Flexible Substrate Encapsulation via Reversible Adhesive
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Solution Overview
Problem
Handling flexible substrates during encapsulation of environmentally sensitive devices is challenging due to their plastic nature, which leads to distortion and contamination issues, especially when using vacuum deposition processes, and cutting these substrates exposes edges to permeation, requiring additional manufacturing steps or sacrificing substrate advantages.
Innovation Solution
A method involving temporary lamination of flexible substrates to a rigid support using a reversible adhesive, allowing for precise positioning and uniform heat transfer, and applying barrier stacks to form a seal, enabling encapsulation without the need for complex clamping systems or additional precision steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If flexible substrates are handled during encapsulation, then the substrate can be processed and encapsulated, but the substrate distorts and becomes contaminated due to its plastic nature
Solution Approach 1:
A rigid support substrate is introduced as an intermediary carrier to hold the flexible substrate during encapsulation. The flexible substrate is temporarily mounted on the rigid support, which provides mechanical stability and prevents distortion. After encapsulation, the flexible substrate is removed from the rigid support, achieving both processability and precision.
2Stability of the object's composition
If flexible substrates are clamped to prevent distortion, then positioning stability is improved, but the substrate may be damaged and the system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid support substrate serves as a mediator that provides inherent mechanical stability without requiring complex clamping systems. The flexible substrate is simply mounted on the rigid support, which maintains its shape during encapsulation. This approach achieves shape stability while keeping the system simple.
3Reliability
If vacuum deposition processes are used for barrier stacks, then encapsulation quality is improved, but flexible substrates are difficult to handle and position
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid support substrate acts as an intermediary that enables easy handling and precise positioning during vacuum deposition. The flexible substrate mounted on the rigid support can be easily manipulated and positioned in the vacuum chamber, while the rigid support ensures stable operation during the deposition process, achieving both high barrier quality and ease of operation.
4Length of moving object
If cutting is used to size flexible substrates, then the substrate can be fitted to device dimensions, but edge exposure to permeation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
Barrier stacks are applied to the flexible substrate before it is cut to final size. This preliminary application of the barrier layer ensures that the edges, which will be exposed after cutting, are already protected. The substrate is then cut to the required dimensions, and the previously applied barrier prevents environmental gas permeation at the exposed edges.
5Object-affected harmful factors
If additional precision steps are added to prevent edge permeation, then edge protection is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier stack is applied to the entire flexible substrate before cutting, including the areas that will become edges after cutting. This preliminary action provides edge protection without requiring additional precision steps or complex manufacturing processes. The single-step barrier application covers all future edge areas, simplifying the overall manufacturing 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
This method ensures effective encapsulation of environmentally sensitive devices with improved temperature uniformity and reduced contamination risks, maintaining the advantages of flexible substrates while providing a compatible construction with existing fabrication processes.
Implementation Method 1
temporarily laminating the flexible substrate to a rigid support using a reversible adhesive
Implementation Method 2
The barrier layers can be deposited using a vacuum process, such as sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, evaporation, sublimation
Implementation Method 3
Many devices are subject to degradation caused by permeation of environmental gases or liquids, such as oxygen and water vapor in the atmosphere
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of encapsulating an environmentally sensitive device. The methods involve temporarily laminating a flexible substrate to a rigid support using a reversible adhesive for processing, reversing the reversible adhesive, and removing the device from the rigid support.