Photopolymerizable Encapsulation for OLEDs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing encapsulation methods for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) face challenges such as weight burden, difficulty in encapsulating large-area OLEDs, long process times, limited flexibility, and high costs due to the use of expensive equipment and complex processes.
Innovation Solution
A photopolymerizable hydrophobic fluid dispersion polymer is used as an encapsulation material, which combines adhesive and barrier properties. This material is applied to the OLED and photocured, effectively preventing moisture and oxygen penetration without requiring expensive deposition equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a glass lid or metal lid is used for encapsulation, then the protection against moisture and oxygen is improved, but the weight of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a thin film encapsulation layer formed by coating and curing a photopolymerizable composition, replacing heavy glass or metal lids. This thin film provides sufficient barrier protection against moisture and oxygen while maintaining device flexibility and significantly reducing weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a cost-effective photopolymerizable composition that can be applied as a thin coating and cured to form an encapsulation layer. This approach replaces expensive glass or metal lids with a more economical material solution that achieves the required protection.
2Reliability
If a glass lid or metal lid is used for encapsulation, then the protection against moisture and oxygen is improved, but the device thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent forms an encapsulation layer as a thin film through coating and photopolymerization, achieving adequate moisture and oxygen barrier protection without the substantial thickness required by glass or metal lids. This enables device thinning while maintaining reliability.
3Reliability
If physical vacuum deposition or chemical vacuum deposition is used to form encapsulation film, then the barrier properties are improved, but expensive equipment is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive physical vapor deposition or chemical vapor deposition equipment with a simpler coating and photopolymerization process. The photopolymerizable composition is applied by coating methods and then cured using UV or visible light, eliminating the need for vacuum chambers and complex deposition equipment while achieving sufficient barrier properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a cost-effective photopolymerizable composition that can be processed with simple coating and curing equipment, replacing expensive vacuum deposition systems. This approach significantly reduces manufacturing costs while providing adequate encapsulation protection.
4Reliability
If spin coating or deep coating is used to apply siloxane-based monomer, then the encapsulation film can be formed, but the process becomes complicated and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the photopolymerizable composition to include specific components (polymerizable monomer, oligomer, photoinitiator, and siloxane-based compound) that enable effective encapsulation without requiring complex multi-step coating processes like spin coating or deep coating. The composition is designed to work with simpler, more efficient coating methods that improve productivity.
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 proposed solution allows for efficient encapsulation of large-area OLEDs at low cost, enhancing the lifespan and commercial value of light-emitting devices by preventing degradation due to moisture and oxygen, and enabling flexibility and ease of manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
A method of forming an encapsulation thin film by applying a siloxane-based monomer to an organic light-emitting diode by various methods such as spin coating or deep coating and then polymerizing the same by using light or heat
Implementation Method 2
a method of encapsulating by attaching a multi-layer plastic film using an adhesive layer
Data Source
AI summary
Encapsulation materials for light-emitting elements such as organic light-emitting diodes and polymer light-emitting diodes are implemented as a photopolymerizable hydrophobic fluid dispersion polymer having both adhesive and barrier properties. A light-emitting element encapsulation is formed by applying the photopolymerizable hydrophobic fluid dispersion polymer of the present invention to a manufactured light-emitting element and photocuring. An encapsulation structure may be formed in a short time through a simple coating (or filling) process and a curing process by exposure (UV, or the like), and thus an encapsulation of a light-emitting device (particularly, a large-area organic light-emitting diode) is possible at low cost without using expensive deposition equipment.