The LLT material can be deposited onto the device by, for example, sputtering, evaporation, laser-ablation, spraying, pouring, frit-deposition, vapor-deposition, dip-coating, painting or rolling, spin-coating or any combination thereof. Defects in the LLT material from the deposition step can be removed by a consolidation step (heat treatment), to produce a pore-free, gas and moisture impenetrable protective coating on the device. Although many of the deposition methods are possible with common glasses (i.e. high melting temperature glasses like borate silicate, silica, etc.), the consolidation step is only practical with the LLT material where the consolidation temperature is sufficiently low so as to not damage the inner layers in the device.

1 . A method for for creating a gas/fluid barrier layer on a device, said method comprising the steps of: 
 depositing a low liquidus temperature inorganic material over at least a portion of said device; and    heat treating said low liquidus temperature inorganic material to create the gas/fluid barrier later over said at least a portion of said device.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the deposited low liquidus temperature inorganic material and the heat treated low liquidus temperature inorganic material have a higher liquidus temperature than the starting low liquidus temperature inorganic material.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the deposited low liquidus temperature inorganic material and the heat treated low liquidus temperature inorganic material have a same low liquidus temperature than the starting low liquidus temperature inorganic material.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said depositing step includes utilizing a selected one or a combination of the following: 
 a sputtering process;    an evaporation process;    a spraying process;    a pouring process;    a frit-deposition process;    a vapor-deposition process;    a dip-coating process;    a painting process;    a laser ablation process;    a co-evaporation process;    a rolling process; and    a spin-coating process.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said heat treating step is performed in a vacuum or an inert environment and at a temperature which does not damage components in said device.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said low liquidus temperature inorganic material is a tin-fluorophosphate material.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said tin-fluorophosphate material has the following composition: 
 Sn (20-85 wt %)    P (2-20 wt %)    O (10-36 wt %)    F (10-36 wt %)    Nb (0-5 wt %); and    at least 75% total of Sn+P+O+F.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said low liquidus temperature inorganic material is one of the following, or any combination thereof: 
 tin-fluorophosphate material;    chalcogenide material;    tellurite material;    borate material; and    phosphate material.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said low liquidus temperature inorganic material has a liquidus temperature ≦1000° C.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said low liquidus temperature inorganic material has a liquidus temperature ≦600° C.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said low liquidus temperature inorganic material has a liquidus temperature ≦400° C.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said device is a selected one of: 
 an organic-electronic device including: 
 an OLED;  
 a PLED,  
 a photovoltaic; and  
 a thin film transistor;  
   a thin-film sensor;    an optoelectronic device including: 
 an optical switch; and  
 a waveguide;  
   a photovoltaic device;    a food container; and    a medicine container.    
   
   
       13 . An organic electronic device comprising: 
 a substrate plate;    at least one organic electronic or optoelectronic layer; and    a low liquidus temperature inorganic material, wherein said at least one electronic or optoelectronic layer is hermetically sealed between said low liquidus temperature inorganic material and said substrate plate.    
   
   
       14 . The OLED display of  claim 13 , wherein said low liquidus temperature inorganic material is a tin-fluorophosphate material.  
   
   
       15 . The OLED display of  claim 14 , wherein said tin-fluorophosphate material has the following composition: 
 Sn (20-85 wt %)    P (2-20 wt %)    O (10-36 wt %)    F (10-36 wt %)    Nb (0-5 wt %); and    at least 75% total of Sn+P+O+F.    
   
   
       16 . The OLED display of  claim 13 , wherein said low liquidus temperature inorganic material is at least partially one of the following: 
 tin-fluorophosphate material;    chalcogenide material;    tellurite material;    borate material; and    phosphate material.    
   
   
       17 . The OLED display of  claim 13 , wherein said low liquidus temperature inorganic material has a liquidus temperature ≦1000° C.  
   
   
       18 . The OLED display of  claim 13 , wherein said low liquidus temperature inorganic material has a liquidus temperature ≦600° C.  
   
   
       19 . The OLED display of  claim 13 , wherein said low liquidus temperature inorganic material has a liquidus temperature ≦400° C.  
   
   
       20 . A device which has at least a portion thereof sealed with a film of a low liquidus temperature (LLT) material.  
   
   
       21 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein said LLT material is a tin-fluorophosphate material which has the following composition: 
 Sn (20-85 wt %)    P (2-20 wt %)    O (10-36 wt %)    F (10-36 wt %)    Nb (0-5 wt %); and    at least 75% total of Sn+P+O+F.    
   
   
       22 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein said LLT material is at least partially one of the following: 
 tin-fluorophosphate material;    chalcogenide material; tellurite material;    borate material; and    phosphate material.    
   
   
       23 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein said LLT material has a liquidus temperature ≦1000° C.  
   
   
       24 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein said LLT material has a liquidus temperature ≦600° C.  
   
   
       25 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein said LLT material has a liquidus temperature ≦400° C.  
   
   
       26 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein said LLT material is doped with a dopant.  
   
   
       27 . (canceled)  
   
   
       28 . A low liquidus temperature material comprising: 
 Sn (20-85 wt %)    P (2-20 wt %)    O (10-36 wt %)    F (10-36 wt %)    Nb (0-5 wt %); and    at least 75% total of Sn+P+O+F.    
   
   
       29 . The low liquidus temperature material of  claim 28 , wherein said low liquidus temperature material has a liquidus temperature ≦1000° C. and an oxygen permeance of less than 0.01 cc/m 2 /atm/day and a water permeance of less than 0.01 g/m 2 /day.  
   
   
       30 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein said low liquidus temperature material has a liquidus temperature ≦1000° C. and an oxygen permeance of less than 0.01 cc/m 2 /atm/day and a water permeance of less than 0.01 g/m 2 /day.