NL2005506C2 - Sealing layer for electronic or photovoltaic devices. - Google Patents
Sealing layer for electronic or photovoltaic devices. Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- NL2005506C2 NL2005506C2 NL2005506A NL2005506A NL2005506C2 NL 2005506 C2 NL2005506 C2 NL 2005506C2 NL 2005506 A NL2005506 A NL 2005506A NL 2005506 A NL2005506 A NL 2005506A NL 2005506 C2 NL2005506 C2 NL 2005506C2
- Authority
- NL
- Netherlands
- Prior art keywords
- layer
- diffusion barrier
- sealing
- sealing layer
- electronic
- Prior art date
Links
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 title claims description 97
- 239000010410 layer Substances 0.000 claims description 316
- 238000009792 diffusion process Methods 0.000 claims description 63
- 230000004888 barrier function Effects 0.000 claims description 61
- 229920000642 polymer Polymers 0.000 claims description 46
- OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon Chemical compound [C] OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 33
- 229910021389 graphene Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 33
- 229920005601 base polymer Polymers 0.000 claims description 22
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 21
- BFMKFCLXZSUVPI-UHFFFAOYSA-N ethyl but-3-enoate Chemical compound CCOC(=O)CC=C BFMKFCLXZSUVPI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 15
- 239000002243 precursor Substances 0.000 claims description 15
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 claims description 14
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 claims description 11
- 239000002052 molecular layer Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000002861 polymer material Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000010521 absorption reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000000151 deposition Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000005530 etching Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000001228 spectrum Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 229920005787 opaque polymer Polymers 0.000 claims description 2
- 150000004767 nitrides Chemical class 0.000 claims 2
- 239000012790 adhesive layer Substances 0.000 claims 1
- 229910052582 BN Inorganic materials 0.000 description 14
- PZNSFCLAULLKQX-UHFFFAOYSA-N Boron nitride Chemical compound N#B PZNSFCLAULLKQX-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 14
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 13
- 239000000356 contaminant Substances 0.000 description 10
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Chemical compound O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 10
- 239000010409 thin film Substances 0.000 description 7
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000007547 defect Effects 0.000 description 4
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 4
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 description 4
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 4
- 229910000831 Steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 239000011888 foil Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000012044 organic layer Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000010959 steel Substances 0.000 description 3
- PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Nickel Chemical compound [Ni] PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicium dioxide Chemical compound O=[Si]=O VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 230000002411 adverse Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000005229 chemical vapour deposition Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000013078 crystal Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000003292 glue Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000010030 laminating Methods 0.000 description 2
- -1 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 238000012545 processing Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000011241 protective layer Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910004613 CdTe Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper Chemical compound [Cu] RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000004698 Polyethylene Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000004743 Polypropylene Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052581 Si3N4 Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000004075 alteration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 125000004429 atom Chemical group 0.000 description 1
- 238000010923 batch production Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005452 bending Methods 0.000 description 1
- 125000004432 carbon atom Chemical group C* 0.000 description 1
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 150000001875 compounds Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 239000004020 conductor Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052802 copper Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000010949 copper Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000008021 deposition Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000011161 development Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005538 encapsulation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002708 enhancing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000010408 film Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920005570 flexible polymer Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000011810 insulating material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000003993 interaction Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000003475 lamination Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000004973 liquid crystal related substance Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011159 matrix material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 150000002739 metals Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 229910021424 microcrystalline silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910052759 nickel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000005693 optoelectronics Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229920000620 organic polymer Polymers 0.000 description 1
- TWNQGVIAIRXVLR-UHFFFAOYSA-N oxo(oxoalumanyloxy)alumane Chemical compound O=[Al]O[Al]=O TWNQGVIAIRXVLR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000003208 petroleum Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920002037 poly(vinyl butyral) polymer Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920000573 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920001155 polypropylene Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920001296 polysiloxane Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920001343 polytetrafluoroethylene Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000004810 polytetrafluoroethylene Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920002620 polyvinyl fluoride Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000011148 porous material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000005855 radiation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000004065 semiconductor Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004904 shortening Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052710 silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000010703 silicon Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000012239 silicon dioxide Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000000377 silicon dioxide Substances 0.000 description 1
- HQVNEWCFYHHQES-UHFFFAOYSA-N silicon nitride Chemical compound N12[Si]34N5[Si]62N3[Si]51N64 HQVNEWCFYHHQES-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000002356 single layer Substances 0.000 description 1
- 150000003384 small molecules Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H10K—ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
- H10K10/00—Organic devices specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching; Organic capacitors or resistors having potential barriers
- H10K10/80—Constructional details
- H10K10/88—Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H10K—ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
- H10K30/00—Organic devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation
- H10K30/80—Constructional details
- H10K30/88—Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H10K—ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
- H10K59/00—Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one organic light-emitting element covered by group H10K50/00
- H10K59/80—Constructional details
- H10K59/87—Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
- H10K59/873—Encapsulations
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
- Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- Y02E10/549—Organic PV cells
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
- Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Electromagnetism (AREA)
- Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)
- Electroluminescent Light Sources (AREA)
Description
Sealing layer for electronic or photovoltaic devices
Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a sealing layer for electronic devices. Also, the 5 present invention relates to a method for manufacturing such a sealing layer and to electronic devices comprising such a sealing layer.
