Materials for forming nucleation-inhibiting coatings and devices incorporating same - Patents.com

Abstract

An optoelectronic device is provided. [Solution] An optoelectronic device includes a substrate, a first electrode, a semiconductive layer, a second electrode, a nucleation-inhibiting coating disposed on a first portion of the second electrode, and a conductive coating disposed on a second portion of the second electrode, wherein the nucleation-inhibiting coating is a compound of formula (I). JPEG2023018039000092.jpg5376

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 62 / 625,710, filed February 2, 2018, 62 / 625,722, filed February 2, 2018, and 62 / 770,360, filed November 21, 2018, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties for all purposes.

[0002] The following relates generally to materials for forming nucleation-inhibiting coatings for use in selectively depositing conductive coatings on surfaces. In particular, optoelectronic devices incorporating such nucleation-inhibiting coatings and conductive coatings are described. [Background technology]

[0003] An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) typically includes several layers of organic materials interposed between conductive thin-film electrodes, at least one of which is an electroluminescent layer. When a voltage is applied to the electrodes, holes are injected from the anode and electrons are injected from the cathode. The holes and electrons injected by the electrodes travel through the organic layers to reach the electroluminescent layer. When holes and electrons are in close proximity, they are attracted to each other by Coulomb forces. The holes and electrons can then combine to form a bound state called an exciton. The exciton may decay through a radiative recombination process, in which a photon is emitted. Alternatively, the exciton may decay through a non-radiative recombination process, in which no photon is emitted. It is noted that as used herein, internal quantum efficiency (IQE) is understood to be the fraction of all electron-hole pairs generated in the device that decay through a radiative recombination process.

[0004] The radiative recombination process can occur as a fluorescent or phosphorescent process, depending on the spin state of the electron-hole pair (i.e., the exciton). Specifically, the exciton formed by the electron-hole pair can be characterized as having a singlet or triplet spin state. In general, the radiative decay of a singlet exciton produces fluorescence, and the radiative decay of a triplet exciton produces phosphorescence.

[0005] More recently, other emission mechanisms for OLEDs have been proposed and investigated, including thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). Briefly, TADF emission occurs via the conversion of triplet excitons to singlet excitons via a thermal energy-assisted reverse intersystem crossing process, followed by radiative decay of the singlet excitons.

[0006] The external quantum efficiency (EQE) of an OLED device may refer to the ratio of charge carriers provided to the OLED device to the number of photons emitted by the device. For example, an EQE of 100% indicates that one photon is emitted for every electron injected into the device. As will be appreciated, the EQE of a device is generally substantially lower than the IQE of the device. The difference between the EQE and IQE can generally be attributed to many factors, such as the absorption and reflection of light caused by various components of the device.

[0007] OLED devices can usually be classified as "bottom-emitting" or "top-emitting" devices, depending on the relative direction from which light is emitted from the device. In bottom-emitting devices, the light generated as a result of the radiative recombination process is emitted in a direction toward the base substrate of the device, whereas in top-emitting devices, the light is emitted in a direction away from the base substrate. Thus, the electrode proximal to the base substrate is generally made to be optically transparent (e.g., substantially transparent or semi-transparent) in bottom-emitting devices, whereas the electrode distal to the base substrate is generally made to be optically transparent to reduce light attenuation in top-emitting devices. Depending on the particular device structure, either the anode or the cathode can function as the transparent electrode for top-emitting and bottom-emitting devices.

[0008] The OLED device may be a dual-sided light-emitting device configured to emit light in both directions relative to the base substrate. For example, a dual-sided light-emitting device may include a transparent anode and a transparent cathode such that light from each pixel is emitted in both directions. In another example, a dual-sided light-emitting display device may include a first set of pixels configured to emit light in one direction and a second set of pixels configured to emit light in the other direction such that a single electrode from each pixel is transparent.

[0009] In addition to the above device configurations, transparent or semi-transparent OLED devices can also be implemented, where the device includes a transparent portion that allows external light to pass through the device. For example, in a transparent OLED display device, a transparent portion may be provided in the non-emissive area between each adjacent pixel. In another example, a transparent OLED lighting panel can be formed by providing multiple transparent areas between the emissive areas of the panel. Transparent or semi-transparent OLED devices can be bottom-emitting, top-emitting, or dual-sided emitting devices.

[0010] Either the cathode or the anode can be selected as the transparent electrode, but a typical top-emission device includes a light-transmitting cathode. Materials commonly used to form a transparent cathode include transparent conductive oxides (TCOs), such as indium tin oxide (ITO) and zinc oxide (ZnO), as well as thin films formed by depositing thin layers of silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), or various metal alloys with compositions ranging from about 1:9 to about 9:1 by volume, such as magnesium silver (Mg:Ag) alloy and ytterbium silver (Yb:Ag) alloy. Multilayer cathodes including two or more layers of TCO and / or metal thin films can also be used.

[0011] Relatively small layer thicknesses, up to about tens of nanometers, especially for thin films, contribute to improved transparency and favorable optical properties (e.g., reduced microcavity effects) for use in OLEDs. However, a reduction in the thickness of the transparent electrode is accompanied by an increase in its sheet resistance. Electrodes with high sheet resistance are generally undesirable for use in OLEDs, since they cause a large current-resistance (IR) drop during device use, which negatively affects the performance and efficiency of the OLED. Although the IR drop can be compensated to some extent by increasing the power supply level, this is undesirable, since an increase in the power supply level of one pixel also increases the voltage supplied to other components to maintain proper operation of the device.

[0012] To reduce the power specifications of top-emission OLED devices, solutions have been proposed that form busbar structures or auxiliary electrodes in the device. For example, such auxiliary electrodes can be formed by depositing a conductive coating that is in electrical communication with the transparent electrode of the OLED device. Such auxiliary electrodes can allow current to flow more effectively to various regions of the device by reducing the sheet resistance and associated IR drop of the transparent electrode.

[0013] The auxiliary electrode is usually located in the OLED stack, which includes an anode, one or more organic layers, and a cathode. Since the auxiliary electrodes are provided on top of the mask, patterning of the auxiliary electrodes is conventionally achieved using a shadow mask with mask apertures through which a conductive coating is selectively deposited, for example, by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process. However, since the mask is typically a metal mask, it tends to warp during the high temperature deposition process, thereby distorting the mask apertures and the resulting deposition pattern. In addition, the mask is typically degraded by successive depositions, as the conductive coating adheres to the mask and obscures the mask features. As a result, such masks must be cleaned using time-consuming and expensive processes, or disposed of if the mask is deemed ineffective in generating the desired pattern. Thus, such processes become very expensive and complicated. Thus, the shadow mask process may not be commercially viable for mass production of OLED devices. Furthermore, since large metal masks are typically stretched during the shadow mask deposition process, the aspect ratio of features that can be generated using the shadow mask process is typically constrained by the shadowing effect and the mechanical (e.g., tensile) strength of the metal mask.

[0014] Another challenge in patterning a conductive coating on a surface through a shadow mask is that a particular pattern, if not all, may be realized using a single mask. Because each portion of the mask is physically supported, not all patterns are possible in a single processing step. For example, if a pattern specifies isolated features, a single mask processing step typically cannot be used to realize the desired pattern. Additionally, masks used to generate repeating structures that span the entire device surface (e.g., busbar structures or auxiliary electrodes) contain a large number of perforations or apertures formed on the mask. However, forming a large number of apertures on the mask can compromise the structural integrity of the mask, which can result in significant warping or deformation of the mask during processing, distorting the pattern of the deposited structure.

[0015] In addition to the above, when a common electrode having a substantially uniform thickness is provided as a top-emission cathode of an OLED display device, the optical performance of the device is not easily fine-tuned according to the emission spectrum associated with each subpixel. In a typical OLED display device, red, green, and blue subpixels are provided to form pixels of the display device. The top-emission electrode used in such an OLED display device is usually a common electrode that coats a plurality of pixels. For example, such a common electrode may be a relatively thin conductive layer having a substantially uniform thickness across the device. Although efforts have been made to adjust the optical microcavity effect associated with the color of each subpixel by varying the thickness of the organic layer disposed in different subpixels, such an approach may not provide a sufficient degree of adjustment of the optical microcavity effect, at least in some cases. Furthermore, such an approach may be difficult to implement in an OLED display production environment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] Some embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating shadow mask deposition of a nucleation-inhibiting coating according to one embodiment. [Figure 2A] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a microcontact transfer printing process for a nucleation-inhibiting coating, according to one embodiment. [Figure 2B] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a microcontact transfer printing process for a nucleation-inhibiting coating, according to one embodiment. [Figure 2C] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a microcontact transfer printing process for a nucleation-inhibiting coating, according to one embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating deposition of a conductive coating onto a patterning surface according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates a device manufactured according to one embodiment of the process. [Figure 5A] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for selectively depositing a conductive coating, according to one embodiment. [Figure 5B] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for selectively depositing a conductive coating, according to one embodiment. [Figure 5C] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for selectively depositing a conductive coating, according to one embodiment. [Figure 5D] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for selectively depositing a conductive coating according to another embodiment. [Figure 5E] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for selectively depositing a conductive coating according to another embodiment. [Figure 5F] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for selectively depositing a conductive coating according to another embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates an electroluminescent device according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating process steps according to one embodiment. [Figure 8A] FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of an open mask, according to an example. [Figure 8B] FIG. 13 is a top view of an open mask according to another example. [Figure 8C] FIG. 13 is a top view of an open mask according to yet another example. [Figure 8D] FIG. 13 is a top view of an open mask according to yet another example. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a top view of an OLED device according to one embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the OLED device of FIG. 14. [Figure 11] 4 is a cross-sectional view of an OLED device according to another embodiment. [Figure 12A] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a top view of a passive matrix OLED device according to one embodiment. [Figure 12B] FIG. 17B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the passive matrix OLED device of FIG. 17A. [Figure 12C] FIG. 17C is a schematic cross-sectional view of the passive matrix OLED device of FIG. 17B after encapsulation. [Figure 12D] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a comparative passive matrix OLED device. [Figure 13A] 1 illustrates a portion of an auxiliary electrode according to various embodiments. [Figure 13B] 1 illustrates a portion of an auxiliary electrode according to various embodiments. [Figure 13C] 1 illustrates a portion of an auxiliary electrode according to various embodiments. [Figure 13D] 1 illustrates a portion of an auxiliary electrode according to various embodiments. [Figure 14] 4 illustrates an auxiliary electrode pattern formed on an OLED device according to one embodiment. [Figure 15] 1 illustrates a portion of a device having a pixel arrangement according to one embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the device according to FIG. 15 along line AA. [Figure 17] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the device according to FIG. 15 along line BB. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional profile around the interface between a conductive coating and a nucleation-inhibiting coating, according to one embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional profile around an interface between a conductive coating and a nucleation-inhibiting coating according to another embodiment. [Figure 20A] FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional profile around the interface of a conductive coating, a nucleation-inhibiting coating, and a nucleation-promoting coating, according to one embodiment. [Figure 20B] FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional profile around the interface of a conductive coating, a nucleation-inhibiting coating, and a nucleation-promoting coating according to another embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 illustrates a cross-sectional profile around an interface between a conductive coating and a nucleation-inhibiting coating according to yet another embodiment. [Figure 22A]FIG. 13 illustrates a cross-sectional profile near the interface between a conductive coating and a nucleation-inhibiting coating according to yet another embodiment. [Figure 22B] FIG. 13 illustrates a cross-sectional profile near the interface between a conductive coating and a nucleation-inhibiting coating according to yet another embodiment. [Figure 22C] FIG. 13 illustrates a cross-sectional profile near the interface between a conductive coating and a nucleation-inhibiting coating according to yet another embodiment. [Figure 22D] FIG. 13 illustrates a cross-sectional profile near the interface between a conductive coating and a nucleation-inhibiting coating according to yet another embodiment. [Figure 23A] 1 illustrates a process for removing a nucleation-inhibiting coating after deposition of a conductive coating, according to one embodiment. [Figure 23B] 1 illustrates a process for removing a nucleation-inhibiting coating after deposition of a conductive coating, according to one embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional profile of an active matrix OLED device according to one embodiment. [Diagram 25] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional profile of an active matrix OLED device according to another embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional profile of an active matrix OLED device according to yet another embodiment. [Figure 27] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional profile of an active matrix OLED device according to yet another embodiment. [Figure 28A] FIG. 1 shows a transparent active matrix OLED device according to one embodiment. [Figure 28B] FIG. 28B shows a cross-sectional profile of the device according to FIG. 28A. [Figure 29A] FIG. 1 shows a transparent active matrix OLED device according to one embodiment. [Figure 29B] FIG. 29B shows a cross-sectional profile of a device according to one embodiment of FIG. 29A. [Figure 29C] FIG. 29B shows a cross-sectional profile of a device according to another embodiment of FIG. 29A. [Diagram 30] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating steps for manufacturing a device, according to one embodiment. [Figure 31A] 31A-31C are schematic diagrams illustrating various stages of device fabrication according to the embodiment of FIG. 30. [Figure 31B] 31A-31C are schematic diagrams illustrating various stages of device fabrication according to the embodiment of FIG. 30. [Figure 31C] 31A-31C are schematic diagrams illustrating various stages of device fabrication according to the embodiment of FIG. 30. [Figure 31D] 31A-31C are schematic diagrams illustrating various stages of device fabrication according to the embodiment of FIG. 30. [Diagram 32] 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross-section of an AMOLED device according to yet another embodiment. [Diagram 33] 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross-section of an AMOLED device according to yet another embodiment. [Diagram 34] 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross-section of an AMOLED device according to yet another embodiment. [Diagram 35] 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross-section of an AMOLED device according to yet another embodiment. [Diagram 36] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross-sectional profile of an AMOLED device according to one embodiment. [Figure 37] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the formation of a membrane nucleus. [Figure 38] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the relative energy states of adatoms. [Figure 39] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating various phenomena considered in the example simulation model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where deemed appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or similar components. Additionally, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments described herein. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the exemplary embodiments described herein may be practiced without some of those specific details. In other instances, certain methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the exemplary embodiments described herein.

[0018] In an aspect according to some embodiments, a method of depositing a conductive coating on a surface is provided. In some embodiments, the method is performed in association with a method of manufacturing an optoelectronic device. In some embodiments, the method is performed in association with a method of manufacturing another device. In some embodiments, the method includes depositing a nucleation-inhibiting coating on a first region of a substrate to create a patterned substrate. The patterned substrate includes a first region covered by the nucleation-inhibiting coating and a second region of the substrate that is exposed from the nucleation-inhibiting coating or is substantially absent or substantially uncovered by the nucleation-inhibiting coating. The method also includes treating the patterned substrate to deposit a conductive coating on the second region of the substrate. In some embodiments, the material of the conductive coating includes magnesium. In some embodiments, treating the patterned substrate includes treating both the nucleation-inhibiting coating and the second region of the substrate to deposit a conductive coating on the second region of the substrate, while the nucleation-inhibiting coating remains exposed from the conductive coating or is substantially absent or substantially uncovered by the conductive coating. In some embodiments, treating the patterned substrate includes performing evaporation or sublimation of a source material used to form the conductive coating, and exposing both the nucleation-inhibiting coating and a second region of the substrate to the evaporated source material.

[0019] As used herein, the term "nucleation-inhibiting" is used to refer to a coating or layer of a material having a surface that exhibits a relatively low affinity for the deposition of a conductive material such that the deposition of the conductive material on the surface is inhibited, while the term "nucleation-promoting" is used to refer to a coating or layer of a material having a surface that exhibits a relatively high affinity for the deposition of a conductive material on the surface such that the deposition of the conductive material on the surface is promoted. One measure of the nucleation-inhibiting or nucleation-promoting properties of a surface is the initial sticking probability of a surface of a conductive material such as magnesium. For example, a nucleation-inhibiting coating for magnesium can refer to a coating having a surface that exhibits a relatively low initial sticking probability for magnesium vapor such that the deposition of magnesium on the surface is inhibited, while a nucleation-promoting coating for magnesium can refer to a coating having a surface that exhibits a relatively high initial sticking probability for magnesium vapor such that the deposition of magnesium on the surface is promoted. As used herein, the terms "sticking probability" and "sticking coefficient" may be used interchangeably. Another measure of the nucleation-inhibiting or nucleation-promoting properties of a surface is the initial deposition rate of a conductive material, such as magnesium, on a surface relative to the initial deposition rate of the conductive material on another (reference) surface, both surfaces being exposed or exposed to an evaporative flux of the conductive material.

[0020] As used herein, the terms "evaporation" and "sublimation" are used interchangeably and generally refer to the conversion of a source material to a vapor (e.g., by heating) to form a target material in a solid state, e.g. This refers to a deposition process in which a metal is deposited onto a surface.

[0021] As used herein, a surface (or a particular area of ​​a surface) that is "substantially free" of material or "substantially uncovered" refers to the surface (or a particular area of ​​a surface) being substantially free of material. Specifically, with respect to conductive coatings, conductive materials such as metals, including magnesium, attenuate and / or absorb light, so one measure of the amount of conductive material on a surface is the light transmittance. Thus, a surface can be considered substantially free of conductive material if the light transmittance is greater than 90%, greater than 92%, greater than 95%, or greater than 98% in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Another measure of the amount of material on a surface is the coverage of the surface by the material, e.g., a surface can be considered substantially free of material if the coverage of the material is 10% or less, 8% or less, 5% or less, 3% or less, or 1% or less. Surface coverage can be assessed using imaging techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, or scanning electron microscopy.

[0022] Selective Deposition FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for depositing a nucleation-inhibiting coating 140 on a surface 102 of a substrate 100, according to one embodiment. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a source 120 containing a source material is heated under vacuum to evaporate or sublimate the source material. The source material includes or consists essentially of a material used to form the nucleation-inhibiting coating 140. The evaporated source material then travels toward the substrate 100 in a direction indicated by arrow 122. A shadow mask 110 having apertures or slits 112 is disposed in the path of the evaporated source material such that a portion of the flux traveling through the apertures 112 selectively impinges on an area of ​​the surface 102 of the substrate 100, thereby forming the nucleation-inhibiting coating 140 thereon.

[0023] 2A-2C illustrate a microcontact transfer printing process for depositing a nucleation-inhibiting coating onto a surface of a substrate, in one embodiment. Similar to the shadow mask process, the microcontact printing process can be used to selectively deposit a nucleation-inhibiting coating onto areas of the substrate surface.

[0024] 2A illustrates a first stage of a microcontact transfer printing process in which a stamp 210 including protrusions 212 is provided with a nucleation-inhibiting coating 240 on the surfaces of the protrusions 212. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the nucleation-inhibiting coating 240 can be deposited on the surfaces of the protrusions 212 using a variety of suitable processes.

[0025] 2B, the stamp 210 is then brought into proximity with the substrate 100 such that the nucleation-inhibiting coating 240 deposited on the surfaces of the protrusions 212 contacts the surface 102 of the substrate 100. When the nucleation-inhibiting coating 240 contacts the surface 102, the nucleation-inhibiting coating 240 adheres to the surface 102 of the substrate 100.

[0026] Thus, as the stamp 210 is moved away from the substrate 100, the nucleation-inhibiting coating 240 is effectively transferred onto the surface 102 of the substrate 100, as shown in FIG. 2C.

[0027] Once the nucleation-inhibiting coating has been deposited on the regions of the surface of the substrate, a conductive coating may be deposited on the remaining uncoated areas of the surface where no nucleation-inhibiting coating is present. With reference to Figure 3, a conductive coating source 410 is shown directing evaporated conductive material towards the surface 102 of the substrate 100. As shown in Figure 3, the conductive coating source 410 directs evaporated conductive material towards the coated or treated regions (i.e., the regions of the surface 102 on which the nucleation-inhibiting coating 140 has been deposited) and the uncoated or untreated regions of the surface 102. The evaporated conductive material can be directed to impinge on both the nucleation-inhibiting coating 140 and the uncoated surface 102 of the substrate 100. However, because the surface of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 140 exhibits a relatively small initial adhesion coefficient compared to the surface of the uncoated surface 102 of the substrate 100, the conductive coating 440 selectively deposits on the areas of the surface 102 where the nucleation-inhibiting coating 140 is not present. For example, the initial deposition rate of the evaporated conductive material on the uncoated areas of the surface 102 can be at least about 80 times or more, at least about 100 times or more, at least about 200 times or more, at least about 500 times or more, at least about 700 times or more, at least about 1000 times or more, at least about 1500 times or more, at least about 1700 times or more, or at least about 2000 times or more than the initial deposition rate of the evaporated conductive material on the surface of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 140. The conductive coating 440 can include, for example, pure magnesium or substantially pure magnesium.

[0028] Although shadow mask patterning and microcontact transfer printing processes have been illustrated and described, it will be understood that other processes can be used to selectively pattern a substrate by depositing a nucleation-inhibiting material. A variety of additive and subtractive processes of patterning a surface can be used to selectively deposit a nucleation-inhibiting coating. Examples of such processes include, but are not limited to, photolithography, printing (including ink or vapor jet printing and reel-to-reel printing), organic vapor phase deposition (OVPD), and laser-induced thermal imaging (LITI) patterning, and combinations thereof.

[0029] In some applications, it may be desirable to deposit a conductive coating having certain material properties on a substrate surface on which a conductive coating cannot be readily deposited. For example, pure or substantially pure magnesium typically cannot be readily deposited on some organic surfaces due to the low adhesion coefficient of magnesium on some organic surfaces. Thus, in some embodiments, the substrate surface is further treated by depositing a nucleation promoting coating thereon prior to depositing the conductive coating.

[0030] Based on findings and experimental observations, as further described herein, it is assumed that fullerenes and other nucleation promoting materials function as nucleation sites for the deposition of conductive coatings that include magnesium. For example, when magnesium is deposited on a fullerene-treated surface using an evaporation process, the fullerene molecules function as nucleation sites that promote the formation of stable nuclei for magnesium deposition. In some cases, less than a monolayer of fullerenes or other nucleation promoting materials can be provided on the treated surface to function as nucleation sites for magnesium deposition. As will be appreciated, treating a surface by depositing several monolayers of a nucleation promoting material can increase the number of nucleation sites, which in turn increases the initial attachment probability. Other examples of nucleation promoting materials include, but are not limited to, metals such as Ag and Yb, and metal oxides such as ITO (indium tin oxide) and IZO (indium zinc oxide).

[0031] It will be understood that the amount of fullerenes or other material deposited on a surface may be greater than or less than one monolayer. For example, a surface may be treated by depositing 0.1 monolayer, 1 monolayer, 10 monolayers, or more of a nucleation promoting or inhibiting material. As used herein, depositing one monolayer of material refers to an amount of material that will cover a desired area of ​​the surface with a monolayer of the constituent molecules or atoms of the material. Similarly, as used herein, depositing 0.1 monolayer of material refers to an amount of material that will cover 10% of a desired area of ​​the surface with a monolayer of the constituent molecules or atoms of the material. For example, the actual thickness of the deposited material may be non-uniform due to possible stacking or clustering of molecules or atoms. For example, depositing one monolayer of material may result in some areas of the surface not being covered with the material, while other areas of the surface are not. In some embodiments, the nucleation promotion coating may have a thickness of from about 1 nm to about 5 nm, or from about 1 nm to about 3 nm.

[0032] As used herein, the term "fullerene" refers to a material that includes carbon molecules. Examples of fullerene molecules include carbon cage molecules that include a three-dimensional framework that includes multiple carbon atoms that form a closed shell and can be spherical or hemispherical in shape. Fullerene molecules are C n where n is an integer corresponding to the number of carbon atoms in the carbon backbone of the fullerene molecule. Examples of fullerene molecules include C n where n is C 60 , C 70 , C 72 , C 74 , C 76 , C 78 , C 80 , C 82 , and C 84 Further examples of fullerene molecules include tubular or cylindrical carbon molecules, such as single-walled carbon nanotubes and multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

[0033] FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a device in which the nucleation promoting coating 160 is deposited prior to the deposition of the conductive coating 440. As shown in FIG. 4, the nucleation promoting coating 160 is deposited on the areas of the substrate 100 that are not covered by the nucleation inhibiting coating 140. Thus, when the conductive coating 440 is deposited, the conductive coating 440 forms preferentially over the nucleation promoting coating 160. For example, the initial deposition rate of the material of the conductive coating 440 on the surface of the nucleation promoting coating 160 can be at least about 80 times or more, at least about 100 times or more, at least about 200 times or more, at least about 500 times or more, at least about 700 times or more, at least about 1000 times or more, at least about 1500 times or more, at least about 1700 times or more, or at least about 2000 times or more than the initial deposition rate of the material on the surface of the nucleation inhibiting coating 140. In general, the nucleation promoting coating 160 can be deposited on the substrate 100 before or after the deposition of the nucleation inhibiting coating 140. A variety of processes for selectively depositing material on a surface can be used to deposit the nucleation enhancing coating 160, including, but not limited to, evaporation (including thermal evaporation and electron beam evaporation), photolithography, printing (including ink or vapor jet printing, reel-to-reel printing, and microcontact transfer printing), OVPD, LITI patterning, and combinations thereof.

[0034] 5A-5C illustrate a process for depositing a conductive coating on a surface of a substrate in one embodiment.

[0035] In FIG. 5A, the surface 102 of the substrate 100 is treated by depositing a nucleation-inhibiting coating 140 thereon. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, deposition is accomplished by evaporating a source material within a source 120 and directing the evaporated source material to the surface 102 for deposition thereon. The general direction in which the evaporated flux is directed to the surface 102 is indicated by arrow 122. As illustrated, deposition of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 140 can be performed with an open mask or without a mask, such that the nucleation-inhibiting coating 140 covers substantially the entire surface 102 to produce a treated surface 142. Alternatively, the nucleation-inhibiting coating 140 may be selectively deposited onto regions of the surface 102, for example, using the selective deposition techniques described above.

[0036] Although the nucleation-inhibiting coating 140 is shown as being deposited by evaporation, it will be understood that other deposition and surface coating techniques may be used, including, but not limited to, spin coating, dip coating, printing, spray coating, OVPD, LITI patterning, physical vapor deposition (PVD) (including sputtering), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and combinations thereof.

[0037] In FIG. 5B, the shadow mask 110 has a nucleation promoting coating on the treated surface 142. The mask 110 is used to selectively deposit a nucleation enhancing coating 160 on the treated surface 142. As shown, evaporated source material proceeding from a source 120 is directed through a mask 110 to the substrate 100. The mask includes apertures or slits 112 such that a portion of the evaporated source material incident on the mask 110 is prevented from proceeding through the mask 110, and another portion of the evaporated source material directed through the apertures 112 of the mask 110 selectively deposits on the treated surface 142 to form a nucleation enhancing coating 160. Thus, once deposition of the nucleation enhancing coating 160 is completed, a patterned surface 144 is produced.

[0038] FIG. 5C illustrates a step of depositing a conductive coating 440 on the patterning surface 144. The conductive coating 440 may include, for example, pure magnesium or substantially pure magnesium. As described further below, the material of the conductive coating 440 exhibits a relatively small initial adhesion coefficient relative to the nucleation-inhibiting coating 140 and a relatively high initial adhesion coefficient relative to the nucleation-promoting coating 160. Thus, deposition can be performed with an open mask or without a mask to selectively deposit the conductive coating 440 on the regions of the substrate 100 where the nucleation-promoting coating 160 is present. As shown in FIG. 5C, evaporated material of the conductive coating 440 incident on the surface of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 140 can be significantly or substantially prevented from depositing on the nucleation-inhibiting coating 140.

