Highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element and method for fabrication
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsMichael L. Boroson, John Schmittendorf, Jeffrey P. Serbicki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A highly moisture-sensitive element and method of making such element includes an encapsulation enclosure encapsulating all of the highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices on a substrate and a sealing material positioned between the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure to form a complete seal between the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure around each highly moisture-sensitive electronic device or around groups of highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices.
Claims24
A method of making highly moisture-sensitive electronic device elements having a plurality of highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices such as OLED devices on a single substrate wherein the devices are protected from moisture prior to separating the individual devices from the substrate, comprising the steps of:
- a) placing the sealing material completely around each highly moisture-sensitive electronic device or around groups of highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices on the substrate or in positions on the encapsulation enclosure such that after sealing the sealing material will be positioned completely around each highly moisture-sensitive electronic device or around groups of highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices;
- b) disposing the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure, one of which contains the sealing material, in close aligned proximity to each other, but spaced apart, in such aligned proximate position providing an initial ambient pressure;
- c) providing relative motion between the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure until the sealing material contacts both the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure and the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure are spaced apart within a predetermined range;
- d) after or during step c), increasing the ambient pressure above the initial pressure surrounding the substrate, the encapsulation enclosure, and the sealing material, to reduce the pressure difference within spaces defined between the substrate, the encapsulation enclosure, and the sealing material relative to the increased ambient pressure, to thereby prevent deformation of the sealing material;
- and
- e) bonding the sealing material to both the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure to form the multiple highly moisture-sensitive electronic device element.
A method of making highly moisture-sensitive electronic device elements having a plurality of highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices such as OLED devices on a single substrate wherein the devices are protected from moisture prior to separating the individual devices from the substrate, comprising the steps of:
- a) coating a substrate containing two or more highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices with a temporary moisture protection layer;
- or coating a water absorbing material onto either the substrate or an encapsulation enclosure in positions on the substrate or on the encapsulation enclosure such that after bonding, the water absorbing material will be positioned within each highly moisture-sensitive electronic device or within each group of highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices;
- or coating both said temporary moisture protection layer and said water absorbing material;
- b) placing the sealing material completely around each highly moisture-sensitive electronic device or around groups of highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices on the substrate or in positions on the encapsulation enclosure such that after sealing the sealing material will be positioned completely around each highly moisture-sensitive electronic device or around groups of highly moisture-sensitive electronic devices;
- c) disposing the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure, one of which contains the sealing material, in close aligned proximity to each other, but spaced apart, in such aligned proximate position providing an initial ambient pressure;
- d) providing relative motion between the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure until the sealing material contacts both the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure and the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure are spaced apart within a predetermined range;
- e) after or during step d), increasing the ambient pressure above the initial pressure surrounding the substrate, the encapsulation enclosure, and the sealing material, to reduce the pressure difference within spaces defined between the substrate, the encapsulation enclosure, and the sealing material relative to the increased ambient pressure, to thereby prevent deformation of the sealing material;
- and
- f) bonding the sealing material to both the substrate and the encapsulation enclosure to form the multiple highly moisture-sensitive electronic device elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.