Polymer Substrate Gas Barrier Laminate with Tantalum Undercoat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Atomic layer deposition films on polymer substrates often fail to achieve sufficient gas barrier properties due to low adsorption site density and three-dimensional growth, leading to gaps in the film that allow gas permeation.
Innovation Solution
A laminate is created with a polymer substrate, an undercoat layer made of inorganic materials like tantalum, tantalum oxide, or tantalum nitride, and an atomic layer deposition film containing inorganic oxides or nitrides, which provides a high density of adsorption sites for precursor binding, promoting two-dimensional growth and enhancing gas barrier properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If atomic layer deposition is performed directly on polymer substrate, then film formation is simpler, but gas barrier properties are insufficient due to low adsorption site density and three-dimensional growth
Solution Approach 1:
An undercoat layer made of inorganic material (such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or tantalum oxide) is introduced as an intermediary between the polymer substrate and the atomic layer deposition film. This undercoat layer provides a surface with high adsorption site density that promotes proper two-dimensional growth of the ALD film, thereby achieving sufficient gas barrier properties while maintaining the simplicity of the ALD process.
2Reliability
If undercoat layer is added to improve adsorption site density, then gas barrier properties are improved, but laminate structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The undercoat layer is designed with specific material compositions (silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or tantalum oxide) and controlled thickness parameters (5-50 nm) to optimize adsorption site density. By carefully controlling these parameters, the undercoat layer achieves the desired gas barrier properties without excessive structural complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If film thickness is reduced to maintain simplicity, then manufacturing is easier, but gas permeation increases due to gaps from three-dimensional growth
Solution Approach 1:
The undercoat layer is applied in advance to the polymer substrate before the atomic layer deposition film is formed. This preliminary action creates a surface with high adsorption site density that ensures proper two-dimensional growth of the ALD film, preventing gap formation and gas permeation even when the final ALD film thickness is reduced.
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 laminate achieves a water vapor transmission rate of 0.1 g/(m²·day) or less, significantly improving gas barrier properties even with reduced film thickness, ensuring effective protection against gas permeation.
Implementation Method 1
a large number of adsorption sites to which precursors which are raw materials for deposition of the atomic layer deposition film are bound are provided at a high density on a surface of the undercoat layer
Implementation Method 2
ALD is a process in which a substance adsorbed on a surface is deposited layer by layer at an atomic level by means of a chemical reaction on the surface
Implementation Method 3
the laminate has a water vapor transmission rate of 0.1 g/(m2·day) or less
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The present invention provides a laminate that improves barrier properties of an atomic layer deposition film in spite of use of a substrate made of a polymer material, and provides a gas barrier film and a method of producing the same. The laminate includes: a substrate (11) made a polymer material; an undercoat layer (12) disposed on at least part of a surface (11a) of the substrate (11) and made up of an inorganic material containing Ta; and an atomic layer deposition film (13) disposed so as to cover a surface (12a) of the undercoat layer (12).