[0039] 5D-5F show a process for depositing a conductive coating on a surface of a substrate in another embodiment.

[0040] In Figure 5D, a nucleation promoting coating 160 is deposited on the surface 102 of the substrate 100. For example, the nucleation promoting coating 160 can be deposited by thermal evaporation, with or without an open mask. Alternatively, other deposition and surface coating techniques may be used, including, but not limited to, spin coating, dip coating, printing, spray coating, OVPD, LITI patterning, PVD (including sputtering), CVD, and combinations thereof.

[0041] In Figure 5E, nucleation-inhibiting coating 140 is selectively deposited over areas of nucleation-promoting coating 160 using shadow mask 110. Thus, once deposition of nucleation-inhibiting coating 140 is completed, a patterned surface is created. Then, in Figure 5F, conductive coating 440 is deposited over the patterned surface using an open mask deposition process or a mask-free deposition process such that conductive coating 440 is formed over exposed areas of nucleation-promoting coating 160.

[0042] In the aforementioned embodiments, it will be understood that the conductive coating 440 formed by the process can be used as an electrode or conductive structure of an electronic device. For example, the conductive coating 440 can be an anode or cathode of an organic optoelectronic device, such as an OLED device or an organic photovoltaic (OPV) device. Furthermore, the conductive coating 440 can also be used as an electrode of an optoelectronic device that includes quantum dots as an active layer material. For example, such a device can include an active layer disposed between a pair of electrodes, the active layer including quantum dots. The device can be, for example, an electroluminescent quantum dot display device, where light is emitted from the quantum dot active layer as a result of a current provided by the electrodes. The conductive coating 440 can be a bus bar or auxiliary electrode for any of the aforementioned devices.

[0043] It will thus be understood that the substrate 100 onto which the various coatings are deposited can include one or more additional organic and / or inorganic layers not specifically shown or described in the above embodiments. For example, in the case of an OLED device, the substrate 100 can include one or more The substrate 100 may include upper electrodes (e.g., anodes and / or cathodes), charge injection and / or transport layers, and electroluminescent layers. The substrate 100 may further include one or more transistors and other electronic components, such as resistors and capacitors, included in active matrix or passive matrix OLED devices. For example, the substrate 100 may include one or more top-gate thin film transistors (TFTs), one or more bottom-gate TFTs, and / or other TFT structures. The TFTs may be n-type TFTs or p-type TFTs. Examples of TFT structures include amorphous silicon (a-Si), indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), low temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS), and the like.

[0044] The substrate 100 may also include a base substrate for supporting the additional organic and / or inorganic layers identified above. For example, the base substrate may be a flexible or rigid substrate. The base substrate may include, for example, silicon, glass, metal, polymer (e.g., polyimide), sapphire, or other materials suitable for use as a base substrate.

[0045] Surface 102 of substrate 100 can be an organic surface or an inorganic surface. For example, if conductive coating 440 is for use as a cathode in an OLED device, surface 102 can be the top surface of a stack of organic layers (e.g., the surface of an electron injection layer). In another example, if conductive coating 440 is for use as an auxiliary electrode in a top-emission OLED device, surface 102 can be the top surface of an electrode (e.g., a common cathode). Alternatively, such an auxiliary electrode can be formed directly beneath a transparent electrode above the stack of organic layers.

[0046] 6 illustrates an electroluminescent (EL) device 600 according to one embodiment. The EL device 600 can be, for example, an OLED device or an electroluminescent quantum dot device. In one embodiment, the device 600 is an OLED device including a base substrate 616, an anode 614, a semiconducting layer 630, and a cathode 602. In the illustrated embodiment, the semiconducting layer 630 includes a hole injection layer 612, a hole transport layer 610, an electroluminescent layer 608, an electron transport layer 606, and an electron injection layer 604. Because the semiconducting layer 630 of an OLED device typically includes an organic semiconducting material, the semiconducting layer 630 may be interchangeably referred to herein as an organic layer.

[0047] The hole injection layer 612 may be formed using a hole injection material that generally facilitates injection of holes by the anode 614. The hole transport layer 610 may be formed using a hole transport material, which is generally a material that exhibits high hole mobility.

[0048] The electroluminescent layer 608 can be formed, for example, by doping a host material with an emitter material. The emitter material can be, for example, a fluorescent emitter, a phosphorescent emitter, or a TADF emitter. Multiple emitter materials can also be doped into a host material to form the electroluminescent layer 608.

[0049] The electron transport layer 606 may be formed using an electron transport material that generally exhibits high electron mobility. The electron injection layer 604 may be formed using an electron injection material that generally acts to facilitate the injection of electrons by the cathode 602.

[0050] It will be understood that the structure of device 600 may be varied by omitting or combining one or more layers. Specifically, one or more of hole injection layer 612, hole transport layer 610, electron transport layer 606, and electron injection layer 604 may be omitted from the device structure. One or more additional layers may be present in the device structure. Such additional layers may include, for example, hole blocking layers, electron blocking layers, and additional charge transport and / or injection layers. Each layer may further include any number of sublayers, and each layer and / or sublayer may include various mixtures and compositional gradients. It will also be understood that device 600 may include one or more layers that include inorganic and / or organometallic materials, and is not limited to devices composed solely of organic materials. For example, device 600 may include quantum dots.

[0051] The device 600 may be connected to a power source 620 for providing electrical current to the device 600 .

[0052] In another embodiment, in which device 600 is an EL quantum dot device, EL layer 608 generally includes quantum dots that emit light when an electric current is applied to them.

[0053] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram outlining the steps of fabricating an OLED device according to one embodiment. In 704, an organic layer is deposited on a target surface. For example, the target surface can be the surface of an anode deposited on a base substrate, which can include, for example, glass, polymer, and / or metal foil. As described above, the organic layer can include, for example, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an electroluminescent layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer. A nucleation-inhibiting coating is then deposited on the organic layer in step 706 using a selective deposition or patterning process. In step 708, a nucleation-promoting coating is selectively deposited on the nucleation-inhibiting coating to produce a patterned surface. For example, the nucleation-promoting coating and the nucleation-inhibiting coating can be selectively deposited by evaporation using a mask, a microcontact transfer printing process, photolithography, printing (including ink or vapor jet printing and reel-to-reel printing), OVPD, or LITI patterning. Then, in step 710, a conductive coating is deposited on the patterned surface using an open mask deposition process or a mask-free deposition process. The conductive coating can function as the cathode or another conductive structure in an OLED device.

[0054] In another embodiment, the deposition of the nucleation-inhibiting coating in step 706 can be performed with an open mask or without a mask. In yet another embodiment, the deposition of the nucleation-promoting coating in step 708 can be performed before the deposition of the nucleation-inhibiting coating in step 706. In yet another embodiment, the deposition of the nucleation-promoting coating in step 708 can be performed with an open mask or without a mask before the selective deposition of the nucleation-inhibiting coating in step 706.

[0055] For simplicity and clarity, details of the deposited material, including thickness and edge profiles, have been omitted from the process diagrams.

[0056] According to the above-described embodiments, a conductive coating may be selectively deposited on a target area using an open mask deposition process or a mask-free deposition process by using a nucleation-inhibiting coating or a combination of a nucleation-inhibiting coating and a nucleation-promoting coating.

[0057] It will also be appreciated that the open masks used in the deposition of any of the various layers or coatings, including conductive coatings, nucleation-inhibiting coatings, and nucleation-promoting coatings, can "mask" or prevent the deposition of material in certain areas of the substrate. However, unlike fine metal masks (FMMs), which are used to form relatively small features, with feature sizes of tens of microns or less, the feature sizes of an open mask generally correspond approximately to the size of the OLED device being fabricated. For example, the open mask can mask the edges of a display device during manufacturing, such that the open mask has an aperture that corresponds approximately to the size of the display device (e.g., about 1 inch for a microdisplay, about 4-6 inches for a mobile display, about 8-17 inches for a laptop or tablet display, etc.). For example, the size of the features of the open mask may be on the order of about 1 cm or more. Thus, the apertures formed in the open mask are typically sized to encompass multiple light emitting areas or pixels that together form the display device.

[0058] 8A shows an example of an open mask 1731 having or defining an aperture 1734 formed therein. In the illustrated example, the aperture 1734 of the mask 1731 is smaller than the size of the device 1721 such that when the mask 1731 is overlaid, the mask 1731 covers the edges of the device 1721. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, all or substantially all of the light emitting region or pixel 1723 of the device 1721 is exposed through the aperture 1734, while an unexposed region 1727 is formed between the outer edge 1725 of the device 1721 and the aperture 1734. As will be appreciated, electrical contacts or other device components may be located in the unexposed region 1727 such that these components remain unaffected throughout the open mask deposition process.

[0059] 8B shows another example of an open mask 1731 in which the apertures 1734 of the mask 1731 are smaller than those of FIG. 16B, such that when the mask 1731 is overlaid, it covers at least a portion of the emissive region or pixel 1723 of the device 1721. Specifically, the outermost pixel 1723′ is shown as being located within the non-exposed region 1727 of the device 1721 formed between the apertures 1734 of the mask 1731 and the outer edge 1725 of the device 1721.

[0060] 8C illustrates yet another example of an open mask 1731 in which apertures 1734 of the mask 1731 define a pattern that covers some pixels 1723′ while exposing other pixels 1723 of the device 1721. Specifically, pixels 1723′ located within unexposed regions 1727 (formed between apertures 1734 and outer edge 1725) of the device 1721 are masked during the deposition process to inhibit vapor flux from impinging on the unexposed regions 1727.

[0061] 8A-8C, the outermost pixels are shown as being masked, it will be understood that the apertures of the open mask may be shaped to mask other emissive and non-emissive regions of the device. Additionally, while the open mask is shown in the examples above as having one aperture, the open mask may also include additional apertures to expose multiple regions of the substrate or device.

[0062] 8D shows another example of an open mask 1731, where the mask 1731 has or defines multiple apertures 1734a-d. The apertures 1734a-d are positioned to selectively expose certain areas of the device 1721 while masking other areas. For example, certain light emitting areas or pixels 1723 are exposed through the apertures 1734a-d, while other pixels 1723' located within the non-exposed area 1727 are masked.

[0063] It will be appreciated that in the various embodiments described herein, the use of an open mask may be omitted, if desired. In particular, the open mask deposition processes described herein may alternatively be performed without the use of a mask, such that the entire target surface is exposed. You may do so.

[0064] At least some of the above embodiments are described with reference to various layers or coatings, including nucleation promoting coatings, nucleation inhibiting coatings, and conductive coatings, formed using an evaporation process. As will be appreciated, an evaporation process is a type of PVD process in which one or more source materials are evaporated or sublimated in a low pressure (such as vacuum) environment and deposited on a target surface by (de)sublimation of one or more evaporated source materials. It will be appreciated that a variety of different evaporation sources can be used to heat the source material, thereby allowing the source material to be heated in a variety of ways. For example, the source material may be heated by an electric filament, an electron beam, induction heating, or resistive heating. Additionally, such layers or coatings can be deposited and / or patterned using other suitable processes, including photolithography, printing, OVPD, LITI patterning, and combinations thereof. These processes can also be used in combination with shadow masks to achieve various patterns.

[0065] Although specific processes have been described with respect to evaporation for the purposes of depositing the nucleation promoting material, the nucleation inhibiting material, and the conductive coating, it will be understood that various other processes can be used to deposit these materials. For example, deposition can be performed using other PVD processes (including sputtering), CVD processes (including plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD)), or other suitable processes for depositing such materials. In some embodiments, the conductive coating is deposited by heating the source material to form the conductive coating using a resistive heater. In other embodiments, the conductive coating source material may be loaded into a heated crucible, a heated boat, a Knudsen cell (e.g., an effusion evaporation source), or any other type of evaporation source.

[0066] The deposition source material used to deposit the conductive coating may be a mixture or compound, and in some embodiments, at least one component of the mixture or compound is not deposited on the substrate during deposition (or is deposited in a relatively small amount, e.g., compared to magnesium). In some embodiments, the source material may be a copper-magnesium (Cu-Mg) mixture or a Cu-Mg compound. In some embodiments, the source material of the magnesium deposition source includes magnesium and a material with a lower vapor pressure than magnesium, e.g., Cu. In other embodiments, the source material of the magnesium deposition source is substantially pure magnesium. Specifically, substantially pure magnesium can exhibit substantially similar properties (e.g., initial adhesion probability of nucleation-inhibiting and -promoting coatings) compared to pure magnesium (magnesium with a purity of 99.99% or higher). For example, the initial adhesion probability of substantially pure magnesium on a nucleation-inhibiting coating may be within ±10% or ±5% of the initial adhesion probability of 99.99% pure magnesium on a nucleation-inhibiting coating. The purity of the magnesium may be about 95% or higher, about 98% or higher, about 99% or higher, or about 99.9% or higher. The deposition source material used to deposit the conductive coating may include other metals in place of or in combination with magnesium. For example, the source material may include high vapor pressure materials such as ytterbium (Yb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), or any combination thereof.

[0067] It will further be understood that the processes of the various embodiments can be performed on the surface of various other organic or inorganic materials used as electron injection layers, electron transport layers, electroluminescent layers, and / or pixel defining layers (PDLs) of organic optoelectronic devices. Examples of such materials include organic molecules as described in PCT Publication No. WO2012 / 016074, as well as organic polymers. It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that organic materials doped with various elements and / or inorganic compounds may still be considered organic materials. It will be further appreciated by those skilled in the art that a variety of organic materials may be used, and that the processes described herein are generally applicable to the full range of such organic materials.

[0068] It will also be understood that an inorganic substrate or surface can refer to a substrate or surface that includes primarily inorganic materials. For greater clarity, an inorganic material will be understood to be any material that is not generally considered to be an organic material. Examples of inorganic materials include metals, glasses, and minerals. Specifically, conductive coatings that include magnesium can be deposited on lithium fluoride (LiF), glass, and silicon (Si) surfaces using the process according to the present disclosure. Other surfaces to which the process according to the present disclosure can be applied include surfaces of silicon or silicone-based polymers, inorganic semiconductive materials, electron-injecting materials, salts, metals, and metal oxides.

[0069] It will be understood that the substrate may include a semiconducting material, such that the surface of such a substrate may be a semiconducting surface. Semiconducting materials can generally be described as materials that exhibit a band gap. For example, such a band gap may be formed between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO). Thus, semiconducting materials generally have a conductivity that is lower than that of conductive materials (e.g., metals) but higher than that of insulating materials (e.g., glass). It will be understood that the semiconducting material may be an organic semiconducting material or an inorganic semiconducting material.

[0070] Selective deposition of electrodes 9 and 10 show an OLED device 1500 according to one embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 9 shows a top view of the OLED device 1500, and FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of the structure of the OLED device 1500. In FIG. 9, the cathode 1550 is shown as a single monolithic or continuous structure having or defining a plurality of apertures or holes 1560 formed therein, which correspond to areas of the device 1500 where no cathode material was deposited. This is further shown in FIG. 10, which shows an OLED device 1500 including a base substrate 1510, an anode 1520, an organic layer 1530, a nucleation promoting coating 1540, a nucleation inhibiting coating 1570 selectively deposited on certain areas of the nucleation promoting coating 1540, and a cathode 1550 deposited on other areas of the nucleation promoting coating 1540 where the nucleation inhibiting coating 1570 is not present. More specifically, by selectively depositing the nucleation-inhibiting coating 1570 to cover certain areas of the surface of the nucleation-promoting coating 1540 during fabrication of the device 1500, the cathode material is selectively deposited on the exposed areas of the surface of the nucleation-promoting coating 1540 using an open mask deposition process or a mask-free deposition process. The transparency or transmittance of the OLED device 1500 can be adjusted or changed by varying various parameters of a given pattern, such as the average size of the holes 1560 and the density of the holes 1560 formed in the cathode 1550. Thus, the OLED device 1500 can be a substantially transparent OLED device, which allows at least a portion of the external light incident on the OLED device to be transmitted therethrough. For example, the OLED device 1500 can be a substantially transparent OLED lighting panel. Such an OLED lighting panel can be configured to emit light, for example, in one direction (e.g., toward or away from the base substrate 1510) or in both directions (e.g., toward and away from the base substrate 1510).

[0071] 11 shows an OLED device 1600 according to another embodiment in which a cathode 1650 covers substantially the entire device area. Specifically, the OLED device 1600 includes a base substrate 1610, an anode 1620, an organic layer 1630, a nucleation-promoting coating 1640, a cathode 1650, and a nucleation-inhibiting layer selectively deposited on certain areas of the cathode 1650. coating 1660, and an auxiliary electrode 1670 deposited on other areas of the cathode 1650 where the nucleation-inhibiting coating 1660 is not present.

[0072] The auxiliary electrode 1670 is electrically connected to the cathode 1650. It is desirable to deposit a relatively thin layer of the cathode 1650 to reduce optical interference (e.g., attenuation, reflection, diffusion, etc.) due to the presence of the cathode 1650, especially in top-emitting configurations. However, as the thickness of the cathode 1650 decreases, the sheet resistance of the cathode 1650 generally increases, which reduces the performance and efficiency of the OLED device 1600. By providing the auxiliary electrode 1670 electrically connected to the cathode 1650, the sheet resistance and therefore the IR drop associated with the cathode 1650 can be reduced. Furthermore, the auxiliary electrode 1670 can be selectively deposited to cover certain areas of the device area and leave other areas uncovered, thereby controlling and / or reducing optical interference due to the presence of the auxiliary electrode 1670.

[0073] Although the advantages of the auxiliary electrode have been described with reference to a top-emitting OLED device, it may also be advantageous to selectively deposit the auxiliary electrode on the cathode of a bottom-emitting or dual-sided OLED device. For example, the cathode may be formed as a relatively thick layer in a bottom-emitting OLED device without substantially affecting the optical properties of the device, but it may still be advantageous to form a relatively thin cathode. For example, in a transparent or semi-transparent display device, the layers of the entire device, including the cathode, may be formed to be substantially transparent or semi-transparent. It may therefore be beneficial to provide a patterned auxiliary electrode that is not easily detectable by the naked eye from a typical viewing distance. It will also be appreciated that the described process may be used to form a bus bar or auxiliary electrode to reduce the resistance of electrodes in devices other than OLED devices.

[0074] FIG. 12A illustrates a patterned cathode 1712 according to one embodiment, where the cathode 1712 includes a plurality of spaced apart elongated conductive strips. For example, the cathode 1712 may be used in a passive matrix OLED device (PMOLED) 1715. In a PMOLED device 1715, light-emitting regions or pixels are generally formed in areas where counter electrodes overlap. Thus, in the embodiment of FIG. 12A, light-emitting regions or pixels 1751 are formed in overlapping areas of the cathode 1712 and anode 1741, which include a plurality of spaced apart elongated conductive strips. Non-light-emitting regions 1755 are formed in areas where the cathode 1712 and anode 1741 do not overlap. Generally, the strips of the cathode 1712 and the strips of the anode 1741 are oriented substantially perpendicular to one another in the PMOLED device 1715, as shown. Cathode 1712 and anode 1741 may be connected to a power supply and associated drive circuitry for supplying electrical current to the respective electrodes.

[0075] FIG. 12B shows a cross-sectional view along line AA of FIG. 12A. In FIG. 12B, a base substrate 1702 is provided, which may be, for example, a transparent substrate. An anode 1741 is provided on the base substrate 1702 in the form of a strip, as shown in FIG. 12A. One or more organic layers 1761 are deposited on the anode 1741. For example, the organic layer 1761 may be provided as a common layer throughout the device and may include any number of layers of organic and / or inorganic materials as described herein, such as hole injection and transport layers, electroluminescent layers, and electron transport and injection layers. Certain regions of the top surface of the organic layer 1761 are shown as being covered by a nucleation-inhibiting coating 1771, which is used to selectively pattern the cathode 1712 according to the deposition process described above. The cathode 1712 and the anode 1741 may be connected to respective drive circuits (not shown) that control the emission of light from the pixel 1751.

[0076] The thickness of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 1771 and the cathode 1712 can vary depending on the desired application and performance, but in at least some embodiments, the thickness of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 1771 can be comparable to or substantially less than the thickness of the cathode 1712, as shown in Figure 12B. The use of a relatively thin nucleation-inhibiting coating to achieve patterning of the cathode can be particularly advantageous for flexible PMOLED devices, as it can provide a relatively flat surface onto which a barrier coating can be applied.

[0077] FIG. 12C shows the PMOLED device 1715 of FIG. 12B with a barrier coating 1775 applied over the cathode 1712 and the nucleation-inhibiting coating 1771. As will be appreciated, the barrier coating 1775 is generally provided to inhibit exposure of various device layers, including the organic layers and the cathode 1712, which may be susceptible to oxidation, to moisture and ambient air. For example, the barrier coating 1775 may be a thin film encapsulation formed by printing, CVD, sputtering, atomic layer deposition (ALD), any combination of the foregoing, or by any other suitable method. The barrier coating 1775 may be provided by laminating a preformed barrier film onto the device 1715 using an adhesive (not shown). For example, the barrier coating 1775 may be a multi-layer coating including organic materials, inorganic materials, or a combination of both. The barrier coating 1775 may further include a getter material and / or a desiccant.

[0078] For comparison, an example of a comparative PMOLED device 1719 is shown in FIG. 12D. In the comparative example of FIG. 12D, a plurality of pixel-defining structures 1783 are provided in non-emissive areas of the device 1719, so that when a conductive material is deposited using an open mask deposition process or a mask-free deposition process, the conductive material is deposited on both emissive areas located between adjacent pixel-defining structures 1783 to form the cathode 1712, and on top of the pixel-defining structures 1783 to form the conductive strips 1718. However, to ensure that each segment of the cathode 1712 is electrically isolated from the conductive strips 1718, the thickness or height of the pixel-defining structures 1783 is formed to be greater than the thickness of the cathode 1712. The pixel-defining structures 1783 may also have an undercut profile to further reduce the possibility of the cathode 1712 making electrical contact with the conductive strips 1718. A barrier coating 1775 is provided to cover the PMOLED device 1719 , including the cathode 1712 , the pixel defining structures 1783 , and the conductive strips 1718 .

[0079] In the comparative PMOLED device 1719 shown in FIG. 12D, the surface to which the barrier coating 1775 is applied is non-uniform due to the presence of the pixel defining structures 1783. This can make application of the barrier coating 1775 difficult and, even when applied, can result in relatively poor adhesion of the barrier coating 1775 to the underlying surface. Poor adhesion increases the likelihood of the barrier coating 1775 peeling off from the device 1719, especially if the device 1719 is flexed or bent. Furthermore, the non-uniform surface increases the likelihood of air pockets being trapped between the barrier coating 1775 and the underlying surface during the application procedure. The presence of air pockets and / or peeling of the barrier coating 1775 is highly undesirable as it can cause or contribute to defects and partial or total device failure. These factors are mitigated or reduced in the embodiment of FIG. 12C.

[0080] The patterned cathode 1712 shown in FIG. 12A can be used to form the cathode of an OLED device, although similar patterning or selective deposition techniques can be used to form the cathode of an OLED device. It will be understood that the auxiliary electrode may be used to form an auxiliary electrode for an OLED device. In particular, such an OLED device may include a common cathode and an auxiliary electrode deposited above or below the common cathode, such that the auxiliary electrode is in electrical communication with the common cathode. For example, such an auxiliary electrode may be implemented in an OLED device (e.g., an AMOLED device) that includes multiple light-emitting regions, whereby the auxiliary electrode is formed above the non-light-emitting regions but not above the light-emitting regions. In another example, the auxiliary electrode may be provided to cover the non-light-emitting regions as well as at least some of the light-emitting regions of the OLED device.

[0081] Selective deposition of auxiliary electrodes FIG. 13A illustrates a portion of an OLED device 1800 that includes a plurality of light-emitting regions 1810a-1810f and a non-light-emitting region 1820. For example, OLED device 1800 may be an AMOLED device, and each of light-emitting regions 1810a-1810f may correspond to a pixel or subpixel of such a device. For simplicity, FIGS. 13B-13D illustrate a portion of OLED device 1800. Specifically, FIGS. 13B-13D illustrate a region surrounding two adjacent light-emitting regions, first light-emitting region 1810a and second light-emitting region 1810b. Although not explicitly shown, a common cathode may be provided that substantially covers both the light-emitting and non-light-emitting regions of device 1800.

[0082] FIG. 13B illustrates an auxiliary electrode 1830 according to one embodiment, where the auxiliary electrode 1830 is disposed between two adjacent light-emitting regions 1810a and 1810b. The auxiliary electrode 1830 is electrically connected to a common cathode (not shown). Specifically, the auxiliary electrode 1830 is illustrated as having a width (α) that is smaller than the separation distance (d) between the adjacent light-emitting regions 1810a and 1810b, thereby creating non-emitting gap regions on either side of the auxiliary electrode 1830. Such an arrangement may be desirable, for example, in a device 1800 where the separation distance between the adjacent light-emitting regions 1810a and 1810b is sufficient to accommodate a sufficiently wide auxiliary electrode 1830, since the provision of the non-emitting gap regions can reduce the possibility that the auxiliary electrode 1830 will interfere with the light output of the device 1800. Moreover, such an arrangement may be particularly beneficial when the auxiliary electrode 1830 is relatively thick (e.g., greater than hundreds of nanometers or on the order of a few microns thick). For example, the ratio of the height or thickness of the auxiliary electrode 1830 to its width (i.e., the aspect ratio) can be about 0.05 or more, e.g., about 0.1 or more, about 0.2 or more, about 0.5 or more, about 0.8 or more, about 1 or more, or about 2 or more. For example, the height or thickness of the auxiliary electrode 1830 can be greater than about 50 nm, e.g., about 80 nm or more, about 100 nm or more, about 200 nm or more, about 500 nm or more, about 700 nm or more, about 1000 nm or more, about 1500 nm or more, about 1700 nm or more, or about 2000 nm or more.

[0083] 13C illustrates an auxiliary electrode 1832 according to another embodiment. The auxiliary electrode 1832 is electrically connected to a common cathode (not shown). As illustrated, the auxiliary electrode 1832 has a width substantially equal to the separation distance between two adjacent light-emitting regions 1810a and 1810b, such that the auxiliary electrode 1832 substantially completely occupies the entire non-light-emitting area provided between the adjacent light-emitting regions 1810a and 1810b. Such an arrangement may be desirable when the separation distance between the two adjacent light-emitting regions 1810a and 1810b is relatively small, such as in a high pixel density display device.

[0084] 13D illustrates an auxiliary electrode 1834 according to yet another embodiment. The auxiliary electrode 1834 is electrically connected to a common cathode (not shown). The auxiliary electrode 1834 is illustrated as having a width (α) that is greater than the separation distance (d) between two adjacent light-emitting regions 1810a and 1810b. Thus, a portion of the auxiliary electrode 1834 overlaps a portion of the first light-emitting region 1810a and a portion of the second light-emitting region 1810b. Such an arrangement may be used, for example, to eliminate the non-light-emitting region between the adjacent light-emitting regions 1810a and 1810b. 13D as overlapping the first light-emitting region 1810a to substantially the same extent as the second light-emitting region 1810b, the degree to which the auxiliary electrode 1834 overlaps an adjacent light-emitting region may be modulated in other embodiments. For example, in other embodiments, the auxiliary electrode 1834 may overlap the first light-emitting region 1810a to a greater extent than the second light-emitting region 1810b, or vice versa. Additionally, the profile of the overlap between the auxiliary electrode 1834 and the light-emitting region may also be varied. For example, the overlapping portion of the auxiliary electrode 1834 may be shaped such that the auxiliary electrode 1834 overlaps a portion of the light-emitting region to a greater extent than another portion of the same light-emitting region, creating a non-uniform overlap region.

