• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.450-450
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• 2012

In recent days, advances in ZnO-based oxide semiconductor materials have accelerated the development of thin-film transistors (TFTs), which are the building blocks for active matrix flat-panel displays including liquid crystal displays (LCD) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLED). In particular, the development of high-mobility ZnO-based channel materials has been proven invaluable; thus, there have been many reports of high-performance TFTs with oxide semiconductor channels such as ZnO, InZnO (IZO), ZnSnO (ZTO), and InGaZnO (IGZO). The reliability of oxide TFTs can be improved by examining more stable oxide channel materials. In the present study, we investigated the effects of an ALD-deposited water vapor permeation barrier on the stability of ZnO and HfZnO (HZO) thin film transistors. The device without the water vapor barrier films showed a large turn-on voltage shift under negative bias temperature stress. On the other hand, the suitably protected device with the lowest water vapor transmission rate showed a dramatically improved device performance. As the value of the water vapor transmission rate of the barrier films was decreased, the turn-on voltage instability reduced. The results suggest that water vapor related traps are strongly related to the instability of ZnO and HfZnO TFTs and that a proper combination of water vapor permeation barriers plays an important role in suppressing the device instability.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.110.1-110.1
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• 2012

Recently, advances in ZnO based oxide semiconductor materials have accelerated the development of thin-film transistors (TFTs), which are the building blocks for active matrix flat-panel displays including liquid crystal displays (LCD) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLED). However, the electrical performances of oxide semiconductors are significantly affected by interactions with the ambient atmosphere. Jeong et al. reported that the channel of the IGZO-TFT is very sensitive to water vapor adsorption. Thus, water vapor passivation layers are necessary for long-term current stability in the operation of the oxide-based TFTs. In the present work, $Al_2O_3$ and $TiO_2$ thin films were deposited on poly ether sulfon (PES) and $SnO_x$-based TFTs by electron cyclotron resonance atomic layer deposition (ECR-ALD). And enhancing the WVTR (water vapor transmission rate) characteristics, barrier layer structure was modified to $Al_2O_3/TiO_2$ layered structure. For example, $Al_2O_3$, $TiO_2$ single layer, $Al_2O_3/TiO_2$ double layer and $Al_2O_3/TiO_2/Al_2O_3/TiO_2$ multilayer were studied for enhancement of water vapor barrier properties. After thin film water vapor barrier deposited on PES substrate and $SnO_x$-based TFT, thin film permeation characteristics were three orders of magnitude smaller than that without water vapor barrier layer of PES substrate, stability of $SnO_x$-based TFT devices were significantly improved. Therefore, the results indicate that $Al_2O_3/TiO_2$ water vapor barrier layers are highly proper for use as a passivation layer in $SnO_x$-based TFT devices.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.47 no.12
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• pp.873-880
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• 2009

Water-vapor permeation through metallic barriers deposited on polymer substrates has been an important technological issue because the performance of the barrier is critical to the reliability of flexible organic devices. For the development of long-lifetime flexible organic devices, two different sets of samples were designed and demonstrated from the viewpoint of the water-vapor transmission rate (WVTR). Aluminum (Al) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were chosen for the barrier layer and the polymer substrate, respectively. Two stacking structures, a single-layer (Al/PET) structure and a double-layer (Al/PET/Al) structure, were used for the WVTR measurement. For the single-layer structure, the WVTR decreases as the thickness of the barrier layer increases. Compared to the single-layer sample, the double-layer sample showed superior WVTR performance (by nearly three times) when the total thickness of the Al barrier was greater than 100 nm.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.07a
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• pp.589-593
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• 2005

It is well known that proper encapsulation is crucial for the lifetime of organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays. With the development of increasingly better barrier coatings and perimeter seals, it has now become very desirable to be able to precisely measure the rate of water vapor and oxygen permeation through barrier coatings and perimeter sealing. This paper demonstrates a new permeation measurement method that uses tritium-containing water (HTO) as a tracer material. The theoretical detection limit of this direct method is $2.4{\times}10^{-8}g/(m^2day)$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.283-284
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• 2008

Electrical and optical characteristics of indium tin oxide (ITO) and indium zinc oxide (IZO) films without and with $(SiO_2)_3(ZnO)_7$ at.% (SZO) film deposited on poly(ethylene naphthalate) (PEN) and poly(ethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates as a gas barrier layer for flexible display were studied. The ITO and IZO films with SZO gas barrier layer showed the improved properties which were both the high transmittance of average 80% in the visible light range and the decreased sheet resistance as compared to those of ITO and IZO films without SZO layer. Particularly, the PEN substrate with only SZO gas barrier layer had a low water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of $\sim10^{-3}g/m^2$/day. Thus, we suggest that the SZO film with protection ability against the water vapor permeation can be applied to gas barrier layer for flexible display.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2004