Background A sealing layer for an electronic or opto-electronic device has the purpose to seal 10 off the electronic device from contaminants that adversely affect the quality of the electronic device. Typically, the sealing layer has the purpose to prevent interaction of a contaminant with elements of the electronic device that are sensitive for chemical or physical reaction with the contaminant.
For example, gaseous contaminants as oxygen or water vapor are known to react 15 with the photoactive components of OLEDs and OLED screens (organic light emitting diodes).
To avoid exposure to contaminants, electronic devices are typically encapsulated or covered by a glassy film, layer or plate as sealing layer. Disadvantages of using glass as protection layer are its high specific weight, brittleness and limited flexibility, which 20 requires the processing of devices on glass to be carried out in a batch process. In some photovoltaic applications, the weight of the glass makes the device too heavy to be placed on some industrial roofs.
Also, it is known to deposit a thin film, of silicon dioxide, silicon nitride or aluminum oxide or organic thin films or a multilayer comprising one or more layers of 25 these compounds and/or other organic, or hybrid inorganic-organic compounds, on an electrical circuit to obtain a sealing. Multi-layers of low-defect inorganic layers interspersed with polymer layers which have been designed to have low diffusivity and low solubility for the permeating species, create a long apparent diffusion path. Imperfections, such as pores, voids or cracks, in such sealing layers play a crucial role 30 in their sealing capabilities by shortening the diffusion path and causing the transmission rate for some gaseous contaminants to be relatively high. Therefore, the state-of-the-art focuses on depositing very dense inorganic layers, designing polymers with low diffusivity and solubility for the permeating species, or other methods of 2 plugging the holes and lengthening the diffusion path. The barrier properties of more layers provide higher resistance to water vapor transmission, but the cost also increases with each layer that is deposited.
Moreover, these layers may be brittle, which reduces the possibility for bending 5 the layers.
Solar panels are also known to be sensitive to oxygen and water vapor and get damaged when exposed. There is a large variety of commercially available solar panels. They differ in their sizes and forms (rigid or flexible panels) as well as in the photovoltaic materials, e.g., wafer based silicon or thin film materials (amorphous 10 and/or microcrystalline silicon, CdTe, CI(G)S). Materials in development include organic polymers and small molecules as well as dye-sensitized solar cells. These various types of solar panels have different requirements regarding the protection from moisture ingress. Depending on the specific designs, moisture may enter into the solar panels both through the front and back surfaces as well as from the edges of the panels. 15 The most sensitive versions of solar panels are characterized by a very low tolerance to water and require sealing concepts with water vapor transmission rates (WVTR) on the order of only 0.00001 g/m2/day.
Flexible forms of solar panels are typically exposed to moisture ingress much more critically than rigid forms. This is because flexible solar panels are encapsulated 20 between flexible polymer sheets on the front and sometimes also on the back side. These polymeric materials are typically characterized by relatively high WVTRs, unlike in the rigid forms, where glass covers, through which no water can diffuse.
Glass plates are often used as sealing layers. Since glass covers the full light collecting area that is directed towards the sun, the weight of the glass cover is high and 25 requires a relatively rigid construction of the solar panel. Additionally, within the solar panel, solar cells are typically encapsulated by a polymer such as ethyl vinyl acetate. It is known that such polymers have a relatively high water vapor transmission rate, which requires additional measures to keep the solar cells and the internals of the solar panel dry. Other typical materials used in sealing concepts (front- or back-side covers 30 as well as connection or lamination layers and edge seals) are polymer sheets such as, PVB, PTFE, tedlar and others.
