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US 7,015,640 B2Granted
Diffusion barrier coatings having graded compositions and devices incorporating the same
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsMarc Schaepkens, Kevin Warner Flanagan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A composite article comprises a substrate having at least a substrate surface and a graded-composition coating disposed on a substrate surface. The composition of the coating material varies substantially continuously across its thickness. The coating reduces the transmission rates of oxygen, water vapor, and other chemical species through the substrate such that the composite article can be used effectively as a diffusion barrier to protect chemically sensitive devices or materials. An organic light-emitting device incorporates such a composite article to provide an extended life thereto.
Claims29
A light-emitting device comprising:
- a flexible substantially transparent substrate having a first substrate surface and a second substrate surface, at least one of said substrate surface being coated with a graded-composition barrier coating comprising an inorganic and an organic material, a composition of which varies substantially continuously across a thickness thereof;
- and
- an organic electroluminescent (“EL”) member which comprises an organic EL layer disposed between two electrodes and is disposed on said flexible substantially transparent substrate.
A light-emitting device comprising:
- a flexible substantially transparent substrate having a first substrate surface and a second substrate surface, at least one of said substrate surface being coated with a graded-composition barrier coating comprising an inorganic and an organic material, a composition of which varies substantially continuously across a thickness thereof;
- and
- an organic electroluminescent (“EL”) member which comprises an organic EL layer disposed between two electrodes and is disposed on said flexible substantially transparent substrate;
- wherein said flexible substantially transparent substrate comprises a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of polyethyleneterephthalate, polyacrylates, polycarbonate, silicone, epoxy resins, silicone-functionalized epoxy resins, polyester, polyimide, polyetherimide, polyethersulfone, polyethylenenapthalene, polynorbonene, and poly(cyclic olefins);
- said coating material is selected from the group consisting of organic, inorganic, ceramic materials, and combinations thereof;
- and said organic EL layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of poly(n-vinylcarbazole), poly(alkylfluorene), poly(paraphenylene), polysilanes, derivatives thereof, mixtures thereof copolymers thereof, 1,2,3-tris{n-(4diphenylaminophenyl) phenylamino }benzene, phenylanthracene, tetraarylethene, coumarin, rubrene, tetraphenylbutadiene, anthracene, perylene, coronene, aluminum-(picolymethylketone)-bis{2,6-di(t-butyl)phenoxides}, scandium-(4-methoxy-picolymethylketone)-bis(acetylacetonate), aluminum-acetylacetonate, gallium-acetylacetonate, and indium-acetylacetonate.
3 more elements
A light-emitting device comprising:
- a flexible substantially transparent substrate having a first substrate surface and a second substrate surface, at least one of said substrate surface being coated with a graded-composition barrier coating comprising an inorganic and an organic material, a composition of which varies substantially continuously across a thickness thereof;
- an organic electroluminescent (“EL”) member which comprises an organic EL layer disposed between two electrodes and is disposed on said flexible substantially transparent substrate;
- a reflective layer disposed on said organic EL member opposite to said substrate;
- and
- a substantially transparent film having second graded-composition barrier coating disposed on said reflective layer opposite to said organic EL member;
- wherein said flexible substantially transparent substrate and said substantially transparent film comprise a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of polyethyleneteraphthalate, polyacrylates, polycarbonate, silicone, epoxy resins, silicone-funcationalized epoxy resins, polyester, polyimide, polyetherimide, polyethersulfone, polyethylenenapthalene, polynorbonene, and poly(cyclic olefins);
- said first and second graded-composition baffler coating material comprise a material independently selected from the group consisting of organic, inorganic, ceramic materials, and combinations thereof;
- and said organic EL layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of poly(n-vinylcarbazole), poly(alkylfluorene), poly(paraphenylene), polysilanes, derivatives thereof, mixtures thereof, copolymers thereof, 1,2,3-tris{n-(4-diphenylaminophenyl)phenylamino}benzene, phenylanthracene, tetraarylethene, coumarin, rubrene, tetraphenylbutadiene, anthracene, perylene, coronene, aluminum-(picolymethylketone)-bis{2,6-di(t-butyl)phenoxides}, scandium-(4-methoxy-picolymethylketone)-bis(acetylacetonate), aluminum-acetylacetonate, gallium-acetylacetonate, and indium-acetylacetonate.
5 more elements
A method for making a light-emitting device, said method comprising:
- providing a flexible substantially transparent substrate having a first substrate surface and a second substrate surface, at least one of said substrate surface being coated with a first graded-composition barrier coating comprising an inorganic and an organic material, a composition of which varies substantially continuously across a thickness thereof;
- and
- disposing an organic EL member which comprises an organic EL layer disposed between two electrodes on said flexible substantially flexible substrate.
A method for making a light-emitting device, said method comprising:
- providing a flexible substantially transparent substrate having a first substrate surface and a second substrate surface;
- depositing a first graded-composition barrier coating comprising an inorganic and an organic material on at least one of said substrate surface, a composition of said first barrier coating varying substantially continuously across a thickness thereof, said depositing being carried out by a method selected from the group consisting of plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition, radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition, expanding thermal-plasma chemical-vapor deposition, sputtering, reactive sputtering, electron-cyclotron-resonance plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition, and inductively-coupled plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition;
- disposing an organic EL member which comprises an organic EL layer disposed between two electrodes on said flexible substantially flexible substrate;
- and
- disposing a substantially transparent film that is coated with a second graded-composition barrier coating on said organic EL member, said second graded-composition barrier coating having a composition that varies substantially continuously across a thickness thereof and being deposited on said film by a method selected from the group consisting of plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition, radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition, expanding thermal-plasma chemical-vapor deposition, sputtering, reactive sputtering, electron-cyclotron-resonance plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition, and inductively-coupled plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition, and combinations thereof.
2 more elements
A method for making a light-emitting device, said method comprising:
- providing a flexible substantially transparent substrate having a first substrate surface and a second substrate surface;
- depositing a first graded-composition barrier coating comprising an inorganic and an organic material on at least one of said substrate surface, a composition of said first barrier coating varying substantially continuously across a thickness thereof, said depositing being carried out by a method selected from the group consisting of plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition, radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition, expanding thermal-plasma chemical-vapor deposition, sputtering, reactive sputtering, electron-cyclotron-resonance plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition, and inductively-coupled plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition;
- disposing an organic EL member which comprises an organic EL layer disposed between two electrodes on said flexible substantially flexible substrate;
- and
- disposing a substantially transparent film that is coated with a second graded-composition barrier coating on said organic EL member, said second graded-composition barrier coating having a composition that varies substantially continuously across a thickness thereof and being deposited on said film by a method selected from the group consisting of plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition, radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition, expanding thermal-plasma chemical-vapor deposition, sputtering, reactive sputtering, electron-cyclotron-resonance plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition, inductively-coupled plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition, and combinations thereof;
- wherein said depositing a first graded-composition barrier coating on at least one of said substrate surface is carried out such that at least a portion of a material of said coating penetrates into said substrate.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.