OLED Metal Foil Package for Hermetic Sealing and Conductivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional OLED packaging is prone to mechanical failure under low ambient pressure and temperature fluctuations, lacks flexibility, and does not support efficient electrical current transport, especially in large area devices.
Innovation Solution
The use of a metal foil on top of the OLED device, electrically connected to the electrode layers, provides a flexible and conductive package that also serves as a sealant, enabling hermetic enclosure and efficient electrical connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a conventional cap package is used to enclose OLED devices, then the package is cheap and easy to build, but the package becomes relatively thick and rigid and suffers from mechanical problems under low ambient pressure and temperature fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rigid cap structure with a flexible thin film encapsulation layer that conformally covers the OLED device. This thin film structure eliminates the thickness and rigidity problems of conventional cap packages while maintaining hermetic sealing, thereby improving mechanical reliability under pressure and temperature variations without sacrificing ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates the encapsulation function and electrical connection function into a single structure by incorporating conductive traces directly into the thin film encapsulation layer. This merging eliminates the need for separate cap structures and additional connection components, maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving both hermetic sealing and electrical connectivity, thus improving overall reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If a conventional cap package is used to enclose OLED devices, then the package is cheap and easy to build, but the package does not support electrical current transport towards the device
Solution Approach 1:
The thin film encapsulation layer is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: hermetic sealing of the OLED device and electrical current transport through integrated conductive traces. This multi-functional design enables the structure to support both protective enclosure and electrical connectivity requirements, greatly enhancing adaptability while remaining simple and cost-effective to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible thin film structure allows for integration of conductive pathways within the encapsulation layer itself, enabling electrical current transport without requiring separate rigid connection structures. This approach maintains ease of manufacture while providing the versatility needed for various electrical connection configurations.
3Reliability
If a cap is arranged above OLEDs and sealed against the substrate, then the packaging is hermetic and protects organic layers, but the package becomes relatively thick and rigid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thick rigid cap with a thin flexible film encapsulation layer that provides hermetic protection through conformal coverage of the OLED device. This thin film structure maintains reliable hermetic sealing while dramatically reducing package thickness, as the protective function is achieved through the continuous barrier properties of the thin film rather than through cap depth.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a three-dimensional cap structure to a two-dimensional thin film encapsulation approach. By spreading the protective function across the surface area in a thin layer rather than building protection vertically with a cap, the solution achieves hermetic protection with minimal thickness increase.
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 solution results in a compact, flexible, and hermetically sealed OLED package that supports efficient electrical connectivity, reducing mechanical failures and enhancing the durability of large area OLED devices.
Implementation Method 1
The first metal foil is electrically connected to one of said bottom and top electrode layers... providing a good conductivity support for one of the electrode layers
Implementation Method 2
An enclosure of at least the set of organic layers is provided by the first metal foil in conjunction with a sealant
Data Source
AI summary
An OLED device includes a substrate, electrode layers and organic layers arranged on the substrate and at least one metal foil on top thereof. The first metal foil is electrically connected to one of the electrode layers. An enclosure of at least the organic layers is provided by the metal foil in conjunction with a sealant 113. Thus, the metal foil plays a major role in forming an OLED package. In addition, the metal foil provides a low ohmic external connection, which for example can be used for applying a driving current to the OLED.