[0085] 14 shows an embodiment in which auxiliary electrodes 2530 are formed as a grid over OLED device 2500. As shown, auxiliary electrodes 2530 are provided over non-emissive regions 2520 of device 2500, such that they do not substantially cover any portion of emissive regions 2510. For example, emissive regions 2510 can correspond to pixels or subpixels of OLED device 2500.

[0086] Although the auxiliary electrodes are shown in the embodiment of Figure 14 as being formed as a connected continuous structure, it will be appreciated that in some embodiments the auxiliary electrodes may be provided in the form of individual auxiliary electrode units where the individual auxiliary electrode units are not physically connected to one another. Even in such cases, however, the auxiliary electrode units may nevertheless be in electrical communication with one another via a common electrode. For example, providing individual auxiliary electrode units that are indirectly connected to one another via a common electrode may still substantially reduce the sheet resistance, thereby increasing the efficiency of an OLED device without substantially interfering with the optical properties of the device.

[0087] The auxiliary electrodes can be used in display devices with various pixel or sub-pixel arrangements. For example, the auxiliary electrodes can be provided on display devices using a diamond pixel arrangement. Examples of such pixel arrangements are shown in Figures 15 to 17.

[0088] 15 is a schematic diagram of an OLED device 2900 having a diamond pixel arrangement, according to one embodiment. The OLED device 2900 includes a plurality of pixel defining layers (PDLs) 2930 and light emitting regions 2912 (subpixels) disposed between adjacent PDLs 2930. The light emitting regions 2912 include a first subpixel 2912a, which may correspond, for example, to a green subpixel, a second subpixel 2912b, which may correspond, for example, to a blue subpixel, and a third subpixel 2912c, which may correspond, for example, to a red subpixel.

[0089] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of an OLED device 2900 along line AA shown in FIG. 15. As shown more clearly in FIG. 16, the device 2900 includes a substrate 2903 and a plurality of anode units 2921 formed on a surface of the base substrate 2903. The substrate 2903 may further include a plurality of transistors and a base substrate, which are omitted from the figure for simplicity. An organic layer 2915 is provided on top of each anode unit 2921 in the region between adjacent PDLs 2930, and a common cathode 2942 is provided on the organic layer 2915 and the PDL 2930 to form a first subpixel 2912a. The organic layer 2915 may include a plurality of organic and / or inorganic layers. For example, such layers may include a hole transport layer, a hole injection layer, an electroluminescent layer, an electron injection layer, and / or an electron transport layer. A nucleation-inhibiting coating 2945 is provided on an area of ​​the common cathode 2942 corresponding to the first subpixel 2912a, and an auxiliary electrode 2946 is provided on an uncovered area of ​​the common cathode 2942 corresponding to the substantially flat area of ​​the PDL 2930. 2951 is selectively deposited. Nucleation-inhibiting coating 2945 may also function as an index matching coating or outcoupling layer. A thin film encapsulation layer 2961 may optionally be provided to encapsulate device 2900.

[0090] FIG. 17 shows a schematic diagram of an OLED device 2900 along line BB shown in FIG. 15. The device 2900 includes a plurality of anode units 2921 formed on a surface of a substrate 2903 and an organic layer 2916 or 2917 disposed on each anode unit 2921 in the region between adjacent PDLs 2930. A common cathode 2942 is disposed on the organic layers 2916 and 2917 and the PDL 2930 to form a second subpixel 2912b and a third subpixel 2912c, respectively. A nucleation-inhibiting coating 2945 is disposed on the areas of the common cathode 2942 corresponding to the subpixels 2912b and 2912c, and an auxiliary electrode 2951 is selectively deposited on the uncovered areas of the common cathode 2942 corresponding to the substantially flat regions of the PDL 2930. The nucleation-inhibiting coating 2945 may also function as an index-matching coating. A thin film encapsulation layer 2961 may optionally be provided to encapsulate device 2900 .

[0091] In another aspect according to some embodiments, a device is provided. In some embodiments, the device is an optoelectronic device. In some embodiments, the device is another electronic device or other product. In some embodiments, the device includes a substrate, a nucleation-inhibiting coating, and a conductive coating. The nucleation-inhibiting coating covers a first region of the substrate. The conductive coating covers a second region of the substrate and overlaps the nucleation-inhibiting coating such that at least a portion of the nucleation-inhibiting coating is exposed from the conductive coating or is substantially absent or substantially not covered by the conductive coating. In some embodiments, the conductive coating includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the conductive coating covers the second region of the substrate and the second portion of the conductive coating overlaps a portion of the nucleation-inhibiting coating. In some embodiments, the second portion of the conductive coating is spaced from the nucleation-inhibiting coating by a gap. In some embodiments, the nucleation-inhibiting coating includes an organic material. In some embodiments, the first portion of the conductive coating and the second portion of the conductive coating are integrally or contiguously formed with each other to provide a single monolithic structure.

[0092] In another aspect according to some embodiments, a device is provided. In some embodiments, the device is an optoelectronic device. In some embodiments, the device is another electronic device or other product. In some embodiments, the device includes a substrate and a conductive coating. The substrate includes a first region and a second region. The conductive coating covers the second region of the substrate and overlaps the first region of the substrate such that at least a portion of the first region of the substrate is exposed from the conductive coating or is substantially free of or substantially uncovered by the conductive coating. In some embodiments, the conductive coating includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the conductive coating covers the second region of the substrate and the second portion of the conductive coating overlaps a portion of the first region of the substrate. In some embodiments, the second portion of the conductive coating is spaced from the first region of the substrate by a gap. In some embodiments, the first portion of the conductive coating and the second portion of the conductive coating are integrally formed with each other.

[0093] 18 illustrates a portion of a device according to one embodiment. The device includes a substrate 3410 having a surface 3417. A nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 covers a first region 3415 of the surface 3417 of the substrate 3410, and a conductive coating 3430 covers a second region 3412 of the surface 3417 of the substrate 3410. As shown in FIG. 18, the first region 3415 and second region 3412 are separate, non-overlapping regions of surface 3417 of substrate 3410. Conductive coating 3430 includes first portion 3432 and second portion 3434. As shown, first portion 3432 of conductive coating 3430 covers second region 3412 of substrate 3410, and second portion 3434 of conductive coating 3430 overlaps a portion of nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420. Specifically, second portion 3434 is shown overlapping a portion of nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 in a direction perpendicular (or normal) to the underlying substrate surface 3417.

[0094] In particular, when the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 is formed such that its surface 3422 exhibits a relatively low affinity or initial adhesion probability for the material used to form the conductive coating 3430, there is a gap 3441 formed between the overlapping second portion 3434 of the conductive coating 3430 and the surface 3422 of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420. Thus, the second portion 3434 of the conductive coating 3430 is not in direct physical contact with the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420, but is spaced from the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 by the gap 3441 along a direction perpendicular to the surface 3417 of the substrate 3410, as indicated by arrow 3490. Nevertheless, the first portion 3432 of the conductive coating 3430 may be in direct physical contact with the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 at the interface or boundary between the first region 3415 and the second region 3412 of the substrate 3410.

[0095] In some embodiments, the overlapping second portion 3434 of the conductive coating 3430 can extend laterally over the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 to the same extent as the thickness of the conductive coating 3430. For example, with reference to FIG. 18, the width w2 (or dimension along a direction parallel to the surface 3417 of the substrate 3410) of the second portion 3434 can correspond to the thickness t1 (or dimension along a direction perpendicular to the surface 3417 of the substrate 3410) of the first portion 3432 of the conductive coating 3430. For example, the ratio of w2:t1 can range from about 1:1 to about 1:3, from about 1:1 to about 1:1.5, or from about 1:1 to about 1:2. While the thickness t1 is generally relatively uniform across the conductive coating 3430, the extent to which the second portion 3434 overlaps the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 (i.e., w2) can vary to some extent across different portions of the surface 3417.

[0096] In another embodiment shown in FIG. 19, the conductive coating 3430 further includes a third portion 3436 disposed between the second portion 3434 and the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420. As shown, the second portion 3434 of the conductive coating 3430 extends laterally and is spaced apart from the third portion 3436 of the conductive coating 3430, which may be in direct physical contact with the surface 3422 of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420. The thickness t3 of the third portion 3436 may be less than, and in some cases substantially less than, the thickness t1 of the first portion 3432 of the conductive coating 3430. Additionally, in at least some embodiments, the width w3 of the third portion 3436 may be greater than the width w2 of the second portion 3434. Thus, the third portion 3436 may extend laterally to overlap the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 more than the second portion 3434. For example, the ratio of w3:t1 may range from about 1:2 to about 3:1 or from about 1:1.2 to about 2.5:1. Although the thickness t1 is generally relatively uniform across the conductive coating 3430, the degree to which the third portion 3436 overlaps with the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 (i.e., w3) may vary to some extent across different portions of the surface 3417. The thickness t3 of the third portion 3436 may be about 5% or less than the thickness t1 of the first portion 3432. For example, t3 may be about 4% or less, about 3% or less, about 2% or less, about 1% or less, or about 0.5% or less of t1. Instead of or in addition to the third portion 3436 as shown in FIG. 19, the material of the conductive coating 3430 formed as a thin film may form as islands or detached clusters in a portion of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420. For example, such islands or isolated clusters may include features that are physically separated from one another such that the islands or clusters are not formed as a continuous layer.

[0097] In yet another embodiment shown in FIG. 20A, the nucleation promoting coating 3451 is disposed between the substrate 3410 and the conductive coating 3430. Specifically, the nucleation promoting coating 3451 is disposed between a first portion 3432 of the conductive coating 3430 and a second region 3412 of the substrate 3410. The nucleation promoting coating 3451 is shown disposed on the second region 3412 of the substrate 3410, but not on the first region 3415 where the nucleation inhibiting coating 3420 is deposited. The nucleation promoting coating 3451 may be formed such that at the interface or boundary between the nucleation promoting coating 3451 and the conductive coating 3430, the surface of the nucleation promoting coating 3451 exhibits a relatively high affinity or initial adhesion probability for the material of the conductive coating 3430. Thus, the presence of the nucleation promoting coating 3451 may promote the formation and growth of the conductive coating 3430 during deposition. Various features of the conductive coating 3430 (including the dimensions of the first portion 3432 and the second portion 3434) and other coatings in FIG. 20A are similar to those described above with respect to FIGS. 18-19 and will not be repeated for the sake of brevity.

[0098] In yet another embodiment shown in Figure 20B, a nucleation promoting coating 3451 is disposed on both the first region 3415 and the second region 3412 of the substrate 3410, and a nucleation inhibiting coating 3420 covers a portion of the nucleation promoting coating 3451 disposed on the first region 3415. Another portion of the nucleation promoting coating 3451 is exposed from the nucleation inhibiting coating 3420 or is substantially absent or substantially uncovered by the nucleation inhibiting coating 3420, and a conductive coating 3430 covers the exposed portion of the nucleation promoting coating 3451. Various features of the conductive coating 3430 and other coatings of Figure 20B may be similar to those described above with respect to Figures 18-19 and will not be repeated for brevity.

[0099] 21 illustrates yet another embodiment in which the conductive coating 3430 overlaps a portion of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 in the third region 3419 of the substrate 3410. Specifically, in addition to the first portion 3432 and the second portion 3434, the conductive coating 3430 further includes a third portion 3480. As shown, the third portion 3480 of the conductive coating 3430 is disposed between the first portion 3432 and the second portion 3434 of the conductive coating 3430, and the third portion 3480 may be in direct physical contact with the surface 3422 of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420. In this regard, the overlap in the third region 3419 may be formed as a result of lateral growth of the conductive coating 3430 during an open mask deposition process or a mask-free deposition process. More specifically, the surface 3422 of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 may exhibit a relatively low initial adhesion probability to the material of the conductive coating 3430, such that as the conductive coating 3430 grows, the probability that material will nucleate on the surface 3422 is low; however, in thickness, the coating 3430 may also grow laterally and cover a portion of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420, as shown in FIG. 21 .

[0100] Details regarding specific features of the device and conductive coating 3430 have been omitted in the above description of the embodiment of Figures 20-21, but it will be understood that the descriptions of various features including the gap 3441, second portion 3434, and third portion 3436 of the conductive coating 3430 described with respect to Figures 18 and 19 apply to such embodiments as well.

[0101] FIG. 22A illustrates yet another embodiment in which a first region 3415 of a substrate 3410 is coated with a nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 and a second region 3412 adjacent the first region 3415 is coated with a conductive coating 3430.

[0102] It has been observed that, at least in some cases, performing open mask or mask-free deposition of a conductive coating 3430 on a substrate surface partially coated with a nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 can result in the formation of a conductive coating 3430 that exhibits a tapered cross-sectional profile at or near the interface between the conductive coating 3430 and the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420.

[0103] FIG. 22A illustrates an embodiment in which the tapered profile of the conductive coating 3430 reduces the thickness of the conductive coating 3430 at or near the interface between the conductive coating 3430 and the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420. Specifically, the thickness of the conductive coating 3430 at or near the interface is less than the average thickness of the conductive coating 3430. In the embodiment of FIG. 22A, the tapered profile of the conductive coating 3430 is shown as curved or arched, but in other embodiments, the profile may be substantially linear or non-linear. For example, the thickness of the conductive coating 3430 may decrease substantially linearly, exponentially, quadratically, or otherwise in the region near the interface.

[0104] In the nucleation stage of the thin film formation process, molecules from the gas phase condense on the surface of the substrate to form nuclei. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesized that the shape and size of these nuclei, as well as the subsequent growth of these nuclei into islands into a thin film, depend on many factors, such as the interfacial tension between the vapor, the substrate, and the condensed film nuclei. It is further hypothesized that during the nucleation and growth of the thin film at or near the interface between the exposed surface of the substrate and the nucleation-inhibiting coating, a relatively high contact angle between the edge of the film and the substrate is observed due to "dewetting" of the solid surface of the thin film by the nucleation-inhibiting coating. This dewetting characteristic is facilitated by the minimization of surface energies between the substrate, the thin film, the vapor, and the nucleation-inhibiting layer. It is therefore hypothesized that the presence of the nucleation-inhibiting coating and the properties of the nucleation-inhibiting coating have a significant impact on the nucleation and growth mode of the edge of the conductive coating.

[0105] It has been determined that the "contact angle" of the conductive coating 3430 at or near the interface between the conductive coating 3430 and the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 varies depending on the properties of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420, such as the relative affinity or initial adhesion probability. It is further contemplated that the contact angle of the nuclei may dictate the thin film contact angle of the conductive coating formed by deposition. For example, with reference to FIG. 22A, the contact angle θ c The contact angle can be determined by measuring the slope of a tangent to the conductive coating 3430 at or near the interface between the conductive coating 3430 and the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420. In other examples where the cross-sectional taper profile of the conductive coating 3430 is substantially linear, the contact angle can be determined by measuring the slope of the conductive coating 3430 at or near the interface. As will be appreciated, the contact angle is generally measured relative to the angle of the underlying surface. For simplicity, the embodiments provided herein are shown to show a coating deposited on a flat surface, however, it will be appreciated that the coating may be deposited on a non-flat surface.

[0106] In some embodiments, the contact angle of the conductive coating 3430 may be greater than about 90 degrees. Referring now to FIG. 22B, an embodiment in which the conductive coating 3430 includes a portion that extends beyond the interface between the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 and the conductive coating 3430 and is separated from the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 by a gap 3441 is shown. In such an embodiment, for example, the contact angle θ c may be greater than about 90 degrees.

[0107] In at least some applications, it may be particularly advantageous to form a conductive coating 3430 that exhibits a relatively high contact angle, such as a contact angle of greater than about 10 degrees, greater than about 15 degrees, greater than about 20 degrees, greater than about 25 degrees, greater than about 30 degrees, greater than about 35 degrees, greater than about 40 degrees, greater than about 50 degrees, greater than about 60 degrees, greater than about 70 degrees, greater than about 75 degrees, or greater than about 80 degrees. For example, a conductive coating 3430 having a relatively high contact angle may be particularly advantageous for creating finely patterned features while maintaining a relatively high aspect ratio. In some applications, it may be preferable to form a conductive coating 3430 that exhibits a contact angle of greater than about 90 degrees. For example, a contact angle of greater than about 90 degrees, greater than about 95 degrees, greater than about 100 degrees, greater than about 105 degrees, greater than about 110 degrees, greater than about 120 degrees, greater than about 130 degrees, greater than about 135 degrees, greater than about 140 degrees, greater than about 145 degrees, greater than about 150 degrees, or greater than about 160 degrees.

[0108] As discussed above, it is believed that the contact angle of the conductive coating is determined at least in part based on the properties (e.g., initial adhesion probability) of the nucleation-inhibiting coating disposed adjacent the area on which the conductive coating is formed. Thus, nucleation-inhibiting coating materials that enable the selective deposition of conductive coatings that exhibit relatively high contact angles may be particularly useful in certain applications.

[0109] Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is postulated that the relationship between the various interfacial tensions present during nucleation and growth is governed by the following equation, also known as Young's equation in capillarity theory: Gamma sv =γ fs +γ vf cosθ

[0110] In the formula, γ sv corresponds to the interfacial tension between the substrate and the vapor, and γ fs corresponds to the interfacial tension between the film and the substrate, and γ vf corresponds to the interfacial tension between the vapor and the film, and θ is the contact angle of the film core. Figure 37 shows the relationship between the various parameters expressed in Young's equation above.

[0111] Based on Young's equation, for island growth, the contact angle θ of the film nucleus is greater than zero, and therefore γ sv <γ fs +γ vf It can be derived that

[0112] For layer growth where the deposited film "wets" the substrate, the nucleation contact angle θ = 0, and therefore γ sv =γ fs +γ vf It is.

[0113] In the case of Stranski-Krastanov (SK) growth, the strain energy per unit area of ​​the abnormal growth of the film is large relative to the interfacial tension between the vapor and the film, γ sv >γ fs +γ vf It is.

[0114] The nucleation and growth mode of the conductive coating at the interface between the nucleation-inhibiting coating and the exposed substrate surface is assumed to follow an island growth model with θ>0. In particular, this is the case when the nucleation-inhibiting coating exhibits a relatively low affinity or low initial adhesion probability (i.e., dewetting) for the material used to form the conductive coating, resulting in a relatively high thin film contact angle of the conductive coating. Conversely, when the conductive coating is selectively deposited on a surface without the use of a nucleation-inhibiting coating, for example, by using a shadow mask, the nucleation and growth mode of the conductive coating may be different. In particular, it has been observed that the conductive coating formed using a shadow mask patterning process may, at least in some cases, exhibit a relatively low thin film contact angle of less than about 10 degrees.

[0115] Although not explicitly shown, it will be understood that the material used to form the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 may also be present to some extent at the interface between the conductive coating 3430 and the underlying surface (e.g., the surface of the nucleation promotion layer 3451 or substrate 3410). Such material may be deposited as a result of a shadowing effect, in which case the deposited pattern is not identical to that of the mask and the evaporated material may be deposited on the masked portions of the target surface. For example, such material may be formed as islands or isolated clusters, or as a thin film having a thickness substantially less than the average thickness of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420.

[0116] 22C and 22D illustrate yet another embodiment in which the conductive coating 3430 overlaps a portion of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 in a third region 3419 disposed between the first region 3415 and the second region 3412. As shown in the figures, the portion of the conductive coating that overlaps with a portion of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 can be in direct physical contact with the surface 3422 of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420. In this regard, the overlap in the third region 3419 can be formed as a result of lateral growth of the conductive coating 3430 during an open mask deposition process or a mask-free deposition process. More specifically, the surface 3422 of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 may exhibit a relatively low affinity or initial adhesion probability for the material of the conductive coating 3430, such that as the conductive coating 3430 grows, the probability that material will nucleate on the surface 3422 is low, but in thickness the coating 3430 may also grow laterally and cover a portion of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420.

[0117] As shown in the figures, in the cases of FIGS. 22C and 22D, the contact angle θ c can be measured at the edge of the conductive coating near the interface between the conductive coating 3430 and 3420 and the nucleation-inhibiting coating. With particular reference to FIG. 22D, the contact angle θc may be greater than about 90 degrees such that a portion of the conductive coating 3430 is separated from the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 by a gap 3441.

[0118] In some embodiments, the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 may be removed following deposition of the conductive coating 3430, thereby exposing at least a portion of the underlying surface covered by the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 in the embodiments of Figures 18-22D. For example, the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420 may be selectively removed by etching or dissolving the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3420, or by using plasma or solvent treatment techniques without substantially affecting or attacking the conductive coating 3430.

[0119] FIG. 23A shows a device 5901 according to one embodiment, which includes a substrate 5910 and a nucleation-inhibiting coating 5920 and a conductive coating 5915 (e.g., a magnesium coating) deposited on respective regions of a surface of the substrate 5910.

[0120] 23B shows device 5902 after nucleation-inhibiting coating 5920 present on device 5901 has been removed from the surface of substrate 5910 such that conductive coating 5915 remains on substrate 5910 and does not expose or cover areas of substrate 5910 that were covered by nucleation-inhibiting coating 5920. For example, nucleation-inhibiting coating 5920 of device 5901 may be removed by exposing substrate 5910 to a solvent or plasma that preferentially reacts and / or etches away nucleation-inhibiting coating 5920 without substantially affecting conductive coating 5915.

[0121] The device of some embodiments may be an electronic device, and more specifically, an optoelectronic device. An optoelectronic device can be an organic photovoltaic device. An optoelectronic device generally includes any device that converts an electrical signal into photons or vice versa. Thus, an organic optoelectronic device can include any optoelectronic device in which one or more active layers of the device are formed primarily of organic materials, more specifically organic semiconducting materials. Examples of organic optoelectronic devices include, but are not limited to, OLED devices and OPV devices.

[0122] It will also be appreciated that organic optoelectronic devices may be formed on various types of base substrates. For example, the base substrate may be a flexible or rigid substrate. The base substrate may include, for example, silicon, glass, metal, polymer (e.g., polyimide), sapphire, or other materials suitable for use as a base substrate.

[0123] It will also be appreciated that the various components of the device may be deposited using a wide variety of techniques, including evaporation, spin coating, line coating, printing, and a variety of other deposition techniques.

[0124] In some embodiments, the organic optoelectronic device is an OLED device, and the organic semiconductive layer comprises an electroluminescent layer. In some embodiments, the organic semiconductive layer can comprise additional layers, such as an electron injection layer, an electron transport layer, a hole transport layer, and / or a hole injection layer. For example, the OLED device can be an AMOLED device, a PMOLED device, or an OLED lighting panel or module. Furthermore, the optoelectronic device can be part of an electronic device. For example, the optoelectronic device can be an OLED display module of a computing device, such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or other electronic device, such as a monitor or television.

[0125] In some embodiments, the optoelectronic device is an OLED device, which generally includes an anode, an organic semiconducting layer, and a cathode.

[0126] Figures 24-27 show various embodiments of an active matrix OLED (AMOLED) display device. For simplicity, various details and properties of the conductive coating at or near the interface between the conductive coating and the nucleation-inhibiting coating described above with reference to Figures 18-22D have been omitted. However, it will be understood that the features described with reference to Figures 18-22D may also be applicable to the embodiments of Figures 24-27.

[0127] FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of an AMOLED device 3802 according to one embodiment.

[0128] The device 3802 includes a base substrate 3810 and a buffer layer 3812 deposited on a surface of the base substrate 3810. A thin film transistor (TFT) 3804 is then formed on the buffer layer 3812. Specifically, a semiconductive active region 3814 is formed on a portion of the buffer layer 3812, and a gate insulating layer 3816 is deposited to substantially cover the semiconductive active region 3814. A gate electrode 3818 is then formed on the gate insulating layer 3816, and an interlayer insulating layer 3820 is deposited. A source electrode 3824 and a drain electrode 3822 are formed to extend through openings formed in the interlayer insulating layer 3820 and the gate insulating layer 3816 and contact the semiconductive active layer 3814. An insulating layer 3842 is then formed on the TFT 3804. A first electrode 3844 is then formed on a portion of the insulating layer 3842. 24, the first electrode 3844 extends through the opening in the insulating layer 3842 so as to be in electrical communication with the drain electrode 3822. A pixel defining layer (PDL) 3846 is then formed to cover at least a portion of the first electrode 3844, including its outer edge. For example, the PDL 3846 may be formed of an insulating organic material or an insulating inorganic material. An organic layer 3848 is then deposited over the first electrode 3844, particularly in the regions between adjacent PDLs 3846. A second electrode 3850 is deposited to substantially cover both the organic layer 3848 and the PDL 3846. A surface of the second electrode 3850 is then substantially covered with a nucleation promoting coating 3852. For example, the nucleation promoting coating 3852 may be deposited using an open mask deposition or a mask-free deposition technique. A nucleation inhibiting coating 3854 is selectively deposited over a portion of the nucleation promoting coating 3852. For example, the nucleation inhibiting coating 3854 may be selectively deposited using a shadow mask. Thus, an auxiliary electrode 3856 is selectively deposited over the exposed surface of the nucleation promoting coating 3852 using an open mask deposition process or a mask-free deposition process. More specifically, by performing thermal deposition of the auxiliary electrode 3856 (e.g., comprising magnesium) using an open mask or using a mask, the auxiliary electrode 3856 is selectively deposited on the exposed surfaces of the nucleation promoting coating 3852, while the surface of the nucleation inhibiting coating 3854 remains substantially free of the material of the auxiliary electrode 3856.

[0129] 25 shows the structure of an AMOLED device 3902 according to another embodiment in which the nucleation promoting coating is omitted. For example, if the surface on which the auxiliary electrode is deposited has a relatively high initial sticking probability for the material of the auxiliary electrode, the nucleation promoting coating may be omitted. In other words, for a surface with a relatively high initial sticking probability, the nucleation promoting coating may be omitted and the conductive coating may still be deposited thereon. For simplicity, in the following description of the embodiment, specific details of the backplane, including those related to the TFT, are omitted.

[0130] In FIG. 25, an organic layer 3948 is deposited between the first electrode 3944 and the second electrode 3950. The organic layer 3948 may overlap a portion of the PDL 3946. A nucleation-inhibiting coating 3954 is deposited on a portion of the second electrode 3950 (e.g., corresponding to the light-emitting region), thereby providing a surface having a relatively low initial adhesion probability (e.g., a relatively low desorption energy) for the material used to form the auxiliary electrode 3956. Thus, the auxiliary electrode 3956 is selectively deposited on a portion of the second electrode 3950 exposed from the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3954. As will be appreciated, the auxiliary electrode 3956 is in electrical communication with the underlying second electrode 3950 to reduce the sheet resistance of the second electrode 3950. For example, the second electrode 3950 and the auxiliary electrode 3956 may comprise substantially the same material to ensure a high initial adhesion probability of the material of the auxiliary electrode 3956. Specifically, the second electrode 3950 can include substantially pure magnesium (Mg) or an alloy of magnesium with another metal, such as silver (Ag). For Mg:Ag alloys, the alloy composition can range from about 1:9 to about 9:1 by volume. In other examples, the second electrode 3950 can include a metal oxide, such as ITO and IZO, or a combination of a metal and a metal oxide. The auxiliary electrode 3956 can include substantially pure magnesium.

