Barrier coating and method

1. A composite article comprising:

a substrate; and

a barrier coating secured to a surface of the substrate, and the barrier coating comprising a single layer comprising a transitional interface zone between an organic zone and an inorganic zone, wherein each of the transitional interface zone, the organic zone and the inorganic zone comprises no distinct boundary, and wherein the inorganic zone comprises one or more transition metals.

2. The composite article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the barrier coating has an outward facing surface with an R.sub.a value that is less than about 4 nanometers.

3. The composite article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the barrier coating has an outward facing surface with an R.sub.p value less than about 5.5 nanometers.

4. The composite article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the barrier coating has an oxygen transmission rate of less than about 0.1 cm.sup.3/(m.sup.2 day), as measured at 25 degrees Celsius when in contact with a gas containing 21 volume-percent oxygen.

5. The composite article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the barrier coating has water vapor transmission rate of less than about 1.times.10.sup.-2 g/(m.sup.2 day), as measured at 25 degrees Celsius when in contact with a gas having 100-percent relative humidity.

6. The composite article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the barrier coating has a light transmittance greater than 85 percent in a wavelength range of from about 400 nanometers to about 700 nanometers.

7. The composite article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a flat, planar surface comprising polycarbonate, polyester, or polyolefin.

8. The composite article as defined in claim 1 , further comprising an optoelectronic element on the surface of the substrate.

9. The composite article as defined in claim 8 , wherein the barrier coating overlays and protects the optoelectronic element.

10. The composite article as defined in claim 8 , wherein the optoelectronic element is electroluminescent.

11. The composite article as defined in claim 8 , wherein the optoelectronic element is an organic light emitting diode.

12. The composite article as defined in claim 8 , wherein the optoelectronic element is photoresponsive.

13. The composite article as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a planarizing layer secured to the surface of the substrate and to the barrier coating.

14. The composite article as defined in claim 13 , wherein the planarizing layer has a thickness that is less than 25 micrometers.

15. The composite article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the interface zone has a thickness that is greater than about 5 nanometers.

16. The composite article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the interface zone has a thickness that is less than about 100 nanometers.

17. The composite article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the inorganic zone has a thickness that is less than about 100 nanometers.

18. The composite article as defined in claim 17 , wherein the inorganic zone has a thickness that is less than about 50 nanometers.

19. The composite article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the inorganic zone has a thickness that is greater than about 10 nanometers.

20. The composite article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the organic zone has a thickness that is less than about 1 micrometer.

21. The composite article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the organic zone has a thickness that is greater than about 100 nanometers.

22. The composite article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the organic zone has a thickness that is in a ratio with a thickness of the inorganic zone, and the ratio is less than 10:1.

23. The composite article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the inorganic zone is of uniform composition across the thickness of the inorganic zone.

24. The composite article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the inorganic zone or the organic zone comprises a composition having two or more components, the component concentration of which varies across the thickness of the respective layer to define a compositional gradient.

25. The composite article as defined in claim 24 , wherein the compositional gradient extends across the entire thickness of the respective layer.

26. The composite article as defined in claim 25 , wherein the compositional gradient extends across the entire thickness of the respective layer to seamlessly merge with the interface zone.

27. A composite article comprising:

a substrate; and

a barrier coating secured to a surface of the substrate, and the barrier coating comprising a single layer comprising a transitional interface zone between an organic zone and an inorganic zone, wherein each of the transitional interface zone, the organic zone and the inorganic zone comprises no distinct boundary, wherein the inorganic zone comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, cerium, dysprosium, erbium, europium, gadolinium, hafnium, holmium, indium, lanthanum, lutetium, neodymium, promethium, praseodymium, samarium, scandium, thulium, tin, terbium, titanium, yttrium, ytterbium, zinc, and zirconium.

28. A device assembly, comprising:

a substrate;

an optoelectronic element disposed on a surface of the substrate; and

a barrier coating disposed directly on the surface of the substrate and overlaying the optoelectronic element, wherein the barrier coating comprises:

an organic zone;

an inorganic zone comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, cerium, dysprosium, erbium, europium, gadolinium, hafnium, holmium, indium, lanthanum, lutetium, neodymium, promethium, praseodymium, samarium, scandium, thulium, tin, terbium, titanium, yttrium, ytterbium, zinc, and zirconium; and

an interface zone between the organic zone and the inorganic zone wherein the barrier coating comprises a single layer, and wherein each of the organic zone, the inorganic zone and interface zone comprises no distinct boundary.

29. The device assembly of claim 28 , wherein the inorganic zone comprises one or more transition metals.