Encapsulation film

Abstract

The present application relates to an encapsulation film, a method of manufacturing the same, an organic electronic device including the same, and a method of manufacturing the organic electronic device using the same. The present application provides an encapsulation film which can be formed to have a structure in which moisture or oxygen flowing from the outside into an organic electronic device can be effectively blocked, has excellent handling properties and processability, and also has excellent bonding properties with an organic electronic element and durability.

Claims

1. An encapsulation film for an organic electronic device, the encapsulation film comprising: a metal layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; and an encapsulation layer provided on the first surface and positioned inside an edge of the first surface so that a predetermined gap is formed between an edge of the encapsulation layer and the edge of the first surface, and satisfying the following General Equation 1:
0.95a/b25[General Equation 1] wherein a is a size of the gap and b is a thickness of the encapsulation layer, wherein the encapsulation layer comprises a cured part at the edge thereof, and wherein the encapsulation layer comes in contact with the entire surface of an organic electronic element.

2. The encapsulation film according to claim 1, wherein the cured part has a width ranging from 10 m to 1,100 m.

3. The encapsulation film according to claim 1, wherein the size of the gap, a, is in a range of 20 m to 1,200 m.

4. The encapsulation film according to claim 1, wherein the metal layer comprises a protrusion having a size of 50 m or less at an edge of some area of the second surface thereof.

5. The encapsulation film according to claim 1, wherein the metal layer comprises any one of a metal, a metal oxide, a metal nitride, a metal carbide, a metal oxynitride, a metal oxyboride, and a mixture thereof.

6. The encapsulation film according to claim 1, wherein the metal layer comprises any one of iron, aluminum, copper, nickel, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, indium oxide, tin oxide, indium tin oxide, tantalum oxide, zirconium oxide, niobium oxide, and a mixture thereof.

7. The encapsulation film according to claim 1, further comprising a protective layer provided on the second surface of the metal layer and an adhesive layer provided between the metal layer and the protective layer.

8. The encapsulation film according to claim 1, wherein the encapsulation layer is formed with a single layer or two or more layers.

9. The encapsulation film according to claim 1, wherein the encapsulation layer comprises a first layer comprising an encapsulating resin having a glass transition temperature of 85 C. or more.

10. The encapsulation film according to claim 1, wherein the encapsulation layer comprises a second layer comprising an encapsulating resin having a glass transition temperature of 0 C. or less.

11. The encapsulation film according to claim 1, wherein the encapsulation layer comprises a moisture absorbent.

12. A method of manufacturing the encapsulation film according to claim 1 comprising cutting a side of the encapsulation layer.

13. The method according to claim 12 comprising cutting a side of the metal layer.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the cutting of a side of an encapsulation layer is performed using a CO2 laser or an optical fiber laser.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the cutting of a side of the metal layer is performed using a CO.sub.2 laser, an optical fiber laser or a knife cutter.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the cutting of a side of the encapsulation layer is performed using a laser beam having a size of 30 m to 1,000 m.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the cutting of a side of the metal layer is performed using a laser beam having a size of 1 m to 30 m.

18. An organic electronic device comprising a substrate, an organic electronic element formed on the substrate, and the encapsulation film according to claim 1 configured to encapsulate an entire surface of the organic electronic element.

19. A method of manufacturing an organic electronic device, comprising: applying the encapsulation film according to claim 1 to a substrate having an organic electronic element formed thereon so as to cover the organic electronic element; and curing the encapsulation film.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIGS. 1 to 3 show a cross-sectional view of an encapsulation film according to an example of the present invention; and

(2) FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an organic electronic device according to an example of the present invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(3) 1: encapsulation film 11: metal layer 111: first surface 112: second surface 12: encapsulation layer 121: first layer or second layer of encapsulation layer 122: first layer or second layer of encapsulation layer a: size of gap (width) b: thickness of encapsulation layer c: size of cured part (width) d: size of inclined part (width) e: size of protrusion 13: adhesive layer 14: protective layer 2: substrate 21: organic electronic element

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(4) Hereinafter, the above-described content will be described in more detail with reference to examples and comparative examples. However, the present application is not limited to the following examples.

Example 1

(5) Preparation of First Layer Solution of Encapsulation Layer

(6) A solution (a solid content of 70%), in which 50 g of an epoxy resin (KSR 177, Kukdo Chemical Co., Ltd), 50 g of an epoxy resin (YD-014, Kukdo Chemical Co., Ltd) and 50 g of a phenoxy resin (YP-55, Tohto Kasei Co., Ltd) were diluted with methyl ethyl ketone, was prepared and then homogenized. 3 g of imidazole, a curing agent, (Shikoku Chemicals Corporation) was added to the homogenized solution, and then stirred for 1 hour at a high speed to prepare a first layer solution.