3
Summary of the invention
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a sealing layer which overcomes or mitigates the adverse effects of the prior art.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sealing layer 5 comprising a base polymer layer, a diffusion barrier layer and a top polymer layer; the diffusion barrier layer being arranged on a surface of the base polymer layer, the top polymer layer being arranged on a surface of the diffusion barrier layer (2) facing away from the base polymer layer (1), wherein the diffusion barrier layer is a molecular layer.
10 Advantageously, by laminating the diffusion barrier layer between two polymer layers, the polymers provide a simpler manipulation of the diffusion barrier layer when arranging the diffusion barrier layer on an object to be sealed.
Additionally, the sealing layer according to the present invention has the advantage that by using two polymer layers as base and top layers, any surface 15 incompatibility of the diffusion barrier material with a surface that is to be sealed, can be prevented.
Further, the layered structure of the sealing layer according to the present invention has the advantage that the layer has flexibility which allows to wrap the layer around an object to be sealed.
20 According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sealing layer as described above, wherein the diffusion barrier layer comprises a molecular graphene layer.
Very high transparency values can be achieved with these sealing layers (up to a maximum value of 97.5%). If desired the transparency of the sealing layer can be 25 varied to any value below the above mentioned maximum value in steps of 2.5% per monolayer.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sealing layer as described above, wherein the diffusion barrier layer comprises a molecular boron nitride layer.
30 According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sealing layer as described above, wherein the diffusion barrier graphene layer comprises one to ten monolayers, preferably one to six monolayers, more preferably one to four monolayers.
4
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sealing layer as described above, wherein the graphene layer has a transparency of 75% or more in the range from about 350 nm to about 1400 nm of the electromagnetic spectrum.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sealing layer 5 as described above, wherein at least one of the base polymer layer and the top polymer layer consists of transparent polymer material.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sealing layer as described above, wherein at least one of the base polymer layer and the top polymer layer consists of an opaque polymer material.
10 According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sealing layer as described above, wherein the sealing layer comprises at least one additional layer selected from a group comprising an adhesion layer, a light management layer for enhancing either absorption or reflection, or a layer to incorporate either a moisture sensor or a moisture indicator.
15 According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a sealing layer having a base polymer layer, a diffusion barrier layer, and a top polymer layer; the method comprising: forming the diffusion barrier layer on a precursor surface of a precursor substrate; transferring the diffusion barrier layer to the base polymer layer; 20 arranging the top polymer layer on a surface of the diffusion barrier layer that faces away from the base layer, wherein the diffusion barrier layer is a molecular layer.
The sealing layers of this invention can be inserted between a base layer and top layer at mild processing conditions, e.g., low process temperatures of - 150C and without the need of very high or very low process pressures.
25 According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method as described above, wherein said transferring the diffusion barrier layer to the base polymer layer comprises a formation or deposition of the base polymer layer on a free exposed surface of the diffusion barrier layer.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method as 30 described above, further comprising a removal of the diffusion barrier layer from the precursor surface by either etching away the precursor substrate or by a lift off process that separates the diffusion barrier layer from the precursor surface.
5
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method as described above, wherein the diffusion barrier layer is one selected from a molecular graphene layer and a molecular boron nitride layer.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic or 5 photovoltaic device, comprising at least one sealing layer as described above, which sealing layer is arranged on one or more surfaces of the device for sealing off said one or more surfaces.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic or photovoltaic device as described above, wherein the device comprises a display 10 structure of OLED type or LCD type, wherein the sealing layer is arranged on a surface of the display structure that is to be sealed off.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic or photovoltaic device as described above, wherein the device comprises a memory structure, wherein the sealing layer is arranged on a surface of the memory structure 15 that is to be sealed off.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic or photovoltaic device as described above, wherein the device is a solar panel comprising one or more solar cells each having its respective photoactive surface facing towards a light collecting side, wherein the sealing layer is arranged on a surface of the solar 20 panel that is to be sealed off.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic or photovoltaic device as described above, wherein the device is a solar panel comprising one or more solar cells each having its respective photoactive surface facing towards a light collecting side, the solar cells being encapsulated in an ethyl vinyl acetate layer, a 25 glass plate being arranged on top of the ethyl vinyl acetate layer, wherein the sealing layer is arranged between the ethyl vinyl acetate layer and the glass plate.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic or photovoltaic device as described above, wherein the base polymer layer and the top polymer layer consist of ethyl vinyl acetate polymer.
