ENCAPSULATING FILM STACKS FOR OLED APPLICATIONS
Embodiments described herein generally relate to a method and apparatus for encapsulating an OLED structure, more particularly, to a TFE structure for an OLED structure. The TFE structure includes at least one dielectric layer and at least two barrier layers, and the TFE structure is formed over the OLED structure. The at least one dielectric layer is deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Having the at least one dielectric layer formed by ALD in the TFE structure improves the barrier performance of the TFE structure.
1 . A method, comprising:
forming a thin film encapsulation structure over an OLED structure disposed on a substrate, wherein forming the thin film encapsulation structure comprises:
forming a first barrier layer using a chemical vapor deposition process;
forming a first dielectric layer over the first barrier layer using an atomic layer deposition process; and
forming a second barrier layer over the first dielectric layer using a chemical vapor deposition process.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a temperature of a substrate support during the atomic layer deposition process is about 90 degrees Celsius.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a second dielectric layer above the first dielectric layer using the atomic layer deposition process.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first and the second dielectric layers are metal dielectric layers.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the metal dielectric layers are selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), zirconium (IV) oxide (ZrO 2 ), aluminum titanium oxide (AlTiO), aluminum zirconium oxide (AlZrO), zinc oxide (ZnO), indium tin oxide (ITO), AlON, SiON and AlN.
6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the second dielectric layer is formed above the second barrier layer.
7 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the second dielectric layer is formed above the first dielectric layer but below the second barrier layer.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a buffer layer between the first dielectric layer and the second barrier layer.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the buffer layer is an organic material.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the buffer layer is a hexamethyldisiloxane layer.
11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the buffer layer is formed by a chemical vapor deposition process.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and the second barrier layers are inorganic.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first and the second barrier layers are selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride (SiN), silicon oxynitride (SiON), silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ), aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) and aluminum nitride (AlN).
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second barrier layers and the first dielectric layer are formed in a cluster system.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the cluster system comprises at least one CVD processing chamber and one ALD processing chamber incorporated thereto.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and the second dielectric layers are inorganic.
17 . A method, comprising:
performing a first chemical vapor deposition process to form a first barrier layer on a substrate having an OLED structure formed thereon;
performing a first atomic layer deposition process to form a first dielectric layer on the first barrier layer, wherein the first dielectric layer is a metal dielectric layer; and
performing a second chemical vapor deposition process to form a second barrier layer on the first dielectric layer.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
performing a second atomic layer deposition process to form a second dielectric layer on the second barrier layer, wherein the second dielectric layer is a metal dielectric layer.
19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
performing a third chemical vapor deposition process to form a buffer layer between the first dielectric layer and the second barrier layer.
20 . A method, comprising:
forming a metal dielectric layer between first and second barrier layers by an atomic layer deposition process, wherein the first and second barrier layers and the metal dielectric layer are formed on a substrate comprising an OLED structure, wherein the metal dielectric layer is selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), zirconium (IV) oxide (ZrO 2 ), aluminum titanium oxide (AlTiO), aluminum zirconium oxide (AlZrO), zinc oxide (ZnO), indium tin oxide (ITO), AlON, SiON and AlN.