CN116583479A

CN116583479A - Optoelectronic device with nanoparticle deposited layer

Info

Publication number: CN116583479A
Application number: CN202180086165.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: M·海兰德; Z·王; Y-L·常; 王�琦
Original assignee: Oti Lighting Co
Current assignee: Oti Lighting Co
Priority date: 2020-10-29
Filing date: 2021-10-29
Publication date: 2023-08-11

Abstract

The present application discloses a layered semiconductor device comprising at least one particle structure disposed on an underlying layer, the at least one particle structure comprising a particle material in contact with a contact material selected from the group consisting of: seed material, co-deposited dielectric material, and/or at least one patterning material. The present application discloses a method for controllably selecting the formation of the at least one particle structure on an underlying layer during the fabrication of the device, the method comprising: depositing at least one layer, including the underlying layer; and exposing a surface of the underlying layer to a flux of particulate material such that the particulate material contacts the contact material and coalesces to dispose the at least one particulate structure on the underlying layer.

Description

Optoelectronic device with nanoparticle deposited layer

Related patent application

The present application claims the benefit of priority from the following applications: U.S. provisional patent application number US 63/107,393, U.S. provisional patent application number US 63/153,834, U.S. provisional patent application number US 63/163,453, and U.S. provisional patent application number US 63/181,100, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, filed on 29 in 10 months 2020, 25 in 2 months 2021, 19 in 3 months 2021, and 28 in 4 months 2021.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to depositing thin film Nanoparticle (NP) layers of materials, such as thin film NP layers that may be deposited during a layered semiconductor device fabrication process, and to methods for controllably depositing such layers on the exposed layer surfaces of (any lateral portions of) any layers of such devices.

Background

Nanoparticles (NPs) are particles of matter having a major characteristic dimension on the order of nanometers (nm), generally understood to be between about 1nm and 300 nm. On the nanoscale, NPs of a given material may have unique properties (including, but not limited to, optical, chemical, physical, and/or electrical properties) relative to the same material in bulk form, including, but not limited to, the amount of absorption of EM radiation exhibited by such NPs at different wavelengths (ranges).

These properties can be exploited to improve the performance of a layered semiconductor device when multiple NPs are formed as a layer.

However, existing mechanisms for introducing such NP layers into such devices have some drawbacks.

First, such NPs are typically formed as a close-packed layer of such devices, and/or dispersed into their host materials. Thus, the thickness of such NP layers is typically much thicker than the characteristic dimensions of the NP itself. The thickness of such NP layers may impart undesirable characteristics in terms of device performance, device stability, device reliability, and/or device lifetime, which may reduce or even eliminate any known advantages provided by the unique properties of NPs.

Second, the technology used to synthesize NPs in such devices and for such devices may introduce significant amounts of carbon (C), oxygen (O), and/or sulfur (S) through various mechanisms.

As non-limiting examples, wet chemical methods are commonly used to introduce NPs with precisely controlled feature sizes, lengths, widths, diameters, heights, size distributions, shapes, surface coverage, configurations, deposition densities, dispersions, and/or compositions into optoelectronic devices. However, such methods typically employ organic capping groups (such as synthesis of citric acid capped silver (Ag) NPs) to stabilize the NPs, but such organic capping groups introduce C, O and/or S into the synthesized NPs.

In addition, solvents are used during deposition, and NP layers deposited from this solution typically contain C, O and/or S.

In addition, these elements may be introduced as contaminants during the wet chemical process and/or deposition of the NP layer.

Regardless of the introduction, the presence of significant amounts of C, O and/or S in the NP layer of such devices can compromise the performance, stability, reliability, and/or lifetime of such devices.

Third, when the NP layer is deposited from solution, the NP layer tends to have non-uniform properties throughout the NP layer and/or between different patterned regions of such layer as the solvent employed dries. In some non-limiting examples, the edges of a given layer may be significantly thicker or thinner than the interior regions of such layers, and such differences may adversely affect device performance, stability, reliability, and/or lifetime.

Fourth, while other methods and/or processes of synthesizing and/or depositing NPs exist in addition to wet chemical synthesis and solution deposition processes, including but not limited to vacuum-based methods such as but not limited to PVD, such methods tend to provide poor control over the feature size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, and/or composition of NPs deposited thereby. As a non-limiting example, during PVD, NPs tend to form a tightly packed film as their size increases. Thus, methods such as PVD are generally not well suited for forming layers of large dispersed NPs with low surface coverage. Conversely, poor control of feature size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersion, and/or composition imparted by such methods may result in poor device performance, stability, reliability, and/or lifetime.

In some non-limiting examples, an OLED display panel may include a plurality of laterally distributed (sub) pixels, each having an associated pair of electrodes and at least one semiconductive layer therebetween. The anode and cathode are electrically coupled to a power source and generate holes and electrons, respectively, that migrate toward each other through the at least one semiconductive layer. When a pair of holes and electrons combine, photons can be emitted. In some non-limiting examples, the (sub) pixels may be selectively driven by a drive circuit comprising a plurality of Thin Film Transistor (TFT) structures electrically coupled by conductive metal lines within a substrate on which electrodes and at least one semiconductive layer are deposited in some non-limiting examples. The various layers and coatings of such panels are typically formed by vacuum-based deposition processes.

In some non-limiting examples, multiple sub-pixels, each corresponding to a different wavelength (range) of EM radiation and emitting that EM radiation, may collectively form a pixel. Due to the different wavelengths (ranges) involved, EM radiation of a first wavelength (range) emitted by a first sub-pixel of a pixel may be performed differently than EM radiation of a second wavelength (range) emitted by a second sub-pixel of the pixel.

In some non-limiting examples, a metal NP layer having a first given feature size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, and/or composition may exhibit an absorption spectrum in a first wavelength range that is different from an absorption spectrum exhibited by a metal NP layer having a second given feature size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, and/or composition in a second wavelength range.

In some non-limiting examples, there may be such a goal: mechanisms are provided for controllably depositing thin, dispersed layers of metal NPs in layered semiconductor devices, which may affect the performance of such devices in terms of optical properties, performance, stability, reliability, and/or lifetime.

In some non-limiting examples, there may be such a goal: the NP layer is controllably formed on the exposed layer surface of a particular layer of the device, including but not limited to, across a particular portion thereof oriented laterally.

In some non-limiting examples, there may be such a goal: a mechanism is provided for controllably depositing an NP layer having at least one of: at least one characteristic dimension, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, and at least one composition, including but not limited to a composition substantially free of at least one contaminant.

In some non-limiting examples, there may be such a goal: absorption and/or transmittance of EM radiation by controllably depositing an NP layer across a path of the EM radiation at least partially through a given wavelength (range) of the device, including EM radiation emitted by the device.

Drawings

Examples of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals in the various figures refer to like elements and/or similar and/or corresponding elements in some non-limiting examples, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of an exemplary device having a plurality of layers in a lateral orientation, with layers of at least one granular structure disposed between respective ones of the plurality of layers, as viewed in cross-section;

2A-2E each show a plurality of SEM images of an exemplary sample according to examples in the present disclosure, and a distribution profile of a plurality of particles of various feature sizes therein;

FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram of an exemplary version of the device of FIG. 1, as seen from a cross-sectional view, with a particle structure layer disposed on the particle structure patterned coating, according to examples in this disclosure;

fig. 4A-4H are simplified block diagrams of an exemplary version of the device of fig. 1, as seen from a cross-sectional view, illustrating various examples of possible interactions between a particle structure patterned coating and a particle structure, according to examples in the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is an exemplary schematic diagram illustrating in plan view the device of FIG. 3 after partial cutaway, the device including a particle structure patterned coating beneath at least one particle structure, according to examples in the present disclosure; and an upper cladding layer deposited thereon;

fig. 6A-6E are SEM micrographs of samples fabricated in examples of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6F is a graph of transmittance at various wavelengths based on analysis of the micrographs of FIGS. 6A-6E;

fig. 6G-6J are SEM micrographs of samples fabricated in examples of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6K is a graph of transmittance at various wavelengths based on analysis of the micrographs of FIGS. 6G-6J;

6L-6O are SEM micrographs of samples fabricated in examples of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6P is a graph of transmittance at various wavelengths based on analysis of the micrographs of FIGS. 6L-6O;

fig. 7A is a schematic diagram illustrating at least one particle structure of fig. 1, formed by depositing a patterned coating after depositing a plurality of seeds for forming the structure, proximate to an emission region of the device of fig. 1, according to an example in the present disclosure;

FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram illustrating a version of at least one particle structure of FIG. 7A formed by depositing a patterned coating prior to depositing a plurality of seeds according to an example in the present disclosure;

fig. 8A-8C are simplified block diagrams, viewed in cross-section, of various examples of an exemplary user device having a display panel for covering a body and at least one under-display component housed therein for exchanging EM signals therethrough at a non-zero angle to a layer of the display panel, according to examples in the present disclosure;

Fig. 9A-9B are SEM micrographs of samples fabricated in examples of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9C is a graph of average diameter based on analysis of the micrographs of FIGS. 9A-9B;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example cross-sectional view of an example user device having a display panel with multiple layers including at least one aperture therein according to examples in the present disclosure;

FIG. 11A is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of the user device of FIG. 10, wherein at least one aperture is embodied by at least one signal transmission region to exchange EM radiation in IR and/or NIR spectra for purposes of biometric authentication of a user, according to examples in this disclosure;

FIG. 11B is a plan view of the user device of FIG. 10 including a display panel according to an example in the present disclosure;

FIG. 11C shows a cross-sectional view taken along line 11C-11C of the device shown in FIG. 11B;

FIG. 11D is a plan view of the user device of FIG. 10 including a display panel according to an example in the present disclosure;

FIG. 11E shows a cross-sectional view taken along line 11E-11E of the device shown in FIG. 11D;

FIG. 11F is a plan view of the user device of FIG. 10 including a display panel according to an example in the present disclosure;

FIG. 11G illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along line 11G-11G of the device shown in FIG. 11F;

FIG. 11H illustrates an enlarged plan view of a portion of a panel according to an example in the present disclosure;

12A-12E are simplified block diagrams, viewed in cross-section, of various examples of optoelectronic devices according to examples in the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a simplified block diagram of an example of an optoelectronic device according to an example in the present disclosure, as viewed from a cross-sectional orientation;

FIG. 14 is a simplified block diagram, from a cross-sectional view, of an exemplary device having multiple layers in a lateral orientation formed by selectively depositing a patterned coating in a first portion of the lateral orientation followed by depositing a closed coating of deposited material in a second portion thereof, according to an example in the present disclosure;

FIG. 15 is a graph of photoluminescence intensity as a function of wavelength for various experimental samples;

FIG. 16 is a graph of transmittance reduction as a function of wavelength for various experimental samples;

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary process for depositing a patterned coating in a pattern on an exposed layer surface of an underlying layer in an exemplary version of the device of FIG. 14, according to examples in this disclosure;

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary process for depositing a deposition material in a second portion on the exposed layer surface of the deposition pattern that includes the patterned coating of FIG. 14, wherein the patterned coating is a Nucleation Inhibiting Coating (NIC);

FIG. 19A is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary version of the device of FIG. 14 in cross-section;

FIG. 19B is a schematic diagram illustrating the device of FIG. 19A in a complementary plan view;

FIG. 19C is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary version of the device of FIG. 14 in cross-section;

FIG. 19D is a schematic diagram illustrating the device of FIG. 19C in a complementary plan view;

fig. 19E is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the device of fig. 14 in cross-section;

fig. 19F is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the device of fig. 14 in cross-section;

fig. 19G is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the device of fig. 14 in cross-section;

20A-20I are schematic diagrams illustrating various potential behaviors of a patterned coating in an exemplary version of the device of FIG. 14 at a deposition interface with a deposited layer according to various examples of the present disclosure;

FIG. 21 is a block diagram, from a cross-sectional view, of an exemplary electroluminescent device according to examples in the present disclosure;

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram illustrating in plan view one version of an exemplary patterned electrode suitable for use in the device of FIG. 21, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure;

FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 23 taken along line 24-24;

FIG. 25A is a schematic diagram illustrating in plan view a plurality of exemplary electrode patterns suitable for use in the exemplary version of the device of FIG. 21, in accordance with examples of this disclosure;

FIG. 25B is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 25A at an intermediate stage taken along line 25B-25B;

FIG. 25C is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 25A taken along line 25C-25C;

fig. 26 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view of an exemplary version of the device of fig. 21 with an exemplary patterned auxiliary electrode according to examples in this disclosure;

FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary pattern of auxiliary electrodes overlaid on at least one emission area and at least one non-emission area in plan view, according to examples in the present disclosure;

fig. 28A is a schematic diagram illustrating in plan view an exemplary pattern of an exemplary version of the device of fig. 21 having a plurality of emission area groups in a diamond configuration, according to examples in this disclosure;

FIG. 28B is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 28A taken along line 28B-28B;

FIG. 28C is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 28A taken along line 28C-28C;

fig. 29 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example cross-sectional view of an example version of the device of fig. 22 with additional example deposition steps according to examples in this disclosure;

FIG. 30 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example cross-sectional view of an example version of the device of FIG. 22 with additional example deposition steps according to examples in this disclosure;

FIG. 31 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example cross-sectional view of an example version of the device of FIG. 22 with additional example deposition steps according to examples in this disclosure;

FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example cross-sectional view of an example version of the device of FIG. 22 with additional example deposition steps according to examples in this disclosure;

FIG. 33A is a schematic diagram illustrating in plan view an example of a transparent version of the device of FIG. 21 including at least one example pixel region and at least one example light transmissive region, having at least one auxiliary electrode, according to examples in this disclosure;

FIG. 33B is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 33A taken along line 33B-33B;

fig. 34A is a schematic diagram illustrating in plan view an example of a transparent pattern of the device of fig. 21, the transparent pattern including at least one example pixel region and at least one example light transmissive region, according to examples in this disclosure;

FIG. 34B is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 34A taken along line 34-34;

FIG. 34C is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 34A taken along line 34-34;

FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram that may illustrate an exemplary stage of an exemplary process for fabricating an exemplary version of the device of FIG. 22, the exemplary version having sub-pixel regions with a second electrode of another thickness, according to examples in this disclosure;

fig. 36 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary cross-sectional view of an exemplary version of the device of fig. 21, wherein a second electrode is coupled with an auxiliary electrode, according to examples in the present disclosure;

fig. 37 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary cross-sectional view of an exemplary version of the device of fig. 21 having a divider and a masking region, such as a recess, in a non-emissive region thereof, according to examples in the present disclosure;

38A-38B are schematic diagrams illustrating exemplary cross-sectional views of exemplary versions of the device of FIG. 21 having spacers and masking regions, such as holes, in non-emissive regions, according to various examples in the present disclosure;

39A-39C are schematic diagrams illustrating exemplary stages of an exemplary process for depositing a pattern of deposition layers on an exposed layer surface of an exemplary version of the device of FIG. 21 by selective deposition and subsequent removal processes, according to examples in this disclosure;

FIG. 40 is a flow chart illustrating method acts according to an example;

FIG. 41 is an example energy distribution showing relative energy states of surface adatoms adsorbed onto a surface according to examples in the present disclosure; and is also provided with

Fig. 42 is a schematic diagram illustrating formation of a film core according to an example in the present disclosure.