30 According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic or photovoltaic device as described above, wherein the device is a solar cell having a photoactive surface facing towards a light collecting side, wherein the sealing layer is arranged on a surface of the solar cell on at least the light collecting side.
6
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic or photovoltaic device as described above, wherein the device is embodied as planar structure and the sealing layer wraps around an edge of the planar structure.
5 Brief description of drawings
The invention will be explained in more detail below on the basis of a number of drawings, illustrating exemplary embodiments of the invention. The drawings are intended exclusively for illustrative purposes and not to restrict the inventive concept, which is defined by the claims.
10 In the drawings:
Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a sealing layer in a first embodiment; Figure 2 shows a photovoltaic device composed of “free-standing” solar cells comprising a sealing layer according to the present invention;
Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a photovoltaic device comprising a sealing 15 layer according to the present invention;
Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an OLED structure comprising a sealing layer according to the present invention;
Figures 5a, 5b show a cross-sectional view of an electronic or photovoltaic device comprising a sealing layer according to the present invention; 20 Figure 6 shows an exploded cross-sectional view of a solar panel comprising a sealing layer according to the present invention;
Figure 7 shows an exploded cross-sectional view of a thin film solar panel comprising a sealing layer according to the invention.
25 In the following figures, the same reference numerals refer to similar or identical components in each of the figures.
Description of embodiments
Figure 1 shows a cross-section of a sealing layer according to a first embodiment 30 of the present invention.
The sealing layer is a laminated layer 10 which comprises a base layer 1, a diffusion barrier layer 2 and a top layer 3.
On a surface of the base layer 1 the diffusion barrier layer 2 is arranged.
7
The top layer 3 is arranged on the surface of the diffusion barrier layer 2 that is facing away from the base layer 1.
The base layer 1 is a polymer layer which for example, without any limitation of the invention, may consist of polyethylene, polypropylene, ethyl vinyl acetate or 5 silicone.
The polymer layer can be either petroleum-based or bio-sourced material.
The top layer 3 is also a polymer layer and may consist of a similar or same material as the base layer 1.
Advantageously, by laminating the diffusion barrier molecular layer between two 10 polymer layers, the polymers provide a simpler manipulation of the diffusion barrier layer when arranging the diffusion barrier on an object to be sealed.
Additionally, the sealing layer according to the present invention has the advantage that by using two polymer layers as base and top layers, any surface incompatibility of the diffusion barrier material with a surface that is to be sealed, can 15 be prevented.
Further, the laminated structure of the sealing layer according to the present invention has the advantage that the layer has flexibility which allows to wrap the layer around an object to be sealed.
In an embodiment, the diffusion barrier layer 2 is a continuous mono-crystalline 20 or polycrystalline graphene layer, i.e., a continuous molecular layer. In an alternative embodiment, the diffusion barrier layer is a continuous mono-crystalline or poly crystalline boron nitride layer.
The diffusion barrier layer 2 may consist of a layered structure comprising one or more continuous monolayers of either graphene or boron nitride.
25 Graphene has a two dimensional molecular structure i.e., a hexagonal crystal lattice structure (a honeycomb structure of carbon atoms, in sp2 bonding). The bond length between closest neighbor atoms is 0.14 nm, which provide that openings within the lattice are relatively small in comparison to sizes of molecules such as water or oxygen. One may think of the graphene layer as a net capable of catching these small 30 molecules.
Due to the structure of the graphene or boron nitride, the probability of molecules passing the graphene or boron nitride layer is extremely low, which makes graphene and boron nitride each an excellent diffusion barrier material.
8
Moreover, the manufacturing of graphene layers by CVD allows to form graphene layers with relatively high perfection, i.e., having only very small amounts of crystal (i.e., lattice) defects and/or cracks and/or voids.
In the embodiment of boron nitride as diffusion barrier layer 2, it is noted that 5 boron nitride can be obtained in a layered structure with a similar honeycomb structure and similar relatively low defect concentration as graphene. As a result, boron nitride has similar diffusion barrier properties as graphene.
Boron nitride is a wide band gap insulating material. Graphene is a conducting material.
10 It is noted that in an embodiment, a molecular graphene layer may be combined with a molecular layer of boron nitride to form a diffusion barrier layer in the sealing layer 10.
