Multilayer barrier films comprising nitrogen spacers between free-standing barrier layers

The air sensitivity of organic electronic devices has delayed the broad commercialization of the printed "plastics" electronics technology. The vacuum deposition methods used to fabricate multi-layers which fulfill the encapsulation requirements for plastic electronic devices are complex and expensive. Fully printed "plastic" electronics requires the development of encapsulation architectures which comprise solution deposited barriers and/or low-cost free-standing barrier films based on polymers, e.g. poly ethylene terephthalate (PET).One way to reach this goal is the insertion of contaminant-free (e.g. pure N2) gas-phase spacers between free-standing barrier films in a multilayer structure. The spacers themselves do not exhibit any barrier properties (diffusion of gas permeants in a gas phase is orders of magnitude faster than in a solid), but they delay the attainment of steady state. The spacer also reduces the chemical potential gradient across downstream barrier layers during the transient regime, reducing permeation rate to the device. Furthermore, if sorption is not fully equilibrated and introduces a kinetic barrier to transport, the additional sorption and desorption steps needed for permeant to reach the device may also slow the steady-state permeation rate.Encapsulation architectures utilizing both single-matrix (without nitrogen spacers) and multiple-matrix structures (with nitrogen spacers) were fabricated in this study, including Russian Doll structures utilizing pairs of free-standing barrier films and epoxy seals separated by nitrogen spacers. This structure enables the use of low-cost epoxy to attach two or more free-standing barrier films to a substrate with improved barrier performance. The performance of various Russian Doll encapsulations was evaluated with the calcium thin film optical transmission test, showing improved performance of the Russian doll configuration relative to a non-nested barrier/spacer architecture, and demonstrating that water vapor transmission rates of 0.00021 g/m2, day or below can be achieved with low-cost materials in this architecture. This WVTR correlates to a predicted lifetime of more than 10 years for inverted organic bulk heterojunction solar cell modules fabricated and tested by Konarka Technologies (Lowell, MA, USA). The use of thin instability suppressed barriers, deposited by solution, can be used to further optimize the cost/performance ratio of encapsulation architectures comprising nitrogen spacers.