In this disclosure, a reference numeral appended with at least one numerical value (including, but not limited to, appended in a subscript) and/or lower case character (including, but not limited to, in lower case form) may be considered to refer to a particular instance of an element or feature described by that reference numeral and/or a subset thereof. As indicated above and below, reference to a reference numeral without reference to an accompanying value and/or character may generally refer to an element or feature described by the reference numeral, and/or a collection of all instances described by the reference numeral. Similarly, reference numerals may be replaced with the letter "x". As indicated above and below, indexing such reference numbers may generally refer to elements or features described by the reference numbers (where the character "x" is replaced by a number), and/or a collection of all instances described thereby.

In the present disclosure, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth, including but not limited to particular architectures, interfaces and/or techniques, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. In some instances, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, techniques, components, devices, circuits, methods and applications are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary detail.

Moreover, it should be appreciated that the block diagrams reproduced herein may represent conceptual views of illustrative components embodying the principles of the technology.

Accordingly, the system and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the examples of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

Any figures provided herein may not be drawn to scale and may not be considered limiting of the present disclosure in any way.

In some examples, any feature or action shown in dashed outline may be considered optional.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at least one disadvantage of the prior art.

The present invention discloses a layered semiconductor device comprising at least one particle structure disposed on an underlying layer, the at least one particle structure comprising a particle material in contact with a contact material selected from the group consisting of: a seed material, a co-deposited dielectric material, and/or at least one patterned material, the contact material having an initial adhesion probability for deposition of a particulate material thereon of at least one of: not greater than 0.3, and less than the initial adhesion probability of the underlying material to the deposition of particulate material thereon.

The present disclosure also discloses a method for controllably selecting the formation of at least one particle structure on an underlying layer during fabrication of the device, the method comprising: depositing at least one layer, including an underlying layer; and exposing a surface thereof to a flux of the particulate material such that the particulate material contacts the contact material and coalesces to dispose the at least one particulate structure on the underlying layer.

According to one broad aspect, a semiconductor device is disclosed having a plurality of layers deposited on a substrate and extending in at least one lateral direction defined by a lateral axis thereof, the semiconductor device comprising: at least one particulate structure comprising a particulate material; the at least one particle structure is disposed on the exposed layer surface of the underlying layer; and the particulate material is contacted with a contact material selected from at least one of: a seed material, a co-deposited dielectric material, and at least one patterning material.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure may be disposed in a discontinuous layer on an underlying layer. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure in at least a central portion of the discontinuous layer may have a common characteristic selected from at least one of: size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, material, degree of aggregation, and other properties. In some non-limiting examples, the discontinuous layer can be disposed on a patterned coating that includes at least one patterning material. In some non-limiting examples, the discontinuous coating may extend substantially across the entire lateral extent of the patterned coating. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating may have at least one nucleation site for the particulate material. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating may be supplemented with a seed material that acts as nucleation sites for the particulate material.

In some non-limiting examples, the particulate material may include at least one of: silver, ytterbium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, lithium, barium, cesium, gold, copper, aluminum, zinc, cadmium, tin, yttrium, alloys of any combination of any of the foregoing, and any combination of any of the foregoing.

In some non-limiting examples, the underlying layers may be selected from at least one of: electron transport layer, electron injection layer, metal, alloy, metal oxide, and any combination of any of the foregoing.

In some non-limiting examples, the device may include at least one overlayer deposited on the at least one particle structure and the underlying layer. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one overlayer may include at least one of: a capping layer (CPL); and a cover layer selected from at least one of: an outcoupling layer, a CPL, a thin film encapsulation layer, a polarizing layer, lithium fluoride, an air gap, and any combination of any of the foregoing. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one upper cladding layer may have a refractive index that exceeds the refractive index of the underlying layer.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure may be disposed in a laterally oriented first portion of the device. In some non-limiting examples, the first portion may correspond to at least a portion of the signal transmission region. In some non-limiting examples, the device may be adapted to receive at least one EM signal passing through the signal transmission region for exchange with at least one display lower component. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one display lower component may include at least one of: a receiver adapted to receive; and an emitter adapted to emit at least one EM signal through the signal transmissive region at a non-zero angle to the underlying layer. In some non-limiting examples, the transmitter may transmit a first EM signal and the receiver may detect a second EM signal that is a reflection of the first EM signal. In some non-limiting examples, the exchange of the first EM signal and the second EM signal may provide biometric authentication of the user. In some non-limiting examples, the device may form a display panel of the user equipment that encloses the display lower part.

In some non-limiting examples, the laterally oriented second portion of the device may be substantially free of the at least one particle structure. In some non-limiting examples, the device may be an optoelectronic device and the second portion may correspond to at least one emission region thereof for emitting at least one EM signal passing through the signal transmission region at a non-zero angle to the underlying layer. In some non-limiting examples, the device may be an optoelectronic device and the first portion may correspond to at least one emission region thereof. In some non-limiting examples, the device may further include at least one semiconductive layer disposed on one of its layers, wherein: each emission region includes a first electrode and a second electrode; the first electrode is arranged between the substrate and the at least one semiconductive layer; and the at least one semiconductive layer is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

In some non-limiting examples, the seed material may be deposited as at least one seed in a template layer on an underlying layer and adapted to promote coalescence of particulate material therearound to form at least one particulate structure. In some non-limiting examples, the seed material may be selected from at least one of: ytterbium, silver, metals, materials having high wetting properties relative to particulate materials, nucleation promoting coating materials, organic materials, polycyclic aromatic compounds, and materials comprising a nonmetallic element selected from at least one of oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon, and any combination of any of the foregoing.

In some non-limiting examples, the co-deposited dielectric material may be co-deposited with the particulate material and adapted to promote the formation of the particulate material to form at least one particulate structure. In some non-limiting examples, the co-deposited dielectric material may be selected from at least one of: organic materials, semiconductors, organic semiconductors, and any combination of any of the foregoing. In some non-limiting examples, the ratio of particulate material to co-deposited dielectric material may be at least one of about 50:1-5:1, 30:1-5:1, and 20:1-10:1. In some non-limiting examples, the ratio of particulate material to co-deposited dielectric material may be at least one of about 50:1, 45:1, 40:1, 35:1, 30:1, 25:1, 20:1, 19:1, 15:1, 12.5:1, 10:1, 7.5:1, and 5:1. In some non-limiting examples, the co-deposited dielectric material may have an initial adhesion probability for deposition of the particulate material of less than 1.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one patterning material may be deposited on the underlying layer to facilitate the formation of the particulate material into at least one particulate structure. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure may be disposed on an exposed layer surface of a patterned coating comprising the at least one patterning material. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure may be surrounded by a patterned coating comprising the at least one patterning material. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure may be disposed at an interface between an underlying layer and the patterned coating. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one patterning material may have an initial adhesion probability for deposition of particulate material thereon of at least one of: not greater than 0.3; and less than the initial adhesion probability of the material comprising the underlying layer to the deposition of particulate material thereon. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one patterning material may have an initial adhesion probability for deposition of the particulate material of at least one of no greater than 0.9, 0.3, 0.2, 0.15, 0.1, 0.08, 0.05, 0.03, 0.02, 0.01, 0.008, 0.005, 0.003, 0.001, 0.0008, 0.0005, 0.0003, and 0.0001. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one patterning material may have a thickness of about 0.15-0.0001, 0.1-0.0003, 0.08-0.0005, 0.08-0.0008, 0.05-0.001, 0.03-0.0001, 0.03-0.0003, 0.03-0.0005, 0.03-0.0008, 0.03-0.001, 0.03-0.005, 0.03-0.008, 0.03-0.01, 0.02-0.0001, 0.02-0.0003, 0.02-0.0005, 0.02-0.0008, 0.02-0.001, 0.02-0.005, 0.02-0.008, 0.02-0.01 an initial adhesion probability for the deposition of the particulate material of at least one of 0.01-0.0001, 0.01-0.0003, 0.01-0.0005, 0.01-0.0008, 0.01-0.001, 0.01-0.005, 0.01-0.008, 0.008-0.0001, 0.008-0.0003, 0.008-0.0005, 0.008-0.0008, 0.008-0.001, 0.005-0.0001, 0.005-0.0003, 0.005-0.0005, 0.005-0.0008, and 0.005-0.001. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one patterning material may have a surface energy of no greater than about at least one of 24 dynes/cm, 22 dynes/cm, 20 dynes/cm, 18 dynes/cm, 16 dynes/cm, 15 dynes/cm, 13 dynes/cm, 12 dynes/cm, and 11 dynes/cm. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one patterning material may have a surface energy of at least about 6 dynes/cm, 7 dynes/cm, and 8 dynes/cm. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one patterning material may have a surface energy of at least one of between about 10 dynes/cm and 20 dynes/cm and 13 dynes/cm and 19 dynes/cm. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one patterning material may have a refractive index of not greater than about at least one of 1.55, 1.5, 1.45, 1.43, 1.4, 1.39, 1.37, 1.35, 1.32, and 1.3 for electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength of 550 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one patterning material may have an extinction coefficient of not greater than about 0.01 for electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of at least one of about 600nm, 500nm, 460nm, 420nm, and 410 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one patterning material may have an extinction coefficient of at least one of about 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 for electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength shorter than at least one of about 400nm, 390nm, 380nm, and 370 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one patterning material may have a glass transition temperature of not greater than about at least one of 300 ℃, 150 ℃, 130 ℃, 30 ℃, 0 ℃, 30 ℃ and 50 ℃. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one patterning material may have a sublimation temperature of at least one of between about 100 ℃ to 320 ℃, 120 ℃ to 300 ℃, 140 ℃ to 280 ℃, and 150 ℃ to 250 ℃.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterning material may include at least one of fluorine atoms and silicon atoms. In some non-limiting examples, the patterning material may include fluorine and carbon. In some non-limiting examples, the atomic ratio of fluorine to carbon quotient may be at least one of about 1, 1.5, and 2. In some non-limiting examples, the patterning material may include an oligomer. In some non-limiting examples, the patterning material may include a compound having a molecular structure including a backbone and at least one functional group bonded thereto. In some non-limiting examples, the compound may comprise at least one of: siloxane groups, silsesquioxane groups, aryl groups, heteroaryl groups, fluoroalkyl groups, hydrocarbon groups, phosphazene groups, fluoropolymers, and metal complexes. In some non-limiting examples, the molecular weight of the compound may be no greater than about at least one of 5,000g/mol, 4,500g/mol, 4,000g/mol, 3,800g/mol, and 3,500 g/mol. In some non-limiting examples, the molecular weight may be at least about 1,500g/mol, 1,700g/mol, 2,000g/mol, 2,200g/mol, and 2,500g/mol. In some non-limiting examples, the molecular weight may be at least one of about 1,500g/mol to 5,000g/mol, 1,500 to 4,500g/mol, 1,700g/mol to 4,500g/mol, 2,000g/mol to 4,000g/mol, 2,200g/mol to 4,000g/mol, and 2,500g/mol to 3,800 g/mol. In some non-limiting examples, the percentage of the molar weight of the compound attributable to the presence of fluorine atoms may be between about 40% -90%, 45% -85%, 50% -80%, 55% -75%, or 60% -75% of at least one. In some non-limiting examples, the fluorine atoms may constitute a majority of the molar weight of the compound. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one patterning material may include an organic-inorganic hybrid material.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one patterning material may include a first patterning material having a first initial adhesion probability and a second patterning material having a second initial adhesion probability that exceeds the first initial adhesion probability. In some non-limiting examples, the second patterning material may include at least one of: nucleation promoting coating material, electron transport layer material, liq, lithium fluoride, organic material, polyaromatic compound, material comprising a nonmetallic element selected from at least one of oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon, and any combination of any of the foregoing. In some non-limiting examples, the first patterning material may be a nucleation inhibiting coating material.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one patterning material may have a first surface energy that is not greater than a second surface energy of the particulate material.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle may impart an optical response to electromagnetic radiation incident thereon that is selected from the group consisting of a change in a property of the device that is at least one of absorption, scattering, resonance, crystallization, refractive index, and extinction coefficient of the radiation. In some non-limiting examples, the change in absorption may be selected from an increase, decrease, peak intensity, and shift in its wavelength. In some non-limiting examples, the optical response may affect a wavelength range of the radiation selected from at least one of: visible spectrum, infrared (IR) spectrum, near Infrared (NIR) spectrum, ultraviolet (UV) spectrum, UVA spectrum, UVB spectrum, sub-ranges thereof, and any combination of any of the foregoing. In some non-limiting examples, the optical response may be affected by a characteristic of the at least one particle selected from at least one of: the at least one particle structure has a characteristic size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, material, degree of aggregation, and other properties. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure may have a characteristic dimension of no greater than about 200 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure may have a characteristic diameter of at least one of between about 1nm-200nm, 1nm-160nm, 1nm-100nm, 1nm-50nm, and 1nm-30 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure may include at least one first particle structure having a first characteristic size range and at least one second particle structure having a second characteristic size range. In some non-limiting examples, the first range may be selected from at least one of about 1nm-49nm, 10nm-40nm, 5nm-30nm, 10nm-30nm, 15nm-35nm, 20nm-35nm, and 25nm-35nm, and the second range may be selected from at least one of: at least 50nm, and at least one of about 50nm-250nm, 50nm-200nm, 60nm-150nm, 60nm-100nm, and 60nm-90 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the optical response may be affected by layer characteristics of a layer proximate to the at least one particle structure. In some non-limiting examples, the layer characteristics may include at least one of: material, layer thickness, refractive index, deposition environment selected from at least one of temperature, pressure, duration, deposition rate, and processes thereof, and any combination of any of the foregoing.

