# US 12,193,313 B2 · Non-equilibrium thermal curing processes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,193,313 B2 - Document ID: US12193313B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/997,677 - Filed: 2020-08-19 - Published: 2020-12-03 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-25 - Assignees: Sinovia Technologies - Applicants: Sinovia Technologies - Inventors: George Burkhard; Daniel Slotcavage - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12193313B2 ## CPC - H10K 71/40: Thermal treatment, e.g. annealing in the presence of a solvent vapour - H10K 50/125: specially adapted for multicolour light emission, e.g. for emitting white light - H10K 50/15: Hole transporting layers - H10K 50/171: {Electron injection layers} - H10K 71/441: {in the presence of solvent vapors, e.g. solvent vapour annealing} - H10K 71/611: {using printing deposition, e.g. ink jet printing} - H10K 50/11: characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers - H10K 50/81: Anodes - H10K 50/82: Cathodes - Y02E 10/549: Organic PV cells - H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A method of flash-curing a respective layer in an electronic device stack is provided. The method includes providing a stack of layers including a substrate and one or more electronically-active layers disposed on a surface of the substrate. The method further includes applying, over the stack of layers, a thermally-curable layer of material that includes a polymer or polymerizable material. The method further includes performing a non-equilibrium thermal process that includes raising a temperature of the thermally-curable layer of material, including the polymer or polymerizable material, above a first temperature for a length of time sufficient to cure the thermally-curable layer of material while maintaining the stack of layers below a second temperature that is less than the first temperature. The stack of layers is robust to temperatures below the second temperature. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: providing a stack of layers including: a substrate and one or more electronically-active layers disposed on a surface of the substrate; and a thermally-curable layer of organic material comprising a polymer or polymerizable material applied over the one or more electronically-active layers, including a respective organic layer of the one or more electronically-active layers; and illuminating, for less than a thermalization time of the stack of layers, a surface of the stack of layers to initiate a non-equilibrium thermal process that includes raising a temperature of the thermally-curable layer of organic material, comprising the polymer or polymerizable material, above a first temperature for a length of time sufficient to polymerize and/or cross-link the thermally-curable layer of organic material while maintaining the one or more electronically-active layers, including the respective organic layer, below a second temperature that is less than the first temperature, wherein: the one or more electronically-active layers is robust to temperatures below the second temperature, and the second temperature is a glass transition temperature for the respective organic layer in the one or more electronically-active layers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the stack of layers includes a partial organic light emitting diode (OLED) stack. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the stack of layers includes a partial stack for an organic photovoltaic. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the thermally-curable layer of material comprises a cross-linkable material; and performing the non-equilibrium thermal process includes cross-linking the cross-linkable material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the thermally-curable layer of material comprises a polymerizable material; and performing the non-equilibrium thermal process includes polymerizing the polymerizable material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the thermally-curable layer of material is a thermally-activateable doped layer that includes a semiconducting polymer host material and a dopant; and performing the non-equilibrium thermal process includes thermally-activating the thermally-activateable doped layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the length of time sufficient to polymerize and/or cross-link the thermally-curable layer of material at the first temperature is under 10 seconds, under 20 seconds, or under a minute, or under 10 minutes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein a length of time sufficient to polymerize and/or cross-link the thermally-curable layer of material at the second temperature is over 10 minutes, over an hour, over two hours, over eight hours, over 12 hours, or over 24 hours. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the second temperature is a temperature that would cause a first amount of thermal deformation in a first layer in the stack of layers; and the first amount of thermal deformation would cause a second layer in the one or more electronically-active layers, different from the first layer, to crack or warp. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the first layer is the substrate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the thermal deformation is plastic deformation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the thermally-curable layer of material is an electronically active layer of material. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the non-equilibrium thermal process results in producing a thermally-cured layer of material from the thermally-curable layer of material; and the method further includes: packaging an electronic device that includes the thermally-cured layer of material and an electrode disposed between the substrate and the thermally-cured layer of material, wherein the thermally-cured layer of material is a respective layer in an electronically-active stack of layers that includes the electrode. ### Claim 14 A method, comprising: providing a stack of layers including: a substrate and one or more electronically-active layers disposed on a surface of the substrate; a thermally-curable layer of organic material comprising a polymer or polymerizable material applied over the one or more electronically-active layers; and illuminating, for less than a thermalization time of the stack of layers, a surface of the stack of layers to initiate a non-equilibrium thermal process that includes raising a temperature of the thermally-curable layer of organic material comprising the polymer or polymerizable material, above a first temperature for a length of time sufficient to polymerize and/or cross-link the thermally-curable layer of organic material while maintaining the one or more electronically-active layers below a second temperature that is less than the first temperature, wherein: the one or more electronically-active layers is robust to temperatures below the second temperature, and maintaining the stack of layers at the first temperature for the length of time sufficient to polymerize and/or cross-link the thermally-curable layer of organic material would render a respective organic layer of the one or more electronically-active layers inoperative. ### Claim 15 A method, comprising: providing a stack of layers including: a substrate and one or more electronically-active layers disposed on a surface of the substrate; a thermally-curable layer of organic material comprising a polymer or polymerizable material applied over the one or more electronically-active layers; and illuminating, for less than a thermalization time of the stack of layers, a surface of the stack of layers to initiate a non-equilibrium thermal process that includes raising a temperature of the thermally-curable layer of organic material comprising the polymer or polymerizable material, above a first temperature for a length of time sufficient to polymerize and/or cross-link the thermally-curable layer of organic material while maintaining the one or more electronically-active layers below a second temperature that is less than the first temperature, wherein: the one or more electronically-active layers is robust to temperatures below the second temperature, and the second temperature is a bulk damage threshold temperature. ### Claim 16 A method, comprising: providing a stack of layers including: a substrate and one or more electronically-active layers disposed on a surface of the substrate; a thermally-curable layer of organic material comprising a polymer or polymerizable material applied over the one or more electronically-active layers; and illuminating, for less than a thermalization time of the stack of layers, a surface of the stack of layers to initiate a non-equilibrium thermal process that includes raising a temperature of the thermally-curable layer of organic material comprising the polymer or polymerizable material, above a first temperature for a length of time sufficient to polymerize and/or cross-link the thermally-curable layer of organic material while maintaining the one or more electronically-active layers below a second temperature that is less than the first temperature, wherein: the one or more electronically-active layers is robust to temperatures below the second temperature, and the second temperature is a temperature that would cause a respective organic layer in the one or more electronically-active layers to crack or warp.