(7) Preparation of Second Layer Solution of Encapsulation Layer

(8) As a moisture absorbent, a CaO (an average particle size of less than 5 m) solution (a solid content of 50%) was prepared. Also, apart from this, a solution (a solid content of 50%), in which 200 g of a butyl rubber resin (BT-20, Sunwoo Chem-Tech Co., Ltd) and 60 g of a DCPD-based petroleum resin (SU5270, Sunwoo Chem-Tech Co., Ltd) were diluted with toluene, was prepared and then homogenized. 10 g of a photo-curing agent (TMPTA, Miwon Commercial Co., Ltd) and 15 g of a photoinitiator (Irgacure 819, Ciba) were added to the homogenized solution, homogenized, and then 100 g of the CaO solution was added thereto and stirred for 1 hour at a high speed to prepare a second layer solution.

(9) Preparation of Encapsulation Layer

(10) The first layer solution prepared above was applied on a releasing surface of releasing PET using a comma coater, and dried in a dryer at 130 C. for 3 minutes to form a first layer having a thickness of 30 m.

(11) The second layer solution prepared above was applied on a releasing surface of releasing PET using a comma coater, and dried in a dryer at 130 C. for 3 minutes to form a second layer having a thickness of 20 m.

(12) The first layer and the second layer were laminated to prepare a multilayer encapsulation layer.

(13) Manufacture of Encapsulation Film

(14) The release-treated PET which is attached to both sides of the encapsulation layer thus prepared was detached, and the encapsulation layer was laminated so that the second layer came in contact with one surface of a metal layer (Invar) prepared in advance.

(15) The encapsulation layer was cut so that a size of a beam is 150 m by adjusting a focusing height using a CO.sub.2 laser in a wavelength region of 9.4 m at a frequency of 10 KHz, an output of 200 W and a cutting rate of 700 mm/s, and then a side of the metal layer was cut using a fiber laser in a wavelength region of 10.6 m at an output of 100 W and a cutting rate of 700 mm/s. Through the cutting process, an encapsulation film was manufactured so that a gap (a) having a size of 100 m was formed between an edge of the metal layer and an edge of the encapsulation layer.

Example 2

(16) An encapsulation film was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1 except that an encapsulation layer was cut so that a size of a beam was 250 m by adjusting the output and height of a CO.sub.2 laser, and then a metal layer was cut using a slitting knife so that a gap (a) between a side of a metal layer and a side of an encapsulation layer corresponding to the side of a metal layer had a size of 200 m.

Example 3

(17) An encapsulation film was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1 except that a first layer had a thickness of 40 m and a second layer had a thickness of 10 m upon preparation of an encapsulation layer, and a metal layer was cut using a CO.sub.2 laser and a fiber laser so that a gap (a) between a side of a metal layer and a side of an encapsulation layer corresponding to the side of a metal layer had a size of 1,000 m.

Example 4

(18) An encapsulation film was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1 except that a first layer had a thickness of 10 m and a second layer had a thickness of 40 m upon preparation of an encapsulation layer, and a metal layer was cut using a CO.sub.2 laser and a fiber laser so that a gap (a) between a side of a metal layer and a side of an encapsulation layer corresponding to the side of a metal layer had a size of 50 m.

Example 5

(19) Preparation of second layer solution of encapsulation layer A solution (a solid content of 50%), in which 200 g of a butyl rubber resin (BT-20, Sunwoo Chem-Tech Co., Ltd) and 60 g of a DCPD-based petroleum resin (SU5270, Sunwoo Chem-Tech Co., Ltd) were diluted with toluene, was prepared and then homogenized. 10 g of a photo-curing agent (TMPTA, Miwon Commercial Co., Ltd) and 15 g of a photoinitiator (Irgacure 819, Ciba) were added to the homogenized solution and homogenized to prepare a second layer solution.

(20) Apart from this, as a moisture absorbent, a CaO (an average particle size of less than 5 m) solution (a solid content of 50%) was prepared. Apart from the second layer solution, 100 g of the CaO solution was added and then stirred for 1 hour at a high speed to prepare another second layer solution.

(21) Preparation of Encapsulation Layer

(22) The second layer solution which includes a moisture absorbent was applied on a releasing surface of releasing PET using a comma coater, and dried in a dryer at 130 C. for 3 minutes to form a second layer having a thickness of 30 m.

(23) The second layer solution which does not include a moisture absorbent was applied on a releasing surface of releasing PET using a comma coater, and dried in a dryer at 130 C. for 3 minutes to form a second layer having a thickness of 20 m. The second layers were laminated to prepare a multilayer encapsulation layer.

(24) Manufacture of Encapsulation Film

(25) An encapsulation film was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1 except that a metal layer was cut so that a gap (a) had a size of 50 m.

Comparative Example 1

(26) An encapsulation film was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1 except that a metal layer was cut so that a gap (a) between a side of a metal layer and a side of an encapsulation layer corresponding to the side of a metal layer had a size of 20 m upon manufacture of an encapsulation film.

Comparative Example 2

(27) An encapsulation film was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1 except that a metal layer was cut so that a gap (a) between a side of a metal layer and a side of an encapsulation layer corresponding to the side of a metal layer had a size of 1,500 m upon manufacture of an encapsulation film.

Comparative Example 3

(28) The encapsulation layer prepared in Example 1 was cut into a square sheet using a wooden cutter, and then a metal layer was cut through chemical etching so that a gap (a) between a side of a metal layer and a side of an encapsulation layer corresponding to the side of a metal layer had a size of 45 m. Afterward, an encapsulation film was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the encapsulation layer and the metal layer were attached through roll lamination at 70 C. so that a gap has a size of 45 m.

Comparative Example 4

(29) An encapsulation film was manufactured by laminating the encapsulation layer prepared in Example 1 and a metal layer through roll lamination at 70 C. The encapsulation film was cut into a square sheet using a wooden cutter. In this case, an encapsulation layer and a metal layer were simultaneously cut, and thus an encapsulation film in which a gap (a) between a side of a metal layer and a side of an encapsulation layer corresponding to the side of a metal layer had a size of 0 m was manufactured.

Experimental Example 1. Measurement of Degree of Cure

(30) The degree of cure for edges of the encapsulation films manufactured in the examples and comparative examples, was measured using a Raman microscope. A height of an epoxy peak at 908 cm.sup.1 at an interval of 10 m from the outermost periphery of the encapsulation layer toward the inside was analyzed to derive a curing rate.

(31) Curable functional group peaks of uncured samples (P1) were measured, and curable functional group peaks of samples for which the degree of cure is to be measured (P2) and manufactured in the examples and comparative examples, were measured, a variation amount of which (P1P2) was derived. The degree of cure was calculated by (P1P2)/P1100.

Experimental Example 2. Contamination Upon Bonding and Curing

(32) An organic electronic element was deposited on a glass substrate, the encapsulation films manufactured in the examples and comparative examples were bonded on the element using a vacuum bonding machine under conditions of 50 C., a degree of vacuum of 50 mTorr, and 0.4 MPa, and then a curing process was performed at 100 C. for 3 hours to manufacture an organic electronic panel.

(33) Whether contamination and an alignment error in the organic electronic device panel occur due to the overflow of an encapsulation layer from the end edge of a metal layer to the outside was determined. A case where the overflow occurs at the outside of an edge of a metal layer was indicated as contamination, a case where the overflow does not occur was indicated as X.

Experimental Example 3. Measurement of Occurrence of Burning According to Bending at Edge of Metal Layer

(34) An organic electronic element was formed on a TFT, the encapsulation films manufactured in the examples and comparative examples were bonded on the element using a vacuum bonding machine under conditions of 50 C., a degree of vacuum of 50 mTorr, and 0.4 MPa, and then a curing process was performed at 100 C. for 3 hours to manufacture an organic electronic panel.

(35) Afterward, a degradation or non-luminescence phenomenon of the element caused by burning when electric current was applied to operate the element was confirmed. Cases where the end edge of a metal layer came in contact with a metal wire on the TFT substrate and where burning occurs due to a phenomenon in which an electric current was collected in a local area was indicated as 0. A case where there was no burning was indicted in X.

(36) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Thickness of Degree of Contamination encapsulation Size of cure at upon bonding layer (m) gap (m) side and curing Burning Example 1 50 100 83% X X Example 2 50 200 90% X X Example 3 50 1000 46% X X Example 4 50 50 80% X X Example 5 50 50 X X Comparative 50 20 92% contamination X Example 1 Comparative 50 1500 35% X Example 2 Comparative 50 45 0% contamination X Example 3 Comparative 50 0 0% contamination X Example 4