In some non-limiting examples, the radiation may engage the device along an optical path of at least a first direction that is at a non-zero angle to the plane of the underlying layer. In some non-limiting examples, the radiation may be at least one of: emitted by the device, incident on the device, and at least partially transmitted through the device.

According to one broad aspect, a method for controllably selecting the formation of at least one grain structure on an underlying layer during the fabrication of a semiconductor device having a plurality of layers is disclosed, the method comprising the acts of: depositing at least one layer, including an underlying layer; and exposing the exposed layer surface of the underlying layer to a flux of particulate material such that the particulate material contacts a contact material selected from at least one of: a seed material, a co-deposited dielectric material, and at least one patterned material, wherein the particulate material coalesces to dispose the at least one particle on an underlying layer.

In some non-limiting examples, the method can further include the act of overlaying the at least one particle structure and the underlying layer with at least one overlayer.

In some non-limiting examples, the act of exposing may be preceded by an act of restricting formation of the at least one particle structure to a laterally oriented first portion of the device. In some non-limiting examples, the act of restricting may include an act of restricting exposure of the flux to the first portion. In some non-limiting examples, the act of restricting may include an act of seeding seed material in the template layer on an underlying layer in the first portion. In some non-limiting examples, the act of restricting may include an act of applying at least one patterning material in the patterned coating to an underlying layer in the first portion.

In some non-limiting examples, the act of applying may include inserting a shadow mask between the at least one patterning material and the underlying layer while applying the at least one patterning material.

In some non-limiting examples, the act of exposing may include an act of co-depositing the particulate material with a co-deposited dielectric material. In some non-limiting examples, the exposing act may include at least one of: open mask deposition and maskless deposition.

Detailed Description

Layered device

The present disclosure relates generally to layered semiconductor devices, and more particularly to optoelectronic devices. Optoelectronic devices generally can encompass any device that converts an electrical signal into photons and vice versa. In some non-limiting examples, the layered semiconductor device (including but not limited to an optoelectronic device) may be used as a face 1001 (fig. 10) of a user device 800 (fig. 8A), including but not limited to a display panel 840 (fig. 8A).

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that while the present disclosure relates to optoelectronic devices, the principles thereof are applicable to any panel having multiple layers, including but not limited to at least one layer of conductive deposition material 1831 (fig. 18) included as a thin film, and in some non-limiting examples, electromagnetic (EM) signals may pass completely or partially through the layer of conductive deposition material at non-zero angles relative to the plane of at least one of the layers.

Turning now to fig. 1, a cross-sectional view of an exemplary layered device 100 may be shown. In some non-limiting examples, as shown in more detail in fig. 21, the device 100 may include multiple layers deposited on the substrate 10.

The lateral axis, identified as the X-axis, may be shown along with the longitudinal axis, identified as the Z-axis. A second lateral axis, identified as the Y-axis, may be shown as being substantially transverse to both the X-axis and the Z-axis. At least one of the lateral axes may define a lateral orientation of the device 100. The longitudinal axis may define the lateral orientation of the device 100.

The layers of device 100 may extend in a lateral direction substantially parallel to a plane defined by the lateral axis. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, the substantially flat representation shown in fig. 1 may be an abstract concept for illustrative purposes. In some non-limiting examples, there may be localized substantially planar layers of different thickness and dimensions over the lateral extent of the device 100, including in some non-limiting examples substantially completely absent layers and/or layers separated by uneven transition regions (including lateral gaps and even discontinuities).

Thus, while for illustrative purposes, the device 100 may be shown as a substantially layered structure of substantially parallel planar layers in its cross-sectional orientation, such a device may locally show different topography to define features, each of which may exhibit the layered profile in question in substantially the cross-sectional orientation.

Particle structure

Particle structure 121 (including but not limited to as discontinuous layer 120) utilizes plasmonic photonics, a branch of nanophotonics that studies the resonant interactions of EM radiation with metals.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that certain metal NPs may exhibit Surface Plasmon (SP) excitation and/or coherent oscillation of free electrons, with the result that such NPs may absorb and/or scatter light within a certain wavelength (sub-range) of the EM spectrum, including but not limited to the visible spectrum and/or sub-ranges thereof. The optical response of such Local SP (LSP) excitation and/or coherent oscillation, including but not limited to the (sub) range (absorption spectrum), refractive index and/or extinction coefficient over which the absorption of the EM spectrum may be concentrated, may be tailored by varying the properties of such NPs, including but not limited to at least one of the following: the characteristic dimensions, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, and/or properties (including but not limited to materials and/or degree of aggregation) of the nanostructures and/or media proximate thereto.

Such an optical response with respect to the particle structure 121 may include absorption of EM radiation incident thereon, thereby reducing its reflection and/or shifting to lower or higher wavelengths ((sub) ranges) of the EM spectrum, including but not limited to the visible spectrum and/or sub-ranges thereof.

Thus, as shown in fig. 1, in some non-limiting examples, a layered semiconductor device 100 may have as its layer at least one particle (which may be a discontinuous layer 120 in some non-limiting examples) including, but not limited to, a Nanoparticle (NP), an island, a plate, a discontinuous cluster, and/or a network (collectively referred to as a particle structure 121) controllably disposed on and/or over an exposed layer surface 11 of an underlying layer 110 of a plurality of layers of the device 100 disposed on its substrate 10.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that at least one particle structure 121 may be present in the layer without necessarily forming a discontinuous layer 120. However, given that forming at least one particle structure 121 in a layer may generally result in the formation of a discontinuous layer 120, for purposes of simplifying the description only, references herein to forming at least one particle structure 121 will be accompanied by their implications, even if not stated, i.e., in some non-limiting examples, such particle structure 121 may include its discontinuous layer 120.

In some non-limiting examples, at least some of the granular structures 121 may be disconnected from each other. In other words, in some non-limiting examples, discontinuous coating 120 may include features (including particle structures 121) that are physically separable from one another such that at least one particle structure 121 does not form a closed coating 1440.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one overlayer 130 of the plurality of layers of the device 100 may be deposited on the exposed layer surface 11 of the particle structure 121 and on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110 therebetween. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one upper cladding 130 may be a CPL 1215.

In some non-limiting examples, the device 100 may be configured to substantially allow EM radiation to engage the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 100 along an optical path substantially parallel to an axis of at least a first direction indicated by arrow OC, the first direction being at a non-zero angle to a plane of an underlying layer defined by the plurality of lateral axes.

In the present disclosure, propagation of EM radiation in a given direction in time (including but not limited to the direction indicated by arrow OC) may result in a directional convention, i.e., a first layer may be referred to as being "in front of", "in front of" and/or "in front of" a second layer in the optical path (in the propagation direction of EM radiation).

The optical path may correspond to a direction, which may be at least one of: the direction in which EM radiation emitted by the device 100 may be extracted (such as shown by the orientation of arrow OC in the figures), and the direction in which EM radiation may be incident on and propagate at least partially along the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 100, including, but not limited to, the exposed layer surface 11 of the substrate 10 opposite the surface on which the various layers and/or coatings have been deposited, and transmitted at least partially through the substrate 10 and the various layers and/or coatings (not shown).

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that there may be scenarios: EM radiation is emitted by the device 100 and, consequently, EM radiation is incident on and at least partially transmitted through the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 100. In such a scenario, unless the context indicates the contrary, the direction of the optical path will be determined by the direction that can be used to extract the EM radiation emitted by the device 100. In some non-limiting examples, EM radiation that is transmitted entirely through the device 100 may propagate in the same or similar directions. However, nothing in this disclosure should be construed as limiting the propagation of EM radiation entirely through device 100 to the same or similar direction as the propagation of EM radiation emitted by device 100.

In some non-limiting examples, device 100 may be a top-emitting optoelectronic device in which EM radiation (including but not limited to in the form of light and/or photons) may be emitted by device 100 in at least a first direction.

Although not shown, in some non-limiting examples, the device 100 may include at least one signal transmission region 820 (fig. 8A) in which EM radiation incident on the exposed layer surface 11 of the substrate 10 may be transmitted through the substrate 10 and the various layers and/or coatings in at least a first direction that would be opposite to the direction shown by arrow OC in the figures in such a scenario, having deposited the various layers and/or coatings thereon.

In some non-limiting examples, the location of at least one particle structure 121 within the layers of device 100 (i.e., which of the layers of device 100 will serve as the selective identification of underlying layer 110 upon which particle structure 121 may be deposited) may be controllably selected to achieve an effect related to the optical response exhibited by particle structure 121 when positioned at that location.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structure 121 may be controllably selected so as to be confined to laterally oriented portions 301, 302 of the device 100, including, but not limited to, an emission region 810 (fig. 8A) corresponding to the device 100, to selectively limit effects associated with achieving an optical response exhibited by such portions 301, 302 of the particle structure 121 to the lateral orientation of the device 100.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structure 121 may be controllably selected to have a characteristic size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersion, and/or composition to achieve an effect related to the optical response exhibited by the particle structure 121.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that with respect to the mechanism by which the material is deposited, the actual size, height, weight, thickness, shape, contour, and/or spacing of the at least one particle structure 121 may be substantially non-uniform in some non-limiting examples, as monomers and/or atoms may be stacked and/or aggregated. In addition, at least one particle structure 121 is shown having a given profile, but this is merely illustrative and not limiting of any size, height, weight, thickness, shape, profile, and/or spacing thereof.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may have a characteristic dimension of no greater than about 200 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may have a characteristic diameter that may be at least one of between about 1nm-200nm, 1nm-160nm, 1nm-100nm, 1nm-50nm, or 1nm-30 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 may be and/or may include discrete metal plasmonic islands or clusters.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may include a particulate material.

In some non-limiting examples, such particle structures 121 may be formed by depositing a small amount (in some non-limiting examples, having an average layer thickness that may be on the order of a few angstroms or fractions of angstroms) of a particle material on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110. In some non-limiting examples, the exposed layer surface 11 may be a Nucleation Promoting Coating (NPC) 2020 (fig. 20C).

In some non-limiting examples, the particulate material may include at least one of Ag, yb, and/or magnesium (Mg).

In some non-limiting examples, the particulate material may include an element selected from at least one of the following elements: potassium (K), sodium (Na), lithium (Li), barium (Ba), cesium (Cs), yb, ag, gold (Au), cu, aluminum (Al), mg, zn, cd, tin (Sn), or yttrium (Y). In some non-limiting examples, the element may include at least one of K, na, li, ba, cs, yb, ag, au, cu, al or Mg. In some non-limiting examples, the element may include at least one of Cu, ag, or Au. In some non-limiting examples, the element may be Cu. In some non-limiting examples, the element may be Al. In some non-limiting examples, the element may include at least one of Mg, zn, cd, or Yb. In some non-limiting examples, the element may include at least one of Mg, ag, al, yb or Li. In some non-limiting examples, the element may include at least one of Mg, ag, or Yb. In some non-limiting examples, the element may include at least one of Mg or Ag. In some non-limiting examples, the element may be Ag.

In some non-limiting examples, the particulate material may comprise a pure metal. In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 may be a pure metal. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may be at least one of pure Ag or substantially pure Ag. In some non-limiting examples, the substantially pure Ag can have a purity of at least one of about 95%, 99%, 99.9%, 99.99%, 99.999%, or 99.9995%. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may be at least one of pure Mg or substantially pure Mg. In some non-limiting examples, the substantially pure Mg may have a purity of at least one of about 95%, 99%, 99.9%, 99.99%, 99.999%, or 99.9995%.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may include an alloy. In some non-limiting examples, the alloy may be at least one of an Ag-containing alloy, an Mg-containing alloy, or an AgMg-containing alloy. In some non-limiting examples, the AgMg-containing alloy can have an alloy composition that can range from about 1:10 (Ag: mg) to about 10:1 by volume.

In some non-limiting examples, the particulate material may include other metals in place of or in combination with Ag. In some non-limiting examples, the particulate material may include an alloy of Ag with at least one other metal. In some non-limiting examples, the particulate material may include an alloy of Ag and at least one of Mg or Yb. In some non-limiting examples, such an alloy may be a binary alloy having a composition between about 5% and 95% Ag by volume, with the remainder being other metals. In some non-limiting examples, the particulate material may include Ag and Mg. In some non-limiting examples, the particulate material may include an Ag: mg alloy having a composition between about 1:10-10:1 by volume. In some non-limiting examples, the particulate material may include Ag and Yb. In some non-limiting examples, the particulate material may include a Yb: ag alloy having a composition between about 1:20-10:1 by volume. In some non-limiting examples, the particulate material may include Mg and Yb. In some non-limiting examples, the particulate material may include a Mg: yb alloy. In some non-limiting examples, the particulate material may include an Ag-Mg-Yb alloy.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 may contain at least one additional element. In some non-limiting examples, such additional elements may be non-metallic elements. In some non-limiting examples, the non-metallic material may be at least one of O, S, N or C. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, such additional elements may be incorporated into the at least one particle structure 121 as contaminants due to the presence of such additional elements in the source material, the apparatus for deposition, and/or the vacuum chamber environment. In some non-limiting examples, such additional elements may form a compound with other elements of at least one particle structure 121. In some non-limiting examples, the concentration of the nonmetallic element in the particulate material may be no greater than at least one of about 1%, 0.1%, 0.01%, 0.001%, 0.0001%, 0.00001%, 0.000001%, or 0.0000001%. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 can have a composition in which the combined amount of O and C is not greater than about 10%, 5%, 1%, 0.1%, 0.01%, 0.001%, 0.0001%, 0.00001%, 0.000001%, or 0.0000001% of at least one of.

