STTR PHASE I: Flexible Inorganic/Polymer Multilayer Gas Diffusion Barrier Films

The Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase I project will develop diffusion barriers for organic electronic devices. Innovative new films formed from inorganic/polymer multilayers are excellent flexible gas diffusion barriers to protect organic electronic devices. Current coating technologies can not meet the requirements for low water and oxygen permeability for flexible organic light emitting devices (OLEDs). The proposed work will develop flexible inorganic/polymer multilayers that should display unsurpassed diffusive lag times for the H2O permeability of 10 years. Flexible inorganic/polymer gas diffusion barriers would greatly impact the development of flexible OLEDs. Currently, these flexible organic electronic devices have been pushed back 10 years because of the lack of a suitable gas diffusion barrier. The usefulness of flexible gas diffusion barriers also reaches into other arenas. OLEDs are very energy efficient. The ability to fabricate OLEDs on inexpensive flexible plastic substrates would allow for widespread adoption of OLED lighting. OLED lighting sources should reduce energy consumption and help improve the nation's energy security. Flexible barriers are also needed for a variety of other applications such as medical packaging and flexible materials to protect from chemical and biological agents.