[0131] 26 shows the structure of an AMOLED device 4002 according to yet another embodiment. In the embodiment shown, an organic layer 4048 is deposited between a first electrode 4044 and a second electrode 4050 such that the organic layer 4048 overlaps a portion of the PDL 4046. A nucleation-inhibiting coating 4054 is deposited to substantially cover a surface of the second electrode 4050, and a nucleation-promoting coating 4052 is selectively deposited on a portion of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 4054. An auxiliary electrode 4056 is then formed on the nucleation-promoting coating 4052. Optionally, a capping layer 4058 may be deposited to cover the exposed surfaces of the nucleation-inhibiting coating 4054 and the auxiliary electrode 4056.

[0132] The auxiliary electrode 3856 or 4056 is the second electrode 3 in the embodiment of FIG. Although shown not to be in direct physical contact with the auxiliary electrode 3856 or 4050, it will be understood that the auxiliary electrode 3856 or 4056 and the second electrode 3850 or 4050 may nevertheless be in electrical communication. For example, even a relatively thin film (e.g., up to about 100 nm) of nucleation promoting or inhibiting material between the auxiliary electrode 3856 or 4056 and the second electrode 3850 or 4050 may reduce the sheet resistance of the second electrode 3850 or 4050 by passing a current therethrough.

[0133] 27 shows the structure of an AMOLED device 4102 according to yet another embodiment in which the interface between the nucleation-inhibiting coating 4154 and the auxiliary electrode 4156 is formed on the inclined surface created by the PDL 4146. The device 4102 includes an organic layer 4148 deposited between a first electrode 4144 and a second electrode 4150, with the nucleation-inhibiting coating 4154 deposited over a portion of the second electrode 4150 corresponding to the light-emitting area of ​​the device 4102. The auxiliary electrode 4156 is deposited over a portion of the second electrode 4150 exposed from the nucleation-inhibiting coating 4154.

[0134] 27 may further include a nucleation promoting coating disposed between the auxiliary electrode 4156 and the second electrode 4150. The nucleation promoting coating may be disposed between the nucleation inhibiting coating 4154 and the second electrode 4150, particularly if the nucleation promoting coating is deposited using an open mask or mask-free deposition process.

[0135] 28A illustrates a portion of an AMOLED device 4300 according to yet another embodiment, in which the AMOLED device 4300 includes a plurality of light-transmissive regions. As illustrated, the AMOLED device 4300 includes a plurality of pixels 4321 and an auxiliary electrode 4361 disposed between adjacent pixels 4321. Each pixel 4321 includes a subpixel region 4331 that further includes a plurality of subpixels 4333, 4335, 4337, and a light-transmissive region 4351. For example, subpixel 4333 may correspond to a red subpixel, subpixel 4335 may correspond to a green subpixel, and subpixel 4337 may correspond to a blue subpixel. As illustrated, the light-transmissive region 4351 is substantially transparent, allowing light to pass through the device 4300.

[0136] FIG. 28B shows a cross-sectional view of the device 4300 along line AA shown in FIG. 28A. Briefly, the device 4300 includes a base substrate 4310, a TFT 4308, an insulating layer 4342, and an anode 4344 formed on the insulating layer 4342 and in electrical communication with the TFT 4308. A first PDL 4346a and a second PDL 4346b are formed on the insulating layer 4342 and cover the edges of the anode 4344. One or more organic layers 4348 are deposited to cover the exposed areas of the anode 4344 and portions of the PDLs 4346a, 4346b. A cathode 4350 is then deposited on the one or more organic layers 4348. A nucleation-inhibiting coating 4354 is then deposited to cover portions of the device 4300 corresponding to the light-transmitting regions 4351 and the subpixel regions 4331. The entire surface of the device is then exposed to a magnesium vapor flux, selectively depositing magnesium on the uncoated areas of cathode 4350. In this way, an auxiliary electrode 4361 is formed in electrical contact with the underlying cathode 4350.

[0137] In device 4300, light transmissive region 4351 is substantially free of any material that may substantially affect the transmission of light therethrough. In particular, TFT 4308, anode 4344, and auxiliary electrode 4361 are all positioned within subpixel region 4331 such that these components do not attenuate the light or prevent it from passing through light transmissive region 4351. With this arrangement, a viewer looking at device 4300 from a typical viewing distance will see through device 4300 when the pixel is off or non-emitting. This allows for the creation of transparent AMOLED displays.

[0138] Although not shown, the AMOLED device 4300 of Figure 28B can further include a nucleation promoting coating disposed between the auxiliary electrode 4361 and the cathode 4350. A nucleation promoting coating may also be disposed between the nucleation inhibiting coating 4354 and the cathode 4350.

[0139] In other embodiments, various layers or coatings, including organic layer 4348 and cathode 4350, can cover a portion of light transmissive region 4351 if such layers or coatings are substantially transparent. Alternatively, PDLs 4346a, 4346b may not be present in light transmissive region 4351, if desired.

[0140] It will be appreciated that pixel and subpixel arrangements other than those shown in Figures 28A and 28B may be used and the auxiliary electrodes 4361 may be provided in other areas of the pixel. For example, the auxiliary electrodes 4361 may be provided in the area between the subpixel area 4331 and the light transmitting area 4351 and / or between adjacent subpixels, if desired.

[0141] 29A illustrates a portion of an AMOLED device 4300 according to an embodiment in which the AMOLED device 4300 includes a plurality of light-transmissive regions. As illustrated, the AMOLED device 4300 includes a plurality of pixels 4321. Each pixel 4321 includes a subpixel region 4331 that further includes a plurality of subpixels 4333, 4335, 4337, and a light-transmissive region 4351. For example, the subpixel 4333 may correspond to a red subpixel, the subpixel 4335 may correspond to a green subpixel, and the subpixel 4337 may correspond to a blue subpixel. As illustrated, the light-transmissive region 4351 is substantially transparent, allowing light to pass through the device 4300.

[0142] 29B shows a cross-sectional view of the device 4300 along line BB, according to one embodiment. The device 4300 includes a base substrate 4310, a TFT 4308, an insulating layer 4342, and an anode 4344 formed on the insulating layer 4342 and in electrical communication with the TFT 4308. A first PDL 4346a and a second PDL 4346b are formed on the insulating layer 4342 and cover the edges of the anode 4344. One or more organic layers 4348 are deposited to cover the exposed areas of the anode 4344 and portions of the PDLs 4346a, 4346b. A first conductive coating 4350 is then deposited on the one or more organic layers 4348. In the illustrated embodiment, the first conductive coating 4350 is disposed on both the subpixel regions 4331 and the light-transmitting regions 4351. In such an embodiment, the first conductive coating 4350 may be substantially transparent or light transmissive. For example, the thickness of the first conductive coating 4350 may be relatively thin such that the presence of the first conductive coating 4350 does not substantially attenuate the transmission of light through the light transmissive regions 4351. The first conductive coating 4350 may be deposited, for example, using an open mask deposition process or a mask-free deposition process. A nucleation-inhibiting coating 4362 is then deposited to cover the portion of the device 4300 corresponding to the light transmissive regions 4351. The entire device surface is then exposed to a vapor flux of a material to form the second conductive coating 4352, thereby selectively depositing the second conductive coating 4352 on the uncoated regions of the first conductive coating 4350. Specifically, the second conductive coating 4352 is disposed over a portion of the device 4300 corresponding to the subpixel regions 4331. Thus, the cathode of device 4300 is formed by the combination of first conductive coating 4350 and second conductive coating 4352 .

[0143] In some embodiments, the thickness of the first conductive coating 4350 is less than the thickness of the second conductive coating 4352. In this manner, a relatively high light transmittance can be maintained in the light transmitting region 4351. For example, the thickness of the first conductive coating 4350 may be, for example, less than about 30 nm, less than about 25 nm, less than about 20 nm, less than about 15 nm, less than about 10 nm, less than about 8 nm, or less than about 5 nm, and the thickness of the second conductive coating 4352 may be, for example, less than about 30 nm, less than about 25 nm, less than about 20 nm, less than about 15 nm, less than about 10 nm, or less than about 8 nm. In other embodiments, the thickness of the first conductive coating 4350 is greater than the thickness of the second conductive coating 4352. In yet another embodiment, the thickness of the first conductive coating 4350 and the thickness of the second conductive coating 4352 may be substantially the same.

[0144] The materials that may be used to form first conductive coating 4350 and second conductive coating 4352 may be substantially the same as those used to form first conductive coating 1371 and second conductive coating 1372, respectively. Because such materials are described above in connection with other embodiments, a description of these materials has been omitted for the sake of brevity.

[0145] In device 4300, light transmissive region 4351 is substantially free of any material that may substantially affect the transmission of light therethrough. In particular, TFT 4308, anode 4344, and auxiliary electrode are all positioned within subpixel region 4331 such that these components do not attenuate the light or prevent it from transmitting through light transmissive region 4351. Such an arrangement allows a viewer looking at device 4300 from a typical viewing distance to see through device 4300 when the pixel is off or non-emissive, thereby creating a transparent AMOLED display.

[0146] In some embodiments, an electrode of an AMOLED device may be patterned. For example, a conductive coating selectively deposited using the processes described above in various embodiments can function as an electrode (e.g., a cathode) of an AMOLED device.

[0147] Thus, in one embodiment, a light-emitting optoelectronic device is provided, the device including a light-emitting region and a non-light-emitting region, a nucleation-inhibiting coating disposed on at least a portion of the non-light-emitting region, and a conductive coating disposed on the light-emitting region. In a further embodiment, the light-emitting region includes a first electrode, a semiconductive layer disposed on the first electrode, and a conductive coating disposed on the semiconductive layer. In this manner, for example, the first electrode can function as the anode and the conductive coating can function as the cathode of the optoelectronic device. In such an embodiment, a surface of the nucleation-inhibiting coating in the non-light-emitting region can be substantially free of the conductive coating or exposed from the conductive coating. In a further embodiment, a nucleation-promoting coating can be disposed between the semiconductive layer and the conductive coating. It will be understood that the light-emitting optoelectronic device can be an AMOLED device and can further include other layers, coatings, and components (including but not limited to TFTs, encapsulation, etc.) described herein in connection with such devices. For example, a conductive coating disposed in a light emitting region can have a thickness of less than about 40 nm, such as from about 5 nm to about 30 nm, from about 10 nm to about 25 nm, or from about 15 nm to about 25 nm. In some examples, a non-light emitting region can include a light transmissive region.

[0148] FIG. 29C illustrates a cross-sectional view of a device 4300′ according to one embodiment, in which a first conductive coating 4350′ is selectively disposed in subpixel regions 4331, and light transmissive regions 4351 are transparent to the material used to form first conductive coating 4350′. Qualitatively absent or exposed from the material. For example, during fabrication of device 4300', nucleation-inhibiting coating 4362 may be deposited on light-transmitting regions 4351 prior to depositing first conductive coating 4350'. In this manner, first conductive coating 4350' may be selectively deposited on subpixel regions 4331 using an open mask deposition process or a mask-free deposition process. As discussed above, materials used to form first conductive coating 4350' generally exhibit a relatively low affinity (e.g., low initial adhesion probability) for deposition on the surface of nucleation-inhibiting coating 4362. For example, first conductive coating 4350' may include high vapor pressure materials such as ytterbium (Yb), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and magnesium (Mg). In some embodiments, first conductive coating 4350' may include pure magnesium or substantially pure magnesium. By providing light transmitting regions 4351 that are absent or substantially absent of first conductive coating 4350', the light transmittance of such regions may be advantageously increased in some cases, for example, as compared to device 4300 of Figure 29B. In some embodiments, a nucleation promotion coating may be disposed at the interface between first conductive coating 4350' and semiconductive layer 4348.

[0149] Although not shown, the AMOLED device 4300 of Figure 29B and the AMOLED device 4300' of Figure 29C, respectively, may further include a nucleation promoting coating disposed between the first conductive coating 4350 or 4350' and the underlying surface (e.g., organic layer 4348). Such a nucleation promoting coating may also be disposed between the nucleation inhibiting coating 4362 and the underlying surface (e.g., PDL 4346a-b).

[0150] In some embodiments, nucleation-inhibiting coating 4362 may be formed simultaneously with at least one of the organic layers 4348. For example, materials for forming nucleation-inhibiting coating 4362 may be used to form at least one of the organic layers 4348. In this manner, the number of steps for manufacturing device 4300 or 4300′ may be reduced.

[0151] In some embodiments, additional conductive coatings, including the second conductive coating and the third conductive coating, described in connection with other embodiments above, may also be provided on the subpixels 4333, 4335, and 4337. Furthermore, in some embodiments, auxiliary electrodes may also be provided in non-emissive regions of the device 4300, 4300'. For example, such auxiliary electrodes may be provided in regions between adjacent pixels 4321 so as not to substantially affect the light transmittance in the subpixel region 4331 or the light-transmitting region 4351. Auxiliary electrodes may be provided in regions between the subpixel region 4331 and the light-transmitting region 4351 and / or may be provided between adjacent subpixels, as required. For example, referring to the embodiment of FIG. 29B, an additional nucleation-inhibiting coating may be deposited on a portion of the second conductive coating 4352 corresponding to the subpixel 4333 region, with the portion corresponding to the non-emissive region remaining uncovered or exposed. In this manner, an open-mask or mask-free deposition of conductive material may be performed to result in auxiliary electrodes being formed over the non-emissive regions of the device 4300.

[0152] In some embodiments, various layers or coatings, including organic layer 4348, can cover a portion of light transmissive region 4351 if such layers or coatings are substantially transparent. Alternatively, PDLs 4346a, 4346b can be omitted from light transmissive region 4351, if desired.

[0153] It will be appreciated that pixel and sub-pixel arrangements other than those shown in Figures 29A, 29B, and 29C can be used.

[0154] In the foregoing embodiments, the nucleation-inhibiting coating, in addition to inhibiting nucleation and deposition of conductive material (e.g., magnesium) thereon, may act to enhance light extraction from the device. Specifically, the nucleation-inhibiting coating may function as an index-matching coating, a capping layer (CPL), and / or an anti-reflective coating.

[0155] A barrier coating (not shown) can be provided to encapsulate the device shown in the above embodiment showing an AMOLED display device. As will be appreciated, such a barrier coating may inhibit exposure of various device layers, including the organic layers and the cathode, which may be susceptible to oxidation, to moisture and ambient air. For example, the barrier coating may be a thin film encapsulation formed by printing, CVD, sputtering, ALD, any combination of the foregoing, or by any other suitable method. The barrier coating may be provided by laminating a pre-formed barrier film onto the device using an adhesive. For example, the barrier coating may be a multi-layer coating including organic materials, inorganic materials, or a combination of both. In some embodiments, the barrier coating may further include a getter material and / or a desiccant.

[0156] The sheet resistance specification of the common electrode of an AMOLED display device can vary according to the size (e.g., panel size) and voltage variation tolerance of the display device. Generally, the sheet resistance specification increases (e.g., lower sheet resistance is specified) as the panel size increases and the tolerance of voltage variation across the panel decreases.

[0157] The sheet resistance specification and associated thickness of the auxiliary electrode for compliance with the specification according to one embodiment are calculated for various panel sizes. The sheet resistance and thickness of the auxiliary electrode are calculated for a voltage tolerance range of 0.1 V and 0.2 V. For the calculation, an aperture ratio of 0.64 is assumed for all display panel sizes.

[0158] The specified thicknesses of the auxiliary electrodes for example panel sizes are summarized in Table 2 below. [Table 2]

[0159] As will be appreciated, the various layers and portions of the backplane, including thin film transistors (TFTs) (e.g., TFT 3804 shown in FIG. 24), may be fabricated using a variety of suitable materials and processes. For example, TFTs can be fabricated using organic or inorganic materials that can be deposited and / or processed using techniques such as CVD, PECVD, laser annealing, and PVD (including sputtering). As will be appreciated, such layers can be patterned using photolithography, which uses a photomask to expose selected portions of photoresist that covers the underlying device layers to UV light. Depending on the type of photoresist used, the exposed or unexposed portions of the photomask can be washed away to reveal the desired portions of the underlying device layer. The patterned surface can then be chemically or physically etched to effectively remove the exposed portions of the device layer.

[0160] Furthermore, while a top-gate TFT has been illustrated and described in the above specific embodiments, it will be understood that other TFT structures may be used. For example, the TFT may be a bottom-gate TFT. The TFT may be an n-type TFT or a p-type TFT. Examples of TFT structures include structures utilizing amorphous silicon (a-Si), indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), and low temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS).

[0161] The various layers and portions of the front plane, including the electrodes, one or more organic layers, pixel definition layers, and capping layers, can be deposited using any suitable deposition process, including thermal evaporation and / or printing. For example, when depositing such materials, shadow masks can be appropriately used to generate the desired patterns, and it will be appreciated that various etching and selective deposition processes can also be used to pattern the various layers. Examples of such methods include, but are not limited to, photolithography, printing (including ink or vapor jet printing and reel-to-reel printing), OVPD, and LITI patterning.

[0162] Selective deposition of conductive coatings onto light-emitting areas In one aspect, a method of selectively depositing a conductive coating on one or more light-emitting regions is provided. In some embodiments, the method includes depositing a first conductive coating on a substrate. The substrate may include a first light-emitting region and a second light-emitting region. The first conductive coating deposited on the substrate may include a first portion that coats the first light-emitting region of the substrate and a second portion that coats the second light-emitting region of the substrate. The method may further include depositing a first nucleation-inhibiting coating on the first portion of the first conductive coating, and then depositing a second conductive coating on the second portion of the first conductive coating.

[0163] Figure 30 is a flow diagram outlining the stages of manufacturing a device according to one embodiment, and Figures 31A-31D are schematic diagrams showing the device at each stage of the process.

[0164] As shown in Figure 31A, a substrate 3102 is provided. The substrate 3102 includes a first light emitting region 3112 and a second light emitting region 3114. The substrate 3102 may further include one or more non-light emitting regions 3121a-3121c. For example, the first light emitting region 3112 and the second light emitting region 3114 may correspond to pixel regions or sub-pixel regions of an electroluminescent device.

[0165] In stage 12, a first conductive coating 3131 is deposited on the substrate. As shown in FIG. 31B, the first conductive coating 3131 is deposited to coat the first light emitting region 3112, the second light emitting region 3114, and the non-light emitting regions 3121a-3121c. The first conductive coating 3131 includes a first portion 3132 corresponding to the portion coating the first light emitting region 3112, and a second portion 3133 corresponding to the portion coating the second light emitting region 3114. For example, the first conductive coating 3131 may be deposited by evaporation, including thermal evaporation and electron beam evaporation. In some embodiments, the first conductive coating 3131 may be deposited using an open mask or without a mask (i.e., mask-free). The first conductive coating 3131 may be deposited by any method, including sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, printing (including ink or vapor jet printing, reel-to-reel printing, and microcontact transfer printing), OVPD, L, or other methods. Other methods can also be used for deposition, including but not limited to, ITI, and combinations thereof.

[0166] In stage 14, a first nucleation-inhibiting coating 3141 is selectively deposited over a portion of the first conductive coating 3131. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 31C, the first nucleation-inhibiting coating 3141 is deposited to coat a first portion 3132 of the first conductive coating 3131 corresponding to the first light-emitting region 3112. In such an embodiment, a second portion 3133 of the first conductive coating 3131 disposed over the second light-emitting region 3114 is substantially free of or exposed from the first nucleation-inhibiting coating 3141. In some embodiments, the first nucleation-inhibiting coating 3141 can also optionally coat portions of the first conductive coating 3131 deposited over one or more non-light-emitting regions. For example, the first nucleation-inhibiting coating 3141 may optionally coat portions of the first conductive coating 3131 deposited over one or more non-emissive regions adjacent the first emissive region 3112, such as non-emissive regions 3121a and / or 3121b. Various processes for selectively depositing materials on a surface may be used to deposit the first nucleation-inhibiting coating 3141, including, but not limited to, evaporation (including thermal evaporation and electron beam evaporation), photolithography, printing (including ink or vapor jet printing, reel-to-reel printing, and microcontact transfer printing), OVPD, LITI patterning, and combinations thereof.

[0167] Once the first nucleation-inhibiting coating 3141 has been deposited on the areas of the surface of the first conductive coating 3131, a second conductive coating 3151 may be deposited on the remaining uncoated areas of the surface where no nucleation-inhibiting coating was present. Turning to FIG. 31D, in step 16, the conductive coating source 3105 is shown directing evaporated conductive material onto the surfaces of the first conductive coating 3131 and the first nucleation-inhibiting coating 3141. As shown in FIG. 31D, the conductive coating source 3105 may direct the evaporated conductive material so that it is incident on both the coated or treated areas (i.e., the areas of the first conductive coating 3131 on which the nucleation-inhibiting coating 3141 was deposited) and the uncoated or untreated areas of the first conductive coating 3131. However, because the surface of the first nucleation-inhibiting coating 3141 exhibits a relatively small initial adhesion coefficient compared to the surface of the uncoated surface of the first conductive coating 3131, the second conductive coating 3151 is selectively deposited on areas of the first conductive coating surface where the first nucleation-inhibiting coating 3141 is not present. Thus, the second conductive coating 3151 can coat the second portion 3133 of the first conductive coating 3131, which corresponds to the portion of the first conductive coating 3131 that coats the second light-emitting region 3114. As shown in FIG. 31D, the second conductive coating 3151 can also coat other portions or regions of the first conductive coating 3131, including the portions that coat the non-light-emitting regions 3121a, 3121b, and 3121c. The second conductive coating 3151 can include, for example, pure magnesium, or substantially pure magnesium. For example, the second conductive coating 3151 may be formed using the same material used to form the first conductive coating 3131. The second conductive coating 3151 may be deposited using an open mask or without a mask (i.e., in a mask-free deposition process).

[0168] In some embodiments, the method may further include additional steps following step 16. Such additional steps may include, for example, depositing one or more additional nucleation-inhibiting coatings, depositing one or more additional conductive coatings, depositing an auxiliary electrode, depositing an extraction coating, and / or encapsulating the device.

[0169] Although the above methods are illustrated and described in relation to devices having first and second light-emitting regions, it will be understood that they are equally applicable to devices having three or more light-emitting regions. For example, such methods may be used to deposit conductive coatings of varying thicknesses according to the emission spectrum of each light-emitting region.

[0170] The first conductive coating 3131 and the second conductive coating 3151 may be light-transmitting or substantially transparent in at least a portion of the visible wavelength range of the electromagnetic spectrum. For further clarification, the first conductive coating 3131 and the second conductive coating 3151 may each be light-transmitting or substantially transparent in at least a portion of the visible wavelength range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Thus, when the second conductive coating (and any additional conductive coatings) are disposed over the first conductive coating to form a multi-coated electrode, such an electrode may also be light-transmitting or substantially transparent in the visible wavelength portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. For example, the light transmittance of the first conductive coating 3131, the second conductive coating 3151, and / or the multi-coated electrode may be greater than about 30%, greater than about 40%, greater than about 45%, greater than about 50%, greater than about 60%, greater than about 70%, greater than about 75%, or greater than about 80% or more in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

[0171] In some embodiments, the thickness of the first conductive coating 3131 and the second conductive coating 3151 can be relatively thin to maintain a relatively high light transmittance. For example, the thickness of the first conductive coating 3131 may be about 5-30 nm, about 8-25 nm, or about 10-20 nm. The thickness of the second conductive coating 3151 may be, for example, about 1-25 nm, about 1-20 nm, about 1-15 nm, about 1-10 nm, or about 3-6 nm. Thus, the thickness of the multi-coated electrode formed by the combination of the first conductive coating 3131, the second conductive coating 3151, and any additional conductive coatings may be, for example, about 6-35 nm, about 10-30 nm, or about 10-25 nm, or about 12-18 nm.

[0172] The first light-emitting region 3112 and the second light-emitting region 3114 may correspond to subpixel regions of an OLED display device in some embodiments. It will therefore be understood that the substrate 3102 on which the various coatings are deposited may include one or more additional organic and / or inorganic layers not specifically shown or described in the foregoing embodiments. For example, the OLED display device may be an active matrix OLED (AMOLED) display device. In such an embodiment, the substrate 3102 may include an electrode and at least one organic layer deposited on the electrode of each light-emitting region (e.g., subpixel), and the first conductive coating 3131 may be deposited on the at least one organic layer. For example, the electrode may be an anode, and the first conductive coating 3131 may form a cathode, either by itself or in combination with the second conductive coating 3151 and any additional conductive coatings. The at least one organic layer may include an emitter layer. The at least one organic layer may further include a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an electron blocking layer, a hole blocking layer, an electron transport layer, an electron injection layer, and / or any additional layers. The substrate 3102 may further include a plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs). Each anode provided in the device may be electrically connected to at least one TFT. For example, the substrate 3102 may include one or more top-gate thin film transistors (TFTs), one or more bottom-gate TFTs, and / or other TFT structures. The TFTs may be n-type TFTs or p-type TFTs. Examples of TFT structures include amorphous silicon (a-Si), indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), low temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS), and the like.

[0173] The substrate 3102 may also include a base substrate for supporting the additional organic and / or inorganic layers identified above. For example, the base substrate may be a flexible or rigid substrate. The base substrate may include, for example, silicon, glass, metal, polymer (e.g., polyimide), sapphire, or other materials suitable for use as a base substrate.

[0174] The first light-emitting region 3112 and the second light-emitting region 3114 may be subpixels configured to emit light at different wavelengths or emission spectra from each other. The first light-emitting region 3112 may be configured to emit light having a first wavelength or a first emission spectrum, and the second light-emitting region 3114 may be configured to emit light having a second wavelength or a second emission spectrum. The first wavelength may be shorter or longer than the second wavelength and / or the third wavelength, and the second wavelength may be shorter or longer than the first wavelength and / or the third wavelength. The device may include any number of additional light-emitting regions, pixels, or subpixels. For example, the device may include an additional light-emitting region configured to emit light having a third wavelength or a third emission spectrum that is different from the wavelength or emission spectrum of the first light-emitting region or the second light-emitting region. The device may also include an additional light-emitting region configured to emit light having substantially the same wavelength or emission spectrum as the first light-emitting region, the second light-emitting region, or other additional light-emitting region.

[0175] In some embodiments, the first nucleation-inhibiting coating 3141 may be selectively deposited using the same shadow mask used to deposit at least one organic layer of the first light-emitting region 3112. In this manner, the optical microcavity effect can be tailored for each subpixel in a cost-effective manner, since there is no additional mask requirement for depositing the nucleation-inhibiting layer.

[0176] 32 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an AMOLED device 1300. For simplicity, certain details of the backplane, including those relating to TFTs 1308a, 1308b, 1308c, are omitted in the following description of the embodiment.