In some non-limiting examples, the characteristics of the at least one particle structure 121 may be evaluated in some non-limiting examples according to at least one of a number of criteria including, but not limited to, feature size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, configuration, surface coverage, deposition distribution, dispersity, and/or the presence and/or extent of an aggregate example of particulate material formed on a portion of the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110.

In some non-limiting examples, the evaluation of the at least one particle structure 121 according to such at least one criterion may be performed by measuring and/or calculating the at least one property of the at least one particle structure 121 using a variety of imaging techniques, including, but not limited to, at least one of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and/or Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that such assessment of the at least one particle structure 121 may depend to some extent (to a greater and/or lesser extent) on the exposed layer surface 11 under consideration, and may include, in some non-limiting examples, its area and/or region. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may evaluate over the entire range of first lateral orientations and/or second lateral orientations that are substantially lateral to the first lateral orientations of the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may be evaluated within a range that includes at least one viewing window applied to (a portion of) the at least one particle structure 121.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one viewing window may be located at least one of a laterally oriented perimeter, an interior location, and/or grid coordinates of the exposed layer surface 11. In some non-limiting examples, a plurality of the at least one viewing window may be used to evaluate the at least one particle structure 121.

In some non-limiting examples, the viewing window may correspond to a field of view of an imaging technique used to evaluate the at least one particle structure 121, including but not limited to at least one of TEM, AFM, and/or SEM. In some non-limiting examples, the viewing window may correspond to a given magnification level, including but not limited to at least one of 2.00 μm, 1.00 μm, 500nm, or 200 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, the evaluation of the at least one particle structure 121 (including, but not limited to, the at least one observation window used to expose the layer surface 11 thereof) may involve calculation and/or measurement according to any number of mechanisms, including, but not limited to, manual counting and/or known estimation techniques, which may include curve fitting, polygon fitting, and/or shape fitting techniques, in some non-limiting examples.

In some non-limiting examples, the evaluation of the at least one particle structure 121 (including, but not limited to, the at least one observation window used for which the layer surface 11 is exposed) may involve calculating and/or measuring an average, median, mode, maximum, minimum, and/or other probabilistic, statistical, and/or data manipulation of the calculated and/or measured values.

In some non-limiting examples, one of the at least one criterion that may be used to evaluate the at least one particle structure 121 may be a surface coverage of the (portion of the) particle structure 121 by the particulate material. In some non-limiting examples, the surface coverage may be represented by a (non-zero) percent coverage of the (portion of the) the at least one particle structure 121 by the particulate material. In some non-limiting examples, the percentage coverage may be compared to a maximum threshold percentage coverage.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, surface coverage may be understood to encompass one or both of particle size and deposition density. Thus, in some non-limiting examples, multiple of these three criteria may be positively correlated. Indeed, in some non-limiting examples, the criteria for low surface coverage may include some combination of criteria for low deposition density and criteria for low particle size.

In some non-limiting examples, one of the at least one criterion that may be used to evaluate such at least one particle structure 121 may be its characteristic size.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 may have a feature size that is not greater than a maximum threshold size. Non-limiting examples of feature sizes may include at least one of height, width, length, and/or diameter.

In some non-limiting examples, substantially all of the particle structures 121 may have a characteristic size that lies within a specified range.

In some non-limiting examples, such feature sizes may be characterized by feature lengths, which may be considered, in some non-limiting examples, as the maximum value of the feature sizes. In some non-limiting examples, such maxima may extend along the long axis of the particle structure 121. In some non-limiting examples, the long axis may be understood as a first dimension extending in a plane defined by a plurality of lateral axes. In some non-limiting examples, the feature width may be determined as a value of a feature size of the particle structure 121 that may extend along a short axis of the particle structure 121. In some non-limiting examples, the minor axis may be understood as a second dimension extending in the same plane but substantially transverse to the major axis.

In some non-limiting examples, the characteristic length of the at least one particle structure 121 along the first dimension may be no greater than a maximum threshold size.

In some non-limiting examples, the feature width of the at least one granular structure 121 along the second dimension may be no greater than a maximum threshold size.

In some non-limiting examples, the dimensions of at least one particle structure 121 may be assessed by calculating and/or measuring a characteristic dimension thereof (including, but not limited to, its mass, volume, diameter length, circumference, major axis, and/or minor axis).

In some non-limiting examples, one of the at least one criteria that may be used to evaluate such at least one particle structure 121 may be its deposition density.

In some non-limiting examples, the characteristic size of at least one particle structure 121 may be compared to a maximum threshold size.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposition density of at least one particle structure 121 may be compared to a maximum threshold deposition density.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of such criteria may be quantified by a numerical metric. In some non-limiting examples, such a metric may be a calculation of the dispersity D of the particle (area) size distribution describing the particle structure 121, wherein:

Wherein:

n is the number of particle structures 121 in the sample area,

S _i is the (area) size of the i-th particle structure 121,

is the numerical average of the particle (area) sizes, and

is the average value of the (area) size of the particle (area) size.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the dispersity is substantially similar to the polydispersity index (PDI), and that these averages are substantially similar to the concepts of number average molecular weight and weight average molecular weight familiar in organic chemistry, but apply to (area) dimensions, in contrast to the molecular weight of the sample particle structure 121.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will also appreciate that while in some non-limiting examples the concept of dispersion may be considered a three-dimensional volumetric concept, in some non-limiting examples the dispersion may be considered a two-dimensional concept. Thus, the concept of dispersity may be used in connection with viewing and analyzing two-dimensional images of at least one particle structure 121, such as may be obtained using a variety of imaging techniques including, but not limited to, at least one of TEM, AFM, and/or SEM. It is in this two-dimensional environment that the above formula is defined.

In some non-limiting examples, the dispersity and/or numerical average of the particle (area) size and the (area) size average of the particle (area) size may involve calculation of at least one of: numerical average of particle diameters and (area) size average of particle diameters:

In some non-limiting examples, the particulate material of the at least one particulate structure 121 may be deposited by a maskless and/or open mask deposition process.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may have a substantially circular shape. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may have a substantially spherical shape.

For the sake of simplicity, in some non-limiting examples, it may be assumed that the longitudinal extent of each particle structure 121 may be substantially the same (and, in any case, may not be measured directly from a planar SEM image), such that the (area) dimensions of such particle structures 121 may be expressed as a two-dimensional area coverage along the pair of lateral axes. In this disclosure, references to (area) dimensions may be understood to refer to such two-dimensional concepts, and are distinguished from dimensions (without the prefix "area") that may be understood to refer to one-dimensional concepts, such as the linear dimension.

Indeed, in some early studies, in some non-limiting examples, it appeared that the longitudinal extent of such particle structures 121 along the longitudinal axis may tend to be smaller relative to the lateral extent (along at least one of the lateral axes) such that the volumetric contribution of the longitudinal extent thereof may be much smaller than the volumetric contribution of such lateral extent. In some non-limiting examples, this can be expressed by an aspect ratio (ratio of longitudinal extent to lateral extent) that can be no greater than 1. In some non-limiting examples, such aspect ratio may be at least one of not greater than about 0.1:10, 1:20, 1:50, 1:75, or 1:300.

In this regard, the above assumption (longitudinal extent is substantially the same and negligible) that the at least one particle structure 121 is represented as a two-dimensional area coverage may be appropriate.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that given the non-deterministic nature of the deposition process, particularly where defects and/or anomalies (including but not limited to heterogeneities including but not limited to at least one of step edges, chemical impurities, binding sites, kinks, and/or contaminants thereon) are present on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying material, and thus the formation of the particle structure 121 thereon, there may be substantial variability in the characteristics and/or topology within the observation window as the deposition process continues, given the non-uniform nature of the coalescence thereof, and given the uncertainty in the size and/or location of the observation window, as well as the complexity and variability inherent in the calculation and/or measurement of their characteristic dimensions, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, composition, degree of aggregation, and the like.

In the present disclosure, certain details of the particulate material, including but not limited to the thickness profile and/or edge profile of the layers, have been omitted for simplicity of illustration.

In some non-limiting examples, the feature size of the particle structure 121 in (the viewing window used) may reflect the statistical distribution.

In some non-limiting examples, for a particular distribution of feature sizes of at least one particle structure 121, the absorption spectrum intensity may tend to be proportional to its deposition density.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 in (the viewing window used) _t May be centered around a single value and/or in a relatively narrow range.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structure 121 in (the viewing window used) _t May be centered around a plurality of values and/or in a plurality of relatively narrow ranges. As a non-limiting example, the at least one particle structure 121 may exhibit such multi-modal behavior: where there are a plurality of different values and/or ranges, the characteristic dimensions of the particle structure 121 in (the viewing window used) may be concentrated around these values and/or ranges.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may include a first at least one particle structure 121 having a first characteristic size range ₁ And a second at least one particle structure 121 having a second characteristic size range ₂ . In some non-limiting examples, the first range of feature sizes may correspond to a size of no greater than about 50nm, and the second range of feature sizes may correspond to a size of at least 50 nm. As a non-limiting example, the first feature size range may correspond to a size between about 1nm-49nm, and the second feature size range may correspond to a size between about 50nm-300 nm. In some non-limiting examples, a majority of the first particle structures 121 ₁ May have a feature size in a range of at least one of about 10nm-40nm, 5nm-30nm, 10nm-30nm, 15nm-35nm, 20nm-35nm, or 25nm-35 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the majority of the second particle structures 121 ₂ May have a feature size in a range of at least one of about 50nm-250nm, 50nm-200nm, 60nm-150nm, 60nm-100nm, or 60nm-90 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the first particle structure 121 ₁ And a second particle structure 121 ₂ Can be inserted into each other.

A series of five samples were made to investigate the formation of this multi-modal particle structure 121. Each sample was prepared by depositing an approximately 20nm thick organic semiconductive layer 730 on a glass substrate, followed by depositing an approximately 34nm thick Ag layer, followed by depositing an approximately 30nm thick patterned coating 323, and then subjecting the surface of the patterned coating 323 to Ag vapor flux 1832 (fig. 18). SEM images of each sample were taken at various magnifications.

Fig. 2A shows an SEM image 200 of a first sample and another SEM image 205 of increased magnification. As can be seen from image 200, there are a plurality of first particle structures 121 that may tend to concentrate around a first small feature size ₁ And a smaller number of second particle structures 121 that may tend to concentrate around a second larger feature size ₂ . The particle structure 121 _t A plot 210 of counts as a function of feature particle size may show a majority of the first particle structures 121 ₁ May be centered around about 30 nm. Analysis shows that the first particle structure 121 has a feature size of no greater than about 50nm ₁ The surface coverage of the viewing window of image 200 of (a) is about 38%, and the second particle structure 121 has a feature size of at least about 50nm ₂ The surface coverage of the viewing window of image 200 of (a) is about 1%.

Fig. 2B shows an SEM image 220 of the second sample and another SEM image 225 of increased magnification. As can be seen from image 220, although there continues to be a plurality of first particle structures 121 that may tend to concentrate around the first feature size ₁ But may tend to concentrate in the vicinity of the second feature size in the second particle structure 121 ₂ May be greater in number. In addition, such a second particle structure 121 ₂ May tend to be more pronounced. The particle structure 121 _t Graph 230 of the count as a function of characteristic particle size may show two distinguishable peaks, namely, first particle structure 121 centered around about 30nm ₁ And second particles 121 concentrated around about 75nm ₂ Is a smaller peak of (2). Analysis shows that the first particle structure 121 has a feature size of no greater than about 50nm ₁ The surface coverage of the viewing window of image 220 of (a) is about 23% and has a feature size of at least about 50nmSecond particle structure 121 ₂ The surface coverage of the viewing window of image 220 of (a) is about 10%.

Fig. 2C shows an SEM image 240 of the third sample and another SEM image 245 of increased magnification. As can be seen from image 240, while there continues to be a plurality of first particle structures 121 that may tend to concentrate around the first feature size ₁ But may tend to concentrate in the vicinity of the second feature size in the second particle structure 121 ₂ May even be greater than in the second sample. The particle structure 121 _t The plot 250 of (a) as a function of characteristic particle size may show two distinguishable peaks, namely, a first particle structure 121 centered around about 30nm ₁ And a second particle structure 121 centered around about 75nm ₂ But larger than the smaller (but larger than shown in graph 230). Analysis shows that the first particle structure 121 has a feature size of no greater than about 50nm ₁ The surface coverage of the viewing window of image 240 of (a) is about 19%, and the second particle structure 121 has a feature size of at least about 50nm ₂ The surface coverage of the viewing window of image 240 of (a) is about 21%.

Fig. 2D shows an SEM image 260 of a fourth sample and another SEM image 265 of increased magnification. As can be seen from image 260, while there continues to be a plurality of first particle structures 121 that may tend to concentrate around the first feature size ₁ But may tend to concentrate in the vicinity of the second feature size in the second particle structure 121 ₂ May be greater in number. The particle structure 121 _t The plot 270 of (a) as a function of characteristic particle size may show two distinguishable peaks, namely, a first particle structure 121 centered around about 20nm ₁ And second particle structuring 121 centered around about 85nm ₂ Is a smaller peak of (2). Analysis shows that the first particle structure 121 has a feature size of no greater than about 50nm ₁ The surface coverage of the viewing window of image 260 of (1) is about 14% and the second particle structure 121 has a feature size of at least about 50nm ₂ The surface coverage of the viewing window of image 260 of (a) is about 34%.

