Silicon-based OLED thin film packaging method for improving structural stability
By setting an array of dovetail grooves on a silicon-based OLED substrate and preparing a multilayer encapsulation film, the problems of easy peeling and corrosion of TFE film layers were solved, enhancing structural stability and lifespan, and improving the encapsulation effect.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511126265.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-12
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-14
AI Technical Summary
In traditional silicon-based OLED thin-film encapsulation, the TFE film layer has poor structural stability and performance, especially in the photolithography process where it is susceptible to corrosion, leading to film peeling and performance degradation.
An array of dovetail grooves is fabricated on a substrate, and a multilayer encapsulation film, including an alumina film, a SiN film, and a nano-TiO film, is prepared by a combination of atomic layer deposition and chemical vapor deposition to form a stable coupling structure to enhance bonding strength and corrosion resistance.
It improves the bonding strength between the TFE film and the substrate, extends the device life, reduces the erosion of the film by the photolithography process, improves the stability and reliability of the thin film packaging structure, and reduces the yield loss caused by the module cutting process.
Smart Images
Figure CN120957575A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to OLED manufacturing, and more specifically to a silicon-based OLED thin film encapsulation method for improving structural stability. Background Technology
[0002] Traditional silicon-based OLED thin-film encapsulation technology involves directly fabricating a TFE film layer on the wafer substrate, forming an alternating inorganic / organic layered structure on the OLED device surface, thus creating a barrier against water and oxygen. However, when using the first encapsulation layer, this technology typically uses inorganic materials to avoid affecting the OLED's lifespan during the organic material preparation process. However, the high stress inherent in the first inorganic encapsulation layer often leads to TFE film peeling.
[0003] Atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology, due to its unique film formation method and dense film characteristics, has been increasingly applied in TFE thin-film encapsulation. A common ALD method can produce a 50nm encapsulation film of AlO₂. X It possesses excellent water and oxygen barrier properties, but due to the material AlO, it has limited water and oxygen barrier performance. X As an amphoteric oxide, TFE readily reacts with acids and alkalis, resulting in poor performance stability in practical applications. Especially in silicon-based OLEDs, the TFE film typically undergoes a TFE Pad Open process after fabrication. This process generally uses photolithography, and the chemicals used in this process (such as TMAH) can cause slight corrosion to the surface of the fabricated TFE film, thus deteriorating its performance. Summary of the Invention
[0004] (a) Technical problems to be solved
[0005] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a silicon-based OLED thin film encapsulation method to improve structural stability, which can effectively overcome the defects of poor structural stability and performance of TFE film in the prior art.
[0006] (II) Technical Solution
[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:
[0008] A method for encapsulating silicon-based OLED thin films to improve structural stability includes the following steps:
[0009] S1. An anode structure is fabricated on a substrate, and an array of dovetail grooves is fabricated on the substrate around the anode structure.
[0010] S2. Fabricate an OLED structure on the anode structure, and prepare a first encapsulation film layer on the surface of the substrate, the dovetail groove, the anode structure and the OLED structure to obtain a preliminary thin film encapsulation structure.
[0011] S3. Prepare a second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer on the surface of the first encapsulation film layer, so that the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer and the dovetail groove form a stable coupling structure.
[0012] S4. Prepare a third protective film layer on the surface of the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer, and finally obtain a complete thin film encapsulation structure with coupling structure and resistance to photolithography process solution erosion.
[0013] Preferably, the dovetail grooves are arranged in an array around the anode structure, and the dovetail grooves include grooves and protrusions between adjacent grooves.
[0014] Preferably, in step S2, a first encapsulation film layer is prepared on the surface of the substrate, the dovetail groove, the anode structure, and the OLED structure, including:
[0015] Atomic layer deposition technology was used to prepare the first encapsulation film layer on the surface of the substrate, dovetail groove, anode structure and OLED structure;
[0016] The first encapsulation film layer is an aluminum oxide film layer, and the thickness of the first encapsulation film layer is 20~150nm.
[0017] Preferably, the first encapsulation film layer grows along the surface of the substrate and wraps around the display area and the inner wall of the dovetail groove to extend the bonding surface area between the first encapsulation film layer and the substrate.
[0018] Preferably, in step S3, a second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer is prepared on the surface of the first encapsulation film layer, such that the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer forms a stable coupling structure with the dovetail groove, including:
[0019] A second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer is prepared on the surface of the first encapsulation film layer by means of chemical vapor deposition or a combination of chemical vapor deposition and IJP inkjet printing, so that the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer and the dovetail groove form a stable coupling structure.