In a photovoltaic device composed of “free-standing” solar cells as shown in Fig. 2, one or more solar cells 23 are arranged between a front sheet 21 (at the light 15 receiving side) and a back-sheet 25. According to the invention, the sealing layer 10 may be arranged in either an encapsulating layer 22 either between the front sheet 21 and the solar cells 23 or between an encapsulating layer 24 and the solar cells on the side of the back sheet 25.
In a case the sealing layer is arranged on the front side of photovoltaic devices, 20 through which the light enters into the panel, the base and top polymer layers are transparent polymer layers.
Transparent polymer base and top layers are also required when the sealing layer is arranged on the front and/or back-side of so-called “bifacial” solar panels, where light enters into the panel through both the front and the back sides. When the sealing 25 layer is arranged on the back side of photovoltaic devices, through which no light enters into the panel, the base and top layers are not limited to transparent polymer layers.
In a photovoltaic device as shown in Fig. 3, one or more solar cells 32 have been deposited on a substrate (not shown) or a superstrate (front sheet 31, at the light 30 receiving side). The solar cells are encapsulated by encapsulating layer 33 which is covered by a back-sheet 34. According to the invention, the sealing layer 10 may be arranged in the encapsulating layer 33 on the free surface of the semiconductor material. If the substrate or superstrate is already transparent, then the sealing layer may 9 or may not have transparent polymer layers, otherwise the two polymer sheets in the invention would be transparent layers.
In an embodiment, the graphene layer has a thickness up to six monolayers with a transparency of at least 85 % in the range from about 350 nm to about 1400 nm of the 5 radiation spectrum.
To manufacture the sealing layer, a method according to the present invention comprises a formation of the diffusion barrier layer.
The properties of graphene depend on the way it is fabricated. In this invention, the graphene layer is a molecular sheet, which is continuous in two dimensions but is 10 not necessarily free of lattice defects. If there are more than one layer of graphene, each layer may have lattice discontinuities as long as they don’t overlap with the discontinuities of the other layers.
By using a formation method that produces graphene layers with relatively low density of defects, the probability of forming diffusion channels or paths through the 15 monolayers can be very low.
The formation comprises an epitaxial growth of graphene or boron nitride on a precursor surface of a precursor substrate such as copper or nickel or other metals or oxides, by means of a chemical vapor deposition process.
In one embodiment, the method comprises that the graphene layer is transferred 20 from the precursor surface to the base layer.
In another embodiment, the method comprises that a polymer layer is formed or deposited (e.g., by chemical vapor deposition) onto the free surface of the graphene layer.
The polymer layer forms for example the base layer of the sealing layer.
25 Next, the precursor substrate may be removed by etching or by other methods, for example water-induced lift-off of the polymer and graphene layers from the precursor surface. After this step, the graphene layer has a surface attached to the polymer and a free exposed surface.
Finally, a next polymer layer is arranged as top layer on top of the free exposed 30 surface of the diffusion barrier layer. Thus, the method comprises a step of arranging a next polymer layer on the free exposed surface of the graphene layer.
In yet another embodiment, the sealing layer 10 may comprise more layers than the base polymer layer, the diffusion barrier layer and the top polymer layer, for 10 example an adhesion layer, a light management layer (for enhanced absorption or reflection) or a layer to incorporate a moisture sensor or moisture indicator. Also, an (additional) insulating layer may be present, in case a back sheet is conductive.
The sealing layer according to the present invention is applied in various types of 5 electronic and photovoltaic devices that each require a proper diffusion barrier against contaminants. Such devices comprise but are not limited to display devices such as OLED (organic light emitting diode) and LCD (liquid crystal display) devices, solid state memory devices such as RAM, ROM, non-volatile RAM (flash) and EEPROM, organic electronics and photovoltaic devices such as solar cells and solar panels.
10 Such electronic or photovoltaic devices comprise at least an electronic circuit or a photovoltaic component with at least a surface that needs to be sealed off from external contaminants.
Figure 4 shows a cross-section of an OLED structure 40 comprising a sealing layer according to the present invention.
15 A basic OLED structure 40 comprises on a substrate 45, two or more organic structured layers 43 stacked on each other in between a transparent anode structure 42 and a cathode structure 44. At least one of the organic layers 43 is a light emissive layer. One or more of the other organic layers 43 is a conductive layer. The OLED layers are composed of two or more organic structured layers in which at least one is a 20 light emissive layer and the other is a conductive layer.