[0177] In the embodiment of FIG. 32, device 1300 includes first light-emitting region 1331a, second light-emitting region 1331b, and third light-emitting region 1331c. For example, the light-emitting regions can correspond to subpixels of device 1300. In device 1300, first electrodes 1344a, 1344b, 1344c are formed in each of first light-emitting region 1331a, second light-emitting region 1331b, and third light-emitting region 1331c, respectively. As shown in FIG. 32, each of first electrodes 1344a, 1344b, 1344c extends through an opening in insulating layer 1342 to be in electrical communication with a respective TFT 1308a, 1308b, 1308c. Next, pixel defining layers (PDLs) 1346a-d are formed to cover at least a portion of the first electrodes 1344a-c, including the outer edges of each electrode. For example, the PDLs 1346a-d may comprise insulating organic or inorganic materials. An organic layer 1348a, 1348b, 1348c is then deposited on each of the first electrodes 1344a, 1344b, 1344c, particularly in the regions between adjacent PDLs 1346a-d. A first conductive coating 1371 is deposited to substantially cover both the organic layers 1348a-c and the PDLs 1346a-d. For example, the first conductive coating 1371 may form a common cathode or a portion thereof. A first nucleation-inhibiting coating 1361 is selectively deposited on a portion of the first conductive coating 1371 disposed on the first light-emitting region 1331a. For example, the first nucleation-inhibiting coating 1361 may be selectively deposited using a fine metal mask or a shadow mask. The second conductive coating 1372 is then selectively deposited on the exposed surfaces of the first conductive coating 1371 using an open mask deposition process or a mask-free deposition process. More specifically, the second conductive coating 1372 (e.g., a magnesium-containing metal) may be selectively deposited on the exposed surfaces of the first conductive coating 1371 using an open mask or a mask-free deposition process. By performing a thermal deposition (including a thermal deposition step), second conductive coating 1372 is selectively deposited on exposed surfaces of first conductive coating 1371 while leaving the surface of first nucleation-inhibiting coating 1361 substantially free of first conductive coating 1372 material. Second conductive coating 1372 may be deposited to coat portions of first conductive coating 1371 disposed over second light emitting region 1331b and third light emitting region 1331c.

[0178] 32, the first conductive coating 1371 and the second conductive coating 1372 can collectively form a common cathode 1375. Specifically, the common cathode 1375 can be formed by a combination of the first conductive coating 1371 and the second conductive coating 1372, with the second conductive coating 1372 disposed directly on at least a portion of the first conductive coating 1371. The common cathode 1375 has a first thickness t c1 and has a second thickness t c2 The first thickness t c1 may correspond to the thickness of the first conductive coating 1371, and the second thickness t c2 may correspond to the total thickness of the first conductive coating 1371 and the second conductive coating 1372. Thus, the second thickness t c2 is the first thickness t c1 Greater than.

[0179] 33 illustrates a further embodiment of device 1300 in which common cathode 1375 further includes a third conductive coating 1373. Specifically, in the embodiment of FIG. 33, device 1300 includes a second nucleation-inhibiting coating 1362 disposed on a portion of second conductive coating 1372 disposed on second light-emitting region 1331b. A third conductive coating 1373 is then deposited on the exposed or untreated surface of second conductive coating 1372, including the portion of second conductive coating 1372 disposed on third light-emitting region 1331c. In this manner, a first thickness t c1 , the second thickness t c2 , and the third thickness t c3 As will be appreciated, a common cathode 1375 having a first thickness t c1 corresponds to the thickness of the first conductive coating 1371, and the second thickness t c2 corresponds to the thickness of the second conductive coating 1372, and the third thickness t c3 corresponds to the thickness of the third conductive coating 1373. Therefore, the first thickness t c1 is the second thickness t c2 The third thickness t c3 is the second thickness t c2 It could be larger.

[0180] 34, device 1300 can further include a third nucleation-inhibiting coating 1363 disposed over third light-emitting region 1331c. Specifically, third nucleation-inhibiting coating 1363 is shown deposited over a portion of third conductive coating 1373 that coats the portion of the device corresponding to third light-emitting region 1331c.

[0181] 35, device 1300 further includes an auxiliary electrode 1381 disposed in a non-emissive region of device 1300. For example, auxiliary electrode 1381 may be formed using substantially the same process as that used to deposit second conductive coating 1372 and / or third conductive coating 1373. Auxiliary electrode 1381 is shown as being deposited over pixel defining layers 1346a-d that correspond to the non-emissive regions of device 1300. Emissive regions 1331a, 1331b, 1331c may be substantially free of the material used to form auxiliary electrode 1381.

[0182] A first conductive coating 1371, a second conductive coating 1372, and a third conductive coating 1373. The conductive coating 1373 may be optically transmissive or substantially transparent in the visible wavelength portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. For further clarification, the first conductive coating 1371, the second conductive coating 1372, and the third conductive coating 1373 may each be optically transmissive or substantially transparent in at least a portion of the visible wavelength range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Thus, when the second conductive coating and / or the third conductive coating are disposed on the first conductive coating to form the common cathode 1375, such electrodes may also be optically transmissive or substantially transparent in the visible wavelength portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. For example, the optical transmittance of the first conductive coating 1371, the second conductive coating 1372, the third conductive coating 1373, and / or the common cathode 1375 may be greater than about 30%, greater than about 40%, greater than about 45%, greater than about 50%, greater than about 60%, greater than about 70%, greater than about 75%, or greater than about 80% in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

[0183] In some embodiments, the thicknesses of the first conductive coating 1371, the second conductive coating 1372, and the third conductive coating 1373 can be relatively thin to maintain a relatively high light transmittance. For example, the thickness of the first conductive coating 1371 can be about 5-30 nm, about 8-25 nm, or about 10-20 nm. The thickness of the second conductive coating 1372 can be, for example, about 1-25 nm, about 1-20 nm, about 1-15 nm, about 1-10 nm, or about 3-6 nm. The thickness of the third conductive coating 1373 can be, for example, about 1-25 nm, about 1-20 nm, about 1-15 nm, about 1-10 nm, or about 3-6 nm. Thus, the thickness of the common cathode 1375 formed by the combination of the first conductive coating 1371 with the second conductive coating 1372 and / or the third conductive coating 1373 may be, for example, about 6-35 nm, about 10-30 nm, or about 10-25 nm, or about 12-18 nm.

[0184] The thickness of the auxiliary electrode 1381 may be greater than the thickness of the first conductive coating 1371, the second conductive coating 1372, the third conductive coating 1373, and / or the common cathode 1375. For example, the thickness of the auxiliary electrode 1381 may be greater than about 50 nm, greater than about 80 nm, greater than about 100 nm, greater than about 150 nm, greater than about 200 nm, greater than about 300 nm, greater than about 400 nm, greater than about 500 nm, greater than about 700 nm, greater than about 800 nm, greater than about 1 μm, greater than about 1.2 μm, greater than about 1.5 μm, greater than about 2 μm, greater than about 2.5 μm, or greater than about 3 μm. In some embodiments, the auxiliary electrode 1375 may be substantially non-transparent or opaque. However, because the auxiliary electrode 1375 is generally provided in a non-emissive region of the device, the auxiliary electrode 1375 may not cause significant optical interference. For example, the optical transmittance of the auxiliary electrode 1375 may be less than about 50%, less than about 70%, less than about 80%, less than about 85%, less than about 90%, or less than about 95% of the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. In some embodiments, the auxiliary electrode 1375 can absorb light in at least a portion of the visible wavelength range of the electromagnetic spectrum.

[0185] The first conductive coating 1371 may include a variety of materials that are generally used to form light-transmitting conductive layers or coatings. For example, the first conductive coating 1371 may include a transparent conductive oxide (TCO), a metal or non-metal thin film, and any combination thereof. The first conductive coating 1371 may further include two or more layers or coatings. For example, such layers or coatings may be separate layers or coatings disposed on top of one another. The first conductive coating 1371 may include a variety of materials, including, for example, indium tin oxide (ITO), fluorine tin oxide (FTO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), ytterbium (Yb), silver (Ag), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and combinations of any two or more thereof, including alloys including any of the foregoing materials. For example, the first conductive coating 1371 may include an Mg:Ag alloy, an Mg:Yb alloy, a bilayer structure including a Yb layer and an Ag layer, or a combination thereof. In the case of an Mg:Ag alloy or an Mg:Yb alloy, the alloy composition may range from about 1:9 to about 9:1 by volume.

[0186] The second conductive coating 1372 and the third conductive coating 1373 may include a high vapor pressure material such as ytterbium (Yb), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and magnesium (Mg). In some embodiments, the second conductive coating 1372 and the third conductive coating 1373 may include pure magnesium or substantially pure magnesium.

[0187] The auxiliary electrode 1381 may include substantially the same material as the second conductive coating 1372 and / or the third conductive coating 1373. In some embodiments, the auxiliary electrode 1381 may include magnesium. For example, the auxiliary electrode 1381 may include pure magnesium or substantially pure magnesium. In other examples, the auxiliary electrode 1381 may include Yb, Cd, and / or Zn.

[0188] In some embodiments, the thickness of the nucleation-inhibiting coatings 1361, 1362, 1363 disposed on the light-emitting regions 1331a, 1331b, 1331c may vary according to the color or emission spectrum of the light emitted by each light-emitting region. As shown in FIGS. 34 and 35, the first nucleation-inhibiting coating 1361 has a first nucleation-inhibiting coating thickness t n1 and the second nucleation-inhibiting coating 1362 may have a second nucleation-inhibiting coating thickness t n2 and the third nucleation-inhibiting coating 1363 may have a third nucleation-inhibiting coating thickness t n3 The first nucleation-inhibiting coating thickness t n1 , the thickness of the second nucleation-inhibiting coating t n2 , and / or the third nucleation-inhibiting coating thickness t n3 Alternatively, the first nucleation-inhibiting coating thickness t n1 , the thickness of the second nucleation-inhibiting coating t n2 , and / or the third nucleation-inhibiting coating thickness t n3 may be different from each other.

[0189] By adjusting the thickness of the nucleation-inhibiting coating disposed on each light-emitting region or subpixel independently of one another, the optical microcavity effect of each light-emitting region or subpixel can be further controlled. For example, the thickness of the nucleation-inhibiting coating disposed on the blue subpixel can be less than the thickness of the nucleation-inhibiting coating disposed on the green subpixel, which can be less than the thickness of the nucleation-inhibiting coating disposed on the green subpixel. As will be appreciated, the optical microcavity effect in each light-emitting region or subpixel can be further controlled by modulating both the nucleation-inhibiting coating thickness and the conductive coating thickness of each light-emitting region or subpixel independently of the other light-emitting regions or subpixels.

[0190] The optical microcavity effect arises from the presence of optical interference created by the numerous thin film layers and coatings of various refractive indices used to construct optoelectronic devices such as OLEDs. Some factors that affect the optical microcavity effect observed in a device include the total path length (e.g., the total thickness of the device that light emitted from the device travels before being extracted) and the refractive indices of the various layers and coatings. It has now been found that by adjusting the thickness of the cathode in the light-emitting region (e.g., subpixel), the optical microcavity effect in the light-emitting region can be changed. Such effects can generally be attributed to a change in the total optical path length. Furthermore, it has been postulated that a change in the thickness of the cathode, especially for light-transmitting cathodes formed by thin coatings, can change the refractive index of the cathode in addition to the total optical path length. Furthermore, the optical path length, and therefore the optical The microcavity effect can also be modulated by varying the thickness of a nucleation-inhibiting coating disposed in the light-emitting region.

[0191] The optical properties of the device that can be affected by modulation of the optical microcavity effect include the emission spectrum, intensity (luminous intensity), and angular distribution of the output light, including the angular dependence of the brightness and color shift of the output light.

[0192] Although various embodiments have been described with two or three light-emitting regions or subpixels, it will be understood that a device may include any number of light-emitting regions or subpixels. For example, a device may include multiple pixels, with each pixel including two, three, or more subpixels. Furthermore, the particular arrangement of pixels or subpixels relative to other pixels or subpixels may vary depending on the device design. For example, the subpixels may be arranged according to known arrangement schemes such as RGB side-by-side, diamond, or PenTile.

[0193] A conductive coating for electrically connecting the electrode to the auxiliary electrode In one aspect, an optoelectronic device is provided that includes a first electrode and a second electrode, a semiconductive layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, a nucleation-inhibiting coating disposed on at least a portion of the second electrode, an auxiliary electrode, a patterning structure overlying the auxiliary electrode and providing a shaded region, and a conductive coating disposed in the shaded region, the conductive coating being in electrical communication with the auxiliary electrode and the second electrode.

[0194] FIG. 36 illustrates an optoelectronic device 5011 according to one embodiment. The device 5011 includes a light emitting region 5012 disposed adjacent to a non-light emitting region 5014. In some embodiments, the light emitting region 5012 corresponds to a subpixel region of the device 5011. The light emitting region 5012 includes a first electrode 5030, a second electrode 5081, and a semiconducting layer 5071 disposed between the first electrode 5030 and the second electrode 5081. The first electrode 5030 is provided on a surface 5015 of a substrate 5010. The substrate 5010 includes a TFT 5020 electrically connected to the first electrode 5030. The edge or perimeter of the first electrode 5030 is generally covered by a pixel defining layer 5014. The non-light emitting region 5014 includes an auxiliary electrode 5051 and a patterning structure 5061 disposed to overlap the auxiliary electrode 5051. The patterning structure 5061 extends laterally to provide a shaded region 5042. For example, the patterning structure 5061 may be recessed at or near at least one side of the auxiliary electrode 5051 to provide the shaded region. In the illustrated embodiment, the shaded region 5042 corresponds to an area on the surface of the pixel defining layer 5041 that overlaps with a laterally extending portion of the patterning structure 5061. The non-emissive region 5014 further includes a conductive coating 5099 disposed in the shaded region 5042. The conductive coating 5099 electrically connects the auxiliary electrode 5051 and the second electrode 5081. A nucleation-inhibiting coating 5091 is disposed in the emissive region 5012 and the non-emissive region 5014. The nucleation-inhibiting coating 5091 is disposed on a surface of the second electrode 5081. In some embodiments, the surface of patterning structure 5061 is coated with a residual second electrode 5081' and a residual nucleation-inhibiting coating 5091'. Shaded area 5042 is substantially absent or uncovered by nucleation-inhibiting coating 5091 and allows conductive coating 5099 to be deposited thereon.

[0195] 36 shows one embodiment of such a device, it will be understood that various modifications may be made. For example, in some embodiments, the patterning structure 5061 may provide shaded regions along at least two of its sides. In other embodiments, the patterning structure 5061 may be omitted and the auxiliary electrode 5051 may be aligned along the shaded regions 5061. 42. In yet other embodiments, the auxiliary electrode 5051 and conductive coating 5099 may be disposed directly on the surface 5015 of the substrate 5010 rather than on the pixel defining layer 5041.

[0196] Selective Deposition of Optical Coatings In one aspect according to some embodiments, a device is provided. The device can be an optoelectronic device. In some embodiments, the device includes a substrate, a nucleation-inhibiting coating, and an optical coating. The nucleation-inhibiting coating covers a first region of the substrate. The optical coating covers a second region of the substrate, and at least a portion of the nucleation-inhibiting coating is exposed or substantially absent or substantially uncovered from the optical coating.

[0197] Optical coatings can be used to modulate the optical properties (including plasmon modes) of light transmitted, emitted, or absorbed by the device. For example, optical coatings may be used as optical filters, index matching coatings, optical extraction coatings, scattering layers, diffraction gratings, or portions thereof. In another example, optical coatings can be used to modulate microcavity effects in optoelectronic devices, for example, by adjusting the total optical path length and / or refractive index. Device optical properties that can be affected by modulation of optical microcavity effects include the emission spectrum, intensity (luminosity), and angular distribution of the output light, including the angular dependence of the brightness and color shift of the output light. In some embodiments, optical coatings may be non-electrical components. In other words, optical coatings may not be configured to conduct or carry electrical current during normal device operation in such embodiments.

[0198] For example, the optical coating may be formed using any of the various embodiments of the method for depositing a conductive coating described above. The optical coating may include high vapor pressure materials such as ytterbium (Yb), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and magnesium (Mg). In some embodiments, the optical coating may include pure magnesium or substantially pure magnesium.

[0199] Thin film formation The formation of a thin film during deposition on the surface of a substrate involves a process of nucleation and growth. During the initial stages of film formation, a sufficient number of vapor monomers (e.g., atoms or molecules) typically condense from the vapor phase to form initial nuclei on the surface. As the vapor monomers continue to impinge on the surface, the size and density of these initial nuclei increase to form small clusters or islands. After saturating the island density, neighboring islands generally begin to coalesce, increasing the average island size while reducing the island density. The coalescence of neighboring islands continues until a substantially closed film is formed.

[0200] There are three fundamental growth modes for the formation of thin films: 1) island growth (Volmer-Weber), 2) layer-by-layer growth (Frank-van der Merwe), and 3) Stranski-Krastanov growth. Island growth typically occurs when stable clusters of monomers nucleate on a surface and grow to form discrete islands. This growth mode occurs when the interactions between monomers are stronger than the interactions between the monomers and the surface.

[0201] Nucleation rate describes the number of critical size nuclei that form on a surface per unit time. During the early stages of film formation, the density of nuclei is low, which causes the nuclei to cover a relatively small portion of the surface (e.g., there are large gaps / spaces between adjacent nuclei), so that nuclei are unlikely to grow from direct collisions of monomers on the surface. Thus, the rate at which a critical nucleus grows typically depends on the rate at which surface-adsorbed monomers (e.g., adatoms) can migrate and attach to nearby nuclei. Remains.

[0202] After an adatom adsorbs on a surface, it can either detach from the surface or move for some distance on the surface before detaching and interacting with other adatoms to form small clusters or attaching to growing nuclei. The average time that an adatom remains on the surface after initial adsorption is given by

number

[0203] In the above equation, ν is the vibration frequency of the adatoms on the surface, k is the Boltzmann constant, T is the temperature, and E des is the energy required to desorb an adatom from the surface. From this equation, E des The lower the value of , the easier it is for adatoms to detach from the surface, and therefore the shorter the time they remain on the surface. The average distance that an adatom can diffuse is given by

number

[0204] During the initial stages of film formation, the adsorbed adatoms can interact to form clusters, and the critical concentration of clusters per unit area is given by

number

number

[0205] The critical monomer supply rate for growing clusters is given by the rate of vapor impingement and the average area over which adatoms can diffuse before detaching.

number

[0206] The critical nucleation rate is therefore given by a combination of the above equations.

number

[0207] From the above equation, it can be seen that the critical nucleation rate is suppressed on surfaces with low desorption energy of adsorbed adatoms, high activation energy for adatom diffusion, high surface temperature, or low vapor impingement rate.

[0208] Sites of substrate inhomogeneity such as defects, ledges, and step edges are identified by E des This may increase the density of nuclei observed at such sites. Impurities or surface contamination may also increase the E des For deposition processes carried out under high vacuum conditions, the type and density of surface contaminants is influenced by the vacuum pressure and the composition of the residual gases that make up that pressure.

[0209] Under high vacuum conditions, the flux of molecules impinging on the surface (cm 2 -sec) is given by:

number

[0210] A useful parameter for characterizing thin film nucleation and growth is the sticking probability, given by:

number

[0211] As the density of islands increases (e.g., the average film thickness increases), the sticking probability may change. For example, a low initial sticking probability may increase as the average film thickness increases. This is due to the difference in the sticking probability between areas of the surface without islands (bare substrate) and areas with a high density of islands. The difference can be understood by: for example, a monomer colliding with the surface of an island can have a sticking probability close to unity.

[0212] Thus, the initial sticking probability S0 can be specified as the sticking probability of a surface before a significant number of critical nuclei are formed. One measure of the initial sticking probability can include the sticking probability of a surface of a material during an early stage of deposition of the material, where the average thickness of the deposited material across the surface is equal to or less than a threshold value. In the description of some embodiments, the threshold value of the initial sticking probability can be specified as 1 nm. The average sticking probability is then given by:

number

[0213] An example of the energy profile of an adatom adsorbed on a substrate surface is shown in Figure 38. Specifically, Figure 38 shows the energy profiles corresponding to (1) an adatom escaping from a localized low-energy site, (2) the diffusion of an adatom on the surface, and (3) the desorption of an adatom.

[0214] In (1), the local low energy site can be any site on the substrate surface where the adatom becomes lower energy. Typically, the nucleation site can be a defect or anomaly on the surface substrate, for example, a step edge, a chemical impurity, a bond site, or a kink. When an adatom becomes trapped at a local low energy site, there will usually be an energy barrier before surface diffusion can occur. This energy barrier is represented as ΔE in the diagram of FIG. 38. If the energy barrier to escape from a local low energy site is large enough, the site may act as a nucleation site.

[0215] In (2), the adatoms can diffuse onto the substrate surface. For example, in the case of a localized adsorbate, the adatoms oscillate around a minimum in the surface potential and tend to move to various neighboring sites until they either detach or are incorporated into the growing film or into growing islands formed by clusters of adatoms. In the diagram of Figure 38, the activation energy associated with the surface diffusion of adatoms is E S It is expressed as:

[0216] In (3), the activation energy associated with the desorption of an adatom from a surface is E des It will be appreciated that adatoms that are not desorbed will remain on the substrate surface. For example, such adatoms may diffuse to the surface, become incorporated as part of a growing film or coating, or become part of clusters of adatoms that form islands on the surface.

[0217] Based on the energy profile shown in FIG. 38, the relatively low activation energy for desorption (E des ) and / or a relatively high activation energy for surface diffusion (E S ) may be envisioned as being particularly advantageous for use in a variety of applications. For example, in some embodiments, nucleation-inhibiting coating materials that exhibit an activation energy for desorption (E des ) is thermal energy (k BIt may be particularly advantageous for the surface diffusion (E T) to be less than about 2 times the thermal energy, less than about 1.5 times the thermal energy, less than about 1.3 times the thermal energy, less than about 1.2 times the thermal energy, less than the thermal energy, less than about 0.8 times the thermal energy, or less than about 0.5 times the thermal energy. S It may be particularly advantageous for the activation energy of (a) to be greater than thermal energy, greater than about 1.5 times the thermal energy, greater than about 1.8 times the thermal energy, greater than about 2 times the thermal energy, greater than about 3 times the thermal energy, greater than about 5 times the thermal energy, greater than about 7 times the thermal energy, or greater than about 10 times the thermal energy.

[0218] Although certain embodiments have been described with respect to selectively depositing a conductive coating to form a cathode or auxiliary electrode for a common cathode, it will be appreciated that in other embodiments, similar materials and processes may be used to form an anode or an auxiliary electrode for an anode.

[0219] Nucleation Inhibitor Coating Materials suitable for use in forming the nucleation-inhibiting coating include those that exhibit or characterize an initial adhesion probability of the conductive coating material of less than or equal to about 0.1 (or 10%), or less than or equal to about 0.05, and, more specifically, less than or equal to about 0.03, less than or equal to about 0.02, less than or equal to about 0.01, less than or equal to about 0.08, less than or equal to about 0.005, less than or equal to about 0.003, less than or equal to about 0.001, less than or equal to about 0.0008, less than or equal to about 0.0005, or less than or equal to about 0.0001. Materials suitable for use in forming the nucleation promoting coating include those that exhibit or characterize an initial adhesion probability of the conductive coating material of at least about 0.6 (or 60%), at least about 0.7, at least about 0.75, at least about 0.8, at least about 0.9, at least about 0.93, at least about 0.95, at least about 0.98, or at least about 0.99.

[0220] Suitable nucleation-inhibiting materials include organic materials such as small molecule organic materials and organic polymers. Examples of suitable organic materials include polycyclic aromatic compounds that include organic molecules that may optionally include one or more heteroatoms, such as nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), oxygen (O), phosphorus (P), and aluminum (Al). In some embodiments, the polycyclic aromatic compounds include organic molecules that each include a core portion and at least one terminal portion bonded to the core portion. The number of terminal portions may be 1 or more, 2 or more, 3 or more, or 4 or more. In the case of two or more terminal portions, the terminal portions may be the same or different, or a subset of the terminal portions may be the same or different from at least one remaining terminal portion.

[0221] In some embodiments, at least one terminal moiety is or includes a phenyl moiety represented by structure (IA) below. [ka]

[0222] In general, the phenyl moiety represented by (IA) may be unsubstituted or substituted. In some embodiments, the phenyl moiety represented by (IA) may be substituted with one or more substituents present as at least one of A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5, the one or more substituents being independently selected from H, D (deuterium), F, Cl, alkyl, including C1-C6 alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, fluoroalkoxy, and the like. Any combination of two or more of the substituents is selected from. In some embodiments, one or more of the substituents are independently selected from methyl, methoxy, ethyl, t-butyl, fluoromethyl, difluoromethyl, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, fluoroethyl, and polyfluoroethyl.

[0223] In some embodiments, at least one terminal moiety is or includes a naphthyl moiety represented by structure (IB): [ka] wherein at least one of B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, and B8 represents a bond formed between the naphthyl moiety and the core moiety. In general, the naphthyl moiety represented by (IB) may be unsubstituted or substituted. In some embodiments, the naphthyl moiety represented by (IB) may be substituted with one or more substituents present as at least one of B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, and B8, where the one or more substituents are independently selected from H, D (deuterium), F, Cl, alkyl, including C1-C6 alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, fluoroalkoxy, and any two or more combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the one or more substituents are independently selected from methyl, methoxy, ethyl, t-butyl, fluoromethyl, difluoromethyl, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, fluoroethyl, and polyfluoroethyl. In some embodiments, a "B" substituent is a corresponding B' (B prime) substituent, and any B' substituent may have the value of a B substituent as indicated herein.

[0224] In some embodiments, at least one terminal moiety is or includes a phenanthrenyl moiety represented by the following structure (IC): [ka] In the formula, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C9, and C 10 At least one of represents a bond formed between the phenanthryl moiety and the core moiety. In some embodiments, the phenanthryl moiety represented by (IC) can be unsubstituted or substituted. In some embodiments, the phenanthryl moiety represented by (IC) can be C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C9, and C10. 10 wherein the one or more substituents are independently selected from H, D (deuterium), F, Cl, alkyl including C1-C6 alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, fluoroalkoxy, and combinations of any two or more thereof. In some embodiments, the one or more substituents are independently selected from methyl, methoxy, ethyl, t-butyl, fluoromethyl, difluoromethyl, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, fluoroethyl, and polyfluoroethyl. In some embodiments, the "C" substituents are the corresponding C' (C prime) substituents, and any C' substituents may have the values ​​of the C substituents set forth herein.

[0225] In some embodiments, at least one terminal moiety is or includes an anthracenyl moiety represented by the following structure (ID): [ka] In the formula, D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8, D9 and D 10 At least one of the groups represented by (ID) represents a bond formed between the phenanthryl moiety and the core moiety. In general, the anthracenyl moiety represented by (ID) can be unsubstituted or substituted. In some embodiments, the anthracenyl moiety represented by (ID) can be selected from D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8, D9, and D10. 10wherein the one or more substituents are independently selected from H, D (deuterium), F, Cl, alkyl, including C1-C6 alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, fluoroalkoxy, and combinations of any two or more thereof. In some embodiments, the one or more substituents are independently selected from methyl, methoxy, ethyl, t-butyl, fluoromethyl, difluoromethyl, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, fluoroethyl, and polyfluoroethyl.