[0020] The second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer is a stacked structure prepared by combining a SiN film layer prepared by chemical vapor deposition or a SiN film layer prepared by chemical vapor deposition with IJP inkjet printing. The thickness of the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer is 0.4~3μm.
[0021] Preferably, the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer fully fills the interior of the dovetail groove, forming a stable coupling structure with the groove of the dovetail groove.
[0022] Preferably, in step S4, a third protective film layer is prepared on the surface of the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer, comprising:
[0023] A third protective film layer is prepared on the surface of the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer using atomic layer deposition technology;
[0024] The third protective film is a nano-TiO film with a thickness of 1~5nm.
[0025] Preferably, the first encapsulation film layer, the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer, and the third protective film layer all cover the encapsulation area and the trench area.
[0026] (III) Beneficial Effects
[0027] Compared with the prior art, the silicon-based OLED thin film encapsulation method for improving structural stability provided by the present invention has the following beneficial effects:
[0028] 1) By setting an array of dovetail grooves on the silicon-based OLED display substrate, the bonding strength between the TFE film layer on the device surface and the substrate is increased by more than 100%, which solves the problem of easy peeling between the TFE film layer and the silicon-based OLED and enhances the structural strength of the TFE film layer.
[0029] 2) By setting an array of dovetail grooves on the silicon-based OLED display substrate, the side erosion path of the TFE film layer is extended by more than 50%, which can significantly increase the service life of silicon-based OLEDs by 40%.
[0030] 3) The third protective film layer has anti-corrosion properties, which can reduce the erosion and deterioration of the TFE film layer by the subsequent process solutions, and further improve the stability and reliability of the thin film encapsulation structure;
[0031] 4) This thin-film encapsulation structure can reduce yield loss by about 5% caused by TFE film cracking or local peeling due to module cutting process. Attached Figure Description
[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort.
[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the process of the present invention;
[0034] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of an array of dovetail grooves fabricated on a substrate around the anode structure in this invention.
[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the preliminary thin-film encapsulation structure in this invention;
[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the complete thin-film encapsulation structure in this invention;
[0037] Figure 5 In this invention Figure 4 A top-down view. Detailed Implementation
[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0039] The following describes the specific process of the silicon-based OLED thin-film encapsulation method for improving structural stability provided by this invention, using specific examples (e.g.) Figure 1 (as shown) and technical effects.
[0040] 1. An anode structure 20 is fabricated on a substrate 10, and an array of dovetail grooves 110 are fabricated on the substrate 10 around the anode structure 20 (e.g., Figure 2 (As shown).
[0041] like Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the dovetail grooves 110 are arranged in an array around the anode structure 20. The dovetail grooves 110 include grooves 101 and protrusions 102 between adjacent grooves 101.
[0042] II. An OLED structure 30 is fabricated on the anode structure 20, and a first encapsulation film layer 40 is prepared on the surfaces of the substrate 10, the dovetail groove 110, the anode structure 20, and the OLED structure 30 to obtain a preliminary thin-film encapsulation structure 310 (e.g., ...). Figure 3 (As shown).
[0043] A first encapsulation film layer 40 is prepared on the surfaces of the substrate 10, the dovetail groove 110, the anode structure 20, and the OLED structure 30, specifically including:
[0044] A first encapsulation film 40 is prepared on the surface of substrate 10, dovetail groove 110, anode structure 20 and OLED structure 30 using atomic layer deposition technology.
[0045] The first encapsulation film layer 40 is an aluminum oxide film layer, and the thickness of the first encapsulation film layer 40 is 50~100nm.
[0046] like Figure 3 As shown, the first encapsulation film layer 40 grows along the surface of the substrate 10 and wraps around the display area and the inner wall of the trench 101 of the dovetail groove 110 to extend the bonding surface area between the first encapsulation film layer 40 and the substrate 10.
[0047] Third, a second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer 50 is prepared on the surface of the first encapsulation film layer 40, so that the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer 50 and the dovetail groove 110 form a stable coupling structure (e.g., Figure 4 (As shown).
[0048] A second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer 50 is prepared on the surface of the first encapsulation film layer 40 by chemical vapor deposition or a combination of chemical vapor deposition and IJP inkjet printing, so that the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer 50 and the dovetail groove 110 form a stable coupling structure.
[0049] The second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer 50 is a stacked structure prepared by chemical vapor deposition of SiN film or by combining chemical vapor deposition of SiN film with IJP inkjet printing (preferably a stacked structure of SiN film / IJP / SiN film), and the thickness of the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer 50 is 1~3μm.