On a light emitting surface of the device a transparent cover or scratch protective layer 41 can be arranged.
As will be appreciated by the skilled in the art, the organic layers are patterned (not shown) in such a way that a matrix structure is formed of addressable pixels.
25 Likewise, the anode structure 42 and cathode structure 44 are patterned (not shown) to allow addressing the individual pixels.
The sealing layer 10 could be inserted between the OLED structure 42, 43, 44 and the substrate 45 and/or between the OLED structure 42, 43, 44 and the scratch protective layer (41), which is arranged on a display surface of the OLED structure.
30 It is noted that in a similar way, the sealing layer according to the present invention may be applied on an LCD structure.
Figure 5a shows a cross-sectional view of an electronic or photovoltaic device 60 comprising a sealing layer 10 in an embodiment according to the present invention.
11
In this embodiment, the sealing layer is provided with an closing edge portion 4 which wraps around the edge 61 of the electronic or photovoltaic device, and comprises a metal foil 5 that fixes the wrapped edge portion to the edge of the electronic or photovoltaic device.
5 In a further embodiment, the metal foil 5 is adapted as a clip to fix the edge portion 4 of the sealing layer to the edge 61 of the device.
Figure 5b shows a cross-sectional view of an electronic or photovoltaic device 60 comprising a sealing layer 10 in an embodiment according to the present invention.
In some electronic or photovoltaic device, both the front and rear surfaces may 10 need to be sealed. In an embodiment, the sealing layer 10 covers both the front and rear surfaces of the electronic or photovoltaic device, warps around the front and rear surfaces and overlaps at an edge of the device 60. The overlapping portions of the sealing layer at the edge of the device are fixed by a metal foil 5 or clip that covers the overlapping portions.
15 Figure 6 shows an exploded cross-sectional view of a solar panel 50 comprising a sealing layer according to the present invention.
The solar panel 50 comprises a support layer 51, a connection layer 52, solar cells 53, an encapsulation layer 54 and a transparent cover 55.
On the support layer 51, the connection layer 52 is arranged. The solar cells 53 20 are positioned on the connection layer 52. The photoactive surface of each solar cell is facing upward, away from the connection layer 52. The connection layer 52 provides electrical connections between the solar cells 53.
The solar cells 53 are encapsulated in an encapsulating layer 54, which comprises a polymer such as ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA). On top of the encapsulating layer 54, the 25 transparent cover 55 is arranged at the light collecting surface of the solar panel. The transparent cover 55 is a sealing layer according to the present invention, which comprises the base layer 1, the diffusion barrier layer 2 and the top layer 3, and seals off the light collecting surface.
Alternatively, the sealing layer 10 can be arranged between the EVA layer and a 30 glass plate to improve the barrier properties against contaminants such as water and oxygen. In a preferred embodiment, the base and top polymer layers 1, 3 of the sealing layer consist of EVA, so as to have surface compatibility with the EVA and/or glass interface of prior art solar cells.
12
In an embodiment, the sealing layer may attached to the electronic or photovoltaic device by a glue layer (not shown). The glue layer may cover the full interface area between the sealing layer and the device or alternatively, the edge areas of the interface area.
5 Figure 7 shows an exploded cross-sectional view of a thin film solar panel 60.
The thin film solar panel 60 comprises a first cover layer 61 with integrated interconnected solar cells 64, a bonding and encapsulating layer 62 and a second cover 63.
The solar cells 64 are thin film devices arranged on the first cover layer which 10 acts as a substrate. The solar cells are interconnected by interconnection paths (not shown) arranged on the first cover 61 between the solar cells.
In an embodiment, the first cover layer 61 is a material with inherent diffusion barrier properties, such as a steel sheet or a (thin) glass sheet. To seal off the solar cells 64 from contaminants, the bonding and encapsulating layer 62 comprises a sealing 15 layer according to the invention, or alternatively, the second cover layer 63 comprises the sealing layer.
In case of a steel sheet as first cover layer 61, an additional insulating layer will be arranged between the steel sheet and the solar cells.
In an alternative embodiment, the first cover layer 61 may consist of a polymer 20 layer in which a sealing layer is incorporated to enhance the diffusion barrier properties of the first cover layer 61.
It is noted that a molecular boron nitride layer may replace a molecular graphene layer as diffusion barrier material.