[0226] In some embodiments, at least one terminal moiety is or includes a benzanthracenyl moiety represented by the following structure (IE): [ka] In the formula, E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, E7, E8, E9, E 10 , E 11 , and E 12 At least one of the benzanthracenyl moieties represented by (IE) represents a bond formed between the benzanthracenyl moiety and the core moiety. In general, the benzanthracenyl moiety represented by (IE) can be unsubstituted or substituted. In some embodiments, the benzanthracenyl moiety represented by (IE) can be any of E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, E7, E8, E9, E10, E11, E12, E13, E14, E15, E16, E17, E18, E19, E20, E21, E22, E23, E24, E25, E26, E27, E28, E29, E30, E31, E32, E33, E34, E35, E36, E37, E38, E39, E40, E41, E42, E43, E44, E45, E46, E47, E48, E49, E50, E51, E52, E53, E54, E55, E56, E57, E58, E59, E60, E61, E62, E63, E64, E65, E66, E77, E78, E79, E80, E81, E82, E83, E84, E85, E86, E87, E88, E99, E91, E92, E93, E94, E95, E96, E97, E98, E99, E98, E99, E101, E99, E102, E99, E103, E94, E95, E96, E97, E98, E99, E104, E99, E105, E106, 10 , E 11 , and E 12wherein the one or more substituents are independently selected from H, D (deuterium), F, Cl, alkyl, including C1-C6 alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, fluoroalkoxy, and combinations of any two or more thereof. In some embodiments, the one or more substituents are independently selected from methyl, methoxy, ethyl, t-butyl, fluoromethyl, difluoromethyl, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, fluoroethyl, and polyfluoroethyl.

[0227] In some embodiments, at least one terminal moiety is or includes a pyrenyl moiety represented by the following structure (IF): [ka] In the formula, F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7, F8, F9 and F 10 At least one of (IF) represents a bond formed between the pyrenyl moiety and the core moiety. In general, the pyrenyl moiety represented by (IF) may be unsubstituted or substituted. In this embodiment, the pyrenyl moiety represented by (IF) is selected from F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7, F8, F9, and F 10 wherein the one or more substituents are independently selected from H, D (deuterium), F, Cl, alkyl, including C1-C6 alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, fluoroalkoxy, and combinations of any two or more thereof. In some embodiments, the one or more substituents are independently selected from methyl, methoxy, ethyl, t-butyl, fluoromethyl, difluoromethyl, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, fluoroethyl, and polyfluoroethyl.

[0228] In some embodiments, at least one terminal moiety is or includes a chrysenyl moiety represented by the following structure (IG): [ka] In the formula, G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, G6, G7, G8, G9, G 10 , G 11 , and G 12 At least one of the groups represents a bond formed between the chrysenyl moiety and the core moiety. Generally, the chrysenyl moiety represented by (IG) can be unsubstituted or substituted. In some embodiments, the chrysenyl moiety represented by (IG) can be selected from the group consisting of G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, G6, G7, G8, G9, G10, G11, G12, G13, G14, G15, G16, G17, G18, G19, G20, G21, G22, G23, G24, G25, G26, G27, G28, G29, G30, G31, G32, G33, G34, G35, G36, G37, G38, G39, G40, G41, G42, G43, G44, G45, G46, G47 10 , G 11 , and G 12 wherein the one or more substituents are independently selected from H, D (deuterium), F, Cl, alkyl, including C1-C6 alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, fluoroalkoxy, and combinations of any two or more thereof. In some embodiments, the one or more substituents are independently selected from methyl, methoxy, ethyl, t-butyl, fluoromethyl, difluoromethyl, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, fluoroethyl, and polyfluoroethyl.

[0229] In yet another embodiment, at least one terminal moiety is or includes a polycyclic aromatic moiety that includes a fused ring structure, such as a fluorene or phenylene moiety (including those that include multiple (e.g., three, four, or more) fused benzene rings). Examples of such moieties include spirobifluorene moieties, triphenylene moieties, diphenylfluorene moieties, dimethylfluorene moieties, difluorofluorene moieties, and combinations of any two or more thereof.

[0230] In some embodiments, the polycyclic aromatic compounds include organic molecules each including a core moiety and at least one terminal moiety bonded to the core moiety, the core moiety being an anthracenyl moiety represented by the following structure (II): include. [ka]

[0231] In (II), one or more terminal moieties are attached to the anthracenyl core moiety. For example, one, two, three, four, or more terminal moieties can be attached directly or indirectly (e.g., via a linker moiety) to the anthracenyl core moiety. In some embodiments, two independently selected terminal moieties are attached to the anthracenyl core moiety. For example, one or more terminal moieties can be independently attached to one or more of the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 positions shown in (II) above. In some embodiments, two independently selected terminal moieties are attached to the anthracenyl core moiety at the 9 and 10 positions. In some further embodiments, a third independently selected terminal moiety is attached to the anthracenyl core moiety. For example, a third independently selected terminal moiety can be attached to the anthracenyl core moiety at the 2, 3, 6, or 7 position. In a further embodiment, a fourth independently selected terminal moiety is attached to the anthracenyl core moiety at an unoccupied position selected from the 2-, 3-, 6-, and 7-positions.

[0232] The one or more terminal moieties attached to the anthracenyl core moiety of (II) are or include moieties represented by (IA), (IB), or (IC), (ID), (IE), (IF), (IG), or polycyclic aromatic moieties containing fused ring structures as described above. The one or more terminal moieties may be attached directly to the core moiety or may be attached to the core moiety via a linker moiety. Examples of linker moieties include -O- (where O represents an oxygen atom), -S- (where S represents a sulfur atom), and cyclic or acyclic hydrocarbon moieties containing one, two, three, four, or more carbon atoms, which may be unsubstituted or substituted and may optionally contain one or more heteroatoms. The bond between the core moiety and the one or more terminal moieties may be, for example, a covalent bond. In embodiments in which two or more terminal moieties are attached to the core moiety, each of the two or more terminal moieties may be selected independently of each other. For example, the two or more terminal moieties may be the same or different from each other. In one embodiment, the polycyclic aromatic compound comprises organic molecules each including an anthracenyl core moiety represented by (II). Each of the organic molecules comprises a first terminal moiety in the form of a phenyl moiety represented by (IA) and a second terminal moiety in the form of a naphthyl moiety represented by (IB), a phenanthryl moiety represented by (IC), an anthracenyl moiety represented by (ID), a benzanthracenyl moiety represented by (IE), a pyrenyl moiety represented by (IF), or a chrysenyl moiety represented by (IG). For example, the first terminal moiety can be attached at the 1-position, 9-position, or 8-position, and the second terminal moiety can be attached at the 4-position, 10-position, or 5-position. The first terminal moiety and the second terminal moiety can be symmetrically or asymmetrically positioned relative to each other with respect to the anthracenyl core moiety. For example, the first terminal moiety and the second terminal moiety can be symmetrically positioned by attaching the first terminal moiety and the second terminal moiety at the 1-position and 4-position, the 9-position and the 10-position, or the 8-position and the 5-position, respectively. In another example, the first and second terminal portions can be asymmetrically positioned by attaching the first and second terminal portions to positions 1 and 5, or positions 8 and 4, respectively.In some embodiments, one or more additional terminal moieties may be attached to the anthracenyl core moiety. The one or more additional terminal moieties can be attached to one or more unoccupied positions of the tracynyl core moiety, for example, the one or more additional terminal moieties can be attached to positions 2, 3, 6, or 7, respectively.

[0233] In some embodiments, one or more carbon atoms of polycyclic aromatic compounds may be replaced by heteroatoms.For example, one or more carbon atoms in terminal portion and / or core portion may be replaced by heteroatoms.Examples of such heteroatom replacement include, but are not limited to, sulfur and nitrogen.

[0234] In some embodiments, the polycyclic aromatic compound comprises at least one fluorine (F) atom.

[0235] Examples of polycyclic aromatic compounds containing an anthracenyl core are shown below. [ka] [ka] [ka] [ka] [ka] [ka] [ka] [ka] [ka]

[0236] In the moieties represented by the structures A1 to A66, X1 to X 10 represents the presence of one or more substituents. For example, one or more of the substituents X1 to X 10 are independently H, D (deuterium) , F, Cl, alkyl, including C1-C4 alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, fluoroalkoxy, and any two or more combinations thereof. Further, one or more of the substituents may be independently selected from methyl, methoxy, ethyl, t-butyl, fluoromethyl, difluoromethyl, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, fluoroethyl, and polyfluoroethyl. Description of other substituents, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7 (and B' counterparts corresponding to B1-B7), C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C9 (and C' counterparts corresponding to C1-C9), D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8, D9, E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, E7, E8, E9, E 10 , E 11 , F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7, F8, F9, F 10 ,G1,G2,G3,G4,G5,G6,G7,G8,G9,G 10 , G 11 , and G 12 , (IA), (IB), or what has been provided above in relation to (IC), (ID), (IE), (IF), (IG) is applicable to the corresponding substituents represented by A1 to A66.

[0237] Examples of alkyl substituents include C1-C6 alkyl, which may be linear or branched. For example, in the case of C4-C6 alkyl, branched alkyl may be preferred.

[0238] In one example, the moiety is represented by structure A1, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8, X1, X2, X3, X 4、 At least one of X5, X6, X7, X8, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6 is F. In a further example, at least one of B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6 is F. In a further example, at least one of B1, B2, B6, B7, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6 is F. In a further example, at least one of B1, B2, B6, B7, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A3, A4, and A5 is F. In a further example, at least one of B1, B2, B6, B7, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A3, A4, and A5 is F. In a further example, at least one of B1, B2, B6, B7, B8, X 2、 At least one of X3, X6, X7, A2, and A6 is F. For example, up to 10, 6, 5, 3, or 1 F atoms may be present in such a structure.

[0239] In another example, the moiety is represented by structure A1, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8, X1, X2, X3, X 4、 X5, X6, X7, X 8、 At least one of A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6 is alkyl. In a further example, at least one of B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8, X1, X2, X3, X6, X7, X8, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6 is alkyl. In a further example, at least one of B1, B2, B6, B7, B8, X1, X2, X3, X6X7, X8, A3, A4, and A5 is alkyl. In a further example, at least one of A3, A4, and A5 is alkyl. For example, there may be up to 6, 5, 3, or 1 alkyl substituents in such a structure.

[0240] In another example where the moiety is represented by structure A1, at least one of B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8, X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. In a further example, at least one of B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. In a further example, at least one of B1, B2, B6, B7, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. In a further example, at least one of A3, A4 and A5 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. For example, there may be up to 5, 3 or 1 such substituents in such a structure.

[0241] In another example where the moiety is represented by structure A1, at least one of B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is aryl, arylalkyl, or heteroaryl. In a further example, at least one of B2, B3, B6, B7, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is aryl, arylalkyl, or heteroaryl. In a further example, at least one of B2, B3, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is aryl, arylalkyl, or heteroaryl. In a further example, at least one of B2, B3, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is aryl, arylalkyl, or heteroaryl. In a further example, at least one of B2, B3, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2 and A6 is aryl, arylalkyl, or heteroaryl. For example, there may be up to 8, 6, 4, 3, or 1 such substituents in such a structure.

[0242] In one example where the moiety is represented by structure A2, at least one of B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6 is F. In a further example, at least one of B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6 is F. In a further example, at least one of B1, B5, B6, B7, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6 is F. In a further example, at least one of B1, B5, B6, B7, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A3, A4, and A5 is F. For example, up to 10, 6, 5, 3, or 1 F atoms may be present in such a structure.

[0243] In another example where the moiety is represented by structure A2, at least one of B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is alkyl. In a further example, at least one of B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, X1, X2, X3, X6, X7, X8, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is alkyl. In a further example, at least one of B1, B5, B6, B7, B8, X1, X2, X3, X6, X7, X8, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is alkyl. In a further example, at least one of A3, A4 and A5 is alkyl. For example, there may be up to 6, 5, 3 or 1 such substituents in such a structure.

[0244] In another example where the moiety is represented by structure A2, at least one of B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. In a further example, at least one of B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, X2, X3X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. In a further example, at least one of B1, B5, B6, B7, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. In a further example, at least one of B1, B5, B6, B7, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A3, A4 and A5 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. For example, there may be up to 5, 3 or 1 such substituents in such a structure.

[0245] In another example where the moiety is represented by structure A2, at least one of B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is aryl, arylalkyl or heteroaryl. At least one of B5, B6, B7, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is aryl, arylalkyl or heteroaryl. In a further example, at least one of B5, B6, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is aryl, arylalkyl or heteroaryl. In a further example, at least one of B5, B6, B8, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is aryl, arylalkyl or heteroaryl. For example, there may be up to 8, 6, 4, 3 or 1 such substituents in such a structure.

[0246] In one example where the moiety is represented by structure A3, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10, X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 are F. In a further example, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10 , X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 are F. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is F. In a further example, at least one of A3, A4 and A5 is F. For example, up to 12, 10, 6, 5, 3 or 1 such substituents may be present in such a structure.

[0247] In another example, the moiety is represented by structure A3, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10 At least one of X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6 is alkyl or alkoxy. 10 At least one of X1, X2, X3, X6, X7, X8, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is alkyl. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is alkyl. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, A3, A4 and A5 is alkyl. For example, there may be up to 6, 5, 3 or 1 such substituents in such a structure.

[0248] In another example, the moiety is represented by structure A3, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10 At least one of X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. 10At least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. In a further example, at least one of A3, A4 and A5 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. For example, there may be up to 5, 3 or 1 such substituents in such a structure.

[0249] In another example, the moiety is represented by structure A3, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10 At least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6 is an aryl, arylalkyl, or heteroaryl. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6 is an aryl, arylalkyl, or heteroaryl. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, A2, and A6 is an aryl, arylalkyl, or heteroaryl. For example, such structures may include up to 8, 6, There may be 4, 3, or 1 such substituent.

[0250] In one example, the moiety is represented by structure A4, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10 , X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7, and B8 are F. In a further example, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10, X2, X3, X6, X7, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7 and B8 are F. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7 and B8 is F. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, B1, B5, B6, B7 and B8 is F. For example, up to 14, 10, 8, 6, 4, 3 or 1 such substituents may be present in such structures.

[0251] In another example, the moiety is represented by structure A4, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10 At least one of X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7, and B8 is alkyl or fluoroalkyl. 10 At least one of X1, X2, X3, X6, X7, X8, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7, and B8 is alkyl or fluoroalkyl. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X1, X2, X3, X6, X7, X8, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7, and B8 is alkyl or fluoroalkyl. In a further example, at least one of B1, B5, B6, B7, and B8 is alkyl or fluoroalkyl. For example, there may be up to 6, 5, 3, or 1 such substituents in such a structure.

[0252] In another example, the moiety is represented by structure A4, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10At least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7, and B8 is an aryl, arylalkyl, or heteroaryl. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6X7, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7, and B8 is an aryl, arylalkyl, or heteroaryl. In a further example, C1, C2, C4, C5, C6, C7, X 2、 At least one of X3, X6, X7, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7, and B8 is aryl, arylalkyl, or heteroaryl. 2、 At least one of X3, X6, X7, B2, and B4 is aryl, arylalkyl, or heteroaryl, for example, there may be up to 8, 6, 4, 3, or 1 such substituents in such a structure.

[0253] In another example, the moiety is represented by structure A4, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10 At least one of X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7, and B8 is fluoroalkoxy. 10 At least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B7 and B8 is fluoroalkoxy. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, B1, B5, B6, B7 and B8 is fluoroalkoxy. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, B1, B5, B6, B7 and B8 is fluoroalkoxy. For example, there may be up to 7, 5, 3 or 1 such substituents in such a structure.

[0254] In one example, the moiety is represented by structure A5, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C10 , X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, and B8 are F. In a further example, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10 , X2, X3, X6, X7, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7 and B8 are F. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7 and B8 is F. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, B1, B2, B6, B7 and B8 is F. In a further example, at least one of B1, B2, B7, B8 is F. For example, up to 16, 10, 6, 5, 3 or 1 such substituents may be present in such a structure.

[0255] In another example, the moiety is represented by structure A5, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10 At least one of X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, and B8 is alkyl. 10 , X1, X2, X3, X6, X7, X8, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7 and B8 are alkyl. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, B1, B2, B6, B7 and B8 is alkyl. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C6, C7, B1, B2, B7 and B8 is alkyl. For example, there may be up to 10, 6, 5, 3 or 1 such substituents in such a structure.

[0256] In another example, the moiety is represented by structure A5, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10At least one of X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, and B8 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. 10 At least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, and B8 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, and B8 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, B1, B2, B6, B7, and B8 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. In a further example, at least one of B1, B2, B7, and B8 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. For example, there may be up to 8, 5, 3, or 1 such substituents in such a structure.

[0257] In another example, the moiety is represented by structure A5, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10 At least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7 and B8 is an aryl, arylalkyl or heteroaryl. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7 and B8 is an aryl, arylalkyl or heteroaryl. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, B1, B2, B3, B6, B7 and B8 is an aryl, arylalkyl or heteroaryl. In a further example, at least one of C1, C2, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, B3 and B6 is an aryl, arylalkyl or heteroaryl. For example, such structures may contain up to 8, 6, 4, 3, or 1 such Substituents may be present.

[0258] In one example, the moiety is represented by structure A6, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10 , X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, C'1, C'2, C'3, C'4, C'5, C'6, C'7, C'8, and C' 10 At least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10 , X2, X3, X6, X7, C'1, C'2, C'3, C'4, C'5, C'6, C'7, C'8, and C' 10 At least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, C'1, C'2, C'3, C'4, C'5, C'6, C'7, C'8, and C' 10 At least one of C3, C4, C5, C6, X2, X3, X6, X7, C'1, C'2, C'3, C'4, C'5, C'6, C'7, C'8, and C' 10 is F. In a further example, at least one of C3, C4, C5, C6, X2, X3, X6, X7, C'1, C'2, C'3, C'4, C'5, C'6 and C'7 is F. For example, up to 18, 12, 10, 6, 5, 3, or 1 such substituents may be present in such a structure.

[0259] In another example, the moiety is represented by structure A6, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10 , X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, C'1, C'2, C'3, C'4, C'5, C'6, C'7, C'8, and C' 10 In further examples, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10 , X1, X2, X3, X6, X7, X8, C'1, C'2, C'3, C'4, C'5, C'6, C'7, C'8, and C' 10In further examples, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X1, X2, X3, X6, X7, X8, C'1, C'2, C'3, C'4, C'5, C'6, C'7, C'8, and C' 10 At least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X1, X2, X3, X6, X7, X8, C'1, C'2, C'3, C'4, C'5, C'6 and C'7 is alkyl. For example, there may be up to 8, 6, 5, 3 or 1 such substituents in such a structure.

[0260] In another example, the moiety is represented by structure A6, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10 , X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, C'1, C'2, C'3, C'4, C'5, C'6, C'7, C'8, and C' 10 In further examples, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C9, C10, C11, C12, C13, C14, C15, C16, C17, C18, C19, C20, C21, C22, C23, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C11, C12, C23, C24, C25, C 10 , X2, X3, X6, X7, C'1, C'2, C'3, C'4, C'5, C'6, C'7, C'8, and C' 10 In further examples, at least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, C'1, C'2, C'3, C'4, C'5, C'6, C'7, C'8, and C' 10 In further examples, at least one of C3, C4, C5, C6, X2, X3, X6, X7, C'1, C'2, C'3, C'4, C'5, C'6, C'7, C'8, and C' 10At least one of C3, C4, C5, C6, X2, X3, X6, X7, C'1, C'2, C'3, C'4, C'5, C'6 and C'7 is fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy. For example, there may be up to 8, 5, 3 or 1 such substituents in such a structure.

[0261] In another example, the moiety is represented by structure A6, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C 10 ,X2,X3,X6,X7,C'1,C'2,C'3,C'4,C'5,C '6, C'7, C'8, and C' 10 At least one of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, C'1, C'2, C'3, C'4, C'5, C'6, C'7, C'8, and C' 10 At least one of C1, C2, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, C'1, C'2, C'3, C'4, C'5, C'6, C'7, C'8, and C' 10 At least one of C1, C2, C4, C5, C6, C7, X2, X3, X6, X7, C'8, and C' 10 At least one of is aryl, arylalkyl, or heteroaryl. For example, there may be up to 8, 6, 4, 3, or 1 such substituents in such a structure.

[0262] Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is generally assumed that molecules with one or more of the following characteristics are particularly suitable for use in forming nucleation-inhibiting coatings: (i) relatively low symmetry of the molecular structure; (ii) containing bonds with relatively high rotational energy barriers; (iii) relatively large optical gaps; and (iv) relatively low likelihood of reacting with materials for forming conductive coatings. For example, it is generally assumed that for molecular structures containing naphthyl-terminated moieties, it is generally preferred that such naphthyl moieties are directly or indirectly bonded to the core moiety at the 1- or 4-position, rather than the 2- or 3-position. Such a configuration may contribute to an increase in the rotational energy barrier of the naphthyl-terminated moiety. In another example, it is generally assumed that for molecular structures containing phenanthrenyl moieties, it is generally preferred that such phenanthrenyl moieties are directly or indirectly bonded to the core moiety at the 9- or 10-position, rather than the 1- or 3-position, which is still preferred over bonding at the 2- or 7-position, in order to increase the rotational energy barrier of the phenanthrenyl moiety. In some embodiments, the nucleation-inhibiting coating comprises molecules that exhibit an optical gap of greater than about 2.5 eV, greater than about 2.6 eV, greater than about 2.7 eV, or greater than about 2.8 eV. Generally, molecules with larger optical gaps reduce absorption of light in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, and thus may be preferred for at least some applications.

[0263] In some embodiments, the polycyclic aromatic compound contains one or more fluorine atoms. For example, the polycyclic aromatic compound can contain one, two, three, four, or more fluorine atoms. In some embodiments, the polycyclic aromatic compound contains one to three fluorine atoms. Further examples of polycyclic aromatic compounds containing an anthracenyl core are provided below. [ka] [ka] [ka]

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[0264] Suitable nucleation-inhibiting materials include polymeric materials. Examples of such polymeric materials include fluoropolymers, including but not limited to perfluorinated polymers and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinyl biphenyl, polyvinyl carbazole (PVK), and polymers formed by polymerizing multiple units of the above polycyclic aromatic compounds. In another example, the polymeric material includes a polymer formed by polymerizing multiple monomers, at least one of which has a terminal portion that is or includes a moiety represented by (IA), (IB), or (IC), (ID), (IE), (IF), (IG), or an upper portion thereof. Polycyclic aromatic moieties containing fused ring structures such as:

[0265] Aspects of certain embodiments will now be illustrated and described with reference to the following examples, which are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure in any way. EXAMPLES

[0266] Synthesis of Compound 1 ("SF13"): 9-(naphthalen-1-yl)-10-phenylanthracene. The following reagents were mixed in a 500 mL reaction vessel: 9-bromo-10-(naphthalen-1-yl)anthracene (1.500 g, 3.91 mmol), tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) (Pd(PPh3)4, 0.678 g, 0.587 mmol), potassium carbonate (K2CO3, 1.623 g, 11.7 mmol), and 0.0782 mol of boronic acid. In this example, phenylboronic acid (0.954 g) was used as the boronic acid. The reaction vessel containing the mixture was placed on a heating plate mantle and stirred using a magnetic stirrer. The reaction vessel was also connected to a water condenser. A well-stirred 300 ml solvent mixture containing toluene, ethanol, and water in a volume ratio of 20:5:3 was prepared separately in a round-bottom flask. The flask containing the solvent mixture was sealed and degassed using N2 for a minimum of 30 minutes, after which a cannula was used to transfer the solvent mixture from the round-bottom flask to the reaction vessel without exposure to air. After all the solvent mixture was transferred, the reaction vessel was purged with nitrogen and heated to a temperature of 65° C. while stirring at about 1200 RPM and allowed to react for at least 12 hours under nitrogen environment. After the reaction was determined to be complete, the mixture was cooled to room temperature before removing the solvent mixture using a vacuum rotary evaporator. The contents of the flask were then redissolved in dichloromethane (DCM) and washed four times with 500 mL of 1 M NaOH solution, followed by two washes with 500 mL of water. The organic phase was washed with magnesium sulfate and filtered. The resulting product was purified by passing it twice through a silica gel plug column under vacuum suction. The DCM solvent was removed to yield a powdered product. The powder product was then further purified using train sublimation under reduced pressure of 20-50 mTorr, using CO2 as the carrier gas. The yield after purification using a silica gel plug column is 0.940 g (31.5%). The yield of the sublimation step is about 74%. 1H NMR(600MHz,CD2Cl2)δ8.14(ddd,J=8.3,3.3,0.9Hz,1H), 8.11-8.04(m,1H), 7.81-7.59(m,7H), 7.59 -7.51(m,2H), 7.52-7.41(m,2H), 7.41-7.31(m,2H), 7.33-7.20(m,3H), 7.15(dt,J=8.5,1.0Hz,1H). λ Abs =376.1 nm (DCM).

[0267] Synthesis of compound 2 ("SF360"): 9-(naphthalen-1-yl)-10-4-triphenylanthracene. Compound 2 was synthesized using the same procedure as compound 1 as described above, except using 4-tolylphenylboronic acid (1.064 g) as the boronic acid reactant. The yield after purification using a silica gel plug column is 1.176 g (38.0%). The yield of the sublimation step is about 81%. 1 H NMR(400MHz,CD2Cl2)δ8.09(d,J=8.3Hz,1H), 8.04(d,J=8.2Hz,1H), 7.81-7.68(m,3 H), 7.57(dd,J=7.0,1.3Hz,1H), 7.52-7.42(m,4H), 7.26-7.17(m,3H), 2.55(s,3H). λ Abs = 376.6 nm (DCM), λ fluo = nm (toluene).

[0268] Synthesis of compound 3 ("SF361"): 9-(naphthalen-1-yl)-10-4-fluorophenylanthracene. Compound 3 was synthesized using the same procedure as compound 1 as described above, except using 4-fluorophenylboronic acid (1.095 g) as the boronic acid reactant. The yield after purification using a silica gel plug column is 1.064 g (34.1%). The yield of the sublimation step is about 74%. 1 H NMR(600MHz,CD2Cl2)δ8.14(dt,J=8.3,1.1Hz,1H), 8.08(dt,J= 8.3,0.9Hz,1H), 7.80-7.73(m,3H), 7.63-7.56(m,2H), 7.56-7.51(m,2H), 7.45(ddd,J=8.8,1 .3,0.8Hz,2H), 7.43-7.36(m,4H), 7.27(dddd,J=8.0,6.3,5.0,1.3Hz,3H), 7.15-7.12(m,1H). λ Abs =375.6 nm (DCM).

[0269] Synthesis of compound 4 ("SF359"): 9-(naphthalen-1-yl)-10-4-trifluoromethylphenylanthracene. Compound 4 was synthesized using the same procedure as compound 1 as described above, except using 4-trifluoromethylphenylboronic acid (1.487 g) as the boronic acid reactant. The yield after purification using a silica gel plug column is 0.899 g (25.6%). The yield of the sublimation step is about 74%. 1 H NMR(600MHz,CD2Cl2)δ8.15(dd,J=8.3,1.1Hz,1H), 8.09(dt,J=8.4,0.9Hz,1H ), 8.02-7.91(m,2H), 7.83-7.74(m,2H), 7.74-7.66(m,3H), 7.62(dd,J=6.8,1 .2Hz,1H), 7.55(ddd,J=8.1,6.6,1.2Hz,1H), 7.47(dt,J=8.9,1.0Hz,2H), 7.3 9(ddd,J=8.9,6.4,1.3Hz,2H), 7.32-7.22(m,3H), 7.14(ddd,J=8.5,1.1Hz,1H). λ Abs =375.3 nm (DCM).

[0270] Synthesis of compound 5 ("SF16"): 9-(naphthalen-1-yl)-10-4-methoxyphenylanthracene. Compound 5 was synthesized using the same procedure as compound 1 as described above, except using 4-methoxyphenylboronic acid (1.189 g) as the boronic acid reactant. The yield after purification using a silica gel plug column is 1.387 g (43.2%). The yield of the sublimation step is about 74%. 1H NMR(600MHz,CD2Cl2)δ8.14(dt,J=8.3,1.1Hz,1H), 7.85-7.67(m,4H), 7.63-7.53(m,2H), 7.52(d,J=1.4Hz,1H), 7.52- 7.44(m,3H), 7.44-7.41(m,1H), 7.37(ddd,J=8.9,6.4,1.3Hz,2H), 7.30-7.18(m,6H), 7.16-7.08(m,2H), 4.01(s,3H). λ Abs =377.4 nm (DCM).

[0271] Synthesis of compound 6 ("SF358"): 9-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)-10-(naphthalen-1-yl)anthracene. Compound 6 was synthesized using the same procedure as compound 1 as described above, except using 3-trifluoromethylphenylboronic acid (1.49 g) as the boronic acid reactant. The yield after purification using a silica gel plug column is 1.14 g. The yield of the sublimation step is about 79%. GC / MS elution time 5.53 min, abundance 1.1 x 10 6 It is. 1 H NMR (400MHz, CDCl3) δ8.06(d,J=8.2Hz,1H), 8.01(d,J=8.3Hz,1H), 7.86-7.67(m,5H), 7.61(d,J=8.8Hz,2 H), 7.55(d,J=6.3Hz,1H), 7.52-7.41(m,3H), 7.37-7.30(m,2H), 7.27-7.18(m,3H), 7.13(t,J=7.6Hz,1H). λAbs=397nm(DCM), λfluo=411nm(DCM).

[0272] Synthesis of compound 7 ("SF4"): 9-(3,4,5-trifluorophenyl)-10-(naphthalen-1-yl)anthracene. Compound 7 was synthesized using the same procedure as compound 1 as described above, except using 3,4,5-trifluorophenylboronic acid (1.38 g) as the boronic acid reactant. The yield after purification using a silica gel plug column is 1.01 g. The yield of the sublimation step is about 82%. GC / MS elution time 5.707 min, abundance 5.0×10 6 It is. 1H NMR(400MHz,CDCl3)δ8.06(d,J=8.3Hz,1H), 8.01(d,J=8.2Hz,1H), 7.73 -7.61(m,3H), 7.56-7.32(m,5H), 7.27-7.06(m,5H). λAbs=396nm(DCM), λfluo=430nm(DCM).

[0273] Synthesis of compound 8 ("SF25"): 9-(2-fluorophenyl)-10-(naphthalen-1-yl)anthracene. Compound 8 was synthesized using the same procedure as compound 1 as described above, except using 2-fluorophenylboronic acid (1.10 g) as the boronic acid reactant. The yield after purification using a silica gel plug column is 1.32 g. The yield of the sublimation step is about 81%. GC / MS elution time 6.475 min, abundance 8.4×10 6 It is. 1 H NMR (400MHz, CDCl3) δ8.06(d,J=8.1Hz,1H), 8.00(d,J=8.2Hz,1H), 7.68(d,J=9.0Hz,3H), 7.46(dddd,J=60.9,29.3,13.0,7.7Hz,10H), 7.25-7.11(m,4H). λAbs=397nm(DCM), λfluo=407nm(DCM).

[0274] Synthesis of Compound 9 ("SF316"): 9-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)-10-(naphthalen-2-yl)anthracene. The following reagents were mixed in a 1 L reaction vessel: 9-bromo-10-(naphthalen-2-yl)anthracene (0.853 g, 2.23 mmol), tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium (Pd(PPh3), 0.385 g, 15 mol%), potassium carbonate (K2CO3, 0.923 g, 6.69 mmol), and 4.46 mmol of boronic acid. In this example, 4-trifluoromethylphenylboronic acid (0.845 g) was used as the boronic acid. The reaction vessel containing the mixture was placed on a heating plate mantle and stirred using a magnetic stirrer. The reaction vessel was also connected to a water condenser. A well-stirred 191 ml solvent mixture containing toluene, ethanol, and water in a volume ratio of 6.6:3.3:1 was prepared separately in a round-bottom flask. The flask containing the solvent mixture was sealed and degassed using N2 for a minimum of 30 minutes, after which a cannula was used to transfer the solvent mixture from the round-bottom flask to the reaction vessel without exposure to air. After all the solvent mixture was transferred, the reaction vessel was purged with nitrogen and heated to a temperature of 65°C while stirring at approximately 1200 RPM and allowed to react for at least 12 hours under nitrogen environment. After the reaction was deemed complete, the mixture was cooled to room temperature before removing the solvent mixture using a vacuum rotary evaporator. The contents of the flask were then redissolved in dichloromethane (DCM) and washed with 1M NaOH solution followed by water. The organic phase was washed with magnesium sulfate and filtered. The resulting product was purified by passing through a silica gel plug column under vacuum suction. The DCM solvent was removed to yield a powdered product. The powder product was then further purified using train sublimation under reduced pressure of 20–50 mTorr with CO2 as the carrier gas. 1 H NMR (CDCl3): 8.09(d,J=8.58Hz,1H), 8.04(m,1H), 7.98(s,1H), 7.91(m,1H), 7.74(m,2H), 7.63(m,7H), 7.35(m,4H). 19F NMR(CDCl3):62.32(s). λAbs=397nm(DCM), λfluo=423nm(DCM). Yield (purification) = 61%, yield (sublimation) = 88%. MS(m / z,%):436.3(M+,100)GC retention time=7.30 min.

[0275] Synthesis of Compound 10 ("SF317"): 9-(3,4,5-trifluorophenyl)-10-(naphthalen-2-yl)anthracene. Compound 10 was synthesized using the same procedure as Compound 9, as described above, except that 3,4,5-trifluorophenrylboronic acid (0.809 g, 4.60 mmol) was used as the boronic acid reactant and mixed with 9-bromo-10-(naphthalen-2-yl)anthracene (0.882 g, 2.30 mmol), 3,4,5-trifluorophenrylboronic acid (0.809 g, 4.60 mmol), potassium carbonate (0.954 g, 6.90 mmol), and tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium (0.399 g, 15 mol%). 1 H NMR(CDCl3):8.09(d,J=8.58Hz,1H), 8.04(m,1H), 7.97( s,1H), 7.93(m,1H), 7.74(m,2H), 7.62(m,5H), 7.38(m,4H), 7.16(m,2H). 13 C NMR(CDCl3):152.76, 150.26 138.35, 136.28, 133.52, 132.98, 130.32, 130.12, 129.77, 129.43, 128.25, 128.09, 127.28, 126.72, 126.52, 126.13, 126.02, 125.48, 115.92, 115.86, 115.77, 115.72. 19 F NMR (CDCl3): 134.38(m), 161.64(m). λAbs=395nm(DCM), λfluo=418nm(DCM). Yield (purification) = 75%, yield (sublimation) = 91%. MS(m / z,%):434.3(M+,100). GC retention time = 7.07 minutes.

[0276] Synthesis of Compound 11 ("SF319"): 9-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)-10-(naphthalen-2-yl)anthracene. Compound 11 was synthesized using the same procedure as Compound 9, as described above, except for the amount of solvent used (toluene / ethanol / water, 287 mL) and the use of 9-bromo-10-(naphthalen-2-yl)anthracene (1.280 g, 3.34 mmol), 3-trifluoromethylphenrylboronic acid (1.268 g, 6.68 mmol), potassium carbonate (1.385 g, 10.02 mmol), and 3-trifluoromethylphenrylboronic acid (1.268 g, 6.68 mmol) mixed with tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium (0.578 g, 15 mol%) as the boronic acid. 1 H NMR (CDCl3): 8.10(d,J=8.73Hz,1H), 8.04(m,1H), 7.99(s,1H), 7.93(m,1H), 7.78(m,6H), 7.62(m,5H), 7.35(m,4H). 13 C NMR(CDCl3):140.17, 137.87, 136.47, 135.34, 134.91, 133.54, 132.95, 131.38, 131.06, 130.36, 130.1 7, 129.97, 129.56, 129.18, 128.23, 128.08, 127.38, 126.66, 126.53, 126.47, 125.74, 125.38, 124.65. 19 F NMR(CDCl3):62.34(s). λAbs=395nm(DCM), λfluo=419nm(DCM). Yield (purification) = 75%, yield (sublimation) = 90%. MS(m / z,%):448.3(M+,100). GC retention time = 6.89 minutes.

[0277] Synthesis of Compound 12 ("SF19"): 9-(2-triphenyl)-10-(naphthalen-2-yl)anthracene. Compound 12 was synthesized using the same procedure as Compound 11 as described above, except that 9-bromo-10-(naphthalen-2-yl)anthracene (1.457 g, 3.80 mmol), potassium carbonate (1.575 g, 11.4 mmol), and 2-tolylboronic acid (1.033 g, 7.60 mmol) mixed with tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)-palladium (0.658 g, 15 mol%) were used as the boronic acid. 1 H NMR(CDCl3): 8.10(dd,J=8.60,2.36Hz,1H), 8.03(m,2H), 7.94(m,1H), 7.76(m,2H), 7.63(m,5H), 7.47(m,3H), 7.33(m,5H). 13 C NMR (CDCl3): 138.60, 138.09, 136.89, 136.77, 133.57, 132.90, 131.47, 130.46, 130.45, 130.28, 130.21, 129.80, 128.26, 128.24, 128.08, 128.05, 128.04, 127.30, 126.82, 126.57, 126.36, 126.05, 125.33, 125.29, 20.02. λAbs = 397 nm (DCM), λfluo = 415 nm (DCM). Yield (purified) = 75%, Yield (sublimed) = 73%. MS(m / z,%):394.3(M+,100). GC retention time = 7.81 minutes.

[0278] Synthesis of Compound 13 ("SF20"): 9-(3-triphenyl)-10-(naphthalen-2-yl)anthracene. Compound 13 was prepared by cleaving 9-bromo-10-(naphthalen-2-yl)anthracene from 3-tolylboronic acid (0.668 g, 5.06 mmol) as the boronic acid. This compound was synthesized using the same procedure as compound 9, as described above, except that it was mixed with anthracene (0.971 g, 2.53 mmol), potassium carbonate (1.05 g, 7.60 mmol), and tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)-palladium (0.438 g, 15 mol). 1H NMR (CDCl3): 8.09(d,J=8.04Hz,1H), 8.04(m,1H), 7.99(s,1H), 7.93(m,1H), 7.74(m,4H), 7.62(m,3H), 7.34(m,7H). 13 C NMR(CDCl3):139.13, 138.13, 137.66, 138.87, 133.58, 132.88, 132.13, 130.38, 130.20, 130.06, 129.75, 128.53, 128.42, 128.34, 128.09, 128.04, 127.29, 127.14, 126.55, 126.35, 125.23, 125.10, 31.09, 21.71. 19 F NMR(CDCl3):113.22(m). λAbs=395nm(DCM), λfluo=420nm(DCM). Yield (purification) = 69%, yield (sublimation) = 81%. MS(m / z,%):394.3(M+,100). GC retention time = 9.21 minutes.

[0279] Synthesis of Compound 14 ("SF21"): 9-(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-10-(naphthalen-2-yl)anthracene. Compound 14 was synthesized using the same procedure as Compound 9, as described above, except using 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenylboronic acid (0.998 g, 3.87 mmol) mixed with 9-bromo-10-(naphthalen-2-yl)anthracene (0.744 g, 1.94 mmol), potassium carbonate (0.803 g, 5.81 mmol), and tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium (0.335 g, 15 mol%) as the boronic acid. 1 H NMR (CDCl3): 8.02 (m, 7H), 7.76 (m, 2H), 7.61 (m, 3H), 7.51 (m, 2H), 7.38 (m, 4H). 13C NMR (CDCl3): 207.07, 141.75, 138.81, 136.17, 133.57, 133.23, 133.03, 132.45, 132.04, 131.73, 130.28, 130.16, 129.89, 129.41, 128.27, 128.09, 127.62, 126.74, 126.57, 126.34, 125.83, 125.51, 31.07. 19F NMR (CDCl3): 62.59 (s). λAbs = 395nm (DCM), λfluo = 425nm (DCM). Yield (purification) = 58%, yield (sublimation) = 85%. MS (m / z,%): 516.3 (M+, 100). GC retention time = 4.87 minutes.

[0280] Synthesis of Compound 15 ("SF1"): 9-(4-methylphenyl)-10-phenylanthracene. The following reagents were mixed in a reaction vessel: 9-bromo-10-phenylanthracene (1.45 g, 4.35 mmol), tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium (Pd(PPh3)4, 0.75 g, 0.65 mmol), potassium carbonate (K2CO3, 1.80 g, 13.05 mmol), and 8.70 mmol of boronic acid. In this example, 4-methylbenzeneboronic acid (1.18 g) was used as the boronic acid. The reaction vessel containing the mixture was placed on a heating plate mantle and stirred using a magnetic stirrer. The reaction vessel was also connected to a water condenser. 333 ml of a well-stirred solvent mixture containing toluene, ethanol, and water in a volume ratio of 1:25:0.15 was prepared separately in a round-bottom flask. The flask containing the solvent mixture was sealed and degassed using N2 for a minimum of 30 minutes, after which a cannula was used to transfer the solvent mixture from the round bottom flask to the reaction vessel without exposure to air. After all the solvent mixture was transferred, the reaction vessel was purged with nitrogen and heated to a temperature of 65°C while stirring at approximately 1200 RPM and allowed to react for at least 12 hours under a nitrogen environment. After the reaction was determined to be complete, the mixture was cooled to room temperature and then the solvent mixture was removed using a vacuum rotary evaporator. The contents of the flask were then redissolved in dichloromethane (DCM) and washed five times with NaOH solution, water, and brine. The organic phase was washed with magnesium sulfate and filtered. The resulting product was purified by passing through a silica gel plug column under vacuum suction. The DCM solvent was removed to produce a powdered product. The powdered product was then The material was further purified using train sublimation under reduced pressure of 20-50 mTorr with CO2 as the carrier gas. 1 H NMR (CDCl3): 7.72(m,4H), 7.58(m,3H), 7.49(m,2H), 7.41(m,4H), 7.33(m,4H), 2.55(s,3H). 13C NMR (CDCl3): 139.28, 137.38, 137.21, 137.07, 136.10, 131.48, 131.34, 130.13, 130.03, 129.25, 128.53, 127.57, 127.20, 127.08, 125.10, 125.02, 21.55. λAbs = 393 nm (iPrOH), λfluo = 408.03 nm (iPrOH). Yield (purified) = 53%, Yield (sublimed) = 73%.

[0281] Synthesis of Compound 16 ("SF7"): Synthesis of 9-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)-10-phenylanthracene. Compound 16 was synthesized using the same procedure as compound 15 as described above, except using 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzeneboronic acid (1.43 g, 7.52 mmol) mixed with 9-bromo-10-phenylanthracene (1.25 g, 3.76 mmol), K2CO3 (1.60 g, 11.28 mmol) and Pd(PPh3)4 (0.65 g, 0.56 mmol) as the boronic acid. 1 H NMR (CDCl3): 7.89(d,2H), 7.73(m,2H), 7.60(m,7H), 7.49(m,2H), 7.36(m,4H). 13 C NMR(CDCl3):143.31, 138.95, 135.32, 131.92, 131.37, 129.99, 129.86, 1 28.60, 127.74, 127.30, 126.48, 125.87, 125.60, 125.58, 125.27, 123.16. 19 F NMR(CDCl3): -62.31(s,3F). λAbs=392 nm(iPrOH), λfluo=406.96 nm(iPrOH). Yield(purified)=53%, Yield(sublimed)=67%.

[0282] Synthesis of Compound 17 ("SF5"): 9-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-10-phenylanthracene. Compound 17 was synthesized using the same procedure as Compound 15 as described above, except using 4-tert-butylbenzeneboronic acid (1.38 g, 7.76 mmol) mixed with 9-bromo-10-phenylanthracene (1.29 g, 3.88 mmol), K2CO3 (1.61 g, 11.64 mmol) and Pd(PPh3)4 (0.67 g, 0.58 mmol) as the boronic acid. 1 H NMR (CDCl3): 7.72 (m, 4H), 7.58 (m, 5H), 7.50 (m, 2H), 7.42 (m, 2H), 7.33 (m, 4H), 1.49 (s, 9H). 13 C NMR(CDCl3):150.41, 139.32, 137.50, 137.02, 135.99, 131.49, 131.08, 130. 17, 130.04, 128.54, 127.57, 127.32, 127.05, 125.40, 125.11, 124.99, 34.90. λAbs=393nm(iPrOH), λfluo=408.03nm(iPrOH).

[0283] Synthesis of Compound 18 ("SF24"): 9-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)-10-phenylanthracene. Compound 18 was synthesized using the same procedure as Compound 15 as described above, except for the volume of solvent (222 mL) and the use of 3-(trifluoromethyl)benzeneboronic acid (0.95 g, 5.02 mmol) mixed with 9-bromo-10-phenylanthracene (0.84 g, 2.51 mmol), K2CO3 (1.04 g, 7.53 mmol) and Pd(PPh3)4 (0.44 g, 0.38 mmol) at room temperature as the boronic acid. 1 H NMR (CDCl3): 7.84 (m, 1H), 7.74 (m, 5H), 7.60 (m, 5H), 7.50 (m, 2H), 7.37 (m, 4H). 13C NMR(CDCl3):140.18, 138.97, 138.08, 135.19, 134.90, 131.38, 131.03, 130.00, 129.93, 129.15, 128.61, 128.23, 127.75, 127.32, 126.4 6, 125.68, 125.27, 124.61, 123.03. 19 F NMR(CDCl3):-62.38(s,3F). λAbs=392nm(iPrOH), λfluo=406.06nm(iPrOH).

[0284] Synthesis of Compound 19 ("SF8"): 9-(3-methylphenyl)-10-phenylanthracene. Compound 19 was synthesized by the addition of 9-bromo-10-phenylanthracene (0.97 g, 2.90 mmol) as the boronic acid, K2CO3 (1.20 g, 8.70 mmol) and Pd(PPh3). 4( This compound was synthesized using the same procedure as compound 18 described above, except using 3-methylbenzeneboronic acid (0.79 g, 5.80 mmol) mixed with 1-methylbenzeneboronic acid (0.51 g, 0.44 mmol). 1 H NMR (CDCl3): 7.72 (m, 4H), 7.56 (m, 6H), 7.34 (m, 7H), 2.49 (m, 3H). 13 C NMR(CDCl3):139.28, 139.13, 138.12, 137.49, 137.10, 132.13, 131.49, 130.01, 130. 01, 128.54, 128.52, 128.40, 128.31, 127.59, 127.22, 127.08, 125.11, 125.05, 21.69. λAbs=392nm(iPrOH), λfluo=406.06nm(iPrOH).

[0285] Synthesis of Compound 20 ("SF357"): 9-(4-trifluoromethoxyphenyl)-10-(naphthalen-1-yl)anthracene. Compound 20 was synthesized using the same procedure as Compound 1, except that 4-trifluoromethoxyphenylboronic acid (1.49 g, 7.82 mmol) was used as the boronic acid. 1H NMR(400MHz,CDCl3)δ8.06(d,J=8.2Hz,1H)、8.01(d,J=8.3Hz,1H)、7.86-7.67(m,5H)、7.61(d,J=8.8Hz,2H)、7.55(d,J=6.3Hz,1H)、7.52-7.41(m,3H)、7.37-7.30(m,2H)、7.27-7.18(m,3H)、7.13(t,J=7.6Hz,1H)。λAbs,max=376nm(DCM)、λfluo,max=430nm(DCM)。

[0286] Synthesis of Compound 21 ("SF170"): 9-(4-trifluorophenyl)-10-(phenanthren-1-yl)anthracene. The following reagents were mixed in a 500 mL reaction vessel: 9-bromo-10-(phenanthracen-10-yl)anthracene (1.500 g, 3.91 mmol), tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) (Pd(PPh3)4, 0.678 g, 0.587 mmol), potassium carbonate (K2CO3, 1.623 g, 11.7 mmol), and 7.82 mmol of boronic acid. In this example, 4-trifluoromethylphenylboronic acid (1.49 g) was used as the boronic acid. The reaction vessel containing the mixture was placed on a heating plate mantle and stirred using a magnetic stirrer. The reaction vessel was also connected to a water condenser. A well-stirred 300 mL solvent mixture containing N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and water in a volume ratio of 25:3 was prepared separately in a round-bottom flask. The flask containing the solvent mixture was sealed and degassed using N2 for a minimum of 30 minutes, after which a cannula was used to transfer the solvent mixture from the round-bottom flask to the reaction vessel without exposure to air. After all the solvent mixture was transferred, the reaction vessel was purged with nitrogen and heated to a temperature of 65 °C while stirring at approximately 1200 RPM and allowed to react for at least 12 hours under nitrogen environment. After the reaction was determined to be complete, the mixture was cooled to room temperature before being transferred to a 2 L beaker. 1500 mL of water was slowly added to the beaker while gently stirring the mixture, allowing it to separate into two phases. The precipitate was filtered off and dried to produce a powder product. The powder product was then further purified using train sublimation under reduced pressure of 20-50 mTorr, using CO2 as the carrier gas. After synthesis, an observed yield of 139.2 mol% (2.40 g) was obtained, with an overall molar yield of 63.2 mol% after train sublimation. GC / MS elution time 12.136 min, abundance 6.5×10 6 It is. 1 H NMR(400MHz,CDCl3)δ8.87(dd,J=8.4,3.6Hz,2H), 7.90(t,J= 7.1Hz,3H), 7.85(s,1H), 7.81-7.74(m,1H), 7.74-7.69(m,1H), 7.65(dd,J=1 3.9,7.8Hz,5H), 7.58(d,J=8.8Hz,2H), 7.37-7.29(m,3H), 7.24-7.18(m,3H). λAbs,max=377nm(DCM), λfluo,max=432nm(DCM).

[0287] Synthesis of Compound 22 ("SF173"): 9-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-10-(phenanthren-1-yl)anthracene. Compound 22 was synthesized using the same procedure as Compound 21 as described above, except using 4-Tert-butylphenylboronic acid (1.39 g, 7.82 mmol) as the boronic acid. Observed yield of 100.3 mol% (1.69 g) was obtained after synthesis, with an overall molar yield of 67.1 mol% after train sublimation. GC / MS elution time 22.185 min, abundance 1.1 x 10 6 It is. 1 H NMR (400MHz, CDCl3) δ8.06(d,J=8.3Hz,2H), 8.01(d,J=8.2Hz,2H), 7.73-7.61(m,6H), 7.56-7.32(m,10H), 7.27-7.06(m,10H). λAbs,max=378nm(DCM), λfluo,max=436nm(DCM).

[0288] In addition to the above, the following compounds 23-36 were synthesized: 9-(3-(naphthalen-1-yl)phenyl)-10-(naphthalen-1-yl)anthracene (compound 23 ("SF168")), 9-(3-(naphthalen-1-yl)phenyl)-10-(phenanthren-9-yl)anthracene (compound 24 ("SF169")), 2,6-bis(4-fluorophenyl)-9,10-di(naphthalene) 2,6-bis(4-tert-butyl)phenyl)-9,10-di(naphthalen-2-yl)anthracene (Compound 25 ("SF3")), 2,6-bis(4-tert-butyl)phenyl)-9,10-di(naphthalen-2-yl)anthracene (Compound 26 ("SF2")), 9,10-di(naphthalen-2-yl)-2-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)anthracene (Compound 27 ("SF157")), 9-(4-trifluoromethoxyphenyl)-10-( naphthalen-2-yl)anthracene (Compound 28 ("SF315")), 9,10-diphenylanthracene (Compound 29), 9-(4-methoxyphenyl)-10-phenylanthracene (Compound 30), 9-(4-fluorophenyl)-10-phenylanthracene (Compound 31), 9-phenyl-10-(3,4,5-trifluorophenyl)anthracene (Compound 32), 9-(2-methylphenyl)-10-phenylanthracene (Compound 33), 9-phenyl-10-(phenanthren-9-yl)anthracene (Compound 34), 9-(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)-10-phenylanthracene (Compound 35 ("SF0")), and 9-(3,4,5-trifluorophenyl)-10-(phenanthren-9-yl)anthracene (Compound 36 ("SF171")). [ka]

[0289] Example 1: Low Speed ​​Evaluation of Compounds 1-5. To characterize the effect of using various materials to form a nucleation-inhibiting coating, a series of samples were prepared using each of Compounds 1-5 to form a nucleation-inhibiting coating.

[0290] As used in the examples herein, references to a layer thickness of a material refer to an amount of material deposited on a target surface (or a target area of ​​a surface in the case of selective deposition), which corresponds to an amount of material that covers the target surface with a uniformly thick layer of material having a reference layer thickness. As an example, depositing a layer thickness of 10 nm indicates that the amount of material deposited on the surface corresponds to an amount of material to form a uniformly thick layer of material having a thickness of 10 nm. It will be understood that the actual thickness of the deposited material may be non-uniform, for example due to possible stacking or clustering of molecules or atoms. For example, depositing a layer thickness of 10 nm may result in portions of the deposited material having an actual thickness greater than 10 nm, or other portions of the deposited material having an actual thickness less than 10 nm. The thickness of a particular layer of material deposited on a surface may correspond to an average thickness of the material deposited across the entire surface.

[0291] A series of samples was prepared by depositing an organic layer formed by 2-(4-(9,10-di(naphthalen-2-yl)anthracen-2-yl)phenyl)-1-phenyl-1H-benzo-[D]imidazole (LG201) with a thickness of about 20 nm on a glass substrate, followed by depositing a nucleation-inhibiting coating with a thickness of about 30 nm on top of the LG201 organic layer. The surface of the nucleation-inhibiting coating was then subjected to an open mask deposition of magnesium. Each sample was exposed to a magnesium vapor flux with an average evaporation rate of about 2.5 Å / s. In carrying out the deposition of the magnesium coating, a deposition time of about 2000 seconds was used to obtain a reference layer thickness of magnesium of about 500 nm.

[0292] Once the samples were produced, light transmission measurements were taken to determine the relative amount of magnesium deposited on the surface of the nucleation-inhibiting coating. As will be appreciated, a relatively thin magnesium coating, for example, having a thickness of less than a few nm, is substantially transparent. However, as the thickness of the magnesium coating increases, the light transmission decreases. Thus, the relative performance of various nucleation-inhibiting coating materials can be evaluated by measuring the light transmission through the sample, which directly correlates to the amount or thickness of the magnesium coating deposited thereon from the magnesium deposition process. The materials used to form the nucleation-inhibiting coating on each sample, and the light transmission measurements for each sample are summarized in Table 3 below. In calculating the light transmission measurements, the loss or absorption of light caused by the presence of the glass substrate, the LG201 organic layer, and the nucleation-inhibiting coating were subtracted from the measured transmission. Therefore, the light transmission values ​​shown in Table 3 reflect only the transmission of light (at a wavelength of approximately 550 nm) through the magnesium coating that may be present on the surface of the nucleation-inhibiting coating. [Table 3]

[0293] Example 2: Low Speed ​​Evaluation of Compounds 6-22. To characterize the effect of using various materials to form a nucleation-inhibiting coating, a series of samples were prepared using each of Compounds 6, 7, and 9-22 to form a nucleation-inhibiting coating.

[0294] A series of samples was prepared by depositing a nucleation-inhibiting coating on a glass substrate. An open mask deposition of magnesium was then performed on the surface of the nucleation-inhibiting coating. Each sample was exposed to a magnesium vapor flux with an average evaporation rate of about 2 Å / sec. In carrying out the deposition of the magnesium coating, a deposition time of about 1000 seconds was used to obtain a baseline layer thickness of about 200 nm of magnesium.

[0295] The materials used to form the nucleation-inhibiting coating on each sample, and the light transmission measurements for each sample are summarized in Table 4 below. [Table 4]

[0296] Based on the above, it can be seen that relatively high light transmissions of over 90% were measured for samples produced using compounds 1-7 and 9-22 as nucleation-inhibiting coating materials. As discussed above, the high light transmission is directly attributable to the presence of a relatively small amount of magnesium coating present on the surface of the nucleation-inhibiting coating, which absorbs light transmitted through the sample. Thus, these nucleation-inhibiting coating materials generally exhibit a relatively low affinity or initial adhesion probability for magnesium, which may be particularly useful for achieving selective deposition and patterning of magnesium coatings in certain applications. In contrast, samples produced using compounds 29-34 as nucleation-inhibiting coating materials exhibited relatively low or no light transmission, indicating that a significant thickness of magnesium coating was deposited. Thus, compounds 29-34 were found to generally perform poorly as nucleation-inhibiting coating materials.

[0297] As used in this and other examples described herein, the reference layer thickness refers to the thickness of a layer of magnesium deposited on a reference surface that exhibits a high initial sticking coefficient (e.g., a surface having an initial sticking coefficient of about 1.0 or close to 1.0). Specifically, for these examples, the reference surface is a quartz surface that is positioned within the deposition chamber to monitor the deposition rate and the thickness of the reference layer. In other words, the thickness of the reference layer is the thickness of a layer of magnesium deposited on a reference surface (i.e., a surface having an initial sticking coefficient of about 1.0 or close to 1.0) that exhibits a high initial sticking coefficient. The reference thickness does not refer to the actual thickness of magnesium deposited on a target surface (i.e., the surface of a controlled coating). Rather, the reference layer thickness refers to the layer thickness of magnesium that would be deposited on a reference surface when the target surface and reference surface are exposed to the same magnesium vapor flux for the same deposition period (i.e., the surface of quartz). As will be appreciated, if the target surface and reference surface are not exposed to the same vapor flux at the same time during deposition, appropriate tooling factors may be used to determine and monitor the reference thickness.

[0298] Example 3: Rapid evaluation of compounds 1-5. To determine how the magnesium evaporation rate affects the nucleation-inhibiting properties of various materials, a series of samples were prepared using each of compounds 1-5 to form a nucleation-inhibiting coating and then exposed to a relatively high magnesium vapor flux. The series of samples were fabricated by depositing an organic layer LG201 with a thickness of about 20 nm formed on a glass substrate, followed by depositing a nucleation-inhibiting coating with a thickness of about 30 nm on the LG201 organic layer. When measuring using a reference surface, the samples were exposed to a magnesium flux with an average deposition rate of about 10 Å / sec. In performing the deposition of the magnesium coating, a deposition time of about 500 seconds was used to obtain a reference layer thickness of magnesium of about 500 nm.

[0299] Once the samples were produced, light transmission measurements were taken to determine the relative amount of magnesium deposited on the surface of the nucleation-inhibiting coating. The thickness of the nucleation-inhibiting coating and the light transmission measurements for each sample are summarized in Table 4 below. In calculating the light transmission measurements, the loss or absorption of light caused by the presence of the glass substrate and the nucleation-inhibiting coating was subtracted from the measured transmission. Therefore, the light transmission values ​​shown in Table 4 reflect only the transmission of light (at a wavelength of approximately 550 nm) through any magnesium coating that may be present on the surface of the nucleation-inhibiting coating. [Table 5]

[0300] Example 4: High-speed evaluation of compounds 6-22. To determine how magnesium evaporation rate affects the nucleation-inhibiting properties of various materials, a series of samples were prepared using each of compounds 6-22 to form a nucleation-inhibiting coating and then exposed to a relatively high magnesium vapor flux. The series of samples were fabricated by depositing a nucleation-inhibiting coating on a glass substrate. When measured using a reference surface, the samples were exposed to a magnesium flux with an average deposition rate of about 10 Å / sec. In performing the deposition of the magnesium coating, a deposition time of about 200 seconds was used to obtain a reference layer thickness of magnesium of about 200 nm.

[0301] Once the samples were produced, light transmission measurements were performed to determine the relative amount of magnesium deposited on the surface of the nucleation-inhibiting coating. The thickness of the nucleation-inhibiting coating and the light transmission measurements for each sample are summarized in Table 6 below. The calculation of the light transmission measurements takes into account the loss or absorption of light caused by the presence of the glass substrate and the nucleation-inhibiting coating. , was subtracted from the measured transmittance. Therefore, the light transmittance values ​​shown in Table 6 reflect only the transmittance of light (at a wavelength of approximately 550 nm) through the magnesium coating that may be present on top of the nucleation-inhibiting coating. [Table 6]

[0302] Based on the above, it can be seen that relatively high light transmissions of over 90% were measured only for samples produced using compounds 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 21, and 22 as nucleation-inhibiting coating materials. As mentioned above, the high light transmission is directly attributable to the presence of a relatively small amount of magnesium coating on the surface of the nucleation-inhibiting coating. Thus, such nucleation-inhibiting coating materials may be particularly useful for achieving selective deposition and patterning of magnesium coatings in certain applications. For example, such materials may be particularly suitable for applications in which the deposition rate of the magnesium coating is substantially higher than about 2 Å / sec. Furthermore, samples produced using compounds 29-34 as nucleation-inhibiting coating materials did not exhibit light transmission, indicating that a significant thickness of magnesium coating was deposited. Thus, compounds 29-34 were found to generally perform poorly as nucleation-inhibiting coating materials.

[0303] Samples produced using compounds 5, 12, 13, 14, 19 and 20 as nucleation-inhibiting coating materials exhibited light transmittances of approximately 66%, 33%, 35%, 49%, 46% and 36%, respectively. In applications requiring highly selective deposition of magnesium coatings, it is generally more preferable to use materials that exhibit higher light transmittance and therefore superior nucleation-inhibiting properties (i.e., low initial adhesion probability), but nevertheless, materials such as compounds 5, 12, 13, 14, 19 and 20 may be useful in forming nucleation-inhibiting coatings for certain applications.

[0304] All samples made using compounds 1, 2, 15 and 18 showed relatively low light transmittance. In particular, samples made using compounds 15 and 18 showed no transmission. This indicates that the relatively large or thick layer of magnesium coating deposited on the surface of the nucleation-inhibiting coating results in significant absorption of light. Therefore, these materials may not be desirable for use in achieving selective deposition of magnesium coatings, especially in applications requiring selective deposition of relatively thick magnesium coatings at high deposition rates greater than about 2 Å / s (e.g., deposition rates of about 10 Å / s).

[0305] By comparing the results of Examples 3 and 4 with those of Examples 1 and 2, it has been found, somewhat surprisingly, that some materials substantially inhibit the deposition of magnesium thereon when exposed to a magnesium vapor flux at a relatively low deposition or evaporation rate, but the degree to which magnesium deposition is inhibited is substantially reduced when a relatively high deposition or evaporation rate of magnesium is used. In other words, it has been observed that selective deposition of magnesium coatings can be successfully achieved using certain nucleation-inhibiting coating materials (e.g., compounds 1, 2, 15, 18, etc.) at a relatively low magnesium deposition rate of about 2 Å / sec. However, at a relatively high deposition rate of about 10 Å / sec, the same nucleation-inhibiting coating materials do not allow successful selective deposition of magnesium coatings.

[0306] It has also been observed that, regardless of the magnesium deposition rate used in these examples, some nucleation-inhibiting coating materials appear to be effective in inhibiting the deposition of magnesium thereon. Based on experimental results, compounds 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 21, and 22 can be used to form effective nucleation-inhibiting coatings for achieving highly selective deposition of magnesium coatings at magnesium deposition rates of at least up to about 10 Å / sec.

[0307] Additionally, samples prepared similarly to the sample of Example 4, except using compounds 23-28, 35 and 36 as the nucleation-inhibiting coating, also exhibited relatively high light transmittance, thereby indicating that such materials may also be suitable for forming nucleation-inhibiting coatings in at least some applications.

[0308] Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, based on the nucleation and growth theory described above, it is believed that surfaces formed by depositing materials such as compound 1 generally exhibit relatively low desorption energies (E des ), and the high activation energy for diffusion of magnesium adatoms (E S ), or both. Thus, the magnesium vapor impingement velocity ( Even if the nucleation rate ( ) increases, the critical nucleation rate ( JPEG0007625276000066.jpg64) remains relatively low, substantially inhibiting magnesium deposition.

number

[0309] It is assumed that an increase in the vapor impingement rate (i.e., evaporation rate) can increase the temperature of the substrate. For example, when the evaporation rate increases, the evaporation source typically operates at a higher temperature. Thus, at higher evaporation rates, the substrate can be exposed to higher levels of thermal radiation that can heat the substrate. Other factors that can lead to an increase in substrate temperature include heating of the substrate caused by energy transfer from a large number of evaporated molecules incident on the substrate surface, as well as an increase in the rate of condensation or (de)sublimation of molecules on the substrate surface, which releases energy in the process and causes heating.

[0310] For further clarification, the term "selectivity" when used in the context of a nucleation-inhibiting coating is generally understood to refer to the degree to which a nucleation-inhibiting coating inhibits or prevents deposition of a conductive coating thereon when exposed to a vapor flux of the material used to form the conductive coating. For example, a nucleation-inhibiting coating that exhibits a relatively high selectivity for magnesium will generally be better at inhibiting or preventing deposition of a magnesium coating thereon as compared to a nucleation-inhibiting coating having a relatively low selectivity. It has generally been observed that nucleation-inhibiting coatings that exhibit a relatively high selectivity also exhibit a relatively low initial adhesion probability, and nucleation-inhibiting coatings that exhibit a relatively low selectivity exhibit a relatively high initial adhesion probability.

[0311] Example 4. A series of kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) calculations were performed to simulate the deposition of metal adatoms onto surfaces exhibiting a range of activation energies. Specifically, by exposing such surfaces to an evaporating vapor flux with a constant rate of monomer flux, the desorption (E des ), diffusion (E s ), dissociation (E i ), reaction to the surface (E b Calculations were performed to simulate the deposition of metal adatoms, such as magnesium adatoms, onto surfaces having various activation energy levels relative to the surface 5300. FIG. 39 is a schematic of the various "events" considered in the current example. In FIG. 39, an atom 5301 in the gas phase is shown incident on a surface 5300. When an atom 5301 is adsorbed onto the surface 5300, it becomes an adatom 5303. The adatom 5303 can undergo various events including: (i) desorption (producing a desorbed atom 5311 thereon), (ii) diffusion (giving rise to adatoms 5313 that diffuse onto the surface 5300), (iii) nucleation (a critical number of adatoms 5315 come together to form a nucleus), and (iv) reaction with the surface (adatoms 5317 react and bond to the surface 5300).

[0312] The rate at which desorption, diffusion, or dissociation occurs (R) is determined by the frequency of attempts (ω), the activation energy of each event (E), and the Boltzmann constant (k B ), and the system temperature (T).

number

[0313] For the purposes of the above calculations, the critical cluster size i (i.e., the critical number of adatoms to form a stable nucleus) was chosen to be 2. The activation energy of diffusion for adatom-adatom interactions is The activation energy of desorption for adatom-adatom interactions was chosen to be greater than about 0.6 eV, the activation energy of desorption for adatom-adatom interactions was chosen to be greater than about 1.5 eV, and the activation energy of desorption for adatom-adatom interactions was chosen to be greater than about 1.25 times the activation energy of desorption for surface-adatom interactions. The above values ​​and conditions were chosen based on reported values ​​for magnesium-magnesium interactions. For simulation purposes, a temperature (T) of 300 K was used. The calculations were repeated using reported values ​​for other metal adatom-metal adatom activation interactions such as tungsten-tungsten. The above reference values ​​are taken from, for example, Physics This has been reported in Structural Disorder Phenomena in Thin Metal Films, 2, 1.

[0314] The total number of monomers that collide with the surface during the simulation period (N total ), the number of adsorbed monomers remaining on the surface (N ads The cumulative adhesion probability was determined by calculating the proportion of

number

[0315] Simulations were performed to simulate deposition using a vapor flux rate corresponding to about 2 Å / sec for a deposition period of more than about 8 minutes, corresponding to the time to deposit a film having a nominal thickness of more than about 96 nm.

[0316] For a typical surface, the activation energy of desorption (E des ) is generally defined as the activation energy of diffusion (E s ) or higher. Based on simulations, in at least some cases, the activation energy of desorption (E des ) and the activation energy of diffusion (E s It has been found that surfaces that exhibit a relatively small difference between the activation energy of desorption and the activation energy of diffusion of the surface can be particularly useful for acting as the surface of a nucleation-inhibiting coating. In some embodiments, the activation energy of desorption is equal to or greater than the activation energy of diffusion of the surface, and is about 1.1 times or less, about 1.3 times or less, about 1.5 times or less, about 1.6 times or less, about 1.75 times or less, about 1.8 times or less, about 1.9 times or less, about 2 times or less, or about 2.5 times or less than the activation energy of diffusion of the surface. In some embodiments, the difference between the activation energy of desorption and the activation energy of diffusion (e.g., in terms of absolute value) is about 0.5 eV or less, about 0.4 eV or less, about 0.35 eV or less, more preferably about 0.3 eV or less, or about 0.2 eV or less. In some embodiments, the difference between the activation energy of desorption and the activation energy of diffusion is about 0.05 eV to about 0.4 eV, about 0.1 eV to about 0.3 eV, or about 0.1 eV to about 0.2 eV.

[0317] Also, at least in some cases, the activation energy of desorption (E des ) and the activation energy of dissociation (E i It has been found that surfaces that exhibit a relatively small difference between the activation energy of desorption (E des ) is multiplied by the dissociation activation energy (E iIn some embodiments, the activation energy of desorption is about 1.5 times or less, about 2 times or less, about 2.5 times or less, about 2.8 times or less, about 3 times or less, about 3.2 times or less, about 3.5 times or less, about 4 times or less, or about 5 times or less than the activation energy of dissociation of the surface.

[0318] Also, at least in some cases, the activation energy of diffusion (E s ) and the activation energy of dissociation (E i It has been found that surfaces that exhibit a relatively small difference between the activation energy of diffusion (E s ) is the activation energy of dissociation (E i In some embodiments, the activation energy of diffusion is less than or equal to the activation energy of surface dissociation. The concentration of ghee is about 2 times or less, about 2.5 times or less, about 2.8 times or less, about 3 times or less, about 3.2 times or less, about 3.5 times or less, about 4 times or less, or about 5 times or less.

[0319] In some embodiments, the activation energy for detachment of the nucleation-inhibiting coating (E des ) and the activation energy of diffusion (E s ) and the activation energy for surface dissociation (E i ) can be expressed as follows: E des ≦α*E s ≦β*E i

[0320] In the formula, α can be any number selected from the range of about 1.1 to about 2.5, and β can be any number selected from the range of about 2 to about 5. In some further embodiments, α can be any number selected from the range of about 1.5 to about 2, and β can be any number selected from the range of about 2.5 to about 3.5. In other further embodiments, α is selected to be about 1.75, and β is selected to be about 3.

[0321] It has now been found that surfaces having the following relationship may, at least in certain cases, exhibit a cumulative sticking probability for magnesium vapor of less than about 0.1: E des ≦1.75*E s ≦3*E i

[0322] Thus, surfaces having the above activation energy relationships may, in some embodiments, be particularly advantageous for use as surfaces in nucleation-inhibiting coatings.

[0323] In addition to the above activation energy relationships, it has now been found that surfaces that exhibit a relatively small difference between the activation energies of diffusion and dissociation, about 0.3 eV or less, can be particularly useful in certain applications where a cumulative sticking probability of less than about 0.1 is desired. s ) and the activation energy of dissociation (E i ) between the energy difference (ΔE s-i ) can be calculated according to the following formula: ΔE s-i =E s -E i

[0324] For example, it has now been found that, at least in some cases, surfaces with an energy difference between the activation energy for diffusion and the activation energy for dissociation of about 0.25 eV or less have a cumulative sticking probability for magnesium vapor of about 0.07 or less. s-i When is less than about 0.2 eV, the cumulative sticking probability is less than about 0.05, and ΔE s-i When is less than about 0.1 eV, the cumulative sticking probability is less than about 0.04, and ΔE s-i When is about 0.05 eV or less, the cumulative sticking probability is about 0.025 or less.

[0325] Thus, in some embodiments, the surface is characterized by the following inequality relationship, where α is any number selected from the range of about 1.1 to about 2.5, or more preferably from the range of about 1.5 to about 2, such as about 1.75, and β is any number selected from the range of about 2 to about 5, or more preferably from the range of about 2.5 to about 3.5, such as about 3. E des ≦α*E s ≦β*E i

[0326] Here, ΔE calculated according to the following formula s-i is about 0.3 eV or less, about 0.25 eV or less, about 0.2 eV or less, about 0.15 eV or less, about 0.1 eV or less, or about 0.05 eV or less in the following formula: ΔE s-i =E s -E i

[0327] The results of the calculations were also analyzed to determine a simulated initial sticking probability, which in this example was determined to be the sticking probability of magnesium on the surface when deposited on the surface producing a magnesium coating having an average thickness of about 1 nm. Based on the analysis of the results In at least some cases, the activation energy of desorption (E des ) is the activation energy of diffusion (E s ) and the energy of diffusion (E s ) is the activation energy of dissociation (E i It has now been found that surfaces that are less than about three times larger than the initial adhesion probability, generally exhibit a relatively low initial adhesion probability of less than about 0.1.

[0328] Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, the activation energies of the various events and the respective relationships between these energies described above can be generally understood as the activation energy of the adatom reaction onto the surface (E b ) is the activation energy of desorption (E des ) for surfaces larger than 100 nm. The activation energy for the reaction of adatoms with the surface (Eb ) is the activation energy of desorption (E des ), the initial sticking probability of adatoms on such surfaces is generally assumed to be greater than about 0.1.

[0329] It will be understood that the various activation energies above may be treated as non-negative values ​​measured in any energy unit, such as electron volts (eV), in which case the various inequalities and formulas relating to activation energies discussed above may generally be applicable.

[0330] Although simulated values ​​of various activation energies are discussed above, it will be understood that these activation energies may also be experimentally measured and / or derived using a variety of techniques. Examples of techniques and instruments that can be used for such purposes include, but are not limited to, thermal desorption spectroscopy, field ion microscopy (FIM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and neutron activation tracer scanning (NATS).

[0331] In general, the various activation energies described herein can be derived by performing quantum chemical simulations when the general composition and structure of the surface and adatoms are identified (e.g., by experimental measurement and analysis). For the simulation, quantum chemical simulations using methods such as single energy points, transition states, energy surface scans, and local / global energy minima can be used. For example, various theories such as density functional theory (DFT), Hartree-Fock (HF), self-consistent field (SCF), and full configuration interaction (FCI) can be used in conjunction with such simulation methods. As will be appreciated, various events such as diffusion, desorption, and nucleation can be simulated by examining the relative energies of the initial, transition, and final states. For example, the relative energy difference between the transition and initial states can generally provide a relatively accurate estimate of the activation energies associated with various events.

[0332] As used herein, the terms "substantially", "substantial", "approximately" and "about" are used to indicate and describe small variations. When used in conjunction with an event or circumstance, these terms may refer to the exact occurrence of the event or circumstance as well as the approximate occurrence of the event or circumstance. For example, when used in conjunction with a numerical value, these terms may refer to a range of variation of the numerical value of ±10% or less, such as ±5% or less, ±4% or less, ±3% or less, ±2% or less, ±1% or less, ±0.5% or less, ±0.1% or less, or ±0.05% or less.

[0333] In describing some embodiments, a component that is "on" or "over" another component, or that "covers" or "covers" another component, can encompass cases where the former component is directly (e.g., in physical contact with) the latter component, as well as cases where one or more intervening components are located between the former and latter components.

[0334] The embodiments illustratively described herein may be suitably practiced in the absence of any one or more elements, limitations not specifically disclosed herein. Thus, for example, terms such as "comprising," "including," and "containing" should be interpreted expansively and without limitation. Furthermore, the terms and expressions used herein are used as terms of description rather than limitation, and there is no intention to use such terms and expressions to exclude the features shown and described or equivalents of portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the claimed technology. Furthermore, the phrase "consisting essentially of" is understood to include the elements specifically recited and additional elements that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed technology. The phrase "consisting of" excludes elements not specified.

[0335] Furthermore, when features or aspects of the disclosure are described in terms of a Markush group, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure also is described in terms of any individual element or subgroup of elements of the Markush group.

[0336] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, for any and all purposes, particularly in terms of providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subranges and combinations of subranges. The recited ranges can be easily recognized as fully describing and enabling at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, etc. of the same range. As a non-limiting example, each range described herein can be easily broken down into a lower third, middle third, and upper third, etc. Also, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, all language such as "up to," "at least," "greater than," "less than," etc. refers to a range that includes the recited numbers and can be subsequently divided into subranges, as above. Finally, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, a range includes each individual element.

[0337] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to specific embodiments, various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Any examples provided herein are included only for the purpose of illustrating certain aspects of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure in any way. Any drawings provided herein are only for the purpose of illustrating certain aspects of the present disclosure, may not be drawn to scale, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure in any way. The claims appended hereto should not be limited by the specific embodiments described in the above description, but should be given their full scope consistent with the present disclosure as a whole. The disclosures of all documents recited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0338] Other embodiments are set forth in the following claims.

[0339] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, for example, the following is provided: (Section 1) 1. An optoelectronic device, comprising: A substrate; A first electrode disposed on the substrate; a semiconductive layer disposed on the first electrode; a second electrode disposed on the semiconductive layer, the second electrode having a first portion and a second portion; a nucleation-inhibiting coating disposed on the first portion of the second electrode; a conductive coating disposed on the second portion of the second electrode; An optoelectronic device, wherein said nucleation-inhibiting coating comprises a compound of formula (I). [ka] [where, X 1 ~X 10 at least two of X are independently selected from (IA), (IB), (IC), (ID), (IE), (IF), and (IG); 1 ~X 10 the remainder of which are each independently selected from the group consisting of H, D (deuterium), F, Cl, alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, and fluoroalkoxy; [ka] In the formula (IA), A 1 、A 2、A 3 、A 4 , and A 5 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, D (deuterium), F, Cl, alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, and fluoroalkoxy;

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Claims

1. 1. An optoelectronic device, comprising: a nucleation inhibiting coating (NIC) disposed on a first layer surface of the device; a conductive coating disposed on a second layer surface of the device; Where: In a plan view of the device, the NIC is disposed on a first portion and the conductive coating is disposed on a second portion; At least a portion of the first portion is free of the conductive coating; The NIC comprises a compound comprising a core portion and at least two terminal portions attached thereto, a subset of the terminal portions being different from at least one remaining terminal portion; the at least two terminal moieties are independently selected from the group consisting of IA, IB, IC, a fluorene moiety, and a phenylene moiety; 【Chemistry 1-1】 In I-A, A １ , A ２ , A ３ , A ４ , and A ５ are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen (H), deuterium (D), fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, and fluoroalkoxy; 【Chemistry 1-2】 In I-B, B １ , B ２ , B ３ , B ４ , B ５ , B ６ , B ７ and B ８ at least one of B represents a bond to the core moiety; １ , B ２ , B ３ , B ４ , B ５ , B ６ , B ７ and B ８ the remainder of are each independently selected from the group consisting of H, D, F, Cl, alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, and fluoroalkoxy; 【Chemistry 1-3】 In IC, C １ , C ２ , C ３ , C ４ , C ５ , C ６ , C ７ , C ８ , C ９ and C １０ at least one of C represents a bond to the core moiety; １ , C ２ , C ３ , C ４ , C ５ , C ６ , C ７ , C ８ , C ９ and C １０ the remainder are independently selected from the group consisting of H, D, F, Cl, alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, and fluoroalkoxy; The compound comprises at least one F atom.

2. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the fluorene moiety is selected from one of a spirobifluorene moiety, a dimethylfluorene moiety, and a difluorofluorene moiety.

3. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the phenylene moiety is a triphenylene moiety.

4. the core moiety is an anthracene moiety represented by formula I, 【Chemistry 4】 X １ ~X １０ at least two of X are independently selected from the group consisting of (IA), (IB), and (IC); １ ~X １０ 2. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the remainder of are each independently selected from the group consisting of H, D, F, Cl, alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, and fluoroalkoxy.

5. X １ , X ８ , and X ９ At least one of X is selected from the group consisting of (IA), (IB), and (IC); ４ , X ５ , and X １０ 5. The optoelectronic device of claim 4, wherein at least one of is selected from the group consisting of (IA), (IB), and (IC).

6. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least two end moieties are attached to the core moiety by one of directly and via a linker moiety.

7. The optoelectronic device of claim 6 , wherein the linker moiety is selected from one of: —O—, —S—, a cyclic hydrocarbon moiety, and an acyclic hydrocarbon moiety.

8. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least one carbon (C) in the compound is replaced by a heteroatom.

9. 9. The optoelectronic device of claim 8, wherein the heteroatom is selected from one of sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N).

10. The NIC is selected from the group consisting of the following compounds A1 to A66: 【Chemistry 10-1】 【Chemistry 10-2】 【Chemistry 10-3】 【Chemistry 10-4】 【Chemistry 10-5】 【Chemistry 10-6】 【Chemistry 10-7】 【Chemistry 10-8】 【Chemistry 10-9】 【Chemistry 10-10】 【Chemistry 10-11】 The compound includes a compound selected from the group consisting of: X １ , X ２ , X ３ , X ４ , X ５ , X ６ , X ７ , X ８ , X ９ , and X １０ are each independently selected from the group consisting of H, D, F, Cl, alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, and fluoroalkoxy; A 2 , A 3 , A 4 , A 5 , and A 6 are each independently selected from the group consisting of H, D, F, Cl, alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, and fluoroalkoxy; B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , B 4 , B 5 , B 6 , B 7 , B 8 , B' 1 , B' 2 , B' 3 , B' 4 , B' 5 , B' 6 , B' 7 , and B' 8 , when present, are each independently selected from the group consisting of H, D, F, Cl, alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, and fluoroalkoxy; C 1 , C 2 , C 3 , C 4 , C 5 , C 6 , C 7 , C 8 , C 9 , C 10 , C' 1 , C' 2 , C' 3 , C' 4 , C' 5 , C' 6 , C' 7 , C' 8 , C' 9 , C' 10 , when present, are each independently selected from the group consisting of H, D, F, Cl, alkyl, cycloalkyl, silyl, fluoroalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, and fluoroalkoxy; 10. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 .

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