We have prepared polyster/nanQhybridized polyimide films in the range of 1~9 wt% of organophilic synthetic layered silicate (STN). Firstly, poly(amic acid)/STN nanocomposite solutions were prepared via solution blending method in DMAc or THF/MeOH solution, and then cast on the polyester film followed by imidization reaction, thermal and chemical method repestively. XRD and TEM experiment showed that the STN was fully exfoliated through the polyimide matrix. Surface morphologies of nanohybridized polyimide films were characterized by AFM and thermal, mechanical properties were also confirmed by TGA, DMA and UTM each. And also, the water vapor permeabilities highly depended on the content of STN. The sample from chemical imidization route and THF/MeOH solvent system showed better water vapor barrier properties than thermal one and DMAc system.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.432-438
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• 2004

In this study, we investigated the WVTRs Properties of inorganic thin composite films(ITCFs) to be newly adopted as the passivation layer of the OLED to replace the inorganic compound material Because we thought that inorganic compound materials were limited to enhance the barrier property of thin film. So, ITCFs were fabricated by mixing the cooperated material with the base material. And then, ITCFs were deposited onto the plastic substrate using the electron beam evaporation system and the water vapor transmission rates(WVTRs) were measured using the Mocon equipment. As a result of the WVTR measurement, we could analyze the WVTR values for various ITCFs. ITCFs had a remarkably lower value than the inorganic compound film. Through the analysis of thin film, we can understand the crystal structure and mixed amount. Therefore, ITCFs can be used as the inorganic passivation layers of OLED with the inorganic compound film.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2017

To identify applicability for packaging material of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/boric acid (BA) coating solution with highly-enhanced water vapor and oxygen barrier properties, the PET/PVA-BA/OPP multi-layer films were prepared through comma coating and lamination process. The oxygen and water vapor permeabilities, and tensile strength of as-prepared multi-layer films were investigated before and after pressure cooker test (PCT). Although oxygen and water vapor permeabilites, and mechanical properties of PET/PVA-BA/OPP multi-layer films was decreased after PCT, their properties were highly enhanced as increase of BA contents in PVA matrix. This is strongly related with enhanced cross-linking density in PVA-BA layer. In storage test of seasoned-laver, the PET/PVA-BA/OPP multi-layer films were comparatively effective to suppress the increase in peroxide value originating from oxidation of seasoned-laver. Comparing the commercially available PP/Al-metallized PP for seasoned-laver packaging, however, PET/PVA-BA/OPP multi-layer films did not show any advantage in water activity. This is due to higher water vapor permeation properties of as-prepared multi-layer films. Therefore, further studies are required to enhance the water vapor permeation in PET/PVA-BA/OPP multi-layer films.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1-4
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• 2017

Encapsulation of organic based devices is essential issue due to easy deterioration of organic material by water vapor. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a promising solution because of its low temperature deposition and quality of the deposited film. Moisture permeation has a mechanism to pass through defects, Thin Film Encapsulation using inorganic / organic / inorganic hybrid film has been used as promising technology. $Al_2O_3$ / Polymer / $Al_2O_3$ multilayer film has shown excellent environmental protection characteristics despite of thin thicknesses of the films.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.51-58
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• 2018

In this paper, the organic material Poly(methyl methacrylate) PMMA is used with inorganic $Al_2O_3$ to fabricate organic-inorganic multilayer barrier thin films. The organic thin films are developed using a roll-to-roll electrohydrodynamic atomization system, whereas the inorganic are grown using a roll-to-roll low-temperature atmospheric pressure atomic layer deposition system. For the first time, these two technologies are used together to develop organic-inorganic multilayer barrier thin films in atmospheric condition. The films are grown under optimized parameters and classified into three classes based on the layer structures, when the total thickness of the barrier is maintained at ~ 160 nm. All classes of barriers show good morphological, optical and chemical properties. The $Al_2O_3$ films with a low average arithmetic roughness of 1.58 nm conceal the non-uniformity and irregularities in PMMA thin films with a roughness of 5.20 nm. All classes of barriers show a notably good optical transmission of ~ 85 %. The hybrid organic-inorganic barriers show water vapor and oxygen permeation in the range of ${\sim}3.2{\times}10^{-2}g/m^2/day$ and $0.015cc/m^2/day$ at $23^{\circ}C$ and 100% relative humidity. It has been confirmed that it can be mass-produced and used as a low-cost barrier thin film in various printing electronic devices.