Method for edge sealing barrier films

Abstract

An edge-sealed barrier film composite. The composite includes a substrate and at least one initial barrier stack adjacent to the substrate. The at least one initial barrier stack includes at least one decoupling layer and at least one barrier layer. One of the barrier layers has an area greater than the area of one of the decoupling layers. The decoupling layer is sealed by the first barrier layer within the area of barrier material. An edge-sealed, encapsulated environmentally sensitive device is provided. A method of making the edge-sealed barrier film composite is also provided.

1 . An edge-sealed barrier stack comprising: 
 a decoupling layer and at least two barrier layers, wherein the decoupling layer has an area, wherein the first barrier layer has an area, and wherein the second barrier layer has an area, the area of the first and second barrier layers being greater than the area of the decoupling layer, and wherein the decoupling layer is sealed between the first and second barrier layers.    
     
     
         2 . The edge-sealed barrier stack of  claim 1  wherein the edge-sealed barrier stack includes at least two decoupling layers.  
     
     
         3 . The edge-sealed barrier stack of  claim 1  wherein the decoupling layer is selected from organic polymers, inorganic polymers, organometallic polymers, hybrid organic/inorganic polymer systems, silicates, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The edge-sealed barrier stack of  claim 1  wherein the decoupling layer is selected from urethanes, polyamides, polyimides, polybutylenes, isobutylene isoprene, polyolefins, epoxies, parylenes, benzocyclobutadiene, polynorbornenes, polyarylethers, polycarbonates, alkyds, polyaniline, ethylene vinyl acetate, ethylene acrylic acid, silicones, polyphosphazenes, polysilazanes, polycarbosilanes, polycarboranes, carborane siloxanes, polysilanes, phosphonitriles, sulfur nitride polymers, siloxanes, organometallic polymers of main group metals, transition metals, and lanthanide/actinide metals, organically modified silicates, preceramic polymers, polyimide-silica hybrids, (meth)acrylate-silica hybrids, polydimethylsiloxane-silica hybrids, ceramers, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The edge-sealed barrier stack of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the barrier layers comprises a barrier material selected from metals, metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal oxynitrides, metal oxyborides, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The edge-sealed barrier stack of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the barrier layers comprises a barrier material selected from aluminum, titanium, indium, tin, tantalum, zirconium, niobium, hafnium, yttrium, nickel, tungsten, chromium, zinc, alloys thereof, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, indium oxide, tin oxide, indium tin oxide, tantalum oxide, zirconium oxide, niobium oxide, hafnium oxide, yttrium oxide, nickel oxide, tungsten oxide, chromium oxide, zinc oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, boron nitride, germanium nitride, chromium nitride, nickel nitride, boron carbide, tungsten carbide, silicon carbide, aluminum oxynitride, silicon oxynitride, boron oxynitride, zirconium oxyboride, titanium oxyboride, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         7 . The edge-sealed barrier stack of  claim 1  further comprising a substrate, wherein the edge-sealed barrier stack is adjacent to the substrate.  
     
     
         8 . The edge-sealed barrier stack of  claim 7  wherein the substrate is flexible.  
     
     
         9 . An edge-sealed barrier stack comprising: 
 a substrate; and    a barrier stack comprising a decoupling layer and a barrier layer, wherein the decoupling layer has an area, wherein the barrier layer has an area, the area of the barrier layer being greater than the area of the decoupling layer, and wherein the decoupling layer is sealed between the barrier layer and the substrate.    
     
     
         10 . The edge-sealed barrier stack of  claim 9  wherein the decoupling layer is selected from organic polymers, inorganic polymers, organometallic polymers, hybrid organic/inorganic polymer systems, silicates, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The edge-sealed barrier stack of  claim 9  wherein at least one of the barrier layers comprises a barrier material selected from metals, metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal oxynitrides, metal oxyborides, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The edge-sealed barrier stack of  claim 9  wherein the substrate is flexible.  
     
     
         13 . An encapsulated device comprising: 
 a substrate;    an environmentally sensitive device adjacent to the substrate; and    an edge-sealed barrier stack adjacent to the environmentally sensitive device, the edge-sealed barrier stack comprising a decoupling layer and at least two barrier layers, wherein the decoupling layer has an area, wherein the first barrier layer has an area, and wherein the second barrier layer has an area, the area of the first and second barrier layers being greater than the area of the decoupling layer, wherein the decoupling layer is sealed between the first and second barrier layers, and wherein the environmentally sensitive device is encapsulated between the substrate and the edge-sealed barrier stack.    
     
     
         14 . The encapsulated device of  claim 13  wherein the environmentally sensitive device is selected from organic light emitting devices, liquid crystal displays, displays using electrophoretic inks, light emitting diodes, light emitting polymers, electroluminescent devices, phosphorescent devices, electrophoretic inks, organic solar cells, inorganic solar cells, thin film batteries, or thin film devices with vias, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         15 . The encapsulated device of  claim 13  wherein the decoupling layer is selected from organic polymers, inorganic polymers, organometallic polymers, hybrid organic/inorganic polymer systems, silicates, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         16 . The encapsulated device of  claim 13  wherein at least one of the barrier layers comprises a barrier material selected from metals, metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal oxynitrides, metal oxyborides, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         17 . The encapsulated device of  claim 13  wherein the substrate is flexible.  
     
     
         18 . The encapsulated device of  claim 13  further comprising a barrier stack positioned between the substrate and the environmentally sensitive device, the barrier stack comprising at least one polymer layer and at least one barrier layer, and wherein the environmentally sensitive device is encapsulated between the barrier stack and the edge-sealed barrier stack.  
     
     
         19 . A method of making an edge-sealed barrier stack comprising: 
 depositing a first barrier layer having an area;    depositing a decoupling layer having an area;    depositing a second barrier layer having an area;    the area of the first and second barrier layers being greater than the area of the decoupling layer wherein the first decoupling layer is sealed between the first and second barrier layers.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein depositing the decoupling layer comprises: 
 providing a mask with an opening; and    depositing the decoupling layer through the opening in the mask so that the area of the decoupling layer is less than the area of the first and second barrier layers.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  wherein depositing the decoupling layer comprises: 
 depositing the decoupling layer having an initial area of decoupling material which is greater than the area of the decoupling layer; and    etching the decoupling layer having the initial area to remove a portion of the decoupling material so that the decoupling layer has the area of the decoupling layer.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein etching the decoupling layer comprises: 
 providing a solid mask over the decoupling layer having the initial area of decoupling material; and    etching the decoupling layer having the initial area of decoupling material to remove the portion of the decoupling material outside the solid mask so that the decoupling layer has the area of the decoupling layer.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the decoupling layer is etched so that at least one edge of the decoupling layer has a gradual slope.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the decoupling layer is etched using a reactive plasma.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the reactive plasma is selected from O 2 , CF 4 , H 2 , or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the first and second barrier layers are depositing using a vacuum process.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the decoupling layer is deposited using a process selected from vacuum processes or atmospheric processes.