The invention has been described with reference to some embodiments. Obvious 25 modifications and alterations will occur to the skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. Other embodiments of the invention can be conceived and reduced to practice without departing from the true spirit of the invention, the scope of the invention being limited only by the appended claims. The above description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
30
Claims (20)
Priority Applications (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| NL2005506A NL2005506C2 (en) | 2010-10-12 | 2010-10-12 | Sealing layer for electronic or photovoltaic devices. |
| PCT/NL2011/050694 WO2012050443A1 (en) | 2010-10-12 | 2011-10-12 | Sealing layer for electronic or photovoltaic devices |
| TW100137026A TW201222739A (en) | 2010-10-12 | 2011-10-12 | Sealing layer for devices |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| NL2005506 | 2010-10-12 | ||
| NL2005506A NL2005506C2 (en) | 2010-10-12 | 2010-10-12 | Sealing layer for electronic or photovoltaic devices. |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| NL2005506C2 true NL2005506C2 (en) | 2012-04-16 |
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Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| NL2005506A NL2005506C2 (en) | 2010-10-12 | 2010-10-12 | Sealing layer for electronic or photovoltaic devices. |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| NL (1) | NL2005506C2 (en) |
| TW (1) | TW201222739A (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2012050443A1 (en) |
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| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US20140370246A1 (en) * | 2012-01-20 | 2014-12-18 | Brown University | Substrate with Graphene-based Layer |
| CN104365182B (en) * | 2012-06-19 | 2017-09-15 | 皇家飞利浦有限公司 | Organic electroluminescence device |
| CN104538562B (en) | 2015-01-15 | 2017-04-26 | 京东方科技集团股份有限公司 | OLED device and packaging method and packaging device thereof |
| US10403708B2 (en) * | 2016-03-09 | 2019-09-03 | The Regents Of The University Of California | Graded bandgap perovskite solar cell |
| US10361331B2 (en) | 2017-01-18 | 2019-07-23 | International Business Machines Corporation | Photovoltaic structures having multiple absorber layers separated by a diffusion barrier |
| KR102586964B1 (en) * | 2022-04-05 | 2023-10-11 | 해성디에스 주식회사 | Semiconductor package substrate, Semiconductor package including the same, and Method for manufacturing the semiconductor package substrate |
Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP1564825A2 (en) * | 2004-02-17 | 2005-08-17 | General Electric Company | Composite articles having diffusion barriers and devices incorporating them |
| US20070281174A1 (en) * | 2003-04-11 | 2007-12-06 | Vitex Systems, Inc. | Multilayer barrier stacks and methods of making multilayer barrier stacks |
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| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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| US8241713B2 (en) * | 2007-02-21 | 2012-08-14 | 3M Innovative Properties Company | Moisture barrier coatings for organic light emitting diode devices |
-
2010
- 2010-10-12 NL NL2005506A patent/NL2005506C2/en not_active IP Right Cessation
-
2011
- 2011-10-12 WO PCT/NL2011/050694 patent/WO2012050443A1/en active Application Filing
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Patent Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US20070281174A1 (en) * | 2003-04-11 | 2007-12-06 | Vitex Systems, Inc. | Multilayer barrier stacks and methods of making multilayer barrier stacks |
| EP1564825A2 (en) * | 2004-02-17 | 2005-08-17 | General Electric Company | Composite articles having diffusion barriers and devices incorporating them |
Non-Patent Citations (2)
| Title |
|---|
| BUNCH J S; VERBRIDGE S S; ALDEN J S; VAN DER ZANDE A M; PARPIA J M; CRAIGHEAD H G; MCEUEN P L: "Impermeable atomic membranes from graphene sheets", NANO LETTERS, vol. 8, no. 8, 17 July 2008 (2008-07-17), pages 2458 - 2462, XP002637069, ISSN: 1530-6984, DOI: 10.1021/nl801457b * |
| LI X; ZHU Y; CAI W; BORYSIAK M; HAN B; CHEN D; PINER R D; COLOMBA L; RUOFF R S: "Transfer of large-area graphene films for high-performance transparent conductive electrodes", NANO LETTERS, vol. 9, no. 12, 21 October 2009 (2009-10-21), pages 4359 - 4363, XP002637070, ISSN: 1530-6984, DOI: 10.1021/nl902623y * |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| TW201222739A (en) | 2012-06-01 |
| WO2012050443A1 (en) | 2012-04-19 |
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