JP6287858B2 - Gas barrier film, method for producing the same, and electronic device using the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a gas barrier film, a method for producing the same, and an electronic device using the same.

  Conventionally, a gas barrier film in which a thin film (gas barrier layer) containing a metal oxide such as aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, or silicon oxide is formed on the surface of a plastic substrate or film is used for packaging articles in the fields of food, medicine, etc. It is used for. By using the gas barrier film, it is possible to prevent alteration of the article due to gas such as water vapor or oxygen.

  In recent years, with regard to such a gas barrier film that prevents permeation of water vapor, oxygen, and the like, development for electronic devices such as an organic electroluminescence (EL) element and a liquid crystal display (LCD) element has been requested, and many studies have been made. . In these electronic devices, a high gas barrier property, for example, a gas barrier property comparable to a glass substrate is required. However, the present situation is that a gas barrier film having such a high barrier property has not yet been obtained.

  As a method for producing a gas barrier film, a method using an inorganic film forming method by a vapor phase method is known. As an inorganic film-forming method by the vapor phase method, a metal (tetraethoxysilane (TEOS)) is typically formed on a substrate such as a film by a plasma CVD method (Chemical Vapor Deposition). A method of forming an inorganic film (gas barrier layer) by oxidizing while oxidizing with an oxygen plasma, and evaporating metal using a semiconductor laser or the like, and depositing it on the substrate in the presence of oxygen Examples thereof include a method of forming an inorganic film (gas barrier layer) by vacuum deposition or sputtering.

  These inorganic film-forming methods by the vapor phase method have been used for the production of gas barrier films used for packaging articles in the fields of food, medicine and the like. In recent years, in order to apply a gas barrier film produced by the inorganic film forming method to an electronic device, studies for obtaining a higher gas barrier property have been conducted.

  As such studies, for example, a gas barrier film of a laminate in which an oxide layer obtained by modifying a coating liquid containing polysilazane on a metal oxide layer formed by a vapor deposition method is disclosed. (For example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 8-281861 and 2012-106421).

  However, the conventional gas barrier film described in the above Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-28161 or Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-106421 has a high gas barrier performance, but the gas barrier performance may be lowered when the film is bent. It was. In particular, when the film is placed under high temperature and high humidity conditions, the gas barrier performance of the film is significantly reduced, and the required gas barrier performance is not achieved.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said subject, and it aims at providing the gas-barrier film which shows sufficient gas barrier performance even under high-temperature, high-humidity conditions.

  The present inventors have intensively studied to solve the above problems. As a result, the substrate, the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer are included in this order, and the first layer is at least one oxidation selected from the group consisting of silicon, aluminum, and titanium. The second layer includes an inorganic oxide and is formed by an atomic layer deposition method, and includes at least one selected from the group consisting of oxide, nitride, oxynitride, and oxycarbide. The layer 3 is a gas barrier film obtained by modifying a coating film formed by applying a liquid containing a silicon compound, whereby an excellent gas barrier film in which the above problems have been solved is obtained. It was found that it can be obtained.

It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the vacuum plasma CVD apparatus used for formation of the 1st layer concerning this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the other manufacturing apparatus used for formation of the 1st layer concerning this invention. It is an example of each element profile of the thickness direction of the layer by the XPS depth profile of the gas barrier layer which does not have an extreme value etc. It is a figure which shows the film thickness composition of the 1st layer in the gas-barrier film 2 which is an Example. It is an example of the organic electroluminescent panel which is an electronic device using the gas-barrier film which concerns on this invention as a sealing film.

  The present invention includes a substrate, a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer in this order, and the first layer is at least one oxidation selected from the group consisting of silicon, aluminum, and titanium. The second layer includes an inorganic oxide and is formed by an atomic layer deposition method, and includes at least one of oxide, nitride, oxynitride, or oxycarbide and formed by chemical vapor deposition. The layer relates to a gas barrier film obtained by modifying a coating film formed by applying a liquid containing a silicon compound. The gas barrier film of the present invention has excellent gas barrier properties and exhibits sufficient gas barrier performance even when bent or under high temperature and high humidity conditions.

  By forming the gas barrier layer by a chemical vapor deposition method (hereinafter also simply referred to as a CVD method), a film having a high gas barrier performance can be obtained. Also, the CVD method has a high deposition rate and high productivity. The formation of a gas barrier layer by the method has been performed so far. However, when the film surface is formed by the CVD method, defects are generated on the film surface, and the CVD method is easy to etch the film surface and the film surface is not smooth.

  In order to compensate for the disadvantages of the gas barrier layer formed by the CVD method, for example, a layer formed by the CVD method (hereinafter also referred to as a CVD layer) as described in JP-A-8-281861 and JP-A-2012-106421. A gas barrier film obtained by laminating a layer obtained by modifying a silicon compound (hereinafter also referred to as a silicon compound modified layer) has been proposed. In such a gas barrier film, the barrier layer is formed by different mechanisms, and the gas passages in the two layers are different. Therefore, when both are laminated, the gas barrier performance is improved. Furthermore, it has been considered that defects on the surface of the CVD layer are impregnated with a coating solution used when the silicon compound modified layer is formed to repair the defects and improve the gas barrier performance.

  However, the present inventors have found that such a gas barrier film deteriorates in gas barrier performance when bent and does not satisfy the required gas barrier performance. And as a result of intensive investigation of the factors that cause such a phenomenon, when applying the coating liquid used to form the silicon compound modified layer, minute defects such as pinholes present in the CVD layer that is the coating surface However, it was thought that some coating solutions were not sufficiently repaired. It is estimated that this may be caused by the fact that the coating liquid can enter large defects but cannot enter minute defects.

  The following mechanism can be considered as the cause of the deterioration of the gas barrier performance due to the presence of the micro defects. As the silicon compound is densified when the silicon compound is modified by vacuum ultraviolet light or plasma, the film thickness of the silicon compound layer decreases and stress remains in the film. If there are minute defects such as pinholes on the coating surface of the coating solution used to form the silicon compound modified layer, the remaining stress concentrates on the pinholes and generates microcracks, resulting in barrier performance. Is considered to deteriorate. Therefore, even with the coating liquid used for forming the silicon compound modified layer, micro defects still exist on the coated surface, and stress concentration during the modification to such micro defects is particularly in the gas barrier layer during bending. We thought it was the main factor that hinders improvement.

  In view of the above problems, the present inventors have improved the film performance during bending as a result of using the second layer of the inorganic oxide formed by the ALD method as the upper layer of the CVD layer when repairing the micro defects. I was able to. This is considered to be because the inorganic oxide formed by the ALD method has a relatively small molecular weight, can fill in the minute defects, and can repair the minute defects.

  Moreover, when a silicon compound modified layer is formed on an inorganic oxide layer formed by the ALD method, surprisingly, a decrease in gas barrier performance at high temperature and high humidity is suppressed, and sufficient gas barrier properties are secured. I found out.

  The following mechanism can be considered as a reason why the deterioration of the gas barrier performance at the time of high temperature and high humidity can be suppressed.

  The contact area between the silicon compound modified layer and the second layer is increased as compared with the case where the CVD layer is a lower layer of the silicon compound modified layer by repairing a minute defect, and the silicon compound modified layer and the second layer Improved adhesion. The silicon compound modified layer has the property of expanding under high temperature and high humidity conditions. By improving the adhesion between the silicon compound modified layer and the second layer, it is considered that the force that counteracts the force acting on the expansion increases, and the deterioration of the gas barrier property can be suppressed. In addition, by forming an oxide with a film deposited by the ALD method, the entire surface of the film can be made OH groups, and the silicon compound is closely adhered to the atomic layer deposited film in atomic units, thereby modifying the silicon compound. It is considered that the gas barrier performance is improved because the layer itself is dense.

  In addition, the said mechanism is estimation and the effect of this invention is not bound to these mechanisms.

  Therefore, in the gas barrier film of the present invention, a preferred embodiment includes a base material, a first layer, a second layer formed on the first layer, a third layer, In this order. Further, a preferred embodiment includes a base material, a first layer, a second layer formed on the first layer, and a third layer formed on the second layer. , In this order.

  In addition, the gas barrier unit having the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer may be formed on one surface of the base material, and is formed on both surfaces of the base material. May be. The gas barrier unit may include a layer that does not necessarily have a gas barrier property.

Further, the gas-barrier film of the present invention is preferably transparent moisture content measured by the method described in Examples below is less than ^{1 × 10 -3 g / (m} 2 · 24h), 1 × 10 - More preferably, it is less than ⁴ g / (m ² · 24 h).

  Hereinafter, although the preferable form for implementing this invention is demonstrated in detail, this invention is not limited to these.

[First layer (CVD layer)]
The thickness per layer of the first layer is not particularly limited, but is usually in the range of 30 to 500 nm, preferably 50 to 300 nm, from the viewpoint of gas barrier performance and the ease of occurrence of defects. The first layer may have a stacked structure including a plurality of sublayers in which each layer is formed by a CVD method. In this case, the number of sublayers is preferably 2 to 10 layers. Moreover, each sublayer may have the same composition or a different composition.

The first layer includes at least one oxide, nitride, oxynitride, or oxycarbide selected from the group consisting of silicon, aluminum, and titanium. Specific examples of the at least one oxide, nitride, oxynitride, or oxycarbide selected from the group consisting of silicon, aluminum, and titanium include silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ), silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride ( These composites include SiON), silicon oxycarbide (SiOC), aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, and aluminum silicate. These may contain other elements as secondary components.

The first layer has the above compound and thus has a gas barrier property. Here, when the gas barrier property of the first layer is calculated using a laminate in which the first layer is formed on the base material, the permeated water amount measured by the method described in Examples described later is 0. is preferably 1g ^/ (m 2 · 24h) or less, and more preferably 0.01g ^/ (m 2 · 24h) or less.

  The first layer is formed by a chemical vapor deposition method (CVD method). Chemical vapor deposition (Chemical Vapor Deposition) is a method of depositing a film on a substrate by a chemical reaction in the surface of the substrate or in the gas phase by supplying a raw material gas containing the components of the target thin film onto the substrate. It is. In addition, for the purpose of activating the chemical reaction, there is a method of generating plasma or the like. Known CVD such as thermal CVD method, catalytic chemical vapor deposition method, photo CVD method, vacuum plasma CVD method, atmospheric pressure plasma CVD method, etc. The method etc. are mentioned. Although not particularly limited, it is preferable to apply the plasma CVD method from the viewpoint of film forming speed and processing area. Forming the first layer by chemical vapor deposition is advantageous in terms of gas barrier properties.

  The gas barrier layer obtained by the vacuum plasma CVD method, or the plasma CVD method under atmospheric pressure or near atmospheric pressure, selects conditions such as the raw material (also referred to as raw material) metal compound, decomposition gas, decomposition temperature, input power, etc. Therefore, the target compound can be produced, which is preferable.

  For example, if a silicon compound is used as a raw material compound and oxygen is used as the decomposition gas, silicon oxide is generated. This is because highly active charged particles and active radicals exist in the plasma space at a high density, so that multistage chemical reactions are accelerated at high speed in the plasma space, and the elements present in the plasma space are thermodynamic. This is because it is converted into an extremely stable compound in a very short time.

  As a raw material compound, a silicon compound, a titanium compound, and an aluminum compound are used.

  Among these, as silicon compounds, silane, tetramethoxysilane, tetraethoxysilane, tetra n-propoxysilane, tetraisopropoxysilane, tetra n-butoxysilane, tetra t-butoxysilane, dimethyldimethoxysilane, dimethyldiethoxysilane, Diethyldimethoxysilane, diphenyldimethoxysilane, methyltriethoxysilane, ethyltrimethoxysilane, phenyltriethoxysilane, (3,3,3-trifluoropropyl) trimethoxysilane, hexamethyldisiloxane, bis (dimethylamino) dimethylsilane Bis (dimethylamino) methylvinylsilane, bis (ethylamino) dimethylsilane, N, O-bis (trimethylsilyl) acetamide, bis (trimethylsilyl) carbodiimide, di Tylaminotrimethylsilane, dimethylaminodimethylsilane, hexamethyldisilazane, hexamethylcyclotrisilazane, heptamethyldisilazane, nonamethyltrisilazane, octamethylcyclotetrasilazane, tetrakisdimethylaminosilane, tetraisocyanatosilane, tetramethyldisilazane , Tris (dimethylamino) silane, triethoxyfluorosilane, allyldimethylsilane, allyltrimethylsilane, benzyltrimethylsilane, bis (trimethylsilyl) acetylene, 1,4-bistrimethylsilyl-1,3-butadiyne, di-t-butylsilane, 1,3-disilabutane, bis (trimethylsilyl) methane, cyclopentadienyltrimethylsilane, phenyldimethylsilane, phenyltrimethylsilane, Pargyltrimethylsilane, tetramethylsilane, trimethylsilylacetylene, 1- (trimethylsilyl) -1-propyne, tris (trimethylsilyl) methane, tris (trimethylsilyl) silane, vinyltrimethylsilane, hexamethyldisilane, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, tetramethyl Examples thereof include cyclotetrasiloxane, hexamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, M silicate 51, and the like. Moreover, the silicon compound which is a raw material compound used in the case of formation of the layer which satisfy | fills the requirements of (i)-(ii) which are the suitable forms mentioned later is mentioned.

  Examples of the titanium compound include titanium methoxide, titanium ethoxide, titanium isopropoxide, titanium tetraisoporooxide, titanium n-butoxide, titanium diisopropoxide (bis-2,4-pentanedionate), titanium. Examples thereof include diisopropoxide (bis-2,4-ethylacetoacetate), titanium di-n-butoxide (bis-2,4-pentanedionate), titanium acetylacetonate, and butyl titanate dimer.

  Examples of the aluminum compound include aluminum ethoxide, aluminum triisopropoxide, aluminum isopropoxide, aluminum n-butoxide, aluminum s-butoxide, aluminum t-butoxide, aluminum acetylacetonate, and triethyl dialumonium tri-s-butoxide. Can be mentioned.

  In addition, as a decomposition gas for decomposing a raw material gas containing these metals to obtain an inorganic compound, hydrogen gas, methane gas, acetylene gas, carbon monoxide gas, carbon dioxide gas, nitrogen gas, ammonia gas, nitrous oxide Examples include gas, nitrogen oxide gas, nitrogen dioxide gas, oxygen gas, and water vapor. Further, the decomposition gas may be mixed with an inert gas such as argon gas or helium gas.

  A desired barrier layer can be obtained by appropriately selecting a source gas containing a source compound and a decomposition gas. The first layer formed by chemical vapor deposition is an oxide, nitride, oxynitride or oxycarbide.

  Hereinafter, the plasma CVD method which is a preferable form among the CVD methods will be specifically described.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an example of a vacuum plasma CVD apparatus used for forming the first layer according to the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, a vacuum plasma CVD apparatus 101 has a vacuum chamber 102, and a susceptor 105 is disposed on the bottom surface inside the vacuum chamber 102. Further, a cathode electrode 103 is disposed on the ceiling side inside the vacuum chamber 102 at a position facing the susceptor 105. A heat medium circulation system 106, a vacuum exhaust system 107, a gas introduction system 108, and a high-frequency power source 109 are disposed outside the vacuum chamber 102. A heat medium is disposed in the heat medium circulation system 106. The heat medium circulation system 106 stores a pump for moving the heat medium, a heating device for heating the heat medium, a cooling device for cooling, a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the heat medium, and a set temperature of the heat medium. A heating / cooling device 160 having a storage device is provided.

  The heating / cooling device 160 is configured to measure the temperature of the heat medium, heat or cool the heat medium to a stored set temperature, and supply the heat medium to the susceptor 105. The supplied heat medium flows inside the susceptor 105, heats or cools the susceptor 105, and returns to the heating / cooling device 160. At this time, the temperature of the heat medium is higher or lower than the set temperature, and the heating and cooling device 160 heats or cools the heat medium to the set temperature and supplies the heat medium to the susceptor 105. Thus, the cooling medium circulates between the susceptor and the heating / cooling device 160, and the susceptor 105 is heated or cooled by the supplied heating medium having the set temperature.

  The vacuum chamber 102 is connected to an evacuation system 107, and before the film formation process is started by the vacuum plasma CVD apparatus 101, the inside of the vacuum chamber 102 is evacuated in advance and the heat medium is heated from room temperature. The temperature is raised to a set temperature, and a heat medium having the set temperature is supplied to the susceptor 105. The susceptor 105 is at room temperature at the start of use, and when a heat medium having a set temperature is supplied, the susceptor 105 is heated.

  After circulating the heat medium at a set temperature for a certain time, the substrate 110 to be deposited is carried into the vacuum chamber 102 and placed on the susceptor 105 while maintaining the vacuum atmosphere in the vacuum chamber 102.

  A number of nozzles (holes) are formed on the surface of the cathode electrode 103 facing the susceptor 105.

  The cathode electrode 103 is connected to a gas introduction system 108. When a CVD gas is introduced from the gas introduction system 108 to the cathode electrode 103, the CVD gas is ejected from the nozzle of the cathode electrode 103 into the vacuum chamber 102 in a vacuum atmosphere.

  The cathode electrode 103 is connected to a high frequency power source 109, and the susceptor 105 and the vacuum chamber 102 are connected to a ground potential.

  When a CVD gas is supplied from the gas introduction system 108 into the vacuum chamber 102, a high-frequency power source 109 is activated while a heating medium having a constant temperature is supplied from the heating / cooling device 160 to the susceptor 105, and a high-frequency voltage is applied to the cathode electrode 103, Plasma of the introduced CVD gas is formed. When the CVD gas activated in the plasma reaches the surface of the substrate 110 on the susceptor 105, a first layer that is a thin film grows on the surface of the substrate 110.

  At this time, the distance between the susceptor 105 and the cathode electrode 103 is set as appropriate.

  Further, the flow rates of the raw material gas and the cracked gas are appropriately set in consideration of the raw material gas, the cracked gas type, and the like. In one embodiment, the flow rate of the source gas is 30 to 300 sccm, and the flow rate of the decomposition gas is 10 to 1000 sccm.

  During the growth of the thin film, a heating medium having a constant temperature is supplied from the heating / cooling device 160 to the susceptor 105, and the susceptor 105 is heated or cooled by the heating medium, and a thin film is formed while being maintained at the constant temperature. Generally, the lower limit temperature of the growth temperature when forming a thin film is determined by the film quality of the thin film, and the upper limit temperature is determined by the allowable range of damage to the thin film already formed on the substrate 110. The lower limit temperature and upper limit temperature vary depending on the material of the thin film to be formed, the material of the thin film already formed, etc., but the lower limit temperature is 50 ° C. or more in order to ensure the film quality with a high gas barrier property, It is preferable that it is below the heat-resistant temperature.

  The correlation between the film quality of the thin film formed by the vacuum plasma CVD method and the film formation temperature and the correlation between the damage to the film formation target (substrate 110) and the film formation temperature are obtained in advance, and the lower limit temperature and the upper limit temperature are determined. Is done. For example, the temperature of the substrate 110 during the vacuum plasma CVD process is preferably 50 to 250 ° C.

  Furthermore, the relationship between the temperature of the heat medium supplied to the susceptor 105 and the temperature of the substrate 110 when plasma is formed by applying a high frequency voltage of 13.56 MHz or more to the cathode electrode 103 is measured in advance, and vacuum plasma CVD is performed. In order to maintain the temperature of the substrate 110 between the lower limit temperature and the upper limit temperature during the process, the temperature of the heat medium supplied to the susceptor 105 is required.

  For example, a lower limit temperature (here, 50 ° C.) is stored, and a heat medium whose temperature is controlled to a temperature equal to or higher than the lower limit temperature is set to be supplied to the susceptor 105. The heat medium refluxed from the susceptor 105 is heated or cooled, and a heat medium having a set temperature of 50 ° C. is supplied to the susceptor 105. For example, as a CVD gas, a mixed gas of silane gas, ammonia gas, and nitrogen gas is supplied, and the SiN film is formed in a state where the substrate 110 is maintained at a temperature condition not lower than the lower limit temperature and not higher than the upper limit temperature.

  Immediately after startup of the vacuum plasma CVD apparatus 101, the susceptor 105 is at room temperature, and the temperature of the heat medium returned from the susceptor 105 to the heating / cooling apparatus 160 is lower than the set temperature. Therefore, immediately after the activation, the heating / cooling device 160 heats the refluxed heat medium to raise the temperature to the set temperature, and supplies it to the susceptor 105. In this case, the susceptor 105 and the substrate 110 are heated and heated by the heat medium, and the substrate 110 is maintained in a range between the lower limit temperature and the upper limit temperature.

  When a thin film is continuously formed on the plurality of substrates 110, the susceptor 105 is heated by heat flowing from the plasma. In this case, since the heat medium recirculated from the susceptor 105 to the heating / cooling device 160 is higher than the lower limit temperature (50 ° C.), the heating / cooling device 160 cools the heat medium and converts the heat medium at the set temperature into the susceptor. It supplies to 105. Thereby, it is possible to form a thin film while maintaining the substrate 110 in a range between the lower limit temperature and the upper limit temperature.

  Thus, the heating / cooling device 160 heats the heating medium when the temperature of the refluxed heating medium is lower than the set temperature, and cools the heating medium when the temperature is higher than the set temperature. In addition, a heat medium having a set temperature is supplied to the susceptor, and as a result, the substrate 110 is maintained in a temperature range between the lower limit temperature and the upper limit temperature.

  Once the thin film has been formed to a predetermined thickness, the substrate 110 is unloaded from the vacuum chamber 102, the undeposited substrate 110 is loaded into the vacuum chamber 102, and a heating medium having a set temperature is supplied as described above. A thin film is formed.

(Suitable form of the first layer)
As a preferred embodiment of the first layer of the present invention, the first layer preferably contains carbon, silicon, and oxygen as constituent elements. A more preferable form is a layer that satisfies the following requirements (i) to (ii).

(I) The distance (L) from the surface of the first layer in the film thickness direction of the first layer and the ratio of the amount of silicon atoms to the total amount of silicon atoms, oxygen atoms, and carbon atoms (silicon atomic ratio) A distribution curve showing the relationship between L and the oxygen distribution curve showing the relationship between the ratio of the amount of oxygen atoms to the total amount of silicon atoms, oxygen atoms, and carbon atoms (atomic ratio of oxygen); In the carbon distribution curve showing the relationship between the ratio of the amount of carbon atoms to the total amount of silicon atoms, oxygen atoms, and carbon atoms (the atomic ratio of carbon), the carbon distribution curve has at least two extreme values,
(Ii) The absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the atomic ratio of carbon in the carbon distribution curve is 3 at% or more.

  Having such a composition is preferable from the viewpoint of achieving both high gas barrier properties and flexibility.

  Furthermore, in the region of 90% or more of the total thickness of the first layer, the average atomic ratio of each atom relative to the total amount (100 at%) of silicon atoms, oxygen atoms and carbon atoms is expressed by the following formula (A) or (B It is preferable to have an order of magnitude relationship represented by

Formula (A) (carbon average atomic ratio) <(silicon average atomic ratio) <(oxygen average atomic ratio)
If the formula (B) (oxygen average atomic ratio) <(silicon average atomic ratio) <(carbon average atomic ratio), the bending resistance is further improved, which is more preferable.

  The preferred embodiment will be described below.

  (I) The distance (L) from the surface of the first layer in the film thickness direction of the first layer and the ratio of the amount of silicon atoms to the total amount of silicon atoms, oxygen atoms, and carbon atoms (silicon atomic ratio) Distribution curve showing the relationship between L and silicon, oxygen distribution curve showing the relationship between the ratio of the amount of oxygen atoms to the total amount of silicon atoms, oxygen atoms, and carbon atoms (atomic ratio of oxygen), and L and silicon atoms In the carbon distribution curve showing the relationship between the ratio of the amount of carbon atoms to the total amount of oxygen atoms and carbon atoms (the atomic ratio of carbon), the carbon distribution curve preferably has at least two extreme values. The first layer preferably has a carbon distribution curve having at least three extreme values, more preferably at least four extreme values, but may have five or more extreme values. When the carbon distribution curve has at least two extreme values, the carbon atom ratio continuously changes with a concentration gradient, and the gas barrier performance during bending is enhanced. Since the upper limit of the number of extreme values is also caused by the film thickness of the barrier layer, it cannot be specified unconditionally.

  Here, in the case of having at least three extreme values, one extreme value of the carbon distribution curve and the extreme value adjacent to the extreme value from the surface of the first layer in the thickness direction of the first layer. The absolute value of the difference in distance (L) (hereinafter also simply referred to as “distance between extreme values”) is preferably 200 nm or less, more preferably 100 nm or less, and preferably 75 nm or less. Particularly preferred. If it is such a distance between extreme values, since the site | part (maximum value) with many carbon atom ratios exists in a suitable period in a 1st layer, moderate flexibility is provided to a 1st layer, Generation of cracks during bending of the gas barrier film can be more effectively suppressed / prevented. Note that the extreme value in this specification refers to the maximum value or the minimum value of the atomic ratio of the element to the distance (L) from the surface of the first layer in the film thickness direction of the first layer. In the present specification, the maximum value is a point where the value of the atomic ratio of the element (oxygen, silicon, or carbon) changes from increasing to decreasing when the distance from the surface of the first layer is changed, And the value of the atomic ratio of the element at the position where the distance from the surface of the first layer in the film thickness direction of the first layer is further changed by 4 to 20 nm from the value of the atomic ratio of the element at that point. This is the point where the value decreases by 3 at% or more. That is, when changing in the range of 4 to 20 nm, the atomic ratio value of the element should be reduced by 3 at% or more in any range. This varies depending on the thickness of the first layer. For example, when the first layer is 300 nm, the value of the atomic ratio of the element at the position where the distance from the surface of the first layer in the film thickness direction of the first layer is changed by 20 nm decreases by 3 at% or more. A point is preferable. Further, in this specification, the minimum value is a point where the value of the atomic ratio of the element (oxygen, silicon, or carbon) changes from decrease to increase when the distance from the surface of the first layer is changed, and The value of the atomic ratio of the element at a position where the distance from the surface of the first layer in the film thickness direction of the first layer from the point is further changed by 4 to 20 nm is more than the value of the atomic ratio of the element at that point. The point that increases by 3 at% or more. That is, when changing in the range of 4 to 20 nm, the atomic ratio value of the element only needs to increase by 3 at% or more in any range. Here, the lower limit of the distance between the extreme values in the case of having at least three extreme values is particularly high because the smaller the distance between the extreme values, the higher the effect of suppressing / preventing crack generation when the gas barrier film is bent. Not limited.

  Further, in the first layer, (ii) the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the atomic ratio of carbon in the carbon distribution curve is preferably 3 at% or more, and more preferably 5 at% or more. And more preferably 7 at% or more. When the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the atomic ratio of carbon in the carbon distribution curve is 3 at% or more, the gas barrier performance during bending is enhanced. In the present specification, the “maximum value” is the atomic ratio of each element that is maximum in the distribution curve of each element, and is the highest value among the maximum values. Similarly, in this specification, the “minimum value” is the atomic ratio of each element that is the minimum in the distribution curve of each element, and is the lowest value among the minimum values.

  Further, in the region of 90% or more (upper limit: 100%) of the film thickness of the first layer, (atomic ratio of oxygen), (atomic ratio of silicon), and (atomic ratio of carbon) increase in this order (atomic ratio) Is preferably O> Si> C). Here, at least 90% or more of the film thickness of the first layer does not have to be continuous in the barrier layer, and it is only necessary to satisfy the above-described relationship in a portion of 90% or more. By satisfying such conditions, the resulting gas barrier film has sufficient gas barrier properties and flexibility. In the silicon distribution curve, the oxygen distribution curve, and the carbon distribution curve, in the region where the atomic ratio of silicon, the atomic ratio of oxygen, and the atomic ratio of carbon are 90% or more of the film thickness of the first layer, the conditions are When satisfy | filling, it is preferable that the atomic ratio of content of the silicon atom with respect to the total amount of the silicon atom in the layer, an oxygen atom, and a carbon atom is 25-45 at%, and it is more preferable that it is 30-40 at% preferable. Further, the atomic ratio of the oxygen atom content to the total amount of silicon atoms, oxygen atoms, and carbon atoms in the first layer is preferably 33 to 67 at%, more preferably 45 to 67 at%. preferable. Furthermore, the atomic ratio of the carbon atom content to the total amount of silicon atoms, oxygen atoms, and carbon atoms in the first layer is preferably 3 to 33 at%, and more preferably 3 to 25 at%. preferable.

  The oxygen distribution curve of the first layer preferably has at least one extreme value, more preferably has at least two extreme values, and more preferably has at least three extreme values. When the oxygen distribution curve has at least one extreme value, the gas barrier property when the obtained gas barrier film is bent is further improved. Even in the upper limit of the number of extreme values of the oxygen distribution curve, there is a portion caused by the film thickness of the barrier layer, and it cannot be generally defined. In the case of having at least three extreme values, one extreme value of the oxygen distribution curve and the extreme value adjacent to the extreme value from the surface of the first layer in the film thickness direction of the first layer. The absolute value of the difference in distance is preferably 200 nm or less, and more preferably 100 nm or less. With such a distance between extreme values, the occurrence of cracks during bending of the gas barrier film can be more effectively suppressed / prevented.

In addition, the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the atomic ratio of oxygen in the oxygen distribution curve of the first layer (hereinafter also simply referred to as “O _max −O _min difference”) is 3 at% or more. Preferably, it is 5 at% or more, more preferably 6 at% or more, and further preferably 7 at% or more. When the absolute value is 3 at% or more, the gas barrier property when the obtained gas barrier film is bent is further improved.

Further, the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the atomic ratio of silicon in the silicon distribution curve of the first layer (hereinafter also simply referred to as “Si _max -Si _min difference”) is preferably less than 5 at%. More preferably, it is less than 4 at%, and more preferably less than 3 at%. When the absolute value is less than 5 at%, the gas barrier property and mechanical strength of the obtained gas barrier film are further improved. The _lower limit of Si max _{-Si min difference,} since Si max improvement of cracking suppressing / preventing flexion enough gas barrier film _{-Si min} difference is small is high, not particularly limited.

Moreover, it is preferable that the total amount of carbon and oxygen atoms in the film thickness direction of the first layer is substantially constant. Thereby, the 1st layer exhibits moderate flexibility, and the crack generation at the time of bending of a gas barrier film can be controlled and prevented more effectively. More specifically, the sum of oxygen atoms and carbon atoms with respect to the distance (L) from the surface of the first layer in the film thickness direction of the first layer and the total amount of silicon atoms, oxygen atoms, and carbon atoms In the oxygen-carbon distribution curve showing the relationship with the ratio of the amount (atomic ratio of oxygen and carbon), the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the total atomic ratio of oxygen and carbon in the oxygen-carbon distribution curve (hereinafter, simply “OC _max −OC _min difference”) is preferably less than 5 at%, more preferably less than 4 at%, and even more preferably less than 3 at%. If an absolute value is less than 5 at%, the gas barrier property of the gas barrier film obtained will improve more.

  The silicon distribution curve, the oxygen distribution curve, the carbon distribution curve, and the oxygen carbon distribution curve can be obtained by combining X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurement with rare gas ion sputtering such as argon. It can be created by so-called XPS depth profile measurement in which surface composition analysis is sequentially performed while exposing the surface. A distribution curve obtained by such XPS depth profile measurement can be created, for example, with the vertical axis as the atomic ratio (unit: at%) of each element and the horizontal axis as the etching time (sputtering time). In the element distribution curve with the horizontal axis as the etching time in this way, the etching time generally correlates with the distance (L) from the surface of the first layer in the film thickness direction of the first layer. As the “distance from the surface of the first layer in the film thickness direction of the first layer”, from the surface of the first layer calculated from the relationship between the etching rate and the etching time employed in the XPS depth profile measurement. Can be adopted. In the present invention, the silicon distribution curve, oxygen distribution curve, carbon distribution curve, and oxygen carbon distribution curve were prepared under the following measurement conditions.

(Measurement condition)
Etching ion species: Argon (Ar ⁺ );
Etching rate (converted to SiO ₂ thermal oxide film): 0.05 nm / sec;
Etching interval (SiO ₂ equivalent value): 10 nm;
X-ray photoelectron spectrometer: Model name “VG Theta Probe” manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific;
Irradiation X-ray: Single crystal spectroscopy AlKα
X-ray spot and size: 800 × 400 μm oval.

  From the viewpoint of forming the first layer having a uniform and excellent gas barrier property over the entire film surface, the first layer is substantially uniform in the film surface direction (direction parallel to the surface of the first layer). It is preferable that Here, the fact that the first layer is substantially uniform in the film surface direction means that the oxygen distribution curve, the carbon distribution curve, and the oxygen at any two measurement points on the film surface of the first layer by XPS depth profile measurement. When a carbon distribution curve is created, the number of extreme values of the carbon distribution curve obtained at any two measurement locations is the same, and the maximum and minimum values of the atomic ratio of carbon in each carbon distribution curve The absolute values of the differences are the same as each other or within 5 at%.

  Furthermore, the carbon distribution curve is preferably substantially continuous. Here, the carbon distribution curve is substantially continuous means that the carbon distribution curve does not include a portion where the atomic ratio of carbon changes discontinuously. Specifically, the carbon distribution curve is calculated from the etching rate and the etching time. Of the distance (x, unit: nm) from the surface of the first layer in the film thickness direction of at least one of the first layers to be formed, and the atomic ratio of carbon (C, unit: at%) In the relationship, this means that the condition represented by the following mathematical formula (1) is satisfied.

  In the carbon distribution curve, the carbon atom ratio of the first layer is preferably in the range of 8 to 20 at%, more preferably in the range of 10 to 20 at%, as an average value of the entire layer. By setting it within this range, it is possible to form the gas first layer that sufficiently satisfies the gas barrier property and the flexibility.

  When the first layer has a sublayer, a plurality of sublayers that satisfy all of the above conditions (i) to (ii) may be stacked to form the first layer. When two or more sublayers are provided, the materials of the plurality of sublayers may be the same or different.

  The layer satisfying the requirements of (i) to (ii), which is a preferred form of the first layer, is preferably a layer formed by a plasma CVD (PECVD) method, and a pair of films is formed on the substrate. More preferably, it is formed on a roller and formed by a plasma CVD method in which plasma is generated by discharging between the pair of film forming rollers. The plasma CVD method may be a Penning discharge plasma type plasma CVD method.

  When generating plasma in the plasma CVD method, it is preferable to generate plasma discharge in a space between a plurality of film forming rollers. A pair of film forming rollers is used, and each of the pair of film forming rollers has the above-mentioned base. More preferably, a material is disposed and discharged between a pair of film forming rollers to generate plasma. In this way, by using a pair of film forming rollers, placing a base material on the pair of film forming rollers, and discharging between the pair of film forming rollers, one film forming roller It is possible not only to produce a thin film efficiently because it is possible to form a film on the surface part of the base material existing in the film while simultaneously forming a film on the surface part of the base material present on the other film forming roller. Compared with the plasma CVD method using no roller, the film formation rate can be doubled, and a film having substantially the same structure can be formed, so that the extreme value in the carbon distribution curve can be at least doubled, and it is efficient. It is possible to form a layer that satisfies all of the above conditions (i) to (ii).

  Further, when discharging between the pair of film forming rollers in this way, it is preferable to reverse the polarities of the pair of film forming rollers alternately. Further, the film forming gas used in such a plasma CVD method preferably contains an organic silicon compound and oxygen, and the oxygen content in the film forming gas is the total amount of the organic silicon compound in the film forming gas. It is preferable that the amount of oxygen be less than the theoretical oxygen amount required for complete oxidation. In the gas barrier film of the present invention, the first layer is preferably a layer formed by a continuous film forming process.

  Moreover, it is preferable to form a 1st layer on the surface of a base material by a roll-to-roll system from a viewpoint of productivity. In addition, an apparatus that can be used for manufacturing the first layer by such a plasma CVD method is not particularly limited, but includes at least a pair of film forming rollers and a plasma power source, and a pair of components. It is preferable that the apparatus has a configuration capable of discharging between film rollers. For example, when the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 2 is used, the apparatus is manufactured by a roll-to-roll method using a plasma CVD method. It is also possible to do.

  Hereinafter, the method for forming the first layer will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a manufacturing apparatus that can be suitably used for manufacturing the first layer (CVD layer). In the following description and drawings, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  The manufacturing apparatus 31 shown in FIG. 2 includes a delivery roller 32, transport rollers 33, 34, 35, and 36, film formation rollers 39 and 40, a gas supply pipe 41, a plasma generation power source 42, and a film formation roller 39. And magnetic field generators 43 and 44 installed inside 40 and a winding roller 45. In such a manufacturing apparatus, at least the film forming rollers 39 and 40, the gas supply pipe 41, the plasma generating power source 42, and the magnetic field generating apparatuses 43 and 44 are arranged in a vacuum chamber (not shown). ing. Further, in such a manufacturing apparatus 31, the vacuum chamber is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown), and the pressure in the vacuum chamber can be appropriately adjusted by such a vacuum pump.

  In such a manufacturing apparatus, each film-forming roller has a power source for plasma generation so that the pair of film-forming rollers (the film-forming roller 39 and the film-forming roller 40) can function as a pair of counter electrodes. 42. Therefore, in such a manufacturing apparatus 31, it is possible to discharge into the space between the film forming roller 39 and the film forming roller 40 by supplying electric power from the plasma generating power source 42. Plasma can be generated in the space between the film roller 39 and the film formation roller 40. In this way, when the film forming roller 39 and the film forming roller 40 are also used as electrodes, the material and design thereof may be appropriately changed so that they can also be used as electrodes. Moreover, in such a manufacturing apparatus, it is preferable to arrange | position a pair of film-forming roller (film-forming rollers 39 and 40) so that the central axis may become substantially parallel on the same plane. Thus, by arranging a pair of film forming rollers (film forming rollers 39 and 40), the film forming rate can be doubled and a film having the same structure can be formed. It is possible to double at least. And according to such a manufacturing apparatus, it is possible to form the 1st layer 3 on the surface of the base material 2 by CVD method, and it is 1st on the surface of the base material 2 on the film-forming roller 39. In addition, the first layer component can be deposited on the surface of the substrate 2 even on the film forming roller 40, so that the first layer is efficiently deposited on the surface of the substrate 2. Can be formed.

  Inside the film forming roller 39 and the film forming roller 40, magnetic field generators 43 and 44 fixed so as not to rotate even when the film forming roller rotates are provided, respectively.

  The magnetic field generators 43 and 44 provided on the film forming roller 39 and the film forming roller 40 are respectively a magnetic field generating device 43 provided on one film forming roller 39 and a magnetic field generating device provided on the other film forming roller 40. It is preferable to arrange the magnetic poles so that the magnetic field lines do not cross between them and the magnetic field generators 43 and 44 form a substantially closed magnetic circuit. By providing such magnetic field generators 43 and 44, it is possible to promote the formation of a magnetic field in which magnetic lines of force swell near the opposing surface of each film forming roller 39 and 40, and the plasma is converged on the bulging portion. Since it becomes easy, it is excellent at the point which can improve the film-forming efficiency.

  The magnetic field generators 43 and 44 provided on the film forming roller 39 and the film forming roller 40 respectively have racetrack-shaped magnetic poles that are long in the roller axis direction, and one magnetic field generator 43 and the other magnetic field generator. It is preferable to arrange the magnetic poles so that the magnetic poles facing to 44 have the same polarity. By providing such magnetic field generators 43 and 44, the opposing space along the length direction of the roller shaft without straddling the magnetic field generator on the roller side where the magnetic lines of force of each of the magnetic field generators 43 and 44 are opposed. A racetrack-like magnetic field can be easily formed in the vicinity of the roller surface facing the (discharge region), and the plasma can be focused on the magnetic field, so that a wide base wound around the roller width direction can be obtained. The material 2 is excellent in that the first layer 3 that is a vapor deposition film can be efficiently formed.

  As the film forming roller 39 and the film forming roller 40, known rollers can be appropriately used. As such film forming rollers 39 and 40, those having the same diameter are preferably used from the viewpoint of forming a thin film more efficiently. Further, the diameters of the film forming rollers 39 and 40 are preferably in the range of 300 to 1000 mmφ, particularly in the range of 300 to 700 mmφ from the viewpoint of discharge conditions, chamber space, and the like. If the diameter of the film forming roller is 300 mmφ or more, the plasma discharge space will not be reduced, so that the productivity will not be deteriorated and it is possible to avoid applying the total amount of heat of the plasma discharge to the substrate 2 in a short time. It is preferable because damage to the material 2 can be reduced. On the other hand, if the diameter of the film forming roller is 1000 mmφ or less, it is preferable because practicality can be maintained in terms of apparatus design including uniformity of plasma discharge space.

  In such a manufacturing apparatus 31, the base material 2 is arrange | positioned on a pair of film-forming roller (The film-forming roller 39 and the film-forming roller 40) so that the surface of the base material 2 may respectively oppose. By disposing the base material 2 in this manner, when the plasma is generated by performing discharge in the facing space between the film formation roller 39 and the film formation roller 40, the base existing between the pair of film formation rollers is present. Each surface of the material 2 can be formed simultaneously. That is, according to such a manufacturing apparatus, the first layer component is deposited on the surface of the base material 2 on the film forming roller 39 by the plasma CVD method, and the first layer component is further formed on the film forming roller 40. Since the layer component can be deposited, the first layer can be efficiently formed on the surface of the substrate 2.

  As the feed roller 32 and the transport rollers 33, 34, 35, and 36 used in such a manufacturing apparatus, known rollers can be appropriately used. Further, the winding roller 45 is not particularly limited as long as it can wind the gas barrier film 1 having the first layer 3 formed on the substrate 2, and a known roller is appropriately used. be able to.

  As the gas supply pipe 41 and the vacuum pump, those capable of supplying or discharging the raw material gas at a predetermined speed can be appropriately used.

  The gas supply pipe 41 as a gas supply means is preferably provided in one of the facing spaces (discharge region; film formation zone) between the film formation roller 39 and the film formation roller 40, and is a vacuum as a vacuum exhaust means. A pump (not shown) is preferably provided on the other side of the facing space. As described above, by providing the gas supply pipe 41 as the gas supply means and the vacuum pump as the vacuum exhaust means, the film formation gas is efficiently supplied to the facing space between the film formation roller 39 and the film formation roller 40. It is excellent in that the film formation efficiency can be improved.

  Furthermore, as the plasma generating power source 42, a known power source of a plasma generating apparatus can be used as appropriate. Such a plasma generating power supply 42 supplies power to the film forming roller 39 and the film forming roller 40 connected thereto, and makes it possible to use these as counter electrodes for discharge. As such a plasma generation power source 42, since it is possible to perform plasma CVD more efficiently, a power source (AC power source or the like) capable of alternately reversing the polarities of a pair of film forming rollers is used. It is preferable to use it. Moreover, as such a plasma generating power source 42, it becomes possible to perform plasma CVD more efficiently, so that the applied power can be set to 100 W to 10 kW, and the AC frequency is set to 50 Hz to 500 kHz. More preferably, it is possible to do this. As the magnetic field generators 43 and 44, known magnetic field generators can be used as appropriate.

  Using such a manufacturing apparatus 31 shown in FIG. 2, for example, the type of source gas, the power of the electrode drum of the plasma generator, the pressure in the vacuum chamber, the diameter of the film forming roller, and the film transport speed are appropriately adjusted. By doing so, the first layer formed by the CVD method can be manufactured. That is, using the manufacturing apparatus 31 shown in FIG. 2, a discharge is generated between the pair of film forming rollers (film forming rollers 39 and 40) while supplying a film forming gas (raw material gas, etc.) into the vacuum chamber. Thus, the film formation gas (raw material gas or the like) is decomposed by plasma, and the first layer 3 is plasma on the surface of the base material 2 on the film formation roller 39 and on the surface of the base material 2 on the film formation roller 40. It is formed by the CVD method. At this time, a racetrack-shaped magnetic field is formed in the vicinity of the roller surface facing the opposing space (discharge region) along the length direction of the roller axis of the film forming rollers 39 and 40, and the plasma is converged on the magnetic field. For this reason, when the base material 2 passes A point of the film-forming roller 39 and B point of the film-forming roller 40 in FIG. 2, the maximum value of the carbon distribution curve is formed in the first layer. On the other hand, when the base material 2 passes the points C1 and C2 of the film forming roller 39 and the points C3 and C4 of the film forming roller 40 in FIG. 2, the carbon distribution curve is minimized in the first layer. A value is formed. For this reason, five extreme values are usually generated for two film forming rollers. Further, the distance between the extreme values of the barrier layer (the difference between the distance (L) from the surface of the barrier layer in the thickness direction of the barrier layer at one extreme value of the carbon distribution curve and the extreme value adjacent to the extreme value) (Absolute value) can be adjusted by the rotational speed of the film forming rollers 39 and 40 (base material transport speed). In such film formation, the substrate 2 is conveyed by the delivery roller 32, the film formation roller 39, and the like, respectively, so that the surface of the substrate 2 is formed by a roll-to-roll continuous film formation process. The first layer 3 is formed.

  As the film forming gas (raw material gas etc.) supplied from the gas supply pipe 41 to the facing space, the raw material gas containing the raw material compound, the reactive gas, the carrier gas, and the discharge gas may be used alone or in combination of two or more. it can. The source gas in the film forming gas used for forming the first layer 3 can be appropriately selected and used according to the material of the first layer 3 to be formed.

  In order to form a layer that satisfies the requirements (i) to (ii) above, it is preferable to use an organosilicon compound as a raw material compound. Examples of such organosilicon compounds include hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO), hexamethyldisilane (HMDS), 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane, vinyltrimethylsilane, methyltrimethylsilane, and hexamethyldisilane. , Methylsilane, dimethylsilane, trimethylsilane, diethylsilane, propylsilane, phenylsilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltrimethoxysilane, tetramethoxysilane (TMOS), tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), phenyltrimethoxysilane, methyltriethoxy Examples include silane and octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane. Among these organosilicon compounds, hexamethyldisiloxane and 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane are preferable from the viewpoint of the handling properties of the compound and the gas barrier properties of the obtained first layer. These organosilicon compounds can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

  In addition to the source gas, a reactive gas may be used as the film forming gas. As such a reactive gas, a gas that reacts with the raw material gas to become an inorganic compound such as an oxide or a nitride can be appropriately selected and used. As a reaction gas for forming an oxide, for example, oxygen or ozone can be used. Moreover, as a reactive gas for forming nitride, nitrogen and ammonia can be used, for example. These reaction gases can be used singly or in combination of two or more. For example, when forming an oxynitride, a reaction gas for forming an oxide and a nitride are formed. It can be used in combination with a reaction gas.

  As the film forming gas, a carrier gas may be used as necessary to supply the source gas into the vacuum chamber. Further, as a film forming gas, a discharge gas may be used as necessary in order to generate plasma discharge. As such carrier gas and discharge gas, known ones can be used as appropriate, for example, rare gases such as helium, argon, neon, xenon; hydrogen can be used.

  When such a film-forming gas contains a source gas and a reactive gas, the ratio of the source gas and the reactive gas is the reaction gas that is theoretically necessary for completely reacting the source gas and the reactive gas. It is preferable not to make the ratio of the reaction gas excessive rather than the ratio of the amount. By making the ratio of the reaction gas not excessive, the first layer 3 to be formed is excellent in that excellent barrier properties and bending resistance can be obtained. Moreover, when the film-forming gas contains an organosilicon compound and oxygen, the amount is preferably less than or equal to the theoretical oxygen amount necessary for complete oxidation of the entire amount of the organosilicon compound in the film-forming gas.

Hereinafter, as a film forming gas, hexamethyldisiloxane (organosilicon compound, HMDSO, (CH ₃ ) ₆ Si ₂ O) as a source gas and oxygen (O ₂ ) as a reaction gas are used, Taking a case of producing a silicon-oxygen-based thin film as an example, a suitable ratio of the raw material gas and the reactive gas in the film forming gas will be described in more detail.

A film-forming gas containing hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO, (CH ₃ ) ₆ Si ₂ O) as a source gas and oxygen (O ₂ ) as a reaction gas is reacted by plasma CVD to form a silicon-oxygen system When the thin film is produced, a reaction represented by the following reaction formula (1) occurs by the film forming gas, and silicon dioxide is generated.

  In such a reaction, the amount of oxygen required to completely oxidize 1 mol of hexamethyldisiloxane is 12 mol. Therefore, when the film forming gas contains 12 moles or more of oxygen with respect to 1 mole of hexamethyldisiloxane and is completely reacted, a uniform silicon dioxide film is formed. ) To (ii) cannot be formed. Therefore, in the present invention, when forming the first layer, 1 mol of hexamethyldisiloxane (flow rate of hexamethyldisiloxane) is set so that the reaction of the above reaction formula (1) does not proceed completely. In contrast, the oxygen amount (oxygen flow rate) is preferably less than the stoichiometric ratio of 12 moles (flow rate ratio 12 times). In the actual reaction in the plasma CVD chamber, the raw material hexamethyldisiloxane and the reaction gas oxygen are supplied from the gas supply unit to the film formation region to form a film, so the molar amount of oxygen in the reaction gas Even if the (flow rate) is 12 times the molar amount (flow rate) of the raw material hexamethyldisiloxane (flow rate), the reaction cannot actually proceed completely, and the oxygen content is reduced. It is considered that the reaction is completed only when a large excess is supplied compared to the stoichiometric ratio (for example, in order to obtain silicon oxide by complete oxidation by CVD, the molar amount (flow rate) of oxygen is changed to the hexamethyldioxide raw material. (It may be about 20 times or more the molar amount (flow rate) of siloxane). Therefore, the molar amount (flow rate) of oxygen with respect to the molar amount (flow rate) of the raw material hexamethyldisiloxane is preferably an amount of 12 times or less (more preferably 10 times or less) which is the stoichiometric ratio. . By containing hexamethyldisiloxane and oxygen in such a ratio, carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms in hexamethyldisiloxane that have not been completely oxidized are taken into the first layer, and the above conditions (i) to The first layer satisfying (ii) can be formed, and excellent gas barrier properties and flex resistance can be exhibited in the obtained gas barrier film. From the viewpoint of use as a flexible substrate for devices that require transparency, such as organic EL elements and solar cells, the molar amount of oxygen relative to the molar amount (flow rate) of hexamethyldisiloxane in the deposition gas The lower limit of (flow rate) is preferably greater than 0.1 times the molar amount (flow rate) of hexamethyldisiloxane, more preferably greater than 0.5 times.

  Moreover, although the pressure (vacuum degree) in a vacuum chamber can be suitably adjusted according to the kind etc. of source gas, it is preferable to set it as the range of 0.5 Pa-50 Pa.

  In such a plasma CVD method, in order to discharge between the film forming roller 39 and the film forming roller 40, an electrode drum connected to the plasma generating power source 42 (in this embodiment, the film forming roller 39) is used. The electric power to be applied to the power source can be adjusted as appropriate according to the type of the raw material gas, the pressure in the vacuum chamber, etc. It is preferable to be in the range. If such an applied power is 100 W or more, the generation of particles can be sufficiently suppressed, and if it is 10 kW or less, the amount of heat generated during film formation can be suppressed, and the substrate during film formation can be suppressed. An increase in surface temperature can be suppressed. Therefore, it is excellent in that wrinkles can be prevented during film formation without causing the substrate to lose heat.

  Although the conveyance speed (line speed) of the base material 2 can be appropriately adjusted according to the type of raw material gas, the pressure in the vacuum chamber, and the like, it is preferably in the range of 0.25 to 100 m / min. More preferably, it is in the range of 5 to 20 m / min. If the line speed is 0.25 m / min or more, generation of wrinkles due to heat in the substrate can be effectively suppressed. On the other hand, if it is 100 m / min or less, it is excellent at the point which can ensure sufficient thickness as a 1st layer, without impairing productivity.

  As described above, as a more preferable aspect of the present embodiment, the first layer is formed by a plasma CVD method using the plasma CVD apparatus (roll-to-roll method) having the counter roll electrode shown in FIG. This is excellent in flexibility (flexibility) and mechanical strength, especially when transported by roll-to-roll, when mass-produced using a plasma CVD apparatus (roll-to-roll method) having a counter roll electrode. This is because it is possible to efficiently manufacture the first layer in which the barrier performance is compatible. Such a manufacturing apparatus is also excellent in that it can inexpensively and easily mass-produce gas barrier films that are required for durability against temperature changes used in solar cells and electronic components.

  FIG. 3 is an example of each element profile in the layer thickness direction according to the XPS depth profile of the gas barrier layer having no extreme value or the like. The gas barrier layer is formed by a CVD method using a flat electrode (horizontal transport) type plasma discharge, and it can be seen that a continuous change in the concentration gradient of the carbon atom component does not occur. In FIG. 3, symbols A to D represent A: carbon distribution curve, B: silicon distribution curve, C: oxygen distribution curve, and D: oxygen carbon distribution curve, respectively.

[Second layer (inorganic oxide layer)]
The second layer is an inorganic oxide layer formed by an atomic layer deposition method (ALD method).

The inorganic oxide is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include oxides and composite oxides such as aluminum, titanium, silicon, zirconium, hafnium, and lanthanum. In view of forming a film on a resin substrate, the inorganic oxide is selected from the group consisting of Al ₂ O ₃ , TiO ₂ , SiO ₂ and ZrO from the viewpoint of obtaining a good film at a temperature of 50 ° C. to 120 ° C. It is preferable to contain at least one selected from the above. Since the minute defects can be impregnated with the material, in consideration of the molecular weight of the material, the inorganic oxide further contains Al ₂ O ₃ and TiO ₂ that can use TMA (trimethylaluminum) and TiCl (titanium chloride). Preferably, considering the gas barrier performance and gas barrier performance under high temperature and high humidity conditions, the inorganic oxide particularly preferably contains Al ₂ O ₃ , and the second layer is most preferably an Al ₂ O ₃ layer.

  In addition, by adjusting the introduction time of each gas, the film formation temperature, and the pressure during film formation, intermediate oxides such as AlOx, TiOx, SiOx, ZrOx, nitrides, and the like are also possible. no problem.

  The ALD method is a method of depositing atomic layers one by one by introducing two or more kinds of gases (first gas and second gas) alternately onto a substrate. More specifically, first, a first gas is introduced onto a substrate to form a gas molecular layer (monoatomic layer). Next, the first gas is purged (removed) by introducing an inert gas. Note that the gas molecule layer of the formed first gas is not purged even when an inert gas is introduced by chemical adsorption. Next, the gas molecular layer formed by introducing the second gas is oxidized to form an inorganic film. Finally, the second gas is purged by introducing an inert gas, and one cycle of the ALD method is completed. By repeating the above cycle, the atomic layers are deposited one by one, and the first gas barrier layer having a predetermined film thickness can be formed. Note that the ALD method can form an inorganic film including a shaded portion regardless of unevenness on the surface of the substrate.

  Activation of the substrate surface is necessary for the adsorption of gas molecules onto the substrate. For this reason, the film forming temperature is preferably high to some extent, and may be appropriately adjusted within a range not exceeding the glass transition temperature or decomposition start temperature of the plastic substrate as the base material. When using a plastic substrate, the temperature in the reactor is usually about 50 to 200 ° C. The deposition rate for one cycle is usually 0.01 to 0.3 nm, and a desired film thickness is obtained by repeating the film forming cycle.

  For example, when the inorganic oxide of the second layer is aluminum oxide, the first gas can be a gas obtained by vaporizing an aluminum compound, and the second gas can be an oxidizing gas. The inert gas is a gas that does not react with the first gas and / or the second gas.

  The aluminum compound is not particularly limited as long as it contains aluminum and can be vaporized. Specific examples of the aluminum compound include trimethylaluminum (TMA), triethylaluminum (TEA), and trichloroaluminum.

In addition, the source gas may be appropriately selected depending on the inorganic oxide film to be formed. Ritala: Appl. Surf. Sci. 112, 223 (1997) can be used. Specifically, when the inorganic oxide of the second layer is silicon oxide, the first gas is a gas obtained by vaporizing a silicon compound. Such silicon compounds include monochlorosilane (SiH ₃ Cl, MCS), hexachlorodisilane (Si ₂ Cl ₆ , HCD), tetrachlorosilane (SiCl ₄ , STC), trichlorosilane (SiHCl ₃ , TCS) and the like. Inorganic raw materials such as chlorosilane, trisilane (Si ₃ H ₈ , TS), disilane (Si ₂ H ₆ , DS), monosilane (SiH ₄ , MS), and aminosilane tetrakisdimethylaminosilane (Si [N (CH ₃ ) _2] 4,4DMAS), tris (dimethylamino) silane _{(Si [N (CH 3)} 2] 3 H, 3DMASi), bis diethylamino silane _{(Si [N (C 2 H} 5) 2] 2 H 2, 2DEAS), Bicester tert-butylamino silane _{(SiH 2 [NH (C 4} H 9)] 2, B BAS) and the like.

When the inorganic oxide of the second layer is titanium oxide, the first gas is a gas obtained by vaporizing a titanium compound. Such titanium compounds include titanium tetrachloride (TiCl ₄₎ , titanium (IV) isopropoxide (Ti [(OCH) (CH ₃ ) ₂ ] ₄ ), tetrakisdimethylamino titanium ([(CH ₃ ) ₂ N ] ₄ Ti, TDMATi), tetrakis (diethylamino) titanium _{(Ti [N (CH 2 CH} 3) 2] 4, TDEATi,) and the like.

When the inorganic oxide of the second layer is zirconium oxide, the first gas is a gas obtained by vaporizing a zirconium compound. Examples of such zirconium compounds include tetrakisdimethylaminozirconium (IV); [(CH ₃ ) ₂ N] ₄ Zr and the like.

The oxidizing gas is not particularly limited as long as it can oxidize the gas molecular layer. For example, ozone (O ₃ ), water (H ₂ O), hydrogen peroxide (H ₂ O ₂ ), methanol (CH ₃ ). OH), ethanol (C ₂ H ₅ OH) and the like can be used. It is also possible to use oxygen radicals. When radicals are used, high-density oxygen radicals can be generated by exciting the gas using a high-frequency power source (for example, a power source having a frequency of 13.56 MHz), which further promotes oxidation and nitridation reactions. be able to. Considering the increase in size and practicality of the apparatus, it is desirable to discharge in ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) mode using a 13.56 MHz power source.

  In addition, nitrogen radicals can be used when nitrides and nitride oxides are desired. Nitrogen radicals can be generated in the same manner as the oxygen radical generation described above.

  Further, from the viewpoint of shortening the size of the apparatus and the cycle time, it is preferable to use ozone or oxygen radical as the oxidizing gas. Further, from the viewpoint of forming a dense film at a low temperature, it is preferable to use oxygen radicals.

  As the inert gas, a rare gas (helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon), nitrogen gas, or the like can be used.

  The introduction time of the first gas is preferably 0.05 to 10 seconds, more preferably 0.1 to 3 seconds, and further preferably 0.5 to 2 seconds. It is preferable for the introduction time of the first gas to be 0.05 seconds or longer because sufficient time for forming the gas molecular layer can be secured. On the other hand, when the introduction time of the first gas is 10 seconds or less, it is preferable because the time required for one cycle can be reduced.

  The introduction time of the inert gas for purging the first gas is preferably 0.05 to 10 seconds, more preferably 0.5 to 6 seconds, and 1 to 4 seconds. More preferably. It is preferable that the introduction time of the inert gas is 0.05 seconds or longer because the first gas can be sufficiently purged. On the other hand, when the introduction time of the inert gas is 10 seconds or less, it is preferable because the time required for one cycle can be reduced and the influence on the formed gas molecular layer is reduced.

  Furthermore, the introduction time of the second gas is preferably 0.05 to 10 seconds, and more preferably 0.1 to 3 seconds. It is preferable for the introduction time of the second gas to be 0.05 seconds or longer because sufficient time for oxidizing the gas molecular layer can be secured. On the other hand, when the introduction time of the second gas is 10 seconds or less, the time required for one cycle can be reduced, and side reactions can be prevented.

  In addition, the inert gas introduction time for purging the second gas is preferably 0.05 to 10 seconds. It is preferable that the introduction time of the inert gas is 0.05 seconds or longer because the second gas can be sufficiently purged. On the other hand, an inert gas introduction time of 10 seconds or less is preferable because the time required for one cycle can be reduced and the influence on the formed atomic layer is small.

  The thickness of the inorganic oxide layer is preferably 1 to 100 nm, and more preferably 10 to 50 nm. When the thickness of the inorganic oxide layer is 1 nm or more, the effect of the ALD layer such as the repair of fine defects can be appropriately obtained, and the thickness is preferably 100 nm or less from the viewpoint of productivity in consideration of the ALD film forming speed.

  Further, in the relationship between the film thickness of the first layer and the second layer, the film thickness of the first layer is preferably less than 30 times the film thickness of the second layer, and is preferably 2 to 10 times. It is more preferable that Gas barrier performance improves by making both film thickness into such a range. This is considered to be because the micro defect repair effect of the second layer is appropriately obtained.

  Since the inorganic oxide layer is formed by the ALD method, it is easy to repair defects in the lower layer. As a result, the film surface of the inorganic oxide layer formed by the ALD method has high smoothness. Accordingly, it is preferable to use the centerline average surface roughness (Ra) of the surface in contact with the upper layer (preferably the silicon compound modified layer) of the inorganic oxide layer as an index that can indicate the degree of defect repair of the lower layer. it is conceivable that. Here, the center line average surface roughness (Ra) of the surface in contact with the upper layer of the inorganic oxide layer is preferably 0.8 to 100 nm, and more preferably 1.0 to 10 nm. If it is such a range, it can be judged that the defect repair by the ALD layer is performed suitably, and the gas barrier performance of the whole film improves. The centerline average surface roughness (Ra) can be measured by the method described in the examples.

Although the second layer has gas barrier performance, the gas barrier performance of the second layer alone may not be high because the gas barrier properties of the first layer and the third layer are high. Therefore, the gas barrier performance of the second layer is such that the amount of permeated moisture measured by the method described in Examples below in the laminate in which the second layer is formed on the substrate is 0.5 g / (m ² · 24 h) or less, and more preferably 0.1 g / (m ² · 24 h) or less.

[Third layer (silicon compound modified layer)]
The third layer is formed by modifying a coating film formed by applying a liquid containing a silicon compound.

(Silicon compound)
The silicon compound is not particularly limited as long as a coating solution containing the silicon compound can be prepared.

  Specifically, for example, perhydropolysilazane, organopolysilazane, silsesquioxane, tetramethylsilane, trimethylmethoxysilane, dimethyldimethoxysilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, trimethylethoxysilane, dimethyldiethoxysilane, methyltriethoxysilane, Tetramethoxysilane, tetramethoxysilane, hexamethyldisiloxane, hexamethyldisilazane, 1,1-dimethyl-1-silacyclobutane, trimethylvinylsilane, methoxydimethylvinylsilane, trimethoxyvinylsilane, ethyltrimethoxysilane, dimethyldivinylsilane, dimethyl Ethoxyethynylsilane, diacetoxydimethylsilane, dimethoxymethyl-3,3,3-trifluoropropylsilane, 3,3,3-trifluoro Propyltrimethoxysilane, aryltrimethoxysilane, ethoxydimethylvinylsilane, arylaminotrimethoxysilane, N-methyl-N-trimethylsilylacetamide, 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, methyltrivinylsilane, diacetoxymethylvinylsilane, methyltriacetoxysilane , Aryloxydimethylvinylsilane, diethylvinylsilane, butyltrimethoxysilane, 3-aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane, tetravinylsilane, triacetoxyvinylsilane, tetraacetoxysilane, 3-trifluoroacetoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, diaryldimethoxysilane, butyldimethoxyvinylsilane , Trimethyl-3-vinylthiopropylsilane, phenyltrimethylsilane Dimethoxymethylphenylsilane, phenyltrimethoxysilane, 3-acryloxypropyldimethoxymethylsilane, 3-acryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, dimethylisopentyloxyvinylsilane, 2-aryloxyethylthiomethoxytrimethylsilane, 3-glycidoxypropyl Trimethoxysilane, 3-arylaminopropyltrimethoxysilane, hexyltrimethoxysilane, heptadecafluorodecyltrimethoxysilane, dimethylethyphenylsilane, benzoyloxytrimethylsilane, 3-methacryloxypropyldimethoxymethylsilane, 3-methacryl Loxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane, dimethylethoxy-3-glycidoxypropylsilane, dibu Toxidimethylsilane, 3-butylaminopropyltrimethylsilane, 3-dimethylaminopropyldiethoxymethylsilane, 2- (2-aminoethylthioethyl) triethoxysilane, bis (butylamino) dimethylsilane, divinylmethylphenylsilane, di Acetoxymethylphenylsilane, dimethyl-p-tolylvinylsilane, p-styryltrimethoxysilane, diethylmethylphenylsilane, benzyldimethylethoxysilane, diethoxymethylphenylsilane, decylmethyldimethoxysilane, diethoxy-3-glycidoxypropylmethylsilane , Octyloxytrimethylsilane, phenyltrivinylsilane, tetraaryloxysilane, dodecyltrimethylsilane, diarylmethylphenylsilane, diphenylmethyl Nylsilane, diphenylethoxymethylsilane, diacetoxydiphenylsilane, dibenzyldimethylsilane, diaryldiphenylsilane, octadecyltrimethylsilane, methyloctadecyldimethylsilane, docosylmethyldimethylsilane, 1,3-divinyl-1,1,3,3- Tetramethyldisiloxane, 1,3-divinyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisilazane, 1,4-bis (dimethylvinylsilyl) benzene, 1,3-bis (3-acetoxypropyl) tetramethyldi Siloxane, 1,3,5-trimethyl-1,3,5-trivinylcyclotrisiloxane, 1,3,5-tris (3,3,3-trifluoropropyl) -1,3,5-trimethylcyclotri Siloxane, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, 1, 3, 5 7-tetraethoxy-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl cyclotetrasiloxane, may be mentioned decamethylcyclopentasiloxane like.

  As the silsesquioxanes such, Mayaterials made Q8 series of Octakis (tetramethylammonium) pentacyclo-octasiloxane-octakis (yloxide) hydrate; Octa (tetramethylammonium) silsesquioxane, Octakis (dimethylsiloxy) octasilsesquioxane, Octa [[3 - [(3- ethyl-3-oxyethyl) methyoxy] propyl] diethylsiloxy] octasilsesquioxane; ) Dimethylsiloxy] silsesquioxane; Octakis [[3- (2,3-epoxypropoxy) propyl] dimethylsiloxy] octasilsesquioxane, Octakis [[2- (3,4-epoxycyclohexyl) ethyl] dimethylsiloxy] octasilsesquioxane, Octakis [2- (vinyl) dimethylsiloxy] silsesquioxane; Octakis (dimethylvinylsilyloxy) octasilesquioxane, Octakis [(3-hydroxypropyloyl) dimethylsiloxy] octasilsesquioxane ethacryloylpropyl) dimethylsilyloxy] silsesquioxane, Octakis [(3-methacryloxypropyl) dimethylsiloxysequixane, and hydrogenated silseses that do not contain organic groups.

  Among them, polysilazane such as perhydropolysilazane and organopolysilazane; polysiloxane such as silsesquioxane, etc. are preferable in terms of film formation, fewer defects such as cracks, and less residual organic matter, and high gas barrier performance. Polysilazane is more preferable because the barrier performance is maintained even when bent and under high temperature and high humidity conditions.

Polysilazane is a polymer having a silicon-nitrogen bond, and ceramics such as SiO ₂ , Si ₃ N ₄ , and both intermediate solid solutions SiO _x N _y having bonds such as Si—N, Si—H, and N—H. It is a precursor inorganic polymer.

  Specifically, the polysilazane preferably has the following structure.

In the general formula (I), R ₁ , R ₂ and R ₃ are each independently a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, aryl group, vinyl group or (trialkoxysilyl) alkyl group. . At this time, R ₁ , R ₂ and R ₃ may be the same or different. Here, as an alkyl group, a C1-C8 linear, branched or cyclic alkyl group is mentioned. More specifically, methyl group, ethyl group, n-propyl group, isopropyl group, n-butyl group, isobutyl group, sec-butyl group, tert-butyl group, n-pentyl group, isopentyl group, neopentyl group, n -Hexyl group, n-heptyl group, n-octyl group, 2-ethylhexyl group, cyclopropyl group, cyclopentyl group, cyclohexyl group and the like. Moreover, as an aryl group, a C6-C30 aryl group is mentioned. More specifically, non-condensed hydrocarbon groups such as phenyl group, biphenyl group, terphenyl group; pentarenyl group, indenyl group, naphthyl group, azulenyl group, heptaenyl group, biphenylenyl group, fluorenyl group, acenaphthylenyl group, preadenenyl group , Condensed polycyclic hydrocarbon groups such as acenaphthenyl group, phenalenyl group, phenanthryl group, anthryl group, fluoranthenyl group, acephenanthrenyl group, aceantrirenyl group, triphenylenyl group, pyrenyl group, chrysenyl group, naphthacenyl group, etc. Can be mentioned. Examples of the (trialkoxysilyl) alkyl group include an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms having a silyl group substituted with an alkoxy group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms. More specifically, 3- (triethoxysilyl) propyl group, 3- (trimethoxysilyl) propyl group and the like can be mentioned. The substituent optionally present in R _{1 to} R ₃ is not particularly limited. For example, an alkyl group, a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group (—OH), a mercapto group (—SH), a cyano group (—CN), There are a sulfo group (—SO ₃ H), a carboxyl group (—COOH), a nitro group (—NO ₂ ), and the like. In addition, the substituent which exists depending on the case does not become the same as R < ₁ > -R < ₃ > to substitute. For example, when R _{1 to} R ₃ are alkyl groups, they are not further substituted with an alkyl group. Of these, R ₁ , R ₂ and R ₃ are preferably a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group, an isopropyl group, a butyl group, an isobutyl group, a tert-butyl group, a phenyl group, a vinyl group, 3 -(Triethoxysilyl) propyl group or 3- (trimethoxysilylpropyl) group.

  In the general formula (I), n is an integer, and the polysilazane having the structure represented by the general formula (I) is determined to have a number average molecular weight of 150 to 150,000 g / mol. preferable.

In the compound having the structure represented by the general formula (I), one of preferred embodiments is perhydropolysilazane in which all of R ₁ , R ₂ and R ₃ are hydrogen atoms.

  Alternatively, polysilazane has a structure represented by the following general formula (II).

In the general formula (II), R _{1 ′} , R _{2 ′} , R _{3 ′} , R _{4 ′} , R _{5 ′} and R _{6 ′} are each independently a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, An aryl group, a vinyl group or a (trialkoxysilyl) alkyl group. In this case, R _{1 ′} , R _{2 ′} , R _{3 ′} , R _{4 ′} , R _{5 ′} and R _{6 ′} may be the same or different. The substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, aryl group, vinyl group or (trialkoxysilyl) alkyl group in the above is the same as the definition of the general formula (I), and thus the description is omitted.

  In the general formula (II), n ′ and p are integers, and the polysilazane having the structure represented by the general formula (II) is determined to have a number average molecular weight of 150 to 150,000 g / mol. It is preferred that Note that n ′ and p may be the same or different.

Among the polysilazanes of the above general formula (II), R _{1 ′} , R _{3 ′} and R _{6 ′} each represent a hydrogen atom, and R _{2 ′} , R _{4 ′} and R _{5 ′} each represent a methyl group; R _{1 '} , R _3' and R _{6 '} each represents a hydrogen atom, R _2' , R _{4 '} each represents a methyl group, and R _5' represents a vinyl group; R _{1 '} , R _3' , R ₄ A compound in which _' and R _6' each represent a hydrogen atom and R _{2 '} and R _5' each represents a methyl group is preferred.

  Alternatively, polysilazane has a structure represented by the following general formula (III).

In the general formula (III), R _{1 ″} , R _{2 ″} , R _{3 ″} , R _{4 ″} , R _{5 ″} , R _{6 ″} , R _{7 ″} , R _{8 ″} and R _{9 ″} are each independently A hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, aryl group, vinyl group or (trialkoxysilyl) alkyl group, wherein R _{1 ″} , R _{2 ″} , R _{3 ″} , R _{4 ″} , R _{5 ″} , R _{6 ″} , R _{7 ″} , R _{8 ″} and R _{9 ″} may be the same or different. The substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, aryl group, vinyl group or (trialkoxysilyl) alkyl group in the above is the same as the definition of the general formula (I), and thus the description is omitted.

  In the general formula (III), n ″, p ″ and q are integers, and the polysilazane having the structure represented by the general formula (III) has a number average molecular weight of 150 to 150,000 g / mol. It is preferable to be determined as follows. Note that n ″, p ″, and q may be the same or different.

Of the polysilazanes of the above general formula (III), R _{1 ″} , R _{3 ″} and R _{6 ″} each represent a hydrogen atom, and R _{2 ″} , R _{4 ″} , R _{5 ″} and R _{8 ″} each represent a methyl group. , R _{9 ″} represents a (triethoxysilyl) propyl group, and R _{7 ″} represents an alkyl group or a hydrogen atom.

  On the other hand, the organopolysilazane in which a part of the hydrogen atom portion bonded to Si is substituted with an alkyl group or the like has improved adhesion to the base material as a base by having an alkyl group such as a methyl group and is hard. The ceramic film made of brittle polysilazane can be toughened, and there is an advantage that the occurrence of cracks can be suppressed even when the (average) film thickness is increased. For this reason, perhydropolysilazane and organopolysilazane may be selected as appropriate according to the application, and may be used in combination.

  Perhydropolysilazane is presumed to have a linear structure and a ring structure centered on 6- and 8-membered rings. Its molecular weight is about 600 to 2000 (polystyrene conversion) in terms of number average molecular weight (Mn), and there are liquid or solid substances, and the state varies depending on the molecular weight.

  Polysilazane is commercially available in a solution state dissolved in an organic solvent, and the commercially available product can be used as it is as a coating solution for forming a polysilazane layer. As a commercial item of polysilazane solution, AZ Electronic Materials Co., Ltd. Aquamica (registered trademark) NN120-10, NN120-20, NAX120-20, NN110, NN310, NN320, NL110A, NL120A, NL120-20, NL150A, NP110 NP140, SP140 and the like.

  Another example of the polysilazane that can be used in the present invention is not limited to the following. For example, a silicon alkoxide-added polysilazane obtained by reacting the above polysilazane with a silicon alkoxide (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-238827) or glycidol is reacted. Glycidol-added polysilazane (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-122852) obtained by reaction, alcohol-added polysilazane obtained by reacting alcohol (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-240208), metal carboxylate obtained by reacting metal carboxylate Addition polysilazane (JP-A-6-299118), acetylacetonate complex-added polysilazane (JP-A-6-306329) obtained by reacting a metal-containing acetylacetonate complex, metal obtained by adding metal fine particles Fine particle added polysila Emissions, such as (JP-A-7-196986), and a polysilazane ceramic at low temperatures.

  The content of polysilazane in the third layer according to the present invention can be 100% by weight when the total weight of the third layer is 100% by weight. When the third layer contains a material other than polysilazane, the content of polysilazane in the layer is preferably 10% by weight or more and 99% by weight or less, and 40% by weight or more and 95% by weight or less. More preferably, it is 70 to 95 weight%.

  The method for forming the third layer is not particularly limited, and a known method can be applied. However, a known wet coating is applied to a silicon compound-modified layer forming coating solution containing a silicon compound and, if necessary, a catalyst in an organic solvent. A method of applying by a method, evaporating and removing the solvent, and then performing a modification treatment is preferable.

(Coating liquid for forming silicon compound modified layer)
The solvent for preparing the coating solution for forming the silicon compound modified layer is not particularly limited as long as it can dissolve the silicon compound, but water and reactive groups (for example, hydroxyl group) that easily react with the silicon compound. An organic solvent that is inert to the silicon compound and more preferably an aprotic organic solvent. Specifically, the solvent includes an aprotic solvent; for example, carbon such as aliphatic hydrocarbons, alicyclic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons such as pentane, hexane, cyclohexane, toluene, xylene, solvesso, and turben. Hydrogen solvents; Halogen hydrocarbon solvents such as methylene chloride and trichloroethane; Esters such as ethyl acetate and butyl acetate; Ketones such as acetone and methyl ethyl ketone; Aliphatic ethers such as dibutyl ether, dioxane and tetrahydrofuran; Alicyclic ethers and the like Ethers: Examples include tetrahydrofuran, dibutyl ether, mono- and polyalkylene glycol dialkyl ethers (diglymes), and the like. The solvent is selected according to the purpose such as the solubility of the silicon compound and the evaporation rate of the solvent, and may be used alone or in the form of a mixture of two or more.

  The concentration of the silicon compound in the coating solution for forming a silicon compound-modified layer is not particularly limited and varies depending on the film thickness of the layer and the pot life of the coating solution, but is preferably 1 to 80% by weight, more preferably 5 to 50. % By weight, particularly preferably 10 to 40% by weight.

  The coating liquid for forming a silicon compound modified layer preferably contains a catalyst in order to promote the modification. As the catalyst applicable to the present invention, a basic catalyst is preferable, and in particular, N, N-diethylethanolamine, N, N-dimethylethanolamine, triethanolamine, triethylamine, 3-morpholinopropylamine, N, N, N ', N'-tetramethyl-1,3-diaminopropane, amine catalysts such as N, N, N', N'-tetramethyl-1,6-diaminohexane, Pt compounds such as Pt acetylacetonate, propion Examples thereof include metal catalysts such as Pd compounds such as acid Pd, Rh compounds such as Rh acetylacetonate, and N-heterocyclic compounds. Of these, it is preferable to use an amine catalyst. The concentration of the catalyst added at this time is preferably in the range of 0.1 to 10 mol%, more preferably 0.5 to 7 mol%, based on the silicon compound. By setting the addition amount of the catalyst within this range, it is possible to avoid excessive silanol formation due to rapid progress of the reaction, decrease in film density, increase in film defects, and the like.

  In the coating solution for forming a silicon compound modified layer, the following additives may be used as necessary. For example, cellulose ethers, cellulose esters; for example, ethyl cellulose, nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetobutyrate, etc., natural resins; for example, rubber, rosin resin, etc., synthetic resins; Aminoplasts, especially urea resins, melamine formaldehyde resins, alkyd resins, acrylic resins, polyesters or modified polyesters, epoxides, polyisocyanates or blocked polyisocyanates, polysiloxanes, and the like.

  Further, as described in JP-A-2005-231039, a sol-gel method can be used for forming the silicon compound modified layer. The coating liquid used when forming the modified layer by the sol-gel method preferably contains a silicon compound and at least one of a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin and an ethylene / vinyl alcohol copolymer. Furthermore, the coating solution preferably contains a sol-gel method catalyst, an acid, water, and an organic solvent. In the sol-gel method, a modified layer is obtained by polycondensation using such a coating solution.

As a silicon compound used for the sol-gel method, it is preferable to use an alkoxide represented by the general formula R ^A _O Si (OR ^B ) _p . Here, ^{R A} and ^{R B} each independently represents an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, O represents an integer of 0 or more, p is an integer of 1 or greater. Specific examples of the above alkoxysilane include, for example, tetramethoxysilane Si (OCH ₃ ) ₄ , tetraethoxysilane Si (OC ₂ H ₅ ) ₄ , tetrapropoxysilane Si (0C ₃ H ₇ ) ₄ , tetrabutoxysilane Si (OC ₄ H ₉ ) ₄ , etc. can be used. As such a silicon compound, a commercially available product may be used, or ethyl silicate 40 (manufactured by Colcoat Co., Ltd.) may be used.

  When a polyvinyl alcohol resin and an ethylene / vinyl alcohol copolymer are used in combination in the coating solution, the blending ratio of each is, in terms of weight ratio, polyvinyl alcohol resin: ethylene / vinyl alcohol. The copolymer is preferably 10: 0.05 to 10: 6. The content of the polyvinyl alcohol-based resin and / or the ethylene / vinyl alcohol copolymer in the coating solution is in the range of 5 to 500 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the total amount of the silicon compound, Preferably, it is preferably prepared at a blending ratio of about 20 to 200 parts by weight. As the polyvinyl alcohol resin, those obtained by saponifying polyvinyl acetate can be generally used. Examples of the polyvinyl alcohol resin include partially saponified polyvinyl alcohol resin in which several tens of percent of acetate groups remain, completely saponified polyvinyl alcohol in which acetate groups do not remain, or modified polyvinyl alcohol in which OH groups have been modified. Any of these resins may be used. Specific examples of the polyvinyl alcohol-based resin include Kuraray Poval manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd. and Gohsenol manufactured by Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. In the present invention, as the ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, a saponified product of a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate, that is, a product obtained by saponifying an ethylene-vinyl acetate random copolymer should be used. Can do. Specific examples include partial saponification products in which several tens mol% of acetic acid groups remain to complete saponification products in which acetic acid groups remain only a few mol% or no acetic acid groups remain. However, it is preferable to use a saponification degree that is preferably 80 mol% or more, more preferably 90 mol% or more, and still more preferably 95 mol% or more from the viewpoint of gas barrier properties. The content of repeating units derived from ethylene in the ethylene / vinyl alcohol copolymer (hereinafter also referred to as “ethylene content”) is usually 0 to 50 mol%, preferably 20 to 45 mol%. It is preferable to use one. Specific examples of the ethylene / vinyl alcohol copolymer include Kuraray Co., Ltd., Eval EP-F101 (ethylene content: 32 mol%), Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Soarnol D2908 (ethylene content: 29 mol%). ) Etc. can be used. As a sol-gel method catalyst, mainly a polycondensation catalyst, a tertiary amine that is substantially insoluble in water and soluble in an organic solvent is used. Specifically, for example, N, N-dimethylbenzylamine, tripropylamine, tributylamine, tripentylamine, and the like can be used. The acid is used as a catalyst for the sol-gel method, mainly as a catalyst for hydrolysis of alkoxides, silane coupling agents and the like. Examples of the acid include mineral acids such as sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, and nitric acid, organic acids such as acetic acid and tartaric acid, and the like. Furthermore, it is preferable that the coating solution contains water in a proportion of 0.1 to 100 mol, preferably 0.8 to 2 mol, relative to 1 mol of the total molar amount of the alkoxide.

  As an organic solvent used for the coating solution by the sol-gel method, for example, methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butanol, and the like can be used. Moreover, what is marketed as Soarnol (brand name) can be used for the ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer solubilized in the solvent, for example. Furthermore, for example, a silane coupling agent or the like can be added to the coating solution by the sol-gel method.

(Paintability improving treatment)
Next, the silicon compound-modified layer forming coating solution is applied to the lower layer (preferably the ALD layer), but before coating, the wettability improving process described in JP-A-2011-143577 and before performing the process. Heating (heat treatment) may be performed.

  Specific methods for improving paintability include light irradiation treatment in an oxidizing gas atmosphere (excimer irradiation, UV ozone oxidation, etc.), plasma irradiation treatment (vacuum oxygen plasma, atmospheric pressure oxygen plasma, etc.), etc. In addition to the dry treatment, a corona discharge treatment or the like can be applied. Alternatively, wet treatment such as washing with pure water after treating the laminate in a heated alkaline solution is also applicable. Dry processing is more preferable in that a separate step of removing unnecessary moisture is not required.

  Among dry treatments, light irradiation treatment in an oxidizing gas atmosphere is most preferable because an atmospheric process can be performed and the time can be reduced and the cost can be reduced. An oxidizing gas represents oxygen, ozone, or atomic oxygen. The oxygen concentration during the wettability improving treatment is preferably in the range of 0.05% to 21% (the actually detected oxygen concentration includes a range of ± 10%), preferably 0.1% to A range of 1% is more preferable.

As the light irradiation treatment applied to the paintability improving treatment, the light in the light irradiation treatment in an oxidizing gas atmosphere is more preferably ultraviolet light. Irradiation with ultraviolet light generates active oxygen and ozone, and the generation of reactive groups such as OH groups or COOH groups on the treated surface further proceeds. Further, ozone may be generated from oxygen by a known method such as a discharge method at a portion different from the light irradiation portion for the shortage of reactive ozone, and introduced into the ultraviolet irradiation portion. Although the wavelength of the ultraviolet ray irradiated at this time is not particularly limited, the wavelength of the ultraviolet light is preferably 100 nm to 450 nm, and more preferably vacuum ultraviolet light of about 150 nm to 300 nm is irradiated. As the light source, a low-pressure mercury lamp, a deuterium lamp, a xenon excimer lamp, a metal halide lamp, an excimer laser, or the like can be used. As the output of the lamp 400W～30kW, more preferably preferably ^{10mJ / cm 2 ~5000mJ / cm 2} , 100mJ / cm 2 ~2000mJ / cm 2 as ^{100mW / cm 2 ~100kW / cm 2} , irradiation energy as illuminance . Moreover, the illuminance at the time of ultraviolet irradiation is preferably 1 mW / cm ^{2 to} 10 W / cm ² . Among these, as the wavelength, vacuum ultraviolet light of 100 nm to 200 nm is most preferable, and the oxidation reaction can be advanced at a lower temperature and in a shorter time. As a light source, a rare gas excimer lamp such as a xenon excimer lamp is most preferably used. In addition to continuous irradiation, multiple irradiations may be performed, and so-called pulse irradiation in which multiple irradiations are performed in a short time may be used.

  The time required for the paintability improving process varies depending on the light source lamp to be selected, the illuminance, or the processing conditions, but is preferably about 0.1 to 15 minutes. Moreover, considering the damage given to the resin base material or the coating surface, the time is preferably shorter, and more preferably about 0.1 second to 5 minutes.

The corona discharge treatment is a treatment condition that is usually used, for example, a distance of 0.2 to 5 mm between the electrode tip and the substrate to be treated, and the treatment amount is 10 W · min or more per 1 m ² , preferably The range is 10 to 200 W · min, and more preferably 20 to 180 W · min.

  The plasma irradiation treatment is performed by using a single gas such as argon, helium, krypton, neon, xenon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, ozone, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, or a mixed gas thereof, for example, an oxygen concentration of 5 to 15 volumes. It can be implemented by supplying a mixed gas of oxygen and nitrogen containing% between the counter electrodes and applying a voltage to generate plasma discharge. As the plasma treatment conditions, for example, the distance between the electrodes through which the plastic substrate to be treated passes is appropriately determined according to the thickness of the substrate, the magnitude of the applied voltage, the flow rate of the mixed gas, etc. The voltage applied between the electrodes is preferably in the range of 1 to 20 mm, preferably 0.2 to 10 mm, and the electric field strength when applied is preferably 1 to 40 kV / cm. The frequency of the power source is in the range of 1 to 100 kHz, preferably 1 to 100 kHz.

  Furthermore, it is preferable to perform the heat treatment before the wettability improving process, simultaneously with the wettability improving process, or after the wettability improving process. Specifically, in the case of heating before or after the wettability improving treatment, for example, a method of heating the laminate on a hot plate or in an oven or heating with an infrared heater can be applied. In addition, when the substrate is heated during the wettability improving process, the base on which the substrate is installed is heated or the process is performed in a heated atmosphere when performing the excimer irradiation process or the UV ozone oxidation process. The method is applicable. From the viewpoint of applicability including variation and adhesion, it is more preferable to heat the laminate during the wettability improving treatment. The heating temperature is preferably 30 ° C to 150 ° C, more preferably 50 ° C to 100 ° C. When the temperature is lower than 30 ° C., the heating effect as described above cannot be obtained. When the temperature is higher than 150 ° C., there is a concern that the base material and other components are damaged. When the temperature of the heat treatment is an apparatus capable of detecting the temperature of a base or roll on which the substrate is installed, it is controlled at the set temperature, and when the apparatus cannot be detected, separately before or after the treatment, It was detected and confirmed with a thermometer such as mercury or alcohol (in the case of a solution), a surface thermometer using a thermocouple, a radiation thermometer, a fiber thermometer, or a thermo label.

(Method of applying a coating solution for forming a silicon compound modified layer)
As a method for applying the silicon compound-modified layer forming coating solution, a conventionally known appropriate wet coating method may be employed. Specific examples include a spin coating method, a roll coating method, a flow coating method, an ink jet method, a spray coating method, a printing method, a dip coating method, a casting film forming method, a bar coating method, and a gravure printing method.

  The coating thickness can be appropriately set according to the purpose. For example, the coating thickness is preferably about 10 nm to 10 μm after drying, more preferably 15 nm to 1 μm, and even more preferably 20 to 500 nm. If the film thickness is 10 nm or more, sufficient barrier properties can be obtained, and if it is 10 μm or less, stable coating properties can be obtained during layer formation, and high light transmittance can be realized.

  After applying the coating solution, it is preferable to dry the coating film. By drying the coating film, the organic solvent contained in the coating film can be removed. At this time, all of the organic solvent contained in the coating film may be dried or may be partially left. Even when a part of the organic solvent is left, a suitable gas barrier layer can be obtained. The remaining solvent can be removed later.

  Although the drying temperature of a coating film changes also with the base material to apply, it is preferable that it is 50-200 degreeC. For example, when a polyethylene terephthalate substrate having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 70 ° C. is used as the substrate, the drying temperature is preferably set to 150 ° C. or less in consideration of deformation of the substrate due to heat. The temperature can be set by using a hot plate, oven, furnace or the like. The drying time is preferably set to a short time. For example, when the drying temperature is 150 ° C., the drying time is preferably set within 30 minutes. The drying atmosphere may be any condition such as an air atmosphere, a nitrogen atmosphere, an argon atmosphere, a vacuum atmosphere, or a reduced pressure atmosphere with a controlled oxygen concentration.

  A coating film obtained by applying a coating solution for forming a silicon compound modified layer (hereinafter simply referred to as a silicon compound coating film) includes a step of removing moisture before or during the modification treatment. Also good. As a method for removing moisture, a form of dehumidification while maintaining a low humidity environment is preferable. Since humidity in a low-humidity environment varies depending on temperature, a preferable form is shown for the relationship between temperature and humidity by defining the dew point temperature. A preferable dew point temperature is 4 ° C. or lower (temperature 25 ° C./humidity 25%), a more preferable dew point temperature is −5 ° C. (temperature 25 ° C./humidity 10%) or lower, and the maintained time is the film of the third layer. It is preferable to set appropriately depending on the thickness. Under the condition that the film thickness of the third layer is 1.0 μm or less, it is preferable that the dew point temperature is −5 ° C. or less and the time for which it is maintained is 1 minute or more. The lower limit of the dew point temperature is not particularly limited, but is usually −50 ° C. or higher and preferably −40 ° C. or higher. This is a preferred form from the viewpoint of promoting the dehydration reaction of the third layer converted to silanol by removing water before or during the modification treatment.

(Third layer modification treatment)
The modification treatment in the present invention refers to a conversion reaction of a silicon compound into silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride. Specifically, the gas barrier film of the present invention as a whole has a gas barrier property (water vapor permeability is 1 × 10 ^{− 3} g / (m ² · 24 h) or less) is a treatment for forming an inorganic thin film at a level that can contribute to the development. Therefore, the third layer is also a gas barrier layer having gas barrier properties.

  As the conversion reaction of the silicon compound into silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride, a known method based on the conversion reaction of the third layer can be selected. Specific examples of the modification treatment include plasma treatment, ultraviolet irradiation treatment, and heat treatment. However, in the case of modification by heat treatment, the formation of a silicon oxide film or a silicon oxynitride layer by a substitution reaction of a silicon compound requires a high temperature of 450 ° C. or higher, so that it is difficult to adapt to a flexible substrate such as plastic. For this reason, it is preferable to perform the heat treatment in combination with other reforming treatments.

  Therefore, in producing the gas barrier film of the present invention, from the viewpoint of adapting to a plastic substrate, a conversion reaction by a plasma treatment or an ultraviolet irradiation treatment capable of a conversion reaction at a lower temperature is preferable.

(Plasma treatment)
In the present invention, a known method can be used for the plasma treatment that can be used as the reforming treatment, and an atmospheric pressure plasma treatment or the like can be preferably used. The atmospheric pressure plasma CVD method, which performs plasma CVD processing near atmospheric pressure, does not need to be reduced in pressure and is more productive than the plasma CVD method under vacuum. The film speed is high, and further, under a high pressure condition of atmospheric pressure as compared with the conditions of a normal CVD method, the gas mean free path is very short, so that a very homogeneous film can be obtained.

  In the case of atmospheric pressure plasma treatment, nitrogen gas or 18th group atom of the periodic table, specifically helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon or the like is used as the discharge gas. Among these, nitrogen, helium, and argon are preferably used, and nitrogen is particularly preferable because of low cost.

  Further, as the plasma treatment, low-pressure plasma treatment may be performed. The low-pressure plasma treatment is performed by introducing a gas into the apparatus after reducing the pressure to make the atmosphere substantially free of oxygen or water vapor. In the low-pressure plasma treatment, vacuum ultraviolet emission is used when atoms and molecules excited by low-pressure plasma fall to the ground state or the lower level. The wavelength of the vacuum ultraviolet light generated by the low-pressure plasma depends on the gas species that generates the plasma. The wavelength of light used in the low-pressure plasma treatment is preferably in the range of 50 to 125 nm.

  The vacuum ultraviolet light emitted by the excited atoms formed in the plasma is absorbed by another ground state atom, which has the effect of self-absorption used to excite that atom. Therefore, if the pressure is too high, the generated vacuum ultraviolet light is absorbed by the atoms and molecules of the atmospheric gas, and the deposited film may not be efficiently irradiated. Therefore, the pressure is preferably 100 Pa or less. On the other hand, if the pressure is too low, the generation of plasma may be difficult. Therefore, the lower limit of the pressure varies depending on the plasma generation method, but is preferably about 0.1 Pa or more.

  As the gas species of the low-pressure plasma, one or more rare gases selected from helium (He), neon (Ne), and argon (Ar) are mainly used. The wavelengths of the major vacuum ultraviolet light emitted by these excited rare gas atoms are 58.4 nm for helium (He), 73.6 nm and 74.4 nm for neon (Ne), and argon (Ar). In some cases it is known to be 104.8 nm and 106.7 nm.

  The frequency of the power source necessary for generating the low-pressure plasma is preferably 1 MHz to 100 GHz. Within this range, energy can be efficiently given to electrons that directly contribute to the plasma generation reaction, and the electron density, that is, the plasma density increases. Along with this, the intensity of the vacuum ultraviolet light generated by the plasma also increases. In addition, energy transmission efficiency is improved. The frequency of the power source is more preferably 4 MHz to 10 GHz.

  As a method for generating plasma that emits light having a wavelength of 150 nm or less, a conventionally known method can be used. Preferably, a method that can deal with the processing of a deposited film formed on a wide substrate is good. For example, capacitively coupled plasma (CCP), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), surface wave plasma, electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma, helicon Wave plasma etc. are mentioned.

  The input power density normalized by the area occupied by the plasma source reflecting the plasma magnitude is defined as an index of the magnitude of the input power to the plasma facing the deposited film. This is a parameter that correlates with the irradiation intensity of vacuum ultraviolet light applied to the deposited film per unit area. In particular, in the case of electroded plasma such as capacitively coupled plasma, the area of the electrode on the side where the high frequency is applied substantially defines the size of the plasma, and this is the area occupied by the plasma source.

The input power density is preferably 0.1 to 20 W / cm ² , more preferably 0.3 to 10 W / cm ² . If it is this range, irradiation with sufficient intensity | strength can be performed and the thermal deformation by the temperature rise of a base material, the nonuniformity of a plasma, damage to the members which comprise plasma sources, such as an electrode, etc. can be prevented.

(Heat treatment)
The modification treatment can be efficiently performed by heat-treating the coating film containing the silicon compound in combination with another modification treatment, preferably an excimer irradiation treatment described later.

  In the case of forming a layer using a sol-gel method, it is preferable to use a heat treatment. As heating conditions, condensation is performed by heating and drying at a temperature of 50 to 300 ° C., preferably 70 to 200 ° C., for 0.005 to 60 minutes, preferably 0.01 to 10 minutes. A layer can be formed.

  As the heat treatment, for example, a method of heating a coating film by contacting a substrate with a heating element such as a heat block, a method of heating an atmosphere by an external heater such as a resistance wire, an infrared region such as an IR heater, etc. A method using light can be raised, but is not particularly limited. Moreover, you may select suitably the method which can maintain the smoothness of the coating film containing a silicon compound.

  The temperature of the coating film during the heat treatment is preferably adjusted appropriately in the range of 50 to 250 ° C, more preferably in the range of 50 to 120 ° C.

  The heating time is preferably in the range of 1 second to 10 hours, more preferably in the range of 10 seconds to 1 hour.

In the present invention, the layer (third layer) formed preferably from a coating film containing a silicon compound itself has a gas barrier property (preferably, the water vapor transmission rate is 1 × 10 ⁻³ g / (m ² · 24 h). ) The following excimer light treatment is particularly preferable as a modification means for obtaining such a third layer.

(UV irradiation treatment)
As one of the modification treatment methods, treatment by ultraviolet irradiation is also preferable. Ozone and active oxygen atoms generated by ultraviolet rays (synonymous with ultraviolet light) have high oxidation ability, and can form silicon oxide films or silicon oxynitride films with high density and insulation properties at low temperatures. It is.

By this ultraviolet irradiation, the base material is heated, and O ₂ and H ₂ O contributing to ceramicization (silica conversion), an ultraviolet absorber, and polysilazane itself are excited and activated. The conversion to ceramics is promoted, and the resulting ceramic film becomes denser. Irradiation with ultraviolet rays is effective at any time after the formation of the coating film.

  In the ultraviolet irradiation treatment, any commonly used ultraviolet ray generator can be used.

  The ultraviolet ray referred to in the present invention generally refers to an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength of 10 to 400 nm, but in the case of an ultraviolet irradiation treatment other than the vacuum ultraviolet ray (10 to 200 nm) treatment described later, it is preferably 210 to 375 nm. Use ultraviolet light.

  It is preferable that the irradiation intensity and the irradiation time are set within the range where the substrate carrying the third layer to be irradiated is not damaged.

For example, when a plastic film is used as the substrate, for example, a 2 kW (80 W / cm × 25 cm) lamp is used, and the strength of the substrate surface is 20 to 300 mW / cm ² , preferably 50 to 200 mW / cm. The distance between the substrate and the ultraviolet irradiation lamp is set so as to be ^2, and irradiation can be performed for 0.1 second to 10 minutes.

  In general, when the substrate temperature during ultraviolet irradiation treatment is 150 ° C. or more, in the case of a plastic film or the like, the properties of the substrate are impaired, such as deformation of the substrate or deterioration of its strength. Become. However, in the case of a film having high heat resistance such as polyimide or a substrate such as metal, a modification treatment at a higher temperature is possible. Accordingly, there is no general upper limit for the substrate temperature at the time of ultraviolet irradiation, and it can be appropriately set by those skilled in the art depending on the type of substrate. Moreover, there is no restriction | limiting in particular in ultraviolet irradiation atmosphere, What is necessary is just to implement in air.

  Examples of such ultraviolet ray generating means include metal halide lamps, high-pressure mercury lamps, low-pressure mercury lamps, xenon arc lamps, carbon arc lamps, and excimer lamps (single wavelengths of 172 nm, 222 nm, and 308 nm, for example, USHIO INC. )), UV light laser, and the like. In addition, when irradiating the generated ultraviolet rays to the third layer, from the viewpoint of achieving efficiency improvement and uniform irradiation, the ultraviolet rays from the generation source are reflected by the reflector and then applied to the third layer. Is desirable.

  The ultraviolet irradiation can be adapted to both batch processing and continuous processing, and can be appropriately selected depending on the shape of the substrate to be used. For example, in the case of batch processing, a laminated body having the third layer on the surface can be processed in an ultraviolet baking furnace equipped with the above-described ultraviolet ray generation source. The ultraviolet baking furnace itself is generally known, and for example, an ultraviolet baking furnace manufactured by Eye Graphics Co., Ltd. can be used. Moreover, when the laminated body which has a 3rd layer on the surface is a elongate film form, by irradiating an ultraviolet-ray continuously in the drying zone equipped with the above ultraviolet-ray generation sources, conveying this. It can be made into ceramics. The time required for ultraviolet irradiation is generally 0.1 seconds to 10 minutes, preferably 0.5 seconds to 3 minutes, although it depends on the base material used and the composition and concentration of the third layer.

(Vacuum ultraviolet irradiation treatment: excimer irradiation treatment)
In the present invention, the most preferable modification treatment method is treatment by vacuum ultraviolet irradiation (excimer irradiation treatment). The treatment by vacuum ultraviolet irradiation uses light energy of 100 to 200 nm, preferably light energy with a wavelength of 100 to 180 nm, which is larger than the interatomic bonding force in the polysilazane compound, and bonds the atoms with only photons called photon processes. This is a method of forming a silicon oxide film at a relatively low temperature (about 200 ° C. or lower) by causing an oxidation reaction with active oxygen or ozone to proceed while cutting directly by action. In addition, when performing an excimer irradiation process, it is preferable to use heat processing together as mentioned above, and the detail of the heat processing conditions in that case is as having mentioned above.

  The radiation source in the present invention may be any radiation source that emits light having a wavelength of 100 to 180 nm, but is preferably an excimer radiator having a maximum emission at about 172 nm (for example, Xe excimer lamp), and has an emission line at about 185 nm. Low pressure mercury vapor lamps, and medium and high pressure mercury vapor lamps having a wavelength component of 230 nm or less, and excimer lamps having maximum emission at about 222 nm.

  Among these, the Xe excimer lamp emits ultraviolet light having a short wavelength of 172 nm at a single wavelength, and thus has excellent luminous efficiency. Since this light has a large oxygen absorption coefficient, it can generate radical oxygen atom species and ozone at a high concentration with a very small amount of oxygen.

  Moreover, it is known that the energy of light having a short wavelength of 172 nm has a high ability to dissociate organic bonds. Due to the high energy of the active oxygen, ozone and ultraviolet radiation, the polysilazane layer can be modified in a short time.

  Since the excimer lamp has high light generation efficiency, it can be turned on with low power. In addition, light having a long wavelength that causes a temperature increase due to light is not emitted, and energy is irradiated in the ultraviolet region, that is, in a short wavelength, so that the increase in the surface temperature of the target object is suppressed. For this reason, it is suitable for flexible film materials such as PET that are easily affected by heat.

  Oxygen is required for the reaction at the time of ultraviolet irradiation, but since vacuum ultraviolet rays are absorbed by oxygen, the efficiency in the ultraviolet irradiation process tends to decrease. It is preferable to carry out in a state where the water vapor concentration is low. That is, the oxygen concentration at the time of vacuum ultraviolet irradiation is preferably 10 to 210,000 volume ppm, more preferably 50 to 10,000 volume ppm. Also, the water vapor concentration during the conversion process is preferably in the range of 1000 to 4000 ppm by volume.

  As a gas that satisfies the irradiation atmosphere used at the time of irradiation with vacuum ultraviolet rays, a dry inert gas is preferable, and a dry nitrogen gas is particularly preferable from the viewpoint of cost. The oxygen concentration can be adjusted by measuring the flow rate of oxygen gas and inert gas introduced into the irradiation chamber and changing the flow rate ratio.

In vacuum ultraviolet irradiation step, the illuminance of the vacuum ultraviolet rays in the coated surface of the coating film is subjected is preferably from 30~200mW / cm ^2, more preferably 50~160mW / cm ^2. If it is less than 30 mW / cm ^2, there is a concern that the reforming efficiency is greatly reduced, and if it exceeds 200 mW / cm ² , there is a concern that the coating film may be ablated or the substrate may be damaged.

Irradiation energy amount of the VUV in the coated surface is preferably 200~5000mJ / cm ^2, more preferably 500~3000mJ / cm ^2. Is less than 200 mJ / cm ^2, there is a fear that the reforming becomes insufficient, 5000 mJ / cm ² than the cracking or due to excessive modification concerns the thermal deformation of the substrate emerges.

Further, the vacuum ultraviolet light used for reforming, CO, may be generated by plasma formed in a gas containing at least one of CO ₂ and CH _4. Further, as the gas containing at least one of CO, CO ₂ and CH ₄ (hereinafter also referred to as carbon-containing gas), the carbon-containing gas may be used alone, but carbon containing rare gas or H ₂ as the main gas. It is preferable to add a small amount of the contained gas. Examples of plasma generation methods include capacitively coupled plasma.

  Next, the reaction mechanism presumed to generate silicon oxynitride and further silicon oxide from perhydropolysilazane in the vacuum ultraviolet irradiation process when the silicon compound which is a preferred form is perhydropolysilazane will be described below. .

(I) Dehydrogenation and accompanying Si—N bond formation Si—H bonds and N—H bonds in perhydropolysilazane are relatively easily cleaved by excitation by vacuum ultraviolet irradiation, etc., and in an inert atmosphere, Si— It is considered that they are recombined as N (a dangling bond of Si may be formed). That is, the cured as SiN _y composition without oxidizing. In this case, the polymer main chain is not broken. The breaking of Si—H bonds and N—H bonds is promoted by the presence of a catalyst and heating. The cut H is released out of the membrane as H ₂ .

(II) Formation of Si—O—Si Bonds by Hydrolysis / Dehydration Condensation Si—N bonds in perhydropolysilazane are hydrolyzed by water, and the polymer main chain is cleaved to form Si—OH. Two Si—OHs are dehydrated and condensed to form Si—O—Si bonds and harden. This is a reaction that occurs in the air, but during vacuum ultraviolet irradiation in an inert atmosphere, water vapor generated as outgas from the base material by the heat of irradiation is considered to be the main moisture source. When the water is excessive, Si—OH that cannot be dehydrated and condensed remains, and a cured film having a low gas barrier property represented by a composition of SiO _2.1 to SiO _2.3 is obtained.

(III) Direct oxidation by singlet oxygen, formation of Si—O—Si bond When a suitable amount of oxygen is present in the atmosphere during irradiation with vacuum ultraviolet rays, singlet oxygen having a very strong oxidizing power is formed. H or N in the perhydropolysilazane is replaced with O to form a Si—O—Si bond and harden. It is thought that recombination of the bond may occur due to cleavage of the polymer main chain.

(IV) Oxidation with Si-N bond cleavage by vacuum ultraviolet irradiation / excitation Since the energy of vacuum ultraviolet light is higher than the bond energy of Si-N in perhydropolysilazane, the Si-N bond is cleaved, and oxygen, It is considered that when an oxygen source such as ozone or water is present, it is oxidized to form a Si—O—Si bond or a Si—O—N bond. It is thought that recombination of the bond may occur due to cleavage of the polymer main chain.

  The composition of the silicon oxynitride of the layer that has been subjected to vacuum ultraviolet ray irradiation on the polysilazane-containing layer can be adjusted by appropriately combining the oxidation mechanisms (I) to (IV) described above to control the oxidation state. .

  Here, in the case of polysilazane suitable as a silicon compound, in silica conversion (modification treatment), cleavage of Si—H and N—H bonds and generation of Si—O bonds occur, which are converted into ceramics such as silica. The degree of conversion can be evaluated semi-quantitatively by the SiO / SiN ratio by IR measurement and by the equation (1) defined below.

Here, the SiO absorbance is calculated by absorption (absorbance) at about 1160 cm ⁻¹ and the SiN absorbance at about 840 cm ⁻¹ . It shows that conversion to the ceramic close | similar to a silica composition is progressing, so that SiO / SiN ratio is large.

Here, the SiO / SiN ratio, which is an index of the degree of conversion to ceramics, is 0.3 or more, preferably 0.5 or more. If it is less than 0.3, the expected gas barrier property may not be obtained. Moreover, as a measuring method of silica conversion rate ( _x in SiOx), it can measure using XPS method, for example.

  The film composition of the third layer can be measured by measuring the atomic composition ratio using an XPS surface analyzer. It can also be measured by cutting the barrier layer and measuring the cut surface with an XPS surface analyzer.

Further, the film density of the third layer can be appropriately set according to the purpose. For example, the film density of the third layer is preferably in the range of 1.5 to 2.6 g / cm ³ . If it is out of this range, the density of the film is lowered, and the barrier property may be deteriorated or the film may be oxidized and deteriorated due to humidity.

  The thickness of the third layer can be appropriately set according to the purpose. For example, the thickness of the third layer is preferably about 10 nm to 10 μm, more preferably 15 nm to 1 μm, and still more preferably 20 to 500 nm. If the film thickness is 10 nm or more, sufficient barrier properties can be obtained, and if it is 10 μm or less, stable coating properties can be obtained during layer formation, and high light transmittance can be realized.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the film thickness of the third layer is three times or more the film thickness of the second layer. Under high temperature and high humidity conditions, the substrate or the first layer expands. Then, a stress acts on the second layer, which may affect the layer. However, since the third layer exists in the present invention, the stress acting on the second layer is relieved. And since it is the range of the said film thickness, since the effect of the said stress relaxation on high temperature, high humidity conditions improves further, gas barrier property is maintained. The film thickness of the third layer is preferably 3 to 15 times that of the second layer, and more preferably 3 to 5 times.

  The refractive index of the third layer is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1.7 to 2.1, more preferably 1.8 to 2, and 1.9 to 2.0. Particularly preferred. A barrier layer having such a refractive index has a high visible light transmittance, and a high gas barrier ability can be stably obtained.

〔Base material〕
The gas barrier film of the present invention usually uses a plastic film as a substrate. The plastic film to be used is not particularly limited in material, thickness and the like as long as it can hold the barrier laminate, and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose of use and the like. Specific examples of the plastic film include polyester resin, methacrylic resin, methacrylic acid-maleic acid copolymer, polystyrene resin, transparent fluororesin, polyimide, fluorinated polyimide resin, polyamide resin, polyamideimide resin, and polyetherimide. Resin, Cellulose acylate resin, Polyurethane resin, Polyether ether ketone resin, Polycarbonate resin, Alicyclic polyolefin resin, Polyarylate resin, Polyether sulfone resin, Polysulfone resin, Cycloolefin copolymer, Fluorene ring modified polycarbonate resin, Alicyclic Examples thereof include thermoplastic resins such as modified polycarbonate resins, fluorene ring-modified polyester resins, and acryloyl compounds.

  When the gas barrier film of the present invention is used as a substrate for a device such as an organic EL element, the base material is preferably made of a material having heat resistance. Specifically, a fat base material having a linear expansion coefficient of 15 ppm / K or more and 100 ppm / K or less and a Tg of 100 ° C. or more and 300 ° C. or less is used. The base material satisfies the requirements for use as a laminated film for electronic parts and displays. That is, when the gas barrier film of the present invention is used for these applications, the gas barrier film may be exposed to a process at 150 ° C. or higher. In this case, when the coefficient of linear expansion of the base material in the gas barrier film exceeds 100 ppm / K, the substrate dimensions are not stable when the gas barrier film is passed through the temperature process as described above, and thermal expansion and contraction occur. Inconvenience that the shut-off performance is deteriorated or a problem that the thermal process cannot withstand is likely to occur. If it is less than 15 ppm / K, the film may break like glass and the flexibility may deteriorate.

  The Tg and the linear expansion coefficient of the substrate can be adjusted with an additive or the like. More preferable specific examples of the thermoplastic resin that can be used as the substrate include, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET: 70 ° C.), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN: 120 ° C.), polycarbonate (PC: 140 ° C.), and alicyclic. Polyolefin (for example, ZEONOR (registered trademark) 1600: 160 ° C, manufactured by Nippon Zeon Co., Ltd.), polyarylate (PAr: 210 ° C), polyethersulfone (PES: 220 ° C), polysulfone (PSF: 190 ° C), cycloolefin copolymer (COC: Compound described in JP-A No. 2001-150584: 162 ° C.), polyimide (for example, Neoprim (registered trademark): 260 ° C. manufactured by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Ltd.), fluorene ring-modified polycarbonate (BCF-PC: JP In 2000-227603 Listed compound: 225 ° C.), alicyclic modified polycarbonate (IP-PC: compound described in JP 2000-227603 A: 205 ° C.), acryloyl compound (compound described in JP 2002-80616 A: 300 ° C.) And the like) (Tg is shown in parentheses). In particular, when transparency is required, it is preferable to use an alicyclic polyolefin or the like.

  When the gas barrier film of the present invention is used in combination with a polarizing plate, it is preferable that the gas barrier film is disposed so that the barrier laminate of the gas barrier film faces the inside of the cell and is located on the innermost side (adjacent to the element). At this time, since the gas barrier film is disposed inside the cell from the polarizing plate, the retardation value of the gas barrier film is important. The usage form of the gas barrier film in such an embodiment includes a gas barrier film using a base film having a retardation value of 10 nm or less and a circularly polarizing plate (¼ wavelength plate + (½ wavelength plate) + straight line. The polarizing plate is preferably used in combination with a linear polarizing plate in combination with a gas barrier film using a base film having a retardation value of 100 nm to 180 nm, which can be used as a quarter wavelength plate. .

  Examples of the substrate film having a retardation of 10 nm or less include, for example, cellulose triacetate (Fuji Film Co., Ltd .: Fujitac (registered trademark)), polycarbonate (Teijin Chemicals Co., Ltd .: Pure Ace (registered trademark), Kaneka Corporation): Elmec (registered trademark)), cycloolefin polymer (manufactured by JSR Corporation: Arton (registered trademark), Nippon Zeon Corporation: ZEONOR (registered trademark)), cycloolefin copolymer (manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, Inc .: APPEL (registered trademark)) (Pellets), manufactured by Polyplastics Co., Ltd .: Topas (registered trademark) (pellets)), polyarylate (manufactured by Unitika Co., Ltd .: U100 (pellets)), transparent polyimide (manufactured by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Ltd .: Neoprim (registered trademark)) Etc.

  Moreover, as a quarter wavelength plate, the film adjusted to the desired retardation value by extending | stretching said film suitably can be used.

  Since the gas barrier film of the present invention is used as a device such as an organic EL element, the plastic film is preferably transparent. That is, the light transmittance is usually 80% or more, preferably 85% or more, and more preferably 90% or more. The light transmittance is calculated by measuring the total light transmittance and the amount of scattered light using the method described in JIS K7105: 1981, that is, using an integrating sphere light transmittance measuring device, and subtracting the diffuse transmittance from the total light transmittance. can do.

  However, even when the gas barrier film of the present invention is used for display applications, transparency is not necessarily required when it is not installed on the observation side. Therefore, in such a case, an opaque material can be used as the plastic film. Examples of the opaque material include polyimide, polyacrylonitrile, and known liquid crystal polymers.

  The thickness of the plastic film used for the gas barrier film of the present invention is not particularly limited because it is appropriately selected depending on the application, but is typically 1 to 800 μm, preferably 10 to 200 μm. These plastic films may have functional layers such as a transparent conductive layer and a smooth layer. As for the functional layer, in addition to those described above, those described in paragraph numbers 0036 to 0038 of JP-A-2006-289627 can be preferably employed.

  The substrate preferably has a high surface smoothness. As the surface smoothness, those having an average surface roughness (Ra) of 2 nm or less are preferable. Although there is no particular lower limit, it is practically 0.01 nm or more. If necessary, both surfaces of the substrate, at least the side on which the barrier layer is provided, may be polished to improve smoothness.

  In addition, the base material using the above-described resins or the like may be an unstretched film or a stretched film.

  The base material used in the present invention can be produced by a conventionally known general method. For example, an unstretched substrate that is substantially amorphous and not oriented can be produced by melting a resin as a material with an extruder, extruding it with an annular die or a T-die, and quenching. Further, the unstretched base material is subjected to a known method such as uniaxial stretching, tenter-type sequential biaxial stretching, tenter-type simultaneous biaxial stretching, tubular simultaneous biaxial stretching, etc. A stretched substrate can be produced by stretching in the direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the substrate (horizontal axis). The draw ratio in this case can be appropriately selected according to the resin as the raw material of the substrate, but is preferably 2 to 10 times in the vertical axis direction and the horizontal axis direction.

  Various known treatments for improving adhesion, corona discharge treatment, flame treatment, oxidation treatment, plasma treatment, or both sides of the substrate, at least on the side where the barrier layer (curable resin layer) according to the present invention is provided, or The smooth layers can be laminated and combined as necessary.

[Middle layer]
An intermediate layer may be separately provided on the substrate, the first layer, the second layer, and the third interlayer or the surface as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired.

(Curable resin layer)
The gas barrier film according to the present invention preferably has a curable resin layer formed by curing a curable resin on a substrate. The curable resin is not particularly limited, and the active energy ray curable resin or the thermosetting material obtained by irradiating the active energy ray curable material or the like with an active energy ray such as an ultraviolet ray to be cured is heated. And thermosetting resins obtained by curing. These curable resins may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

  Such a curable resin layer is at least one of (1) smoothing the surface of the substrate, (2) relieving the stress of the upper layer to be laminated, and (3) improving the adhesion between the substrate and the upper layer. Has one function. For this reason, the curable resin layer may also be used as a smooth layer and an anchor coat layer (easy adhesion layer) described later.

  Examples of the active energy ray-curable material include a composition containing an acrylate compound, a composition containing an acrylate compound and a mercapto compound containing a thiol group, epoxy acrylate, urethane acrylate, polyester acrylate, polyether acrylate, polyethylene Examples thereof include compositions containing polyfunctional acrylate monomers such as glycol acrylate and glycerol methacrylate. Specifically, it is possible to use a UV curable organic / inorganic hybrid hard coating material OPSTAR (registered trademark) series (compound obtained by bonding an organic compound having a polymerizable unsaturated group to silica fine particles) manufactured by JSR Corporation. it can. It is also possible to use any mixture of the above-mentioned compositions, and an active energy ray-curable material containing a reactive monomer having at least one photopolymerizable unsaturated bond in the molecule. If there is no restriction in particular.

  Examples of reactive monomers having at least one photopolymerizable unsaturated bond in the molecule include methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, n-propyl acrylate, isopropyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, isobutyl acrylate, tert-butyl acrylate, and n-pentyl. Acrylate, n-hexyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, n-octyl acrylate, n-decyl acrylate, hydroxyethyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, allyl acrylate, benzyl acrylate, butoxyethyl acrylate, butoxyethylene glycol acrylate, cyclohexyl acrylate, dicyclo Pentanyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, glycerol acrylate, glycy Acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl acrylate, isobornyl acrylate, isodexyl acrylate, isooctyl acrylate, lauryl acrylate, 2-methoxyethyl acrylate, methoxyethylene glycol acrylate, phenoxyethyl acrylate, stearyl acrylate, Ethylene glycol diacrylate, diethylene glycol diacrylate, 1,4-butanediol diacrylate, 1,5-pentanediol diacrylate, 1,6-hexadiol diacrylate, 1,3-propanediol acrylate, 1,4-cyclohexanediol Diacrylate, 2,2-dimethylolpropane diacrylate, glycerol diacrylate, tripropylene Glycol diacrylate, glycerol triacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, polyoxyethyltrimethylolpropane triacrylate, pentaerythritol triacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, ethylene oxide modified pentaerythritol triacrylate, ethylene oxide modified pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, propion Oxide modified pentaerythritol triacrylate, propion oxide modified pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, triethylene glycol diacrylate, polyoxypropyltrimethylolpropane triacrylate, butylene glycol diacrylate, 1,2,4-butanediol triacrylate, 2,2, 4-to Limethyl-1,3-pentadiol diacrylate, diallyl fumarate, 1,10-decanediol dimethyl acrylate, pentaerythritol hexaacrylate, and acrylate replaced with methacrylate, γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, Examples thereof include 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone and the like. Said reactive monomer can be used as a 1 type, 2 or more types of mixture, or a mixture with another compound.

  It is preferable that the composition containing an active energy ray-curable material contains a photopolymerization initiator.

  Examples of the photopolymerization initiator include benzophenone, methyl o-benzoylbenzoate, 4,4-bis (dimethylamine) benzophenone, 4,4-bis (diethylamine) benzophenone, α-amino acetophenone, 4,4-dichloro. Benzophenone, 4-benzoyl-4-methyldiphenyl ketone, dibenzyl ketone, fluorenone, 2,2-diethoxyacetophenone, 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone, 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropiophenone, p- tert-butyldichloroacetophenone, thioxanthone, 2-methylthioxanthone, 2-chlorothioxanthone, 2-isopropylthioxanthone, diethylthioxanthone, benzyldimethyl ketal, benzylmethoxyethyl acetal, benzoy Methyl ether, benzoin butyl ether, anthraquinone, 2-tert-butylanthraquinone, 2-amylanthraquinone, β-chloroanthraquinone, anthrone, benzanthrone, dibenzsuberone, methyleneanthrone, 4-azidobenzylacetophenone, 2,6-bis (p-azide Benzylidene) cyclohexane, 2,6-bis (p-azidobenzylidene) -4-methylcyclohexanone, 2-phenyl-1,2-butadion-2- (o-methoxycarbonyl) oxime, 1-phenyl-propanedione-2- (O-ethoxycarbonyl) oxime, 1,3-diphenyl-propanetrione-2- (o-ethoxycarbonyl) oxime, 1-phenyl-3-ethoxy-propanetrione-2- (o-benzoyl) oxy , Michler's ketone, 2-methyl [4- (methylthio) phenyl] -2-monoforino-1-propane, 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1- (4-monoforinophenyl) -butanone-1, naphthalenesulfonyl chloride Quinolinesulfonyl chloride, n-phenylthioacridone, 4,4-azobisisobutyronitrile, diphenyl disulfide, benzthiazole disulfide, triphenylphosphine, camphorquinone, carbon tetrabromide, tribromophenyl sulfone, benzoin peroxide And combinations of photoreducing dyes such as eosin and methylene blue and reducing agents such as ascorbic acid and triethanolamine. These photopolymerization initiators can be used alone or in combination of two or more. .

  Specific examples of thermosetting materials include TutProm Series (Organic Polysilazane) manufactured by Clariant, SP COAT heat-resistant clear paint manufactured by Ceramic Coat, Nanohybrid Silicone manufactured by Adeka, Unicom manufactured by DIC, Inc. Dick (registered trademark) V-8000 series, EPICLON (registered trademark) EXA-4710 (ultra-high heat resistant epoxy resin), silicon resin X-12-2400 (trade name) manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., Nitto Boseki Co., Ltd. Inorganic / organic nanocomposite material SSG coating, thermosetting urethane resin consisting of acrylic polyol and isocyanate prepolymer, phenol resin, urea melamine resin, epoxy resin, unsaturated polyester resin, silicon resin, polyamidoamine-epichlorohydrin resin And the like.

  The method of forming the curable resin layer is not particularly limited, but a coating liquid containing a curable material is applied to a spin coating method, a spray method, a blade coating method, a dipping method, a gravure printing method or other wet coating method, or a vapor deposition method. After coating by the dry coating method, a coating film is formed, and then the coating is performed by irradiation with active energy rays such as visible light, infrared rays, ultraviolet rays, X rays, α rays, β rays, γ rays, electron rays and / or heating. A method of forming the film by curing is preferred. As a method of irradiating active energy rays, for example, an ultra-high pressure mercury lamp, a high-pressure mercury lamp, a low-pressure mercury lamp, a carbon arc, a metal halide lamp or the like is preferably used to irradiate ultraviolet rays in a wavelength region of 100 to 400 nm, more preferably 200 to 400 nm. Alternatively, a method of irradiating an electron beam having a wavelength region of 100 nm or less emitted from a scanning or curtain type electron beam accelerator can be used.

  Solvents used when forming a curable resin layer using a coating solution in which a curable material is dissolved or dispersed in a solvent include methanol, ethanol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and the like. Alcohols, terpenes such as α- or β-terpineol, etc., ketones such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, cyclohexanone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, diethyl ketone, 2-heptanone, 4-heptanone, toluene, xylene, tetramethyl Aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, cellosolve, methyl cellosolve, ethyl cellosolve, carbitol, methyl carbitol, ethyl carbitol, butyl carbitol, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol monoethyl Glycol ethers such as ether, dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether, dipropylene glycol monoethyl ether, triethylene glycol monomethyl ether, triethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, cellosolve acetate, ethyl cellosolve acetate, butyl cellosolve acetate, carb Acetic esters such as tall acetate, ethyl carbitol acetate, butyl carbitol acetate, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, propylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, 2-methoxyethyl acetate, cyclohexyl acetate, 2-ethoxyethyl acetate, 3-methoxybutyl acetate Diethylene glycol dialkyl ether, dip Propylene glycol dialkyl ethers, ethyl 3-ethoxypropionate, methyl benzoate, N, N- dimethylacetamide, N, may be mentioned N- dimethylformamide.

  The curable resin layer can contain additives such as a thermoplastic resin, an antioxidant, an ultraviolet absorber, and a plasticizer, if necessary, in addition to the above-described materials. In addition, an appropriate resin or additive may be used for improving the film formability and preventing the occurrence of pinholes in the film. Examples of the thermoplastic resin include cellulose derivatives such as acetylcellulose, nitrocellulose, acetylbutylcellulose, ethylcellulose and methylcellulose, vinyl acetate and copolymers thereof, vinyl chloride and copolymers thereof, vinylidene chloride and copolymers thereof and the like. Examples include resins, acetal resins such as polyvinyl formal and polyvinyl butyral, acrylic resins and copolymers thereof, acrylic resins such as methacrylic resins and copolymers thereof, polystyrene resins, polyamide resins, linear polyester resins, and polycarbonate resins.

  Although it does not restrict | limit especially as thickness of a curable resin layer, The range of 0.1-10 micrometers is preferable.

  As for the smoothness of the curable resin layer, the centerline average surface roughness (Ra) is preferably 0.3 to 2.0 nm, and more preferably 0.3 to 1.0 nm. If it is such a range, the objective of the curable resin layer of smoothing the base-material surface can be achieved. The centerline average surface roughness (Ra) can be measured by the method described in the examples.

  The elastic modulus of the curable resin layer is preferably 2.0 to 20.0 Pa. If it is such a range, the hard coat property of a film surface will improve and the objective of the curable resin layer that the stress by upper layer lamination | stacking can be relieved can be achieved. The elastic modulus can be obtained by a conventionally known elastic modulus measuring method, for example, a method of measuring under a condition in which a constant strain is applied at a constant frequency (Hz) using Vibron DDV-2 manufactured by Orientec. , Using RSA-II (manufactured by Rheometrics) as a measuring device, forming a curable resin layer on a substrate, and then obtaining a measured value obtained by changing applied strain at a constant frequency, or nano It can be measured by a nano indenter to which the indentation method is applied, for example, a nano indenter (Nano IndenterTM XP / DCM) manufactured by MTS System.

(Primer layer (smooth layer))
The gas barrier film of the present invention may have a primer layer (smooth layer) on the surface of the substrate having the barrier layer. The primer layer is provided for flattening the rough surface of the substrate on which protrusions and the like exist. Such a primer layer is basically formed by curing an active energy ray-curable material or a thermosetting material. The primer layer may basically have the same configuration as the curable resin layer as long as it has the above-described function.

  Examples of the active energy ray curable material and the thermosetting material, and the method for forming the primer layer are the same as those described in the column of the curable resin layer, and thus the description thereof is omitted here.

  Although it does not restrict | limit especially as thickness of a primer layer, The range of 0.1-10 micrometers is preferable.

  The smooth layer may be used as the following anchor coat layer.

(Anchor coat layer)
On the surface of the substrate according to the present invention, an anchor coat layer may be formed as an easy-adhesion layer for the purpose of improving adhesion (adhesion) with the barrier layer. Examples of the anchor coating agent used in this anchor coat layer include polyester resin, isocyanate resin, urethane resin, acrylic resin, ethylene vinyl alcohol resin, vinyl modified resin, epoxy resin, modified styrene resin, modified silicon resin, and alkyl titanate. One or two or more can be used in combination. A commercially available product may be used as the anchor coating agent. Specifically, a siloxane-based UV curable polymer solution (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., 3% isopropyl alcohol solution of “X-12-2400”) can be used.

Conventionally known additives can be added to these anchor coating agents. The above-mentioned anchor coating agent is coated on a substrate by a known method such as roll coating, gravure coating, knife coating, dip coating, spray coating, and the like, and is coated by drying and removing the solvent, diluent, etc. Can do. The application amount of the anchor coating agent is preferably about 0.1 to 5 g / m ² (dry state). A commercially available base material with an easy-adhesion layer may be used.

  Alternatively, the anchor coat layer can be formed by a vapor phase method such as physical vapor deposition or chemical vapor deposition. For example, as described in JP-A-2008-142941, an inorganic film mainly composed of silicon oxide can be formed for the purpose of improving adhesion and the like.

  The thickness of the anchor coat layer is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 0.5 to 10.0 μm.

(Bleed-out prevention layer)
In the gas barrier film of the present invention, a bleed-out prevention layer can be provided. The purpose of the bleed-out prevention layer is to suppress the phenomenon in which unreacted oligomers migrate from the film base material to the surface when the film having the curable resin layer / smooth layer is heated and contaminate the contact surface. And provided on the opposite surface of the substrate having the curable resin layer / smooth layer. The bleed-out prevention layer may basically have the same configuration as the curable resin layer / smooth layer as long as it has this function.

  The hard coat agent that can be included in the bleed-out prevention layer is a polyunsaturated organic compound having two or more polymerizable unsaturated groups in the molecule, or one polymerizable unsaturated in the molecule. Examples thereof include monounsaturated organic compounds having a group.

  Here, as the polyunsaturated organic compound, for example, ethylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, diethylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, glycerol di (meth) acrylate, glycerol tri (meth) acrylate, 1,4-butanediol di (Meth) acrylate, 1,6-hexanediol di (meth) acrylate, neopentyl glycol di (meth) acrylate, trimethylolpropane tri (meth) acrylate, dicyclopentanyl di (meth) acrylate, pentaerythritol tri (meta ) Acrylate, pentaerythritol tetra (meth) acrylate, dipentaerythritol hexa (meth) acrylate, dipentaerythritol monohydroxypenta (meth) acrylate, ditrimethylolpropane Tiger (meth) acrylate, diethylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, polyethylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, tripropylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, polypropylene glycol di (meth) acrylate.

  Examples of unit unsaturated organic compounds include methyl (meth) acrylate, ethyl (meth) acrylate, propyl (meth) acrylate, butyl (meth) acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl (meth) acrylate, isodecyl (meth) acrylate, and lauryl. (Meth) acrylate, stearyl (meth) acrylate, allyl (meth) acrylate, cyclohexyl (meth) acrylate, methylcyclohexyl (meth) acrylate, isobornyl (meth) acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl (meth) acrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl ( (Meth) acrylate, glycerol (meth) acrylate, glycidyl (meth) acrylate, benzyl (meth) acrylate, 2-ethoxyethyl (meth) acrylate, 2- (2-eth Ciethoxy) ethyl (meth) acrylate, butoxyethyl (meth) acrylate, 2-methoxyethyl (meth) acrylate, methoxydiethylene glycol (meth) acrylate, methoxytriethylene glycol (meth) acrylate, methoxypolyethylene glycol (meth) acrylate, 2- Examples include methoxypropyl (meth) acrylate, methoxydipropylene glycol (meth) acrylate, methoxytripropylene glycol (meth) acrylate, methoxypolypropylene glycol (meth) acrylate, polyethylene glycol (meth) acrylate, and polypropylene glycol (meth) acrylate. .

  As other additives, a matting agent may be contained. As the matting agent, inorganic particles having an average particle diameter of about 0.1 to 5 μm are preferable.

  As such inorganic particles, one or more of silica, alumina, talc, clay, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, barium sulfate, aluminum hydroxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium oxide and the like can be used in combination. .

  Here, the matting agent composed of inorganic particles is 2 parts by weight or more, preferably 4 parts by weight or more, more preferably 6 parts by weight or more and 20 parts by weight or less, preferably 100 parts by weight of the solid content of the hard coating agent. It is desirable that they are mixed in a proportion of 18 parts by weight or less, more preferably 16 parts by weight or less.

  In addition, the bleed-out prevention layer may contain a thermoplastic resin, a thermosetting resin, an ionizing radiation curable resin, a photopolymerization initiator, and the like as other components of the hard coat agent and the mat agent.

  Examples of such thermoplastic resins include cellulose derivatives such as acetylcellulose, nitrocellulose, acetylbutylcellulose, ethylcellulose, methylcellulose, vinyl acetate and copolymers thereof, vinyl chloride and copolymers thereof, vinylidene chloride and copolymers thereof. Vinyl resins such as polyvinyl formal, acetal resins such as polyvinyl formal and polyvinyl butyral, acrylic resins and copolymers thereof, acrylic resins such as methacrylic resins and copolymers thereof, polystyrene resins, polyamide resins, linear polyester resins, polycarbonates Examples thereof include resins.

  Moreover, as a thermosetting resin, the thermosetting urethane resin which consists of an acrylic polyol and an isocyanate prepolymer, a phenol resin, a urea melamine resin, an epoxy resin, an unsaturated polyester resin, a silicon resin etc. are mentioned.

  In addition, as an ionizing radiation curable resin, an ionizing radiation (ultraviolet ray or electron beam) is irradiated to an ionizing radiation curable coating material in which one or more of a photopolymerizable prepolymer or a photopolymerizable monomer is mixed. Those that cure can be used. Here, as the photopolymerizable prepolymer, an acrylic prepolymer having two or more acryloyl groups in one molecule and having a three-dimensional network structure by crosslinking and curing is particularly preferably used. As this acrylic prepolymer, urethane acrylate, polyester acrylate, epoxy acrylate, melamine acrylate and the like can be used. Further, as the photopolymerizable monomer, the polyunsaturated organic compounds described above can be used.

  Examples of the photopolymerization initiator include acetophenone, benzophenone, Michler's ketone, benzoin, benzylmethyl ketal, benzoin benzoate, hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone, 2-methyl-1- (4- (methylthio) phenyl) -2- (4-morpholinyl). ) -1-propane, α-acyloxime ester, thioxanthone and the like.

  The bleed-out prevention layer as described above is prepared as a coating solution by blending a hard coat agent and other components as necessary, and appropriately using a diluting solvent as necessary. After coating by a conventionally known coating method, it can be formed by irradiating with ionizing radiation and curing. In addition, as a method of irradiating with ionizing radiation, ultraviolet rays in a wavelength region of preferably 100 to 400 nm, more preferably 200 to 400 nm, emitted from an ultrahigh pressure mercury lamp, a high pressure mercury lamp, a low pressure mercury lamp, a carbon arc, a metal halide lamp or the like are irradiated. Alternatively, the irradiation can be performed by irradiating an electron beam having a wavelength region of 100 nm or less emitted from a scanning or curtain type electron beam accelerator.

  The thickness of the bleed-out prevention layer in the present invention is 1 to 10 μm, preferably 2 to 7 μm. By making it 1 μm or more, it becomes easy to make the heat resistance as a film sufficient, and by making it 10 μm or less, it becomes easy to adjust the balance of optical properties of the smooth film, and the curable resin layer / smooth layer is transparent. When it is provided on one surface of the polymer film, curling of the gas barrier film can be easily suppressed.

  The gas barrier film of the present invention can be further provided with functionalized layers such as another organic layer, a protective layer, a hygroscopic layer, and an antistatic layer as necessary.

[Method for producing gas barrier film]
A preferred embodiment of the method for producing a gas barrier film of the present invention is selected from the group consisting of oxides, nitrides, oxynitrides and oxycarbides containing at least one of Si, Al and Ti by chemical vapor deposition. A step of forming a first layer containing at least one kind, a step of forming a second layer containing an inorganic oxide by an atomic layer deposition method, a liquid containing a silicon compound, and a coating film obtained Forming a third layer obtained by the modification treatment. A method for producing a gas barrier film. Details of each step are as described above for each layer. In a more preferred embodiment, the first layer containing at least one selected from the group consisting of oxides, nitrides, oxynitrides and oxycarbides containing at least one of Si, Al and Ti by chemical vapor deposition. Forming a second layer containing an inorganic oxide on the first layer by atomic layer deposition, and applying a liquid containing a silicon compound on the second layer And a step of forming a third layer obtained by modifying the obtained coating film, and a method for producing a gas barrier film.

[Electronic device]
The gas barrier film of the present invention as described above has excellent gas barrier properties, transparency, and flexibility. Therefore, the gas barrier film of the present invention is a gas barrier film used for electronic devices such as packages such as electronic devices, photoelectric conversion elements (solar cell elements), organic electroluminescence (EL) elements, liquid crystal display elements, and the like. It can be used for various purposes such as an electronic device using the same.

(Electronic element body)
The electronic element main body is the main body of the electronic device, and is disposed on the gas barrier film side according to the present invention. As the electronic element body, a known electronic device body to which sealing with a gas barrier film can be applied can be used. For example, an organic EL element, a solar cell (PV), a liquid crystal display element (LCD), electronic paper, a thin film transistor, a touch panel, and the like can be given. From the viewpoint that the effects of the present invention can be obtained more efficiently, the electronic element body is preferably an organic EL element or a solar battery. There is no restriction | limiting in particular also about the structure of these electronic element main bodies, It can have a conventionally well-known structure.

  Hereinafter, an organic EL element and an organic EL panel using the same will be described as an example of a specific electronic element body.

(Organic EL device)
The organic EL element 5 sealed with the gas barrier film 10 in the organic EL panel 9 will be described.

  An example of the organic EL panel 9 which is an electronic device using the gas barrier film 10 according to the present invention as a sealing film is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the organic EL panel 9 was formed on the gas barrier film 10, the transparent electrode 4 such as ITO formed on the gas barrier film 10, and the transparent electrode 4. An organic EL element 5 and a counter film 7 disposed via an adhesive layer 6 so as to cover the organic EL element 5 are provided. It can be said that the transparent electrode 4 forms part of the organic EL element 5. The transparent electrode 4 and the organic EL element 5 are formed on the surface of the gas barrier film 10 on which the gas barrier layer is formed. The counter film 7 may be a gas barrier film according to the present invention in addition to a metal film such as an aluminum foil. When a gas barrier film is used as the counter film 7, the surface on which the gas barrier layer is formed may be attached to the organic EL element 5 with the adhesive layer 6.

(Organic EL device)
The organic EL element 5 sealed with the gas barrier film 10 in the organic EL panel 9 will be described.

  Although the preferable specific example of the layer structure of the organic EL element 5 is shown below, this invention is not limited to these.

(1) Anode / light emitting layer / cathode (2) Anode / hole transport layer / light emitting layer / cathode (3) Anode / light emitting layer / electron transport layer / cathode (4) Anode / hole transport layer / light emitting layer / electron Transport layer / cathode (5) Anode / anode buffer layer (hole injection layer) / hole transport layer / light emitting layer / electron transport layer / cathode buffer layer (electron injection layer) / cathode (anode)
As the anode (transparent electrode 4) in the organic EL element 5, an electrode material made of a metal, an alloy, an electrically conductive compound or a mixture thereof having a high work function (4 eV or more) is preferably used. Specific examples of such electrode materials include metals such as Au, and conductive transparent materials such as CuI, indium tin oxide (ITO), SnO ₂ , and ZnO. Alternatively, an amorphous material such as IDIXO (In ₂ O ₃ —ZnO) capable of forming a transparent conductive film may be used.

  For the anode, these electrode materials may be formed as a thin film by a method such as vapor deposition or sputtering, and the thin film may be formed into a desired shape pattern by photolithography, or if the pattern accuracy is not required ( The pattern may be formed through a mask having a desired shape when the electrode material is deposited or sputtered.

  When light emission is taken out from the anode, it is desirable that the transmittance be larger than 10%. The sheet resistance as the anode is preferably several hundred Ω / □ or less. Moreover, although the film thickness of an anode is based also on material, it is 10-1000 nm normally, Preferably it is chosen in the range of 10-200 nm.

(cathode)
As the cathode in the organic EL element 5, a material having a low work function (4 eV or less) metal (referred to as an electron injecting metal), an alloy, an electrically conductive compound, and a mixture thereof as an electrode material is used. Specific examples of such electrode materials include sodium, sodium-potassium alloy, magnesium, lithium, magnesium / copper mixture, magnesium / silver mixture, magnesium / aluminum mixture, magnesium / indium mixture, aluminum / aluminum oxide (Al ₂ O ₃ ) Mixtures, indium, lithium / aluminum mixtures, rare earth metals and the like. Among these, from the point of durability against electron injection and oxidation, etc., a mixture of an electron injecting metal and a second metal which is a stable metal having a larger work function than this, for example, a magnesium / silver mixture, Magnesium / aluminum mixtures, magnesium / indium mixtures, aluminum / aluminum oxide (Al ₂ O ₃ ) mixtures, lithium / aluminum mixtures, aluminum and the like are suitable as the cathode.

  The cathode can be produced by forming a thin film of these electrode materials by a method such as vapor deposition or sputtering. The sheet resistance as a cathode is preferably several hundred Ω / □ or less. The film thickness of the cathode is usually selected in the range of 10 nm to 5 μm, preferably 50 to 200 nm. In order to transmit the emitted light, if either one of the anode or the cathode of the organic EL element 5 is transparent or translucent, the light emission luminance is improved, which is convenient.

  Moreover, after manufacturing the said metal quoted by description of the cathode with the film thickness of 1-20 nm, the transparent transparent or semi-transparent cathode is produced by producing the electroconductive transparent material quoted by description of the anode on it. By applying this, an element in which both the anode and the cathode are transmissive can be manufactured.

(Injection layer: electron injection layer, hole injection layer)
The injection layer includes an electron injection layer and a hole injection layer, and an electron injection layer and a hole injection layer are provided as necessary, between the anode and the light emitting layer or the hole transport layer, and between the cathode and the light emitting layer or the electron transport. Exist between the layers.

  An injection layer is a layer provided between an electrode and an organic layer in order to reduce drive voltage and improve light emission luminance. “Organic EL element and its forefront of industrialization (issued by NTT Corporation on November 30, 1998) 2), Chapter 2, “Electrode Materials” (pages 123 to 166) in detail, and includes a hole injection layer (anode buffer layer) and an electron injection layer (cathode buffer layer).

  The details of the anode buffer layer (hole injection layer) are also described in JP-A-9-45479, JP-A-9-260062, JP-A-8-288069, and the like. Examples thereof include a phthalocyanine buffer layer typified by phthalocyanine, an oxide buffer layer typified by vanadium oxide, an amorphous carbon buffer layer, and a polymer buffer layer using a conductive polymer such as polyaniline (emeraldine) or polythiophene.

  Details of the cathode buffer layer (electron injection layer) are described in JP-A-6-325871, JP-A-9-17574, JP-A-10-74586, and the like. Specifically, strontium Metal buffer layer typified by aluminum and aluminum, alkali metal compound buffer layer typified by lithium fluoride, alkaline earth metal compound buffer layer typified by magnesium fluoride, oxide buffer layer typified by aluminum oxide, etc. Is mentioned. The buffer layer (injection layer) is desirably a very thin film, and although it depends on the material, the film thickness is preferably in the range of 0.1 nm to 5 μm.

(Light emitting layer)
The light emitting layer in the organic EL element 5 is a layer that emits light by recombination of electrons and holes injected from an electrode (cathode, anode) or an electron transport layer or a hole transport layer, and the light emitting portion is a light emitting layer. The interface between the light emitting layer and the adjacent layer may be used.

  The light emitting layer of the organic EL element 5 preferably contains the following dopant compound (light emitting dopant) and host compound (light emitting host). Thereby, the luminous efficiency can be further increased.

(Luminescent dopant)
There are two types of luminescent dopants: a fluorescent dopant that emits fluorescence and a phosphorescent dopant that emits phosphorescence.

  Representative examples of fluorescent dopants include coumarin dyes, pyran dyes, cyanine dyes, croconium dyes, squalium dyes, oxobenzanthracene dyes, fluorescein dyes, rhodamine dyes, pyrylium dyes, perylene dyes. Stilbene dyes, polythiophene dyes, rare earth complex phosphors, and the like.

  Typical examples of the phosphorescent dopant are preferably complex compounds containing metals of Group 8, Group 9, and Group 10 in the periodic table of elements, more preferably iridium compounds and osmium compounds, and most preferable among them. Is an iridium compound. The light emitting dopant may be used by mixing a plurality of kinds of compounds.

(Light emitting host)
A light-emitting host (also simply referred to as a host) means a compound having the largest mixing ratio (mass) in a light-emitting layer composed of two or more kinds of compounds. It is also simply called a dopant). For example, if the light emitting layer is composed of two types of compound A and compound B and the mixing ratio is A: B = 10: 90, compound A is a dopant compound and compound B is a host compound. Further, if the light emitting layer is composed of three types of compound A, compound B and compound C and the mixing ratio is A: B: C = 5: 10: 85, compound A and compound B are dopant compounds, and compound C is a host compound.

  The light emitting host is not particularly limited in terms of structure, but is typically a basic skeleton such as a carbazole derivative, a triarylamine derivative, an aromatic borane derivative, a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound, a thiophene derivative, a furan derivative, or an oligoarylene compound. Or a carboline derivative or a diazacarbazole derivative (herein, a diazacarbazole derivative is one in which at least one carbon atom of the hydrocarbon ring constituting the carboline ring of the carboline derivative is substituted with a nitrogen atom) And the like). Of these, carboline derivatives, diazacarbazole derivatives and the like are preferably used.

  The light emitting layer can be formed by depositing the above compound by a known thinning method such as a vacuum deposition method, a spin coating method, a casting method, an LB method, or an ink jet method. Although the film thickness as a light emitting layer does not have a restriction | limiting in particular, Usually, 5 nm-5 micrometers, Preferably it is chosen in the range of 5-200 nm. The light emitting layer may have a single layer structure in which the dopant compound and the host compound are one kind or two or more kinds, or may have a laminated structure having a plurality of layers having the same composition or different compositions.

(Hole transport layer)
The hole transport layer is made of a hole transport material having a function of transporting holes, and in a broad sense, a hole injection layer and an electron blocking layer are also included in the hole transport layer. The hole transport layer can be provided as a single layer or a plurality of layers.

  The hole transport material has any one of hole injection or transport and electron barrier properties, and may be either organic or inorganic. For example, triazole derivatives, oxadiazole derivatives, imidazole derivatives, polyarylalkane derivatives, pyrazoline derivatives and pyrazolone derivatives, phenylenediamine derivatives, arylamine derivatives, amino-substituted chalcone derivatives, oxazole derivatives, styrylanthracene derivatives, fluorenone derivatives, hydrazone derivatives, Examples thereof include stilbene derivatives, silazane derivatives, aniline copolymers, and conductive polymer oligomers, particularly thiophene oligomers. The above-mentioned materials can be used as the hole transport material, but it is preferable to use a porphyrin compound, an aromatic tertiary amine compound and a styrylamine compound, particularly an aromatic tertiary amine compound. Furthermore, a polymer material in which these materials are introduced into a polymer chain or these materials are used as a polymer main chain can also be used. In addition, inorganic compounds such as p-type-Si and p-type-SiC can also be used as the hole injection material and the hole transport material.

  The hole transport layer can be formed by thinning the hole transport material by a known method such as a vacuum deposition method, a spin coating method, a casting method, a printing method including an ink jet method, or an LB method. it can. Although there is no restriction | limiting in particular about the film thickness of a positive hole transport layer, Usually, 5 nm-about 5 micrometers, Preferably it is 5-200 nm. The hole transport layer may have a single layer structure composed of one or more of the above materials.

(Electron transport layer)
The electron transport layer is made of an electron transport material having a function of transporting electrons, and in a broad sense, an electron injection layer and a hole blocking layer are also included in the electron transport layer. The electron transport layer can be provided as a single layer or a plurality of layers.

The electron transport material only needs to have a function of transmitting electrons injected from the cathode to the light emitting layer, and the material can be selected and used from conventionally known compounds. Examples include nitro-substituted fluorene derivatives, diphenylquinone derivatives, thiopyran dioxide derivatives, carbodiimides, fluorenylidenemethane derivatives, anthraquinodimethane and anthrone derivatives, oxadiazole derivatives, and the like. Furthermore, in the above oxadiazole derivative, a thiadiazole derivative in which the oxygen atom of the oxadiazole ring is substituted with a sulfur atom, and a quinoxaline derivative having a quinoxaline ring known as an electron withdrawing group can also be used as an electron transport material. Furthermore, a polymer material in which these materials are introduced into a polymer chain or these materials are used as a polymer main chain can also be used. In addition, metal complexes of 8-quinolinol derivatives such as tris (8-quinolinol) aluminum (Alq ₃ ), tris (5,7-dichloro-8-quinolinol) aluminum, tris (5,7-dibromo-8-quinolinol) Aluminum, tris (2-methyl-8-quinolinol) aluminum, tris (5-methyl-8-quinolinol) aluminum, bis (8-quinolinol) zinc (Znq), etc., and the central metals of these metal complexes are In, Mg Metal complexes replaced with Cu, Ca, Sn, Ga, or Pb can also be used as electron transport materials. In addition, metal-free or metal phthalocyanine, or those having terminal ends substituted with an alkyl group or a sulfonic acid group can be preferably used as the electron transporting material. Similarly to the hole injection layer and the hole transport layer, an inorganic semiconductor such as n-type-Si or n-type-SiC can also be used as the electron transport material.

  The electron transport layer can be formed by thinning the electron transport material by a known method such as a vacuum deposition method, a spin coating method, a casting method, a printing method including an ink jet method, or an LB method. Although there is no restriction | limiting in particular about the film thickness of an electron carrying layer, Usually, 5 nm-about 5 micrometers, Preferably it is 5-200 nm. The electron transport layer may have a single layer structure composed of one or more of the above materials.

(Method for producing organic EL element)
A method for producing the organic EL element 5 will be described.

  Here, as an example of the organic EL element 5, a method for producing an organic EL element composed of an anode / hole injection layer / hole transport layer / light emitting layer / electron transport layer / electron injection layer / cathode will be described.

  First, a desired electrode material, for example, a thin film made of an anode material is formed on the gas barrier film 10 so as to have a film thickness of 1 μm or less, preferably 10 to 200 nm, for example, by vapor deposition, sputtering, plasma CVD, or the like. Then, an anode is produced.

Next, an organic compound thin film of a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer, which are organic EL element materials, is formed thereon. As a method for forming this organic compound thin film, there are a vapor deposition method, a wet process (spin coating method, casting method, ink jet method, printing method), etc., but a homogeneous film is easily obtained and pinholes are not easily generated. From the point of view, the vacuum deposition method, the spin coating method, the ink jet method, and the printing method are particularly preferable. Further, different film forming methods may be applied for each layer. When a vapor deposition method is employed for film formation, the vapor deposition conditions vary depending on the type of compound used, but generally a boat heating temperature of 50 to 450 ° C., a vacuum degree of 10 ⁻⁶ to 10 ⁻² Pa, and a vapor deposition rate of 0.01 to It is desirable to select appropriately within the range of 50 nm / second, substrate temperature −50 to 300 ° C., film thickness 0.1 nm to 5 μm, preferably 5 to 200 nm.

  After these layers are formed, a thin film made of a cathode material is formed thereon by a method such as vapor deposition or sputtering so as to have a film thickness of 1 μm or less, preferably 50 to 200 nm, and a cathode is provided. Thus, a desired organic EL element can be obtained.

  The organic EL element 5 is preferably manufactured from the anode and the hole injection layer to the cathode consistently by a single evacuation, but may be taken out halfway and subjected to different film forming methods. At that time, it is necessary to consider that the work is performed in a dry inert gas atmosphere. In addition, it is also possible to reverse the production order and produce the cathode, the electron injection layer, the electron transport layer, the light emitting layer, the hole transport layer, the hole injection layer, and the anode in this order.

  When a DC voltage is applied to the multicolor display device (organic EL panel 9) provided with the organic EL element 5 obtained in this manner, the voltage is about 2 to 40 V with the positive polarity of the anode and the negative polarity of the cathode. Luminescence can be observed by applying. An alternating voltage may be applied. The alternating current waveform to be applied may be arbitrary.

  The effects of the present invention will be described using the following examples and comparative examples. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited only to the following examples.

Example 1: Production of gas barrier film <Preparation of sample>
(Base material)
A 125 μm thick polyester film (manufactured by Teijin DuPont Films Ltd., extremely low heat yield PET Q83), which is a thermoplastic resin and is easily bonded on both sides, was used as a base material.

(Formation of bleed-out prevention layer)
A UV curable organic / inorganic hybrid hard coat material OPSTAR Z7535 manufactured by JSR Corporation was applied to one side of the substrate, and after applying with a die coater so that the film thickness after drying was 4 μm, drying conditions: 80 ° C., After drying for 3 minutes, curing was performed in air using a high-pressure mercury lamp, curing conditions: 1.0 J / cm ² to form a bleed-out prevention layer.

(Formation of curable resin layer (smooth layer))
Subsequently, a UV curable organic / inorganic hybrid hard coat material OPSTAR Z7501 manufactured by JSR Corporation is applied to the opposite surface of the base material, and is applied with a die coater so that the film thickness after drying is 4 μm, followed by drying conditions; After drying at 80 ° C. for 3 minutes, curing was performed in an air atmosphere using a high-pressure mercury lamp, curing conditions: 1.0 J / cm ² to form a curable resin layer. At this time, Ra on the surface of the curable resin layer was 0.8 nm.

[Preparation of gas barrier film 1]
(Formation of CVD layer)
Using a vacuum plasma CVD apparatus shown in FIG. 1, a SiOC film was formed on a film provided with a curable resin layer. The high frequency power source used at this time was a 27.12 MHz high frequency power source, and the distance between the electrodes was 20 mm. As source gases, a tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) gas flow rate of 7.5 sccm and an oxygen gas flow rate of 30 sccm were introduced into the vacuum chamber. At this time, the film substrate temperature was set to 100 ° C. at the start of film formation, and the gas pressure at the time of film formation was set to 30 Pa to form a SiOC film of 50 nm.

Subsequently, using the same apparatus as described above, a SiO ₂ film was formed on the SiOC. At this time, the high frequency power source used was a 27.12 MHz high frequency power source, and the distance between the electrodes was 20 mm. The source gas was introduced into the vacuum chamber with a silane gas flow rate of 7.5 sccm and an oxygen gas flow rate of 30 sccm. At this time, the film substrate temperature was set to 100 ° C. at the start of film formation, and the gas pressure at the time of film formation was set to 30 Pa to form a SiO ₂ film of 50 nm. At this time, Ra on the surface of the CVD layer was 7.4 nm.

(Formation of ALD layer)
Subsequently, a thin film of alumina Al ₂ O ₃ was deposited on SiO ₂ using SUNALE (registered trademark) R-200ALD manufactured by Picsun Oy. Trimethylaluminum (TMA) was used as the aluminum source, and water was used as the oxygen source.

An ALD film is installed in the reactor, the reactor is evacuated with a vacuum pump, then purged with nitrogen gas to adjust the pressure in the reactor to about 800-1100 Pa, and then the substrate temperature is 100 ° C. Adjusted. The raw material was then introduced into the reactor in a pulsed manner in the following cycle. The pulse cycle was TMA: 0.1 seconds, nitrogen purge: 4.0 seconds, water: 0.1 seconds, nitrogen purge: 4.0 seconds. At this time, the deposition rate of Al ₂ O ₃ from TMA and water was 0.1 nm / cycle. Here, a cycle of 100 cycles was performed to form a 10.0 nm Al ₂ O ₃ thin film. At this time, Ra on the surface of the ALD layer was 6.1 nm.

(Formation of polysilazane layer)
Subsequently, a polysilazane coating film was formed on the ALD layer. N, N of perhydropolysilazane 10 mass% dibutyl ether solution (Aquamica NN120-10, manufactured by AZ Electronic Materials Co., Ltd.) and amine catalyst (Aquamica LExp. NAXCAT-10DB, manufactured by AZ Electronic Materials Co., Ltd.) , N ′, N′-Tetramethyl-1,6-diaminohexane in a 10% by weight dibutyl ether solution mixed in a ratio of 99: 1, the (average) film thickness after drying with a wireless bar, It apply | coated so that it might become 150 nm, and it dried for 1 minute with the dry air of temperature 25 degreeC and dew point-5 degreeC, and obtained the application sample. The obtained coated sample was treated for 2 minutes in an atmosphere of a temperature of 85 ° C. and a humidity of 55% RH.

[Modification treatment of polysilazane coating film]
Excimer modification treatment was performed on the sample after drying the polysilazane coating film using the following apparatus and conditions to form a polysilazane modified layer. The dew point temperature during the reforming treatment was -20 ° C. The film thickness after modification was 120 nm.
・ Modification processing equipment Excimer irradiation equipment MODEL: MECL-M-1-200 manufactured by M.D.
Wavelength: 172nm
Lamp filled gas: Xe
-Modification treatment conditions Excimer light intensity: 130 mW / cm ² (172 nm)
Distance between sample and light source: 2mm
Stage heating temperature: 80 ° C
Oxygen concentration in the irradiation device: 0.3% by volume
Stage conveyance speed at the time of excimer light irradiation: 10 mm / sec Number of stage conveyance times at the time of excimer light irradiation: 3 reciprocations Thus, the gas barrier film 1 was produced.

[Preparation of gas barrier film 2]
A gas barrier film 2 was produced in the same manner as the gas barrier film 1 except that the CVD layer was formed as follows.

(Formation of CVD layer)
A CVD layer having a thickness of 100 nm was formed using the vacuum plasma CVD apparatus shown in FIG. At this time, the surface roughness Ra of the CVD layer surface was 8.6 nm. The film thickness composition of this CVD layer was as shown in FIG.

  Here, in FIG. 4, symbols A to D represent A: carbon distribution curve, B: silicon distribution curve, C: oxygen distribution curve, and D: oxygen carbon distribution curve, respectively. In the carbon distribution curve of FIG. 4, there are nine extreme values. Moreover, in the carbon distribution curve of FIG. 4, the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the atomic ratio of carbon is 10 at% or more.

[Plasma deposition conditions]
・ Supply amount of source gas (HMDSO): 50 sccm (Standard Cubic Centimeter per Minute)
・ Supply amount of oxygen gas (O ₂ ): 500 sccm
・ Degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber: 3Pa
・ Applied power from the power source for plasma generation: 0.8 kW
・ Power supply frequency for plasma generation: 80 kHz
-Film transport speed: 1.5 m / min
[Preparation of gas barrier film 3]
A gas barrier film 3 was produced in the same manner as the gas barrier film 1 except that the polysilazane film was modified as follows.

[Modification treatment of polysilazane coating film]
The produced polysilazane coating film was subjected to low-pressure plasma treatment under the following conditions.

Plasma processing equipment: Low-pressure capacitively coupled plasma processing equipment (manufactured by UTEC Co., Ltd.)
Gas: Ar + CO (CO is 1 vol%)
Pressure: 10 Pa Substrate heating temperature: Room temperature (25 ° C.)
Input power density: 1.3 W / cm ²
Frequency: 13.56MHz
Processing time: 3 seconds [Preparation of gas barrier film 4]
A gas barrier film 4 was produced in the same manner as the gas barrier film 1 except that the ALD layer was formed as follows.

(Formation of ALD layer)
A thin film of SiO ₂ was deposited using SUNALE (registered trademark) R-200ALD manufactured by Picsun Oy. Trisdimethylaminosilane (3DMASi) was used as the Si source, and ozone was used as the oxygen source.

The film is mounted in a reactor, the reactor is evacuated with a vacuum pump, then nitrogen gas is purged to adjust the pressure in the reactor to about 800-1100 Pa, and then the substrate temperature is brought to 100 ° C. It was adjusted. The raw material was then introduced into the reactor in a pulsed manner in the following cycle. The pulse cycle is 3DMASi: 0.1 seconds, nitrogen purge: 8.0 seconds, ozone: 0.1 seconds, nitrogen purge: 8.0 seconds. At this time, the deposition rate of SiO ₂ from 3DMASi and ozone was 0.0625 nm / cycle. Here, 160 cycles were performed to form a 10.0 nm SiO ₂ thin film. Ra at this time was 6.0 nm.

[Production of Gas Barrier Film 5]
A gas barrier film 5 was produced in the same manner as the gas barrier film 1 except that the ALD layer was formed as follows.

(Formation of ALD layer)
A thin film of TiO ₂ was deposited with SUNALE (registered trademark) R-200ALD manufactured by Picsun Oy. Tetrakisdimethylaminotitanium (TDMATi) was used as the Ti source, and ozone was used as the oxygen source.

The film is mounted in a reactor, the reactor is evacuated with a vacuum pump, then nitrogen gas is purged to adjust the pressure in the reactor to about 800-1100 Pa, and then the substrate temperature is brought to 100 ° C. It was adjusted. The raw material was then introduced into the reactor in a pulsed manner in the following cycle. The pulse cycle is TDMATi: 0.1 seconds, nitrogen purge: 4.0 seconds, ozone: 0.1 seconds, nitrogen purge: 4.0 seconds. At this time, the deposition rate of TiO ₂ from TDMATi and ozone was 0.06 nm / cycle. Here, 167 cycles were performed to form a 10.0 nm TiO ₂ thin film. Ra at this time was 6.0 nm.

[Preparation of gas barrier film 6]
A gas barrier film 6 was produced in the same manner as the gas barrier film 1 except that the ALD layer and the CVD layer were formed as follows.

(Formation of CVD layer)
Using a vacuum plasma CVD apparatus shown in FIG. 1, a SiOC film was formed on a film provided with a curable resin layer. The high frequency power source used at this time was a 27.12 MHz high frequency power source, and the distance between the electrodes was 20 mm. As source gases, a tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) gas flow rate of 7.5 sccm and an oxygen gas flow rate of 30 sccm were introduced into the vacuum chamber. At this time, the film substrate temperature was set to 100 ° C. at the start of film formation, and the gas pressure at the time of film formation was set to 30 Pa to form a SiOC film of 100 nm.

Subsequently, using the same apparatus as described above, a SiO ₂ film was formed on the SiOC. At this time, the high frequency power source used was a 27.12 MHz high frequency power source, and the distance between the electrodes was 20 mm. The source gas was introduced into the vacuum chamber with a silane gas flow rate of 7.5 sccm and an oxygen gas flow rate of 30 sccm. At this time, the film substrate temperature was set to 100 ° C. at the start of film formation, and the gas pressure at the time of film formation was set to 30 Pa to form a SiO ₂ film of 100 nm. At this time, Ra on the surface of the CVD layer was 9.8 nm.

(Formation of ALD layer)
Subsequently, a thin film of alumina Al ₂ O ₃ was deposited on the SiO ₂ film by SUNALE (registered trademark) R-200ALD manufactured by Picsun Oy. Trimethylaluminum (TMA) was used as the aluminum source, and water was used as the oxygen source.

An ALD film is installed in the reactor, the reactor is evacuated with a vacuum pump, then purged with nitrogen gas to adjust the pressure in the reactor to about 800-1100 Pa, and then the substrate temperature is 100 ° C. Adjusted. The raw material was then introduced into the reactor in a pulsed manner in the following cycle. The pulse cycle was TMA: 0.1 seconds, nitrogen purge: 4.0 seconds, water: 0.1 seconds, nitrogen purge: 4.0 seconds. At this time, the deposition rate of Al ₂ O ₃ from TMA and water was 0.1 nm / cycle. Here, 200 cycles were performed to form a 20.0 nm Al ₂ O ₃ thin film. At this time, Ra on the surface of the ALD layer was 7.1 nm.

[Preparation of gas barrier film 7]
A gas barrier film 7 was produced in the same manner as the gas barrier film 1 except that the ALD layer was formed as follows.

(Formation of ALD layer)
Subsequently, a thin film of alumina Al ₂ O ₃ was deposited on SiO ₂ using SUNALE (registered trademark) R-200ALD manufactured by Picsun Oy. Trimethylaluminum (TMA) was used as the aluminum source, and water was used as the oxygen source.

An ALD film is installed in the reactor, the reactor is evacuated with a vacuum pump, then purged with nitrogen gas to adjust the pressure in the reactor to about 800-1100 Pa, and then the substrate temperature is 100 ° C. Adjusted. The raw material was then introduced into the reactor in a pulsed manner in the following cycle. The pulse cycle was TMA: 0.1 seconds, nitrogen purge: 4.0 seconds, water: 0.1 seconds, nitrogen purge: 4.0 seconds. At this time, the deposition rate of Al ₂ O ₃ from TMA and water was 0.1 nm / cycle. Here, 300 cycles were performed to form an Al ₂ O ₃ thin film of 30.0 nm. At this time, Ra on the surface of the ALD layer was 5.3 nm.

[Preparation of gas barrier film 8]
A gas barrier film 8 was produced in the same manner as the gas barrier film 1 except that the ALD layer was formed as follows.

(Formation of ALD layer)
Subsequently, a thin film of alumina Al ₂ O ₃ was deposited on SiO ₂ using SUNALE (registered trademark) R-200ALD manufactured by Picsun Oy. Trimethylaluminum (TMA) was used as the aluminum source, and water was used as the oxygen source.

An ALD film is installed in the reactor, the reactor is evacuated with a vacuum pump, then purged with nitrogen gas to adjust the pressure in the reactor to about 800-1100 Pa, and then the substrate temperature is 100 ° C. Adjusted. The raw material was then introduced into the reactor in a pulsed manner in the following cycle. The pulse cycle was TMA: 0.1 seconds, nitrogen purge: 4.0 seconds, water: 0.1 seconds, nitrogen purge: 4.0 seconds. At this time, the deposition rate of Al ₂ O ₃ from TMA and water was 0.1 nm / cycle. Here, 400 cycles were performed to form a 40.0 nm Al ₂ O ₃ thin film. At this time, Ra on the surface of the ALD layer was 4.3 nm.

[Preparation of gas barrier film 9]
A gas barrier film 9 was produced in the same manner as the gas barrier film 1 except that the polysilazane layer was formed by adjusting the solid content concentration so that the coating thickness was 45 nm.

[Preparation of Gas Barrier Film 10]
A gas barrier film 10 was produced in the same manner as the gas barrier film 1 except that the ALD layer and the polysilazane layer were formed as follows.

(Formation of ALD layer)
Subsequently, a thin film of alumina Al ₂ O ₃ was deposited on the SiO ₂ film by SUNALE (registered trademark) R-200ALD manufactured by Picsun Oy. Trimethylaluminum (TMA) was used as the aluminum source, and water was used as the oxygen source.

An ALD film is installed in the reactor, the reactor is evacuated with a vacuum pump, then purged with nitrogen gas to adjust the pressure in the reactor to about 800-1100 Pa, and then the substrate temperature is 100 ° C. Adjusted. The raw material was then introduced into the reactor in a pulsed manner in the following cycle. The pulse cycle was TMA: 0.1 seconds, nitrogen purge: 4.0 seconds, water: 0.1 seconds, nitrogen purge: 4.0 seconds. At this time, the deposition rate of Al ₂ O ₃ from TMA and water was 0.1 nm / cycle. Here, 200 cycles were performed to form a 20.0 nm Al ₂ O ₃ thin film. At this time, Ra on the surface of the ALD layer was 5.0 nm.

(Formation of polysilazane layer)
The polysilazane layer was formed by adjusting the solid content concentration so that the coating thickness was 55 nm.

[Production of Gas Barrier Film 11]
A gas barrier film 11 was produced in the same manner as the gas barrier film 1 except that the ALD layer and the polysilazane layer were formed as follows.

(Formation of ALD layer)
Subsequently, a thin film of alumina Al ₂ O ₃ was deposited on SiO ₂ using SUNALE (registered trademark) R-200ALD manufactured by Picsun Oy. Trimethylaluminum (TMA) was used as the aluminum source, and water was used as the oxygen source.

An ALD film is installed in the reactor, the reactor is evacuated with a vacuum pump, then purged with nitrogen gas to adjust the pressure in the reactor to about 800-1100 Pa, and then the substrate temperature is 100 ° C. Adjusted. The raw material was then introduced into the reactor in a pulsed manner in the following cycle. The pulse cycle was TMA: 0.1 seconds, nitrogen purge: 4.0 seconds, water: 0.1 seconds, nitrogen purge: 4.0 seconds. At this time, the deposition rate of Al ₂ O ₃ from TMA and water was 0.1 nm / cycle. Here, 300 cycles were performed to form an Al ₂ O ₃ thin film of 30.0 nm. At this time, Ra on the surface of the ALD layer was 4.7 nm.

(Formation of polysilazane layer)
It was formed by adjusting the solid content concentration so that the coating thickness of the polysilazane layer was 30 nm.

[Production of Gas Barrier Film 12]
A gas barrier film 12 was produced in the same manner as the gas barrier film 1 except that a silicon compound modified layer was formed as follows instead of the polysilazane layer.

(Formation of silicon compound modified layer)
According to the composition shown in Table 1 below, Composition prepared in advance in an EVOH solution in which EVOH (ethylene copolymerization ratio 29%, Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Soarnol D2908) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of isopropyl alcohol and ion-exchanged water was used. A hydrolyzate composed of ethyl silicate 40, isopropyl alcohol, acetylacetone aluminum and ion-exchanged water was added and stirred, and the composition prepared in advance C.I. A mixed liquid composed of polyvinyl alcohol (manufactured by Kuraray Co., PVA110), a silane coupling agent (epoxysilica SH6040), acetic acid, isopropyl alcohol and ion-exchanged water was added and stirred to obtain a colorless and transparent gas barrier composition.

Using the coating solution produced above, this was coated by a gravure roll coating method and then heat-treated at 100 ° C. for 30 seconds to give a thickness of 0.4 g / m ² (0.2 μm) (dry operation) The silicon compound modified layer of (state) was formed.

[Production of Gas Barrier Film 13]
In the formation of the gas barrier film 1, a gas barrier film 13 was produced except for the formation of the ALD layer.

[Production of Gas Barrier Film 14]
In the formation of the gas barrier film 2, the gas barrier film 14 was produced except for the formation of the ALD layer.

[Production of Gas Barrier Film 15]
In the formation of the gas barrier film 1, the formation of the CVD layer was changed as follows, and the gas barrier film 15 was produced except for the formation of the ALD layer.

(Formation of CVD layer)
A film formed up to a smooth layer was set in a vacuum chamber of a commercially available sputtering apparatus, evacuated to a level of 10 ⁻⁴ Pa, and argon and oxygen as discharge gases were introduced at a partial pressure of 0.5 Pa. When the atmospheric pressure was stabilized, discharge was started, plasma was generated on the Si target, and a sputtering process was started. When the process was stabilized, the shutter was opened and the formation of a silicon oxide layer on the film was started. When the 100 nm film was deposited, the shutter was closed and the film formation was completed.

[Production of Gas Barrier Film 16]
In the formation of the gas barrier film 1, the formation of the CVD layer was changed as follows, and the gas barrier film 16 was produced except for the formation of the ALD layer.

(Formation of CVD layer)
The film was formed using a commercially available electron beam heating vacuum deposition apparatus. The vapor deposition material is a metal silicon powder containing 95% or more of powder having a diameter of 50 μm or less, and silicon dioxide containing 95% or more of a crystal structure containing a crystal structure and having a diameter of 50 μm or less. A mixed vapor deposition material composed of metal silicon and silicon dioxide prepared so that the ratio of the number of oxygen atoms to the number of silicon atoms (O / Si) was 1.50 was prepared. This mixed vapor deposition material was put into a crucible and press-molded so that the bulk density was 1.0 g / cm ³ .

This material was formed by an electron beam heating type vacuum vapor deposition apparatus so that the mixed vapor deposition material was irradiated with an electron beam emitted from an electron gun to evaporate to form a SiO ₂ film having a thickness of 100 nm.

[Evaluation method]
Each characteristic value of the gas barrier film is measured according to the following method.

[Center line average surface roughness (Ra)]
A scanning probe microscope SPI3700 manufactured by Seiko Instruments Inc. is used as an atomic force microscope (AFM), and the surface of the sample is measured in a dynamic force mode, measuring area 10 × 10 μm square, scanning speed 1 Hz, xy direction 512 ×. The AFM topography image measured under the conditions of 256 divisions, cantilever SI-DF-20 (Si, f = 126 kHz, c = 16 N / m) was subjected to an automatic tilt correction process, and then centerline averaged in a three-dimensional roughness analysis The surface roughness Ra (nm) was determined. At this time, the cantilever used for the measurement was one that was not worn or soiled.

[Evaluation of water vapor barrier properties (WVTR)]
In accordance with the following measurement method, the permeated moisture amount of each gas barrier film was measured, and the water vapor barrier property was evaluated according to the following criteria.

(apparatus)
Vapor deposition apparatus: JEOL Ltd., vacuum vapor deposition apparatus JEE-400
Constant temperature and humidity oven: Yamato Humidic Chamber IG47M
Metal that reacts with water and corrodes: Calcium (granular)
Water vapor-impermeable metal: Aluminum (φ3-5mm, granular)
(Preparation of water vapor barrier property evaluation cell)
Using a vacuum vapor deposition device (manufactured by JEOL Ltd., vacuum vapor deposition device JEE-400) on the surface of the barrier layer of the sample, the portion to be vapor-deposited of the gas barrier film sample before attaching the transparent conductive film (9 locations of 12 mm x 12 mm) Other than that, metallic calcium was vapor-deposited. Thereafter, the mask was removed in a vacuum state, and aluminum was deposited from another metal deposition source on the entire surface of one side of the sheet. After aluminum sealing, the vacuum state is released, and immediately facing the aluminum sealing side through a UV-curable resin for sealing (made by Nagase ChemteX) on quartz glass with a thickness of 0.2 mm in a dry nitrogen gas atmosphere The cell for evaluation was produced by irradiating with ultraviolet rays.

  Based on the method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-283561, the amount of moisture permeated into the cell was calculated from the corrosion amount of metallic calcium.

  In addition, in order to confirm that there is no permeation of water vapor from other than the gas barrier film surface, a sample obtained by depositing metallic calcium using a quartz glass plate having a thickness of 0.2 mm instead of the gas barrier film sample as a comparative sample Was stored under high temperature and high humidity at 60 ° C. and 90% RH, and it was confirmed that no corrosion of metallic calcium occurred even after 1000 hours.

The permeated water amount (g / m ² · day; “WVTR” in the table) of each gas barrier film measured as described above was evaluated by the Ca method.

(Rank evaluation)
Less than 5: 1 × 10 ⁻⁵ g / m ² / day 4: 1 × 10 ⁻⁵ g / m ² / day or more and less than 5 × 10 ⁻⁵ g / m ² / day 3: 5 × 10 ⁻⁵ g / m ² / day or more, 1 × 10 ⁻⁴ g / m ² / day or less 2: 1 × 10 ⁻⁴ g / m ² / day or more, 1 × 10 ⁻³ g / m ² / day or less 1: 1 × 10 ^-3 g / m ² / day or more [Evaluation of bending resistance (flexibility)]
For the gas barrier film, in order to confirm the change in the gas barrier property before and after bending, the water vapor transmission rate (for the gas barrier film that has been repeatedly bent 100 times at an angle of 180 degrees in advance so as to have a radius of curvature of 10 mm. WVTR) was measured and the same rank evaluation was performed.

[Evaluation of resistance to high temperature and high humidity]
The obtained gas barrier film was stored for 100 hours continuously in a high-temperature and high-humidity tank (constant temperature and humidity oven: Yamato Humidic Chamber IG47M) adjusted to 60 ° C. and 90% RH without bending, and then the above bending resistance Evaluation was performed, water vapor permeability was measured in the same manner, and the same rank evaluation was performed.

  The results are shown in Table 2 below. In Table 2 below, the PHPS layer refers to a layer obtained by modifying perhydropolysilazane (PHPS).

  As described in the results of Table 2 above, film No. It can be seen that the films 1 to 12 have high bending resistance, particularly high bending resistance even under high temperature and high humidity conditions, and the gas barrier performance is maintained.

Example 2 Production of Organic EL Element A transparent conductive film was produced on the produced gas barrier layers of Samples 1 to 16 by the following method.

-Formation of transparent conductive film As the plasma discharge apparatus, an electrode having a parallel plate type was used. The gas barrier film of each sample was placed between the electrodes, and a mixed gas was introduced to form a thin film. In addition, as a ground (ground) electrode, a 200 mm × 200 mm × 2 mm stainless steel plate is coated with a high-density, high-adhesion alumina sprayed film, and then a solution obtained by diluting tetramethoxysilane with ethyl acetate is applied and dried. An electrode was used which was cured by ultraviolet irradiation and sealed, and the dielectric surface thus coated was polished, smoothed and processed to have an Rmax of 5 μm. Further, as the application electrode, an electrode obtained by coating a dielectric on a hollow square pure titanium pipe under the same conditions as the ground electrode was used. A plurality of application electrodes were prepared and provided to face the ground electrode to form a discharge space. Moreover, as a power source used for plasma generation, a high frequency power source CF-5000-13M manufactured by Pearl Industry Co., Ltd. was used, and 5 W / cm ² of power was supplied at a frequency of 13.56 MHz. Then, a mixed gas having the following composition is caused to flow between the electrodes to form a plasma state, the gas barrier film is subjected to atmospheric pressure plasma treatment, and a tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) film having a thickness of 100 nm is formed on the gas barrier layer (ceramic film). The samples 1-16 with a transparent conductive film were obtained.

Discharge gas: Helium 98.5% by volume
Reactive gas 1: 0.25% by volume of oxygen
Reactive gas 2: Indium acetylacetonate 1.2% by volume
Reactive gas 3: Dibutyltin diacetate 0.05% by volume
-Preparation of organic EL element The obtained sample with transparent conductive film 1 to 16 was used as a substrate of 100 mm x 100 mm, patterned, and then the gas barrier film substrate provided with the ITO transparent electrode was ultrasonicated with isopropyl alcohol. Washed and dried with dry nitrogen gas. This transparent support substrate is fixed to a substrate holder of a commercially available vacuum evaporation apparatus, while 200 mg of α-NPD (the following formula (2)) is put in a molybdenum resistance heating boat, and the host compound is put in another molybdenum resistance heating boat. 200 mg of CBP (the following formula (3)), 200 mg of bathocuproine (BCP (the following formula (4))) in another molybdenum resistance heating boat, and Ir-1 ( 100 mg of the following formula (5) was put, and 200 mg of Alq ₃ (the following formula (6)) was put in another resistance heating boat made of molybdenum, and attached to a vacuum deposition apparatus.

Next, after reducing the vacuum tank to 4 × 10 ⁻⁴ Pa, the heating boat containing α-NPD is heated by heating, vapor-deposited on a transparent support substrate at a vapor deposition rate of 0.1 nm / second, and hole transport A layer was provided. Further, the heating boat containing CBP and Ir-1 was energized and heated, and co-evaporated on the hole transport layer at a deposition rate of 0.2 nm / second and 0.012 nm / second, respectively, to provide a light emitting layer. . In addition, the substrate temperature at the time of vapor deposition was room temperature. Further, the heating boat containing BCP was energized and heated, and was deposited on the light emitting layer at a deposition rate of 0.1 nm / second to provide a hole blocking layer having a thickness of 10 nm. Further, the heating boat containing Alq ₃ is further heated by energization, and is deposited on the hole blocking layer at a deposition rate of 0.1 nm / second to further provide an electron transport layer having a thickness of 40 nm. It was. In addition, the substrate temperature at the time of vapor deposition was room temperature. Then, 0.5 nm of lithium fluoride and 110 nm of aluminum were vapor-deposited, the cathode was formed, and the organic EL element samples 1-16 using the samples 1-16 with a transparent conductive film were produced, respectively.

-Sealing of organic EL element sample In an environment purged with nitrogen gas (inert gas), an aluminum vapor deposition surface of organic EL element samples 1 to 16 and an aluminum foil with a thickness of 100 μm face each other. Sealing was performed by using an epoxy adhesive manufactured by Chemtex Corporation.

[Evaluation of organic EL element sample (dark spot)]
The encapsulated organic EL element samples 1 to 16 were energized in an environment of 60 ° C. and 90% RH, and the change in light emission unevenness such as generation of dark spots was observed from the 0th to the 120th.

  The emission unevenness of each sample observed in this way was classified into the following five stages and evaluated.

  On day 5: 0, dark spots and luminance unevenness were not observed, and after 120 days, the non-light emitting area was 0.1% or less of the total light emitting area, and all the generated dark spots were not easily observable visually ( 0.1 mm or less).

  4: All dark spots generated on the 0th day have a size (0.1 mm or less) that cannot be easily observed by visual observation, luminance unevenness is not observed, and the non-light-emitting region is 0% of the total light-emitting area after 120 days. More than 1% and 0.2% or less, the generated dark spots maintained a size (0.1 mm or less) that could not be easily observed with the naked eye.

  The dark spots that occurred on the 3rd day were all in a size (0.1 mm or less) that could not be easily observed visually, and after 120 days, the non-light emitting area exceeded 2% of the total light emitting area.

  2: Dark spots and luminance unevenness that could be visually discerned were observed on the 0th day, and after 120 days, the non-light-emitting area was more than 2% of the total light-emitting area and 10% or less.

  Dark spots that can be visually discerned on day 1 and non-luminous areas with uneven brightness were observed exceeding 1% of the total light-emitting area, and non-light-emitting areas exceeded 10% of the total light-emitting area within 120 days .

  The above evaluation results (five-step evaluation) are shown in Table 3.

[Evaluation of organic EL element sample (dark spot after bending)]
For the dark spots of the sealed organic EL element samples 1 to 16, bending was repeated 100 times at an angle of 180 degrees so as to obtain a curvature with a radius of 10 mm in advance in order to confirm changes in the dark spots before and after bending. After the treatment, the same rank evaluation was performed under the dark spot evaluation conditions. The above evaluation results are shown in Table 3.

  The organic EL element samples 1 to 12 of the present invention showed good results in dark spot evaluation with respect to a high temperature and high humidity environment and bending resistance. On the other hand, in the organic EL element samples 13 to 16, remarkable dark spots were observed in a high temperature and high humidity environment and bending resistance.

  This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-273806 filed on December 14, 2012 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-023840 filed on February 8, 2013. , Referenced and incorporated in its entirety.

1, 10 gas barrier film,
2 base material,
3 First layer,
4 Transparent electrodes,
5 organic EL elements,
6 Adhesive layer,
7 Opposite film,
9 Organic EL panel,
31 manufacturing equipment,
32 Feeding roller,
33, 34, 35, 36 transport rollers,
39, 40 Deposition roller,
41 gas supply pipe,
42 Power supply for plasma generation,
43, 44 Magnetic field generator,
45 take-up roller,
101 plasma CVD apparatus,
102 vacuum chamber,
103 cathode electrode,
105 susceptors,
106 heat medium circulation system,
107 vacuum exhaust system,
108 gas introduction system,
109 high frequency power supply,
110 substrates,
160 Heating and cooling device.

Claims (9)

Including a substrate, a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer in this order,
The first layer of silicon, at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of aluminum and titanium, nitrides are including, chemical vapor deposition layer at least one oxynitride or oxycarbide,
The second layer including an inorganic oxide, an atomic layer deposition layer,
The third layer is a gas barrier film , which is a silicon compound vacuum ultraviolet irradiation treatment layer or a silicon compound plasma treatment layer .   The gas barrier film according to claim 1, wherein the silicon compound is polysilazane.   The gas barrier film according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a film thickness of the third layer is three times or more of a film thickness of the second layer.   The gas barrier film according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a curable resin layer formed by curing a curable resin on the substrate.   The gas barrier film according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the film thickness of the first layer is less than 30 times the film thickness of the second layer.   The electronic device using the gas-barrier film of any one of Claims 1-5. Forming a first layer containing at least one selected from the group consisting of oxides, nitrides, oxynitrides and oxycarbides containing at least one of silicon, aluminum and titanium by chemical vapor deposition;
Forming a second layer containing an inorganic oxide by atomic layer deposition;
A liquid containing a silicon compound is applied, seen including forming a third layer obtained by reforming processes resulting coating film, and
A method for producing a gas barrier film, wherein the modification treatment is a vacuum ultraviolet irradiation treatment or a plasma treatment . The method for producing a gas barrier film according to claim 7, wherein the silicon compound is polysilazane. The method for producing a gas barrier film according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the film thickness of the third layer is three times or more the film thickness of the second layer.