[0050] like Figure 4 As shown, the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer 50 fully fills the interior of the groove 101 of the dovetail groove 110, forming a stable coupling structure with the groove 101 of the dovetail groove 110.
[0051] Fourth, a third protective film layer 60 is prepared on the surface of the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer 50, ultimately obtaining a complete thin-film encapsulation structure 320 with a coupling structure and resistant to photolithography process solutions (e.g., ...). Figure 4 (As shown).
[0052] A third protective film layer 60 is prepared on the surface of the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer 50, specifically including:
[0053] A third protective film layer 60 is prepared on the surface of the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer 50 using atomic layer deposition technology;
[0054] The third protective film layer 60 is a nano-TiO film layer with a thickness of 3nm.
[0055] like Figure 4As shown, the first encapsulation film layer 40, the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer 50, and the third protective film layer 60 all cover the encapsulation region 210 and the trench region 120.
[0056] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions will not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.
Claims
1. A method for encapsulating silicon-based OLED thin films to improve structural stability, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1. An anode structure (20) is fabricated on a substrate (10), and an array of dovetail grooves (110) are fabricated on the substrate (10) around the anode structure (20). S2. An OLED structure (30) is fabricated on the anode structure (20), and a first encapsulation film layer (40) is prepared on the surface of the substrate (10), the dovetail groove (110), the anode structure (20) and the OLED structure (30) to obtain a preliminary thin film encapsulation structure (310). S3. A second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer (50) is prepared on the surface of the first encapsulation film layer (40), so that the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer (50) and the dovetail groove (110) form a stable coupling structure. S4. A third protective film layer (60) is prepared on the surface of the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer (50), and finally a complete thin film encapsulation structure (320) with coupling structure and resistant to photolithography process solution erosion is obtained.
2. The silicon-based OLED thin-film encapsulation method for improving structural stability according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dovetail groove (110) is arranged in an array around the anode structure (20), and the dovetail groove (110) includes a groove (101) and a protrusion (102) between adjacent grooves (101).
3. The silicon-based OLED thin-film encapsulation method for improving structural stability according to claim 1, characterized in that: In S2, a first encapsulation film layer (40) is prepared on the surface of the substrate (10), the dovetail groove (110), the anode structure (20), and the OLED structure (30), including: A first encapsulation film layer (40) is prepared on the surface of the substrate (10), dovetail groove (110), anode structure (20) and OLED structure (30) using atomic layer deposition technology. The first encapsulation film layer (40) is an aluminum oxide film layer, and the thickness of the first encapsulation film layer (40) is 20~150nm.
4. The silicon-based OLED thin-film encapsulation method for improving structural stability according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first encapsulation film layer (40) grows along the surface of the substrate (10) and wraps around the inner wall of the groove (101) of the display area and the dovetail groove (110) to extend the bonding surface area between the first encapsulation film layer (40) and the substrate (10).
5. The silicon-based OLED thin-film encapsulation method for improving structural stability according to claim 1, characterized in that: In S3, a second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer (50) is prepared on the surface of the first encapsulation film layer (40), such that the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer (50) and the dovetail groove (110) form a stable coupling structure, including: A second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer (50) is prepared on the surface of the first encapsulation film layer (40) by chemical vapor deposition or a combination of chemical vapor deposition and IJP inkjet printing, so that the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer (50) and the dovetail groove (110) form a stable coupling structure. The second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer (50) is a stacked structure prepared by using a SiN film layer prepared by chemical vapor deposition or by combining a SiN film layer prepared by chemical vapor deposition with IJP inkjet printing. The thickness of the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer (50) is 0.4~3μm.
6. The silicon-based OLED thin-film encapsulation method for improving structural stability according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer (50) fully fills the inside of the groove (101) of the dovetail groove (110), forming a stable coupling structure with the groove (101) of the dovetail groove (110).
7. The silicon-based OLED thin-film encapsulation method for improving structural stability according to claim 1, characterized in that: In S4, a third protective film layer (60) is prepared on the surface of the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer (50), including: A third protective film layer (60) is prepared on the surface of the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer (50) using atomic layer deposition technology. The third protective film (60) is a nano-TiO film with a thickness of 1~5nm.
8. The silicon-based OLED thin-film encapsulation method for improving structural stability according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first encapsulation film layer (40), the second hybrid encapsulation protective film layer (50) and the third protective film layer (60) all cover the encapsulation area (210) and the trench area (120).