| AVS 61st International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Thin Film | Thursday Sessions |
| Session TF-ThP |
| Session: | Thin Films Poster Session |
| Presenter: | Karyn Jarvis, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Australia |
| Authors: | KL. Jarvis, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Australia G. Griffiths, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Australia L. Hyde, Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication (MCN), Australia P. Evans, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Australia G. Triani, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Australia |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Polymer substrates are used for flexible organic electronics due to being lightweight, cheap, transparent and printable in continuous roll to roll manufacturing technology. However, a significant disadvantage of these materials is their high gas/vapour permeability. A permeation barrier is therefore essential when using polymer substrates in organic electronics to reduce both oxygen and moisture ingress to an acceptable level. Films deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) have shown to improve the barrier properties of polymeric films [1-2]. In the present study, single alumina (Al2O3) films were deposited onto one surface of PET substrates (Multapex, biaxially oriented, 75 µm thick) using thermal and plasma enhanced ALD. Films with thicknesses in the range of 7 - 25 nm were deposited at 100 or 120°C. The water vapour transmission rate (WVTR) of the ALD films was determined predominately by tritium permeation, but was also measured using the MOCON and Ca-tests for comparison. Thermally grown 20 nm thick alumina films were also deposited onto PET and PEN substrates with thicknesses of 75 and 125 µm to evaluate the effect of substrate type and thickness on WVTR. In addition, several mixed oxide structures such as alumina/hafnia and alumina/titania were also investigated to examine their potential for further decreasing the WVTR. Characterisation of the ALD grown films was carried out using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and optical microscopy. For single Al2O3 layers, film thickness and deposition temperature influenced the WVTR. The WVTR decreased with increasing film thickness and deposition temperature. The deposition of ALD metal oxide films was successful in reducing water permeation through polymer substrates, demonstrating the potential of these coatings as a barrier technology for organic electronics over wide range of polymer based products.
[1] Groner MD, George SM, McLean RS, Carcia PF Appl. Phys. Lett 2006, 88, 051907
[2] Dameron AA, Davidson SD, Burton BB, Carcia PF, McLean S, George SM J. Phys. Chem. C. 2008, 112(12), 4573