Fig. 2E shows SEM image 280 and magnification of a fifth sampleAnother SEM image 285 is enlarged. As can be seen from image 280, while there continues to be a plurality of first particle structures 121 that may tend to concentrate around the first feature size ₁ But may tend to concentrate in the vicinity of the second feature size in the second particle structure 121 ₂ May be greater in number. In practice, the second particle structure 121 ₂ May tend to dominate. The particle structure 121 _t Graph 290 showing two distinguishable peaks, namely first particle structure 121 centered around about 15nm, as a function of characteristic particle size ₁ And second particle structuring 121 centered around about 85nm ₂ Is a smaller peak of (2). Analysis shows that the first particle structure 121 has a feature size of no greater than about 50nm ₁ The surface coverage of the viewing window of image 280 of (a) is about 3%, and the second particle structure 121 has a feature size of at least about 50nm ₂ The surface coverage of the viewing window of image 280 of (2) is about 55%.

Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it may be assumed that, in some non-limiting examples, such multi-modal behavior of at least one particle structure 121 may be created by introducing multiple nucleation sites for the particle material, including, but not limited to, by doping, overlaying, and/or supplementing patterned material 1711 (fig. 17) with another material that may act as a seed or a heterogeneous species that may act as such nucleation sites. In some non-limiting examples, it may be assumed that a first particle structure 121 of a first feature size ₁ May tend to pattern coating 323 in the particulate structure _p (FIG. 3) wherein such nucleation sites may be substantially absent and a second particle structure 121 of a second characteristic size ₂ May tend to form at the location of such nucleation sites.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that there may be other mechanisms by which such multi-modal behavior may occur.

In some non-limiting examples, the feature size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersion, and/or composition of the layers (or levels) within the layers of the device 100, the laterally oriented portions 301 (fig. 3), 302 (fig. 3) of the device 100, and/or the particle structure 121 deposited therein or thereon may be controllably selected at least in part by contacting the particle material with a contact material, a property of which may affect the formation of the particle structure 121. Such contact materials include, but are not limited to, seed materials, patterned materials 1711, and co-deposited dielectric materials.

In some non-limiting examples, the contact material used may determine how the particulate material may contact it and thus the impact exerted on the formation of the particulate structure 121. In some non-limiting examples, a variety of different contact materials and accompanying variety of mechanisms may be employed.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may be disposed in a pattern that may be defined by at least one region in which the at least one particle structure 121 is substantially absent.

Seed crystal

In some non-limiting examples, the location, size, height, weight, thickness, shape, profile, and/or spacing of at least one particle structure 121 may be more or less specified by depositing seed material at suitable locations in the template layer and/or at suitable densities and/or deposition phases. In some non-limiting examples, such seed material may act as a seed 122 or heteroconjugate, acting as nucleation sites, such that the particulate material may tend to coalesce around each seed 122 to form the particulate structure 121.

Thus, as shown by the interposed portion shown in dashed outline in fig. 1, the particulate material is in physical contact with the seed material and may substantially completely surround and/or encapsulate the seed material.

In some non-limiting examples, the seed material may include a metal, including but not limited to Yb or Ag. In some non-limiting examples, the seed material may have high wetting properties relative to the particulate material deposited thereon and coalesced thereon.

In some non-limiting examples, seed 122 may be deposited in a template layer across exposed layer surface 11 of underlying layer 110 of device 100 using an open mask and/or maskless deposition process of seed material.

Co-deposition with dielectric material

Although not shown, in some non-limiting examples, the at least one granular structure 121 may be formed without the use of the seed 122, including but not limited to by co-depositing a granular material with a co-deposited dielectric material.

Thus, the particulate material may be in physical contact with the co-deposited dielectric material and may actually be intermixed therewith.

In some non-limiting examples, the ratio of particulate material to co-deposited dielectric material may be in a range of at least one of about 50:1-5:1, 30:1-5:1, or 20:1-10:1. In some non-limiting examples, the ratio may be at least one of about 50:1, 45:1, 40:1, 35:1, 30:1, 25:1, 20:1, 19:1, 15:1, 12.5:1, 10:1, 7.5:1, or 5:1.

In some non-limiting examples, the co-deposited dielectric material may have an initial adhesion probability for deposition of particulate material that may be co-deposited therewith, which may be less than 1.

In some non-limiting examples, the ratio of particulate material to co-deposited dielectric material may vary according to the initial adhesion probability of the co-deposited dielectric material to the deposition of the particulate material.

In some non-limiting examples, the co-deposited dielectric material may be an organic material. In some non-limiting examples, the co-deposited dielectric material may be a semiconductor. In some non-limiting examples, the co-deposited dielectric material may be an organic semiconductor.

In some non-limiting examples, co-depositing the particulate material with the co-deposited dielectric material in the absence of a template layer including seed 122 may facilitate formation of at least one particulate structure 121.

In some non-limiting examples, co-depositing the particulate material with the co-deposited dielectric material may facilitate and/or increase absorption of EM radiation by the at least one particulate structure 121, typically or in some non-limiting examples in the wavelength (sub-) range of the EM spectrum (including but not limited to the visible spectrum) and/or sub-ranges and/or wavelengths thereof (including but not limited to corresponding to a particular color).

Particle structured patterned coating

Turning now to fig. 3, illustrated therein is a version 300 of the device 100, in some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 may include a patterned coating 323 deposited on the particle structure _p At least one particle structure 121 on the exposed layer surface 11 of (a) _t For depositing at least one granular structure 121 _t Including, but not limited to, deposition using maskless and/or open mask deposition processes.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structure 121 _t Can pattern coating 323 with the particle structure _p Is in physical contact with the exposed layer surface 11. In some non-limiting examples, the particle structure 121 _t Substantially all of which may be patterned with particulate structures 323 _p Is in physical contact with the exposed layer surface 11.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle junctionConstruct 121 _t Cross-particle structure patternable coating 323 _p Is deposited in a pattern.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 _t Can be deposited on the particle structured patterned coating 323 _p In the discontinuous layer 120 on the exposed layer surface 11. In some non-limiting examples, discontinuous layer 120 patterns coating 323 on the grain structure _p Extends over substantially the entire lateral extent of (a).

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structure 121 in at least a central portion of the discontinuous layer 120 _t May have at least one common characteristic selected from at least one of: size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, material, degree of aggregation, or other properties.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structure 121 is outside of such a central portion of the discontinuous layer 120 _t Characteristics that may exhibit at least one common characteristic that may be different from those related to edge effects, including, but not limited to, proximity of deposited layer 1430, increased presence of pinholes (including, but not limited to pinholes, tears and/or cracks) beyond such central portions, or particle structured patterned coating 323 beyond such central portions _p Is reduced in thickness.

In some non-limiting examples, as shown in FIG. 3, the coating 323 is patterned by the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110 and the configurable particle structure _p Interposed between patterning material 1711 (fig. 17) of a shadow mask 1715 (fig. 17) (which may be a Fine Metal Mask (FMM), in some non-limiting examples), particle-structured patterned coating 323 may be interposed between patterning materials 1711 (fig. 17) _p Is limited to the laterally oriented first portion 301 of the device 300.

When the particle structured patterned coating 323 is selectively deposited in the first portion 301 _p Thereafter, a particulate material may be deposited on the device 300, in some non-limiting examples, patterning the coating 323 across the first portion 301 and substantially free of the particulate structure _p Is deposited on both of the second portions 302 of (c), in someIn a non-limiting example, the particle structure 121 in the first portion 301 is deposited as and/or deposited using an open mask and/or maskless deposition process _t Including but not limited to by patterning the coating 323 around the uncorrupted particle structure _p The corresponding seed 122 of the cover coalesces to form. In some non-limiting examples, the second portion 302 may be substantially free of any particle structure 121 _t . In some non-limiting examples, the second portion 302 may include a portion of the underlying exposed layer surface 11 of the device 100 that is outside of the first portion 301.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that due to the at least one particle structure 121 _t Patterned coating 323 deposited on the granular structure _p And thus can be considered as a particle structured patterned coating 323 on the exposed layer surface 11 of (a) _p Which itself is the underlying layer 110. However, for the purpose of simplifying the description, and considering the particle structure patterning coating 323 _p The previous deposition on the underlying layer 110 may facilitate at least one particle structure 121 as described herein _t Controlled deposition thereon, in this disclosure, such a particle structured patterned coating 323 _p Not considered to be the underlying layer 110, but rather forms at least one granular structure 121 _t Is an auxiliary means of (a).

Particle structured patterned coating 323 _p A surface may be provided that has a relatively low initial adhesion probability for deposition of particulate material, which may be significantly less than the initial adhesion probability for deposition of particulate material for the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110 of the device 200.

Thus, although at least one particle structure 121 is formed on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110 in the first portion 301 _t Including but not limited to by patterning the coating 323 around the uncorrupted particle structure _p The covered seed 122 coalesces to form, in either the first portion 301 or the second portion 302, the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110 may be substantially free of a capping layer 1440 (fig. 14) of particulate material.

In this way, the particle structure patterns the coating 323 _p May be selectively deposited, including but not limited to using shadow mask 1715,to allow deposition of particulate material, including but not limited to using open mask and/or maskless deposition processes, to form the particulate structure 121 _t Including but not limited to by coalescing around the corresponding seed 122.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structured patterned coating 323 _p May include particulate materials that exhibit relatively low initial adhesion probabilities relative to the seed material and/or particulate material such that such particulate structure patterns coating 323 _p May pattern coating 323 relative to non-particulate structures in some examples _n And/or the patterning material 1711, which may comprise the non-particulate structured patterning coating, exhibits increased deposition of particulate material (and/or seed material) into the particulate structure 121 _t For inhibiting deposition of a blocking coating 1440 of particulate material, including for use in addition to forming at least one particulate structure 121 as discussed herein _t Other applications.

Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesized that although the formation of the blocking coating 1440 of particulate material thereon patterns the coating 323 in the particulate structure _p Substantially inhibited, but in some non-limiting examples, when the particle structure patterns the coating 323 _p Upon exposure to the deposition of the particulate material 1831, some of the vapor monomer 1832 of the particulate material may eventually form at least one particulate structure 121 of the particulate material thereon _t 。

Thus, in some non-limiting examples, such at least one particle structure 121 _t May include a thin dispersion layer of particulate material interposed between the particulate structured patterned coating 323 _p At the interface with the upper cladding layer 130 and substantially across the lateral extent of the interface.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structured patterned coating 323 _p And/or patterning material 1711 (in some non-limiting examples, as a form of film and/or coating is deposited and while patterning coating 323 with particulate material _p In an environment similar to deposition within device 300) may have a first surface energy that may be no greater than the particulate material(in some non-limiting examples, as some form of film and/or coating is deposited and in contact with at least one particle structure 121 _t In an environment similar to deposition within device 300).

In some non-limiting examples, the quotient of the second surface energy/the first surface energy may be at least about at least one of 1, 5, 10, or 20.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structured patterned coating 323 _p Is deposited thereon with at least one particle structure 121 _t The surface coverage of the covered area may be no greater than a maximum threshold percentage coverage.

Fig. 4A-4H illustrate a particle structured patterned coating 323 _p And at least one particle structure 121 in contact therewith _t Non-limiting examples of possible interactions between them.

Thus, as shown in fig. 4A-4H, the particulate material may be in physical contact with the patterned material 1711, including, but not limited to, being deposited on and/or substantially surrounded by the patterned material as shown in the figures.

In fig. 4A, which substantially reproduces the structure of fig. 3, the particulate material may pattern coating 323 with the particulate structure _p Physical contact because it is deposited on the patterned coating.

In fig. 4B, the particulate material may be substantially coated 323 with a particulate structured patterned coating _p Surrounding. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may be distributed throughout the particle structure patterned coating 323 _p At least one of a lateral extent and a longitudinal extent of (c).

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 _t Patterning coating 323 throughout the grain structure _p The distribution of (c) may be achieved by: patterning the particle structure into a coating 323 _p Depositing and/or maintaining a relatively viscous state while the particulate material is deposited thereon such that at least one of the particulate structures 121 _t May tend to penetrate and/or precipitate in the particulate structure patterned coating 323 _p And (3) inner part.

In some non-limiting examplesIn particle structured patterned coating 323 _p The viscous state of the patterned material 1711 may be achieved in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, conditions during deposition of the patterned material 1711, including, but not limited to, time, temperature, and/or pressure of its deposition environment, composition of the patterned material 1711, characteristics of the patterned material 1711, including, but not limited to, its melting point, freezing temperature, sublimation temperature, viscosity, or surface energy; conditions during deposition of the particulate material, including but not limited to time, temperature and/or pressure of its deposition environment, composition of the particulate material, or characteristics of the particulate material, including but not limited to its melting point, freezing temperature, sublimation temperature, viscosity, or surface energy.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 _t Patterning coating 323 throughout the grain structure _p The distribution of (c) may be achieved by the presence of small holes therein, including but not limited to pinholes, tears and/or cracks. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that due to the inherent variability of the deposition process, and in some non-limiting examples, due to the presence of impurities in at least one of the particulate material and the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterning material 1711, the coating 323 may be patterned in the patterned structure using a variety of techniques and processes, including but not limited to those described herein _p Such holes are formed during deposition of the thin film.

In FIG. 4C, at least one particle structure 121 may be constructed _t May be deposited in the particulate structured patterned coating 323 _p So that it is effectively disposed on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 11.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 _t Patterning coating 323 in a granular structure _p The distribution of the bottom can be achieved by: patterning the particle structure into a coating 323 _p Depositing and/or maintaining a relatively viscous state while the particulate material is deposited thereon such that at least one of the particulate structures 121 _t May tend to precipitate into the particle structure patterned coating 323 _p Is provided. In some non-limiting examples, the viscosity of the patterning material 1711 used in fig. 4C may be less than that of fig. 4The viscosity of the patterning material 1711 used in B, thereby allowing for at least one particle structure 121 _t Further deposited on the particle structure patterned coating 323 _p And finally lowered to its bottom.

In fig. 4D to 4F, at least one particle structure 121 _t Is shown in relation to the at least one particle structure 121 of fig. 4B _t Is elongated longitudinally in shape.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 _t The longitudinal extension of (a) may be achieved in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, conditions during deposition of the patterned material 1711, including, but not limited to, time, temperature, and/or pressure of its deposition environment, composition of the patterned material 1711, characteristics of the patterned material 1711, including, but not limited to, its melting point, freezing temperature, sublimation temperature, viscosity, or surface energy; conditions during deposition of the particulate material, including but not limited to time, temperature and/or pressure of its deposition environment, composition of the particulate material, or characteristics of the particulate material, including but not limited to its melting point, freezing temperature, sublimation temperature, viscosity, or surface energy, which may tend to promote such longitudinally elongated particulate structures 121 _t Is deposited.

In fig. 4D, longitudinally elongated particle structures 121 _t Is shown as substantially completely remaining in the granular structure patterned coating 323 _p And (3) inner part. In contrast, in fig. 4E, longitudinally elongated particle structures 121 _t Can be projected at least partially beyond the granular structure patterned coating 323 _p Is provided on the exposed layer surface 11. Further, in fig. 4F, the longitudinally elongated particle structures 121 _t May be shown to protrude substantially beyond the granular structure patterned coating 323 _p To the extent that: such protruding particle structures 121 _t May begin to be considered to deposit substantially on the particle structured patterned coating 323 _p On the exposed layer surface 11.

Thus, as shown in fig. 4G, there may be a scenario in which: at least one particle structure 121 _t Can be deposited on the particle structured patterned coating 323 _p Exposed layer surface of (2)11, and at least one particle structure 121 _t Patterned coating 323 that is permeable and/or precipitable to the particulate structure _p And (3) inner part. Although coating 323 is patterned in the granular structure _p At least one particle structure 121 shown therein _t Is shown as having a shape such as that shown in fig. 4B, but one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will understand that, although not shown, such a granular structure 121 _t May have a longitudinally elongated shape such as shown in fig. 4D-4F.

Further, fig. 4H shows such a scenario: at least one particle structure 121 _t Can be deposited on the particle structured patterned coating 323 _p At least one particle structure 121 on the exposed layer surface 11 of (a) _t Patterned coating 323 that is permeable and/or precipitable to the particulate structure _p Within, and at least one particle structure 121 _t Can be deposited into the particle structured patterned coating 323 _p Is provided.

Fig. 5 is a simplified plan view of the device 300 after partial cutaway of the first portion 301. Although portions of device 300 have been omitted from fig. 4 for purposes of simplifying the description, it should be understood that various features described with respect to the device may be combined with those of the non-limiting examples provided therein.

In this figure, a pair of lateral axes, identified as an X-axis and a Y-axis, respectively, may be shown, which may be substantially transverse to one another in some non-limiting examples. At least one of these lateral axes may define a lateral orientation of the device 300.

In fig. 5, the upper cladding 130 extends substantially across the at least one particle structure 121 _t . With at least one particle structure 121 disposed thereon _t Is patterned coating 323 of particle structure _p To the extent that any portion of the exposed layer surface 11 is substantially free of particulate material, including, by way of non-limiting example, at least one particulate structure 121 _t In the gap between, the upper cladding layer 130 may extend substantially across and be disposed in such a particle structured patterned coating 323 _p On the exposed layer surface 11.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structured patterned coating 323 _p A variety of materials may be included, wherein at least one of the materials is a patterned material 1711, including but not limited to a patterned material 1711 that exhibits such a relatively low initial adhesion probability relative to particulate material and/or seed material, as discussed above.

In some non-limiting examples, a first material of the plurality of materials may be a patterned material 1711 having a first initial adhesion probability for deposition of the particulate material and/or the seed material, and a second material of the plurality of materials may be a patterned material 1711 having a second initial adhesion probability for deposition of the particulate material and/or the seed material, wherein the second initial adhesion probability exceeds the first initial adhesion probability.

In some non-limiting examples, the first initial adhesion probability and the second initial adhesion probability may be measured using substantially the same conditions and parameters.

In some non-limiting examples, a second material of the plurality of materials may be utilized to dope, cover, and/or supplement a first material of the plurality of materials such that the second material may act as a seed or foreign object, acting as a nucleation site for the particulate material and/or the seed material.

In some non-limiting examples, the second material of the plurality of materials may include NPC 2020. In some non-limiting examples, the second material of the plurality of materials may include an organic material (including but not limited to polycyclic aromatic compounds), and/or a material including a nonmetallic element (including but not limited to O, S, nitrogen (N), or C, which may otherwise be considered a source material, a contaminant in an apparatus for deposition, and/or a vacuum chamber environment). In some non-limiting examples, the second material of the plurality of materials may be deposited in a layer thickness of a fraction of a monolayer to avoid forming its encapsulation coating 1440. Instead, the monomers 1832 (fig. 18) of such a material may tend to be spaced apart in a lateral orientation so as to form discrete nucleation sites for the particulate material and/or seed material.

A series of samples were fabricated to evaluate the patterning of the first patterned material 1711 ₁ And a second patterned material 1711 ₂ Is a mixture of (2)Is patterned coating 323 of particle structure _p Suitability of the at least one particle structure 121 formed. In all samples, a first patterned material 1711 ₁ Is a Nucleation Inhibition Coating (NIC) having a substantially low initial adhesion probability to the deposition of Ag as particulate material. Three exemplary materials as second patterned material 1711 ₂ I.e. ETL 2137 (fig. 21) material Liq was evaluated, which tends to have a relatively high initial adhesion probability for deposition of Ag as particulate material, and may be suitable as NPC 2020 and LiF in some non-limiting examples.

For ETL 2137 material, the first patterning material 1711 is deposited by co-depositing the first patterning material on the Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) substrate 10 in different ratios ₁ And ETL 2137 material to an average layer thickness of 20nm, then exposing its exposed layer surface 11 to Ag vapor flux 1832 to a reference layer thickness of 15nm, a plurality of samples were prepared.

Six samples were prepared, wherein the ETL 2137 material and the first patterned material 1711 ₁ The volume% ratios of (a) are 1:99 (ETL sample a), 2:98 (ETL sample B), 5:95 (ETL sample C), 10:90 (ETL sample D), 20:80 (ETL sample E) and 40:60 (ETL sample F), respectively. In addition, two comparative samples were prepared in which the ETL 2137 material and the first patterned material 1711 ₁ The volume% ratio of (a) was 0:100 (comparative sample 1) and 100:0 (comparative sample 2), respectively.

ETL sample B exhibited a total surface coverage of 15.156%, an average feature size of 13.6292nm, a dispersity of 2.0462, a number average particle diameter of 14.5399nm, and a size average particle diameter of 20.7989 nm.

ETL sample C exhibited a total surface coverage of 22.083%, an average feature size of 16.6985nm, a dispersity of 1.6813, a number average particle diameter of 17.8372nm, and a size average particle diameter of 23.1283 nm.

ETL sample D exhibited a total surface coverage of 27.0626%, an average feature size of 19.4518nm, a dispersity of 1.5521, a number average particle diameter of 20.7487nm, and a size average particle diameter of 25.8493 nm.

ETL sample E exhibited a total surface coverage of 35.5376%, an average feature size of 24.2092nm, a dispersity of 1.6311, a number average particle diameter of 25.858nm, and a size average particle diameter of 32.9858 nm.

Fig. 6A to 6E are SEM micrographs of comparative sample 1, ETL sample B, ETL sample C, ETL sample D, and ETL sample E, respectively.

Fig. 6F is a histogram plotting the histogram distribution of the particle structure 121 of ETL sample B605, ETL sample C610, ETL sample D615, and ETL sample E620 as a function of characteristic particle size, and fitting the corresponding curves of the histograms 606, 611, 616, 621.

Table 1 below shows the percent reduction values of the transmittance of various samples measured at various wavelengths.

In the present disclosure, reference to a reduction in the percent transmittance of a layered sample refers to the value obtained when the transmittance before depositing a metal (including but not limited to Ag) on top of the layers (including any substrate 10) in the sample has been subtracted. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, assumptions may be simplified at the cost of some computational accuracy for convenience. As a non-limiting example, one simplifying assumption may be that the transmittance of glass over a wide wavelength range is substantially 0.92. As a non-limiting example, one simplifying assumption may be that the transmittance of the layers between the substrate 10 and the metal is negligible. As a non-limiting example, one simplifying assumption may be that the substrate 10 is glass. Thus, in some non-limiting examples, subtracting the transmittance of each layer in the sample (including any substrate 10) prior to depositing metal (including but not limited to Ag) thereon may be calculated by dividing the measured transmittance value by 0.92.

TABLE 1

It can be seen that at relatively low concentrations of ETL as the second patterning material 1711 ₂ In the case of (a), the decrease in transmittance over most wavelengths is minimal. However, when the ETL concentration exceeds about 5% by volume, 450nm and 550 nm in the visible spectrum are observedThe wavelength of nm is obviously reduced>10%) without a significant decrease in transmission at wavelengths of 700nm in the IR spectrum and 850nm in the NIR spectrum.

For Liq, the first patterning material 1711 is deposited by co-depositing the first patterning material on the ITO substrate 10 at different rates ₁ And an average layer thickness of Liq to 20nm, and then exposing its exposed layer surface 11 to a reference layer thickness of Ag vapor flux 1832 to 15nm, a plurality of samples were prepared.

Four samples were prepared in which Liq was combined with a first patterning material 1711 ₁ The volume% ratios of (a) are 2:98 (Liq sample A), 5:95 (Liq sample B), 10:90 (Liq sample C) and 20:80 (Liq sample D), respectively.

Liq sample A exhibited a total surface coverage of 11.1117%, an average feature size of 13.2735nm, a dispersity of 1.651, a number average particle size of 13.9619nm, and a size average particle size of 17.9398 nm.

Liq sample B exhibited a total surface coverage of 17.2616%, an average feature size of 15.2667nm, a dispersity of 1.7914, a number average particle size of 16.3933nm, and a size average particle size of 21.941 nm.

Liq sample C exhibited a total surface coverage of 32.2093%, an average feature size of 23.6209nm, a dispersity of 1.6428, a number average particle size of 25.3038nm, and a size average particle size of 32.4322 nm.

Fig. 6G to 6J are SEM micrographs of Liq sample A, liq sample B, liq sample C and Liq sample D, respectively.

Fig. 6K is a histogram plotting the histogram distribution of the particle structure 121 of Liq sample B625, liq sample a 630 and Liq sample C645 as a function of the characteristic particle size, and fitting the corresponding curves of the histograms 626, 631, 636.

Table 2 below shows the percent reduction in transmittance measured at various wavelengths for various samples.

TABLE 2

It can be seen that Liq at a relatively low concentration is used as the second patterning material 1711 ₂ In the case of (a), the decrease in transmittance over most wavelengths is minimal. However, at Liq concentrations exceeding about 5% by volume, a significant decrease in the visible spectrum at wavelengths of 450nm and 550nm is observed>10%) without a significant decrease in transmission at wavelengths of 700nm in the IR spectrum and 850nm and 1,000nm in the NIR spectrum.

For LiF, a first patterning material 1711 is co-deposited at different rates by first depositing the ETL material on the ITO substrate 10 to an average layer thickness of 20nm, and then on the exposed layer surface 11 of the ETL material ₁ And an average layer thickness of LiF to 20nm, after which the exposed layer surface 11 was exposed to a reference layer thickness of Ag vapor flux 1832 to 15nm, a plurality of samples were prepared.

Four samples were prepared in which LiF was combined with a first patterning material 1711 ₁ The volume% ratios of (a) are 2:98 (LiF sample a), 5:95 (LiF sample B), 10:90 (LiF sample C) and 20:80 (LiF sample D), respectively.

Fig. 6L to 6O are SEM micrographs of LiF sample A, liF sample B, liF sample C and LiF sample D, respectively.

Fig. 6P is a histogram plotting the histogram distribution of the particle structure 121 of LiF sample a 640, liF sample B645, and LiF sample D650 as a function of the characteristic particle size, and fitting the corresponding curves of the histograms 641, 646, 651.

Table 3 below shows the percent reduction in transmittance measured at various wavelengths for various samples.

TABLE 3 Table 3

It can be seen that LiF at a relatively low concentration is used as the second patterning material 1711 ₂ In the case of (a), the decrease in transmittance over most wavelengths is minimal. However, when the LiF concentration exceeds about 10 vol%, a significant reduction (8%) is observed at a wavelength of 450nm in the visible spectrum, whereas 850nm and 1,000 in the 700nm and NIR spectra in the IR spectrumThe transmittance at the nm wavelength is not significantly reduced.

In addition, for LiF concentrations up to 20% by volume, substantially no decrease in transmittance at wavelengths of 700nm or greater was observed.

Table 4 below shows the refractive indices of the materials used in the above samples measured at various wavelengths.

TABLE 4 Table 4

It should be appreciated that for layers or coatings formed by co-depositing two or more materials, the refractive index of such layers or coatings may be estimated using, as non-limiting examples, a leverage rule that, for each material comprising such layers or coatings, calculates the product of the concentration of the material times the refractive index of the material, and then calculates the sum of all the products calculated for the materials comprising such layers or coatings.

Optical effects of the particle Structure layer

Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it has been found that, somewhat surprisingly, there is a thin dispersed layer (including but not limited to patterning the coating 323 in the particle structure) of at least one particle structure 121 (including but not limited to at least one metal particle structure 121) _p The presence of such a dispersed layer on the exposed layer surface 11) may exhibit one or more varying characteristics and concomitant varying behavior, including but not limited to the optical effects and properties of the device 300, as discussed herein.

In some non-limiting examples, the presence of such a discontinuous layer 120 of particulate material (including but not limited to at least one particulate structure 121) may help to enhance EM radiation extraction, performance, stability, reliability, and/or lifetime of the device.

In some non-limiting examples, such effects and properties may be controlled to some extent by judicious selection of at least one of the characteristic dimensions, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, and/or composition of the particle structure 121.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 _t The formation of at least one of feature size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, and/or composition may be controlled in some non-limiting examples by judicious selection of at least one of: at least one characteristic of the patterning material 1711, the particle structured patterning coating 323 _p Is patterned in particle structure with coating 323 _p Is introduced into heterogeneous, and/or deposition environments including, but not limited to, for particle structured patterned coating 323 _p Temperature, pressure, duration, deposition rate, and/or deposition process of the patterned material 1711.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 _t The formation of at least one of feature size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, and/or composition may be controlled in some non-limiting examples by judicious selection of at least one of: at least one characteristic of the particulate material, the particulate structured patterned coating 323 _p The extent to which the deposition of particulate material may be exposed (which may be specified in some non-limiting examples according to the thickness of the corresponding discontinuous layer 120), and/or the deposition environment, including but not limited to the temperature, pressure, duration, deposition rate, and/or deposition method of the particulate material.

In some non-limiting examples, a discontinuous layer 121 having a surface coverage that is not substantially greater than a maximum threshold percentage coverage may result in exhibiting different optical characteristics relative to EM radiation passing through a portion of at least one particle structure 121 having a surface coverage that substantially exceeds a maximum threshold percentage coverage, which may be imparted by the portion of at least one particle structure 121 (whether fully transmitted through and/or emitted by the device 100) therethrough.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one dimension (including, but not limited to, a characteristic dimension) of at least one particle structure 121 may correspond to a wavelength range in which an absorption spectrum of at least one particle structure 121 does not substantially overlap with a wavelength range of an EM spectrum of EM radiation emitted by and/or at least partially transmitted through device 100.

While the at least one particle structure 121 may absorb EM radiation incident thereon from outside the layered semiconductor device 100, thereby reducing reflection, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may absorb EM radiation emitted by the device 100 incident thereon.

In some non-limiting examples, the presence of at least one particle structure 121 on and/or near the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323 in the layered device 100, and/or (in some non-limiting examples) near the interface of such patterned coating 323 with the overlayer 130, may impart optical effects to EM radiation, including but not limited to photons, emitted by and/or transmitted through the device.

In some non-limiting examples, the optical effect may be described in terms of its effect on the transmission and/or absorption wavelength spectrum (including wavelength ranges) and/or its peak intensity.

Additionally, while the presented model may suggest certain effects imparted to transmission and/or absorption of EM radiation through such at least one particle structure 121, in some non-limiting examples, such effects may reflect local effects that may not be reflected on a broad, observable basis.

As a simplifying assumption, the foregoing also assumes that NPs that simulate each particle structure 121 may have a perfectly spherical shape. Typically, the particle structure 121 of (the used viewing window of) at least one particle structure 121 _t The shape of (c) may be highly dependent on the deposition process. In some non-limiting examples, the particle structure 121 _t The shape of (c) may have a significant effect on the SP excitation exhibited thereby, including but not limited to the width of the resonance band, the wavelength range, andand/or strength, and concomitantly, its absorption band.

In some non-limiting examples, the material surrounding at least one particle structure 121, whether underneath (such that the particle structure 121 is _t May be deposited onto its exposed layer surface 11) or may be subsequently disposed on the exposed layer surface 11 of the at least one particle structure 121 may affect the optical effects resulting from the emission and/or transmission of EM radiation and/or EM signals 1061 through the at least one particle structure 121.

It may be assumed that in some non-limiting examples, the granular structure 121 will be contained _t Is disposed in a particle structure patterned coating 323 that may be comprised of a low refractive index material _p Is disposed on and/or in physical contact with the exposed layer surface 11 and/or in proximity thereto, the absorption spectrum of the at least one particle structure 121 may be shifted.

In some non-limiting examples, the change and/or shift in absorption may be concentrated in the absorption spectrum of a certain (sub) range of the EM spectrum, including but not limited to the visible spectrum and/or sub-ranges thereof.

Since the at least one particle structure 121 may be arranged to be located in the particle structure patterned coating 323 _p On and/or in physical contact with and/or in proximity to the particle structure patterned coating, the device 300 may be configured such that the absorption spectrum of at least one particle structure 121 may be due to the particle structure patterned coating 323 _p Is adjusted and/or modified, including but not limited to such that such an absorption spectrum may substantially overlap and/or may not overlap with at least one wavelength (sub) range of the EM spectrum, including but not limited to the visible spectrum, the UV spectrum, and/or the IR spectrum.

In some non-limiting examples, one measure of the surface coverage of a quantity of conductive material on a surface may be (EM radiation) transmittance, as in some non-limiting examples, conductive materials (including but not limited to metals including but not limited to Ag, mg, or Yb) attenuate and/or absorb EM radiation.

In some non-limiting examples, can be passed throughJudicious selection of the particle structure 121 _t Is modulated by at least one particle structure 121 by at least one of feature size, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, dispersity, and/or material _t A resonance imparted to enhance transmission of EM signal 1061 through a non-zero angle relative to the layers of device 100.

In some non-limiting examples, the resonance may be tuned by varying the deposition thickness of the particulate material.

In some non-limiting examples, the coating 323 can be patterned by varying the particle structure _p To adjust the resonance.

In some non-limiting examples, the resonance may be tuned by varying the thickness of the upper cladding 130. In some non-limiting examples, the thickness of the upper cladding layer 130 may be between 0nm (corresponding to the absence of the upper cladding layer 130) and beyond the deposited particle structure 121 _t Is within a range of values for the feature size of (a).

In some non-limiting examples, the resonance may be tuned by selecting and/or modifying a material deposited as the upper cladding layer 130 to have a particular refractive index and/or a particular extinction coefficient. As a non-limiting example, a typical organic CPL 1215 material may have a refractive index in the range between about 1.7-2.0, while SiON, which is commonly used as a TFE material _x May have a refractive index in excess of about 2.4. At the same time, siON _x May have a high extinction coefficient, which may affect the desired resonance characteristics.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposited particle structure 121 may be altered by changing the metal composition in the particulate material _t Thereby adjusting the resonance.

In some non-limiting examples, the resonance can be modulated by doping the patterning material 1711 with an organic material having a different composition.

In some non-limiting examples, the resonance may be tuned by selecting and/or modifying the patterning material 1711 to have a particular refractive index and/or a particular extraction coefficient.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that additional parameters and/or values and/or ranges may become apparent as they are adapted to adjust the resonance imparted by the at least one particle structure 121 to allow transmission of EM signal 1061 therethrough at a non-zero angle relative to the layers of device 100 and/or enhance absorption of EM radiation incident on device 100, which may be visible light, as a non-limiting example.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that while certain values and/or ranges of these parameters may be suitable for adjusting the resonance imparted by the at least one particle structure 121 to enhance transmission of the EM signal 1061 through the layer of the device 100 at a non-zero angle, other values and/or ranges of such parameters may be suitable for other purposes in addition to enhancing transmission of the EM signal 1061, including improving performance, stability, reliability, and/or lifetime of the device 100, and in some non-limiting examples to ensure deposition of a suitable second electrode 740 (fig. 7A) in the second portion 302 in the emissive region 810 of the optoelectronic version of the device 100 to facilitate emission of EM radiation therefrom.

In addition, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will understand that there may be other parameters and/or values and/or ranges that may be suitable for such other purposes.

In some non-limiting examples, the use of at least one particle structure 121 as part of the layered optoelectronic device 100 may reduce reliance on polarizers therein.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that while a simplified model of optical effects is presented herein, other models and/or explanations may also be applicable.

In some non-limiting examples, the presence of at least one particle structure 121 may reduce and/or mitigate crystallization of film layers and/or coatings (including, but not limited to, patterned coating 323 and/or overlayer 130) disposed longitudinally toward adjacent thereto, thereby stabilizing the properties of the film disposed adjacent thereto, and in some non-limiting examples reducing scattering. In some non-limiting examples, such a film may be and/or include at least one outcoupling layer and/or encapsulation coating 2350 (fig. 25C) of device 100, including, but not limited to, a capping layer (CPL 1215).

In some non-limiting examples, the presence of such at least one particle structure 121 may provide enhanced absorption in at least a portion of the UV spectrum. In some non-limiting examples, controlling characteristics of such particle structures 121 (including, but not limited to, at least one of a characteristic size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, composition, particulate material, and/or refractive index of the particle structures 121) may facilitate controlling the degree of absorption, wavelength range, and peak wavelength of an absorption spectrum (including in the UV spectrum). Enhanced EM radiation absorption in at least a portion of the UV spectrum may be advantageous, for example, to improve device performance, stability, reliability, and/or lifetime.

It has also been reported that placement of certain metal NPs near a medium having a relatively low refractive index shifts the absorption spectrum of such NPs to a lower wavelength (sub-) range (blue shift).

Thus, it may further be assumed that, in some non-limiting examples, disposing the particulate material as a discontinuous layer 120 of at least one particulate structure 121 on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110 such that the at least one particulate structure 121 is in physical contact with the underlying layer 110 may advantageously shift the absorption spectrum (including, but not limited to, blue-shifting) of the particulate material in some non-limiting examples such that the absorption spectrum does not substantially overlap with the wavelength range of the EM spectrum of EM radiation emitted by and/or at least partially transmitted through the device 100.

In some non-limiting examples, the peak absorption wavelength of the at least one particle structure 121 may be less than the peak wavelength of EM radiation emitted by and/or transmitted through the device 100. In some non-limiting examples, the particulate material may exhibit peak absorption at wavelengths (ranges) of at least one of no greater than about 470nm, 460nm, 455nm, 450nm, 445nm, 440nm, 430nm, 420nm, or 400 nm.

It has been found that, somewhat surprisingly, providing particulate material (including but not limited to in the form of at least one particulate structure 121, including but not limited to those composed of metal) may further affect absorption and/or transmission of EM radiation through the device 100 in (including but not limited to) a first direction within (including but not limited to) at least one wavelength (sub-range of) the EM spectrum (including but not limited to the visible spectrum and/or sub-ranges thereof), from the at least one particulate structure 121 through and/or through the at least one particulate structure in the first direction.

In some non-limiting examples, absorption may be reduced and/or transmission may be facilitated over at least a wavelength (sub-) range of the EM spectrum, including but not limited to the visible spectrum and/or sub-ranges thereof.

In some non-limiting examples, the absorption may be concentrated in an absorption spectrum that is a wavelength (sub-) range of the EM spectrum, including, but not limited to, the visible spectrum and/or sub-ranges thereof.

In some non-limiting examples, the absorption spectrum may be blue shifted and/or shifted to a higher wavelength (sub-) range (red shifted), including but not limited to a wavelength (sub-) range of the EM spectrum (including but not limited to the visible spectrum and/or sub-ranges thereof), and/or to a wavelength (sub-) range of the EM spectrum that is at least partially outside the visible spectrum.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, the layers of the plurality of particle structures 121 may be disposed on top of one another, whether separated by additional layers of the device 100 or not, including but not limited to having varying lateral orientations and having different characteristics, thereby providing different optical responses. In this way, the optical response of certain layers and/or portions 301, 302 of the device 100 may be tuned according to one or more criteria.

Absorption around the emission area

In some non-limiting waysIn an illustrative example, layered semiconductor device 100 may be optoelectronic device 700 _a (fig. 7A), such as an OLED, that includes at least one emission region 810 (fig. 8A). In some non-limiting examples, the emissive region 810 can correspond to at least one semiconductive layer 730 (fig. 7A) disposed between a first electrode 720 (fig. 7A, which can be an anode in some non-limiting examples) and a second electrode 740 (which can be a cathode in some non-limiting examples). The anode and cathode can be electrically coupled to a power source 2105 (fig. 21) and generate holes and electrons, respectively, that migrate toward each other through the at least one semiconductive layer 730. When a pair of holes and electrons combine, EM radiation in the form of photons may be emitted.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one semiconductive layer 730 may be deposited on the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 700 in at least a portion of the emissive region 810, which in some non-limiting examples includes the first electrode 720.

In some non-limiting examples, the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 700 (which in some non-limiting examples may include at least one semiconductive layer 730) may be exposed to an evaporation flux 1712 (fig. 17) of the patterning material 1711, including, but not limited to, using a shadow mask 1715, to form the patterned coating 323 in the first portion 301. Whether shadow mask 1715 is employed or not, patterned coating 323 can be substantially limited in its lateral orientation to signal transmissive region 820.

In some non-limiting examples, the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 100 may be exposed to a vapor flux 1832 of a deposition material 1231, which in some non-limiting examples may be and/or include a material similar to a particulate material, including but not limited to particulate material in an open mask and/or maskless deposition process.

In some non-limiting examples, the exposed layer surface 11 of the face 1001 within the lateral orientation 2220 of the at least one signal transmitting region 820 may include a patterned coating 323. Thus, in the lateral orientation 2220 of the at least one signal transmitting region 820, the vapor flux 1832 of the deposition material 1231 incident on the exposed layer surface 11 may be at the exposed layer surface 1 of the patterned coating 323 1 on which at least one particle structure 121 is formed _t The deposited material may be and/or include a material similar to the particulate material in some non-limiting examples. In some non-limiting examples, the surface coverage of the at least one particle structure 121 may be no greater than at least one of about 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, or 10%.

Meanwhile, because the patterned coating 323 has been substantially limited in its lateral orientation to the non-emissive region 1220, in some non-limiting examples, the exposed layer surface 11 of the face 1001 within the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive region 810 may include at least one semiconductive layer 730. Thus, within the second portion 302 of the lateral orientation 2210 of the at least one emission region 810, the vapor flux 1832 of the deposition material 1831 incident on the exposed layer surface 11 may form a closed coating 1440 of the deposition material 1831 as the second electrode 740.

Thus, in some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 may serve a dual purpose, i.e., as a particle structured patterned coating 323 _p To provide a substrate for depositing at least one granular structure 121 in the first portion 301, and patterning the coating 323 as a non-granular structure _n To limit the lateral extent of deposition of the deposition material 1831 as the second electrode 740 to the second portion 302 without employing the shadow mask 1715 during deposition of the deposition material 1831.

In some non-limiting examples, the average film thickness of the cap coating 1440 of the deposited material 1831 may be at least one of about 5nm, 6nm, or 8 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may include MgAg.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 may be deposited on and/or over the exposed layer surface 11 of the second electrode 740.

In some non-limiting examples, the lateral orientation of the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 700 may include a first portion 301 and a second portion 302.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 may be omitted, or may not extend over the first portion 301, but may extend only over the second portion 302Extending. In some non-limiting examples, as shown by way of non-limiting example in fig. 7A, the first portion 301 may more or less correspond to the pattern 700 of the device 100 _a Lateral orientation 2220 (fig. 22) of at least one non-emissive region 1220 (fig. 25A), wherein seed 122 may pattern coating 323 in a non-particulate structure _n Deposition is preceded by deposition.

Such non-limiting configurations may be suitable for achieving and/or maximizing the transmissivity of EM radiation emitted from the at least one emission region 810 while reducing reflection of external EM radiation incident on the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 100.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 7A, in this scenario, a non-particulate structured patterned coating 323 may be deposited _n Such non-particulate structured patterned coating 323 may be composed, but not for the purpose of depositing at least one particulate structure 121, but for limiting its lateral extent _n May not exhibit a relatively low initial adhesion probability relative to the particulate material and/or seed material, as discussed above.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 may be omitted from the emission region 810 of the device 700 and/or the region including the emission region, excluding the device 700, and that in some examples, the second portion 302 may correspond to and/or include such other regions.

In some non-limiting examples, as shown in fig. 7A, the non-particulate structured patterned coating 323 _n The seed 122 may be deposited on the exposed layer surface 11 after deposition of the seed 122 (if any) in the template layer such that the seed 122 may be deposited across both the first portion 301 and the second portion 302, and the non-particulate structured patterned coating 323 _n The seed 122 deposited across the first portion 301 may be covered.

In some non-limiting examples, the non-particulate structured patterned coating 323 _n A surface may be provided that has a relatively low initial adhesion probability not only for the particulate material but also for the deposition of the seed material. In such an example, an example version 700 of the device 100 in fig. 7B _b Shown therein, a non-particulate structurePatterned coating 323 _n May be deposited before any deposition of the seed material, rather than after.

Selectively depositing a non-particulate structured patterned coating 323 across the first portion 301 _n Thereafter, in some non-limiting examples, an open mask and/or maskless deposition process may be used to deposit conductive particulate material on the device 700 _b On (but may remain substantially only within the second portion 302, which may be substantially free of the patterned coating 323), as and/or forming the granular structure 121 therein _t Including but not limited to by patterning the coating 323 around non-particle structures _n The corresponding seed 122 (if any) of the coating coalesces to form.

Selectively depositing a non-particulate structured patterned coating 323 across the first portion 301 _n Thereafter, in some non-limiting examples, a seed material (if deposited) may be placed across device 700 using an open mask and/or maskless deposition process _b Is deposited in the template layer, but the seed 122 may remain substantially only within the second portion 302, which may be substantially free of the non-particulate structured patterned coating 323 _n 。

Further, in some non-limiting examples, the particulate material may be deposited across the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 700 as and/or to form the particulate structure 121 therein using an open mask and/or maskless deposition process _t Including, but not limited to, by coalescing around the respective seed 122; the particulate material may remain substantially only in the second portion 302, which may be substantially free of the non-particulate structured patterned coating 323 _n 。

Non-particulate structured patterned coating 323 _n A surface may be provided within the first portion 301 having a relatively low initial adhesion probability for deposition of particulate material and/or seed material (if any) that may be significantly less than the device 700 within the second portion 302 for particulate material and/or seed material (if any) _b Initial adhesion probability of deposition of the underlying exposed layer surface 11.

Thus, the first portion 301 may be substantiallyAnd none of which can be deposited within the second portion 302 to form the granular structure 121 _t Including but not limited to any seed 122 and/or a closed coating 1440 of particulate material formed by coalescence around seed 122.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that even though some particulate material and/or some seed material remains within the first portion 301, the amount of any such particulate material in the first portion 301 and/or seed 122 formed from the seed material may be significantly less than the amount in the second portion 302, and any such particulate material in the first portion 301 may tend to form a discontinuous layer 120 that may be substantially free of the particulate structure 121. Even though some of such particulate material in the first portion 301 will form the particulate structure 121 _d Including but not limited to, around seed 122 formed from a seed material, any such particle structure 121 _d The size, height, weight, thickness, shape, contour and/or spacing of the particle structure 121 of the second portion 302 may still be similar to that of the second portion 302 _t The size, height, weight, thickness, shape, profile, and/or spacing of the first portion 301 may be sufficiently different such that, including but not limited to, the absorption of EM radiation in the first portion 301 may be substantially less than the absorption of EM radiation in the second portion 302 in the wavelength (sub-) range of the EM spectrum, including but not limited to the visible spectrum, and/or sub-ranges and/or wavelengths thereof, including but not limited to corresponding to a particular color.

In this way, non-particulate structured patterned coating 323 _n May be selectively deposited, including but not limited to using shadow mask 1715, to allow for deposition of particulate material, including but not limited to using an open mask and/or maskless deposition process, to form particulate structure 121 _t Including but not limited to by coalescing around the corresponding seed 122.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, structures exhibiting relatively low reflectivity may be suitable for providing at least one particle structure 121.

In some non-limiting examples, the presence of at least one particle structure 121 (including, but not limited to, NPs) in the discontinuous layer 120 on the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323 may affect some optical properties of the device 700.

Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesized that while formation of the encapsulating coating 1440 of particulate material may be substantially inhibited by and/or on the patterned coating 323, in some non-limiting examples, some of the vapor monomers 1832 of particulate material may eventually form at least one particulate structure 121 thereon when the patterned coating 323 is exposed to deposition of particulate material thereon.

In some non-limiting examples, at least some of the granular structures 121 may be disconnected from each other. In other words, in some non-limiting examples, discontinuous layer 120 may include features (including granular structure 121) that are physically separable from one another such that granular structure 121 does not form a closed coating 1440. Thus, in some non-limiting examples, such discontinuous layer 120 may thus comprise a thin dispersed layer of particulate material formed as a particulate structure 121 interposed at and/or substantially across the lateral extent of the interface between the patterned coating 323 and the upper cladding 130 in the device 700.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the particle structures 121 may be in physical contact with the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323. In some non-limiting examples, substantially all of the particle structures 121 may be in physical contact with the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323.

Turning now to fig. 8A, an exemplary version 800 of a user device 800 is illustrated _a Although not shown, in some non-limiting examples, the thickness of the Pixel Defining Layer (PDL) 710 in at least one signal transmission region 820, in some non-limiting examples at least in a region laterally spaced from the adjacent emission region 810, and in some non-limiting examples in the TFT insulating layer 709, may be reduced in order to enhance the display panel 840 relative to the user device 800 _a And the transmittance and/or transmission angle through these layers, the user equipment may be a layered semiconductor device 100 in some non-limiting examples.

In some non-limiting examples, the lateral orientation 2210 (fig. 22) of the at least one emission region 810 may extend across and include at least one TFT structure 701 associated therewith for driving the emission region 810 along data and/or scan lines (not shown), which in some non-limiting examples may be formed of copper (Cu) and/or Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO).

In some non-limiting examples, the vapor flux 1832 of the particulate material incident on the exposed layer surface 11 of face 1001 within the second portion 302 (i.e., the lateral orientation beyond the first portion 301, wherein the exposed layer surface 11 of face 1001 is the particulate structured patterned coating 323 _p The exposed layer surface of (a) may have a rate and/or duration at which the blocking coating 1440 of particulate material is not formed thereon, even in the absence of the patterned coating 323 of particulate material _p Is the case for (a). In this scenario, the vapor flux 1832 of the particulate material on the exposed layer surface 11 may also form at least one particulate structure 121 thereon, laterally inward of the second portion 302 _d Including but not limited to as a discontinuous layer 120, as shown in fig. 8B.

Fig. 8B is an exemplary version 800 of the user equipment 800 _b Is a simplified block diagram of (c). In its display panel 840 _b In that, when a vapor flux 1832 of particulate material is incident on its exposed layer surface 11, rather than forming a capping layer 1440 as the second electrode 740 in the second portion 302 as in the face 1001, a coating comprising at least one particulate structure 121 may be formed in the second portion 302 _d Is included in the layer 120. In at least one particle structure 121 _d In the case of electrical coupling, the discontinuous layer 120 may serve as the second electrode 740.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 of the at least one particle structure 121 in the first portion 301 _t The feature size, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, and/or composition of the discontinuous layer 120 forming the second electrode 740 in the second portion 302 may be different from the at least one particle structure 121 of the discontinuous layer 120 _d Feature size, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, and/or composition.

In some non-limiting examplesAt least one particle structure 121 in the first portion 301 of the at least one particle structure 121 _t May exceed the at least one particle structure 121 of the discontinuous layer 120 forming the second electrode 740 in the second portion 302 _d Is a feature of the (c) wafer.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 of the at least one particle structure 121 in the first portion 301 _t May exceed the surface coverage of the at least one particle structure 121 of the discontinuous layer 120 forming the second electrode 740 in the second portion 302 _d Is a surface coverage of the substrate.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 of the at least one particle structure 121 in the first portion 301 _t May exceed the deposition density of at least one particle structure 121 of the discontinuous layer 120 forming the second electrode 740 in the second portion 302 _d Is a deposition density of (a).

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 of the discontinuous layer 120 of the second electrode 740 is formed in the second portion 302 _d The characteristic dimensions, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, and/or composition of the at least one particle structure may be such as to allow electrical coupling.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 of the discontinuous layer 120 of the second electrode 740 is formed in the second portion 302 _d May exceed the characteristic dimension of the at least one particle structure 121 in the first portion 301 of the at least one particle structure 121 _t Is a feature of the (c) wafer.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 of the discontinuous layer 120 of the second electrode 740 is formed in the second portion 302 _d May exceed the surface coverage of the at least one particle structure 121 in the first portion 301 of the at least one particle structure 121 _t Is a surface coverage of the substrate.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 of the discontinuous layer 120 of the second electrode 740 is formed in the second portion 302 _d Can exceed at least one of the deposition densitiesAt least one particle structure 121 in the first portion 301 of the seed particle structure 121 _t Is a deposition density of (a).

In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may extend partially over the patterned coating 323 in the transition region 815.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 of the discontinuous layer 120 forming the second electrode 740 _d Particle structured patterned coating 323 in transition region 815 _p The upper part extends partially.

Fig. 8C is an exemplary version 800 of the user equipment 800 _c Is a simplified block diagram of (c). Display panel 840 of FIG. 8B _b For driving the display panel 840 _b At least one TFT structure 701 and a display panel 840 of an emission region 810 in the laterally oriented second portion 302 of (c) _b The emissive region 810 within the laterally oriented second portion 302 of (a) may be co-located and the first electrode 720 may extend through the TFT insulating layer 709 to be electrically coupled to a terminal of the power supply 2105 and/or ground through at least one drive circuit incorporating such at least one TFT structure 701.

In contrast, in the display panel 840 of FIG. 8C _c In the laterally oriented second portion 302 of the face 1001, there is no TFT structure 701 co-located with the emissive region 810 it drives. Accordingly, the display panel 840 _c Does not extend through the TFT insulating layer 709.

In contrast, for driving the display panel 840 _c At least one TFT structure 701 of the emissive region 810 in the laterally-oriented second portion 302 of (a) may be located elsewhere (not shown) laterally inward thereof, and the conductive via 825 may be located in the display panel 840 _c On the exposed layer surface 11 of the display panel 840 _c Extends laterally inward beyond its second portion 302, in some non-limiting examples, the exposed layer surface may be a TFT insulating layer 709. In some non-limiting examples, the conductive channels 825 may extend across the display panel 840 _c At least a portion of the laterally oriented first portion 301. In some non-limiting examples, conductive channels 825 may have an average film thickness such that they are non-aligned with respect to the layer of face 1001The transmittance of the EM signal 1061 through which the zero angle passes is maximized. In some non-limiting examples, the conductive channel 825 may be formed from Cu and/or TCO.

A series of samples were made to analyze the patterned coating 323 in the grain structure _p Is formed on the exposed layer surface 11, and subsequently exposing such exposed layer surface 11 to Ag vapor flux 1832.

Patterned coating 323 of particle structure on silicon (Si) substrate 10 by depositing an organic material _p Samples were produced. The particle structure is then patterned with a coating 323 _p Is subjected to Ag vapor flux 1832 until a reference thickness of 8nm is reached. Patterning coating 323 in a granular structure _p After exposure of the exposed layer surface 11 of (a) to the vapor flux 1832, the Ag discrete particle structure 121 was observed _t The discontinuous layer 120 in the form of a patterned coating 323 in a granular structure _p Is formed on the exposed layer surface 11.

The features of such discontinuous layer 120 were characterized by SEM to measure the deposition of patterned coating 323 on the grain structure _p Ag discrete particle structures 121 on the exposed layer surface 11 of (a) _t Is a size of (c) a. Specifically, the coating 323 is patterned by viewing the particle structure in top view _p The area occupied is measured while exposing the layer surface 11 of (c) and while structuring 121 each particle _t The average diameter is calculated by fitting the occupied area to a circle having an equivalent area, thereby calculating various particle structures 121 _t Is a mean diameter of (c). SEM micrograph of the sample is shown in fig. 9A, and fig. 9C shows the distribution 910 of average diameters obtained from this analysis. For comparison, a reference sample was prepared in which 8nm Ag was directly deposited on the Si substrate 10. An SEM micrograph of such a reference sample is shown in fig. 9B, and analysis 920 of this micrograph is also reflected in fig. 9C.

As can be seen, the coating 323 was patterned in the granular structure _p Discrete Ag particle structures 121 on the exposed layer surface 11 of (a) _t Is about 13nm, while the median particle size of the Ag film deposited on the Si substrate 10 in the reference sample was found to be about 28nm. Found to be disconnected in the analysis portion of the sampleDiscrete Ag particle structure 121 of continuous layer 120 _t Covered particle structured patterned coating 323 _p The area percentage of the exