Barrier Deposit Formation for Sealing Substrate Coating Defects
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing barrier coatings on substrates contain defects such as pinholes, allowing moisture penetration and affecting substrate performance and lifetime.
Innovation Solution
A method involving exposing the substrate to a first chemical that reacts with water to diffuse and form a barrier deposit within the substrate's defects, forming a metal oxide, metal carbonate, or metal hydroxide barrier to clog these defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a barrier coating is deposited on the substrate using conventional techniques (ALD, CVD, PVD), then the substrate is protected from the surrounding environment, but the coating contains defects such as pinholes that allow moisture penetration
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is pre-treated by exposing it to water vapor before the barrier coating deposition. This preliminary action ensures that water is present in the substrate pores, which then reacts with metal organic vapor during coating to form hydroxide deposits that fill defects. This pre-positioning of water enables the subsequent reaction to occur uniformly throughout the coating layer, producing a defect-free barrier coating.
Solution Approach 2:
Water acts as an intermediary substance that facilitates the formation of the barrier coating. By introducing water vapor before coating deposition, water serves as a mediator that reacts with metal organic vapor to form metal hydroxide deposits. This intermediary approach allows the coating material to be converted into a form that effectively fills substrate defects and creates a continuous barrier structure.
2Reliability
If multiple layers of barrier material are deposited one upon the other to solve pinhole defects, then protection is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing process become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and addresses the root cause of pinhole defects by modifying the coating formation process itself, rather than adding multiple layers to compensate for defects. By introducing water vapor before deposition and enabling in-situ reaction to form hydroxide deposits, the method eliminates defects at their source, making multi-layer structures unnecessary and simplifying the overall device architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical and physical parameters during coating deposition by introducing water vapor and controlling the reaction between water and metal organic vapor. This parameter change transforms the coating formation process from simple physical deposition to a chemical reaction process that produces metal hydroxide deposits, fundamentally altering how the coating fills substrate pores and eliminates the need for multiple layers.
3Manufacturing precision
If the substrate is exposed to water and a first chemical simultaneously for diffusion treatment, then a barrier deposit forms within the substrate clogging defects, but the process time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The process uses periodic action by sequentially exposing the substrate to water vapor and then to metal organic vapor in alternating cycles. This periodic exposure allows diffusion and reaction to occur in controlled stages, where water vapor penetrates the substrate first, followed by metal organic vapor that reacts with the trapped water. This cyclic approach achieves thorough defect filling more efficiently than continuous simultaneous exposure, reducing total processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces mechanical mixing or forced diffusion methods with a chemical reaction-based approach. Instead of using mechanical means to force coating material into defects, the process uses chemical reactions between water vapor and metal organic vapor to form metal hydroxide deposits in-situ. This substitution of chemical reaction for mechanical action reduces energy consumption and simplifies the diffusion treatment process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method effectively seals defects, reducing moisture penetration and electrical conductivity, thereby prolonging substrate life and enhancing performance.
Implementation Method 1
the substrate is subjected to a diffusion treatment for allowing the water and the first chemical to diffuse into the defects of the substrate
Implementation Method 2
the first chemical is configured to react with the water; and the water and the first chemical to diffuse into the defects of the substrate in order to react with each other within the substrate to form a barrier deposit
Data Source
AI summary
A method for forming a barrier deposit within a substrate comprising defects is disclosed. The method comprises introducing the substrate into a reaction space, wherein: —the substrate contains water and/or is exposed to water, and simultaneously the substrate is exposed to a first chemical, wherein the first chemical is configured to react with the water; and—the substrate is subjected to a diffusion treatment for allowing the water and the first chemical to diffuse into the defects of the substrate in order to react with each other within the substrate to form a barrier deposit within the substrate clogging the defects in the substrate. Further is disclosed a substrate comprising a barrier deposit within the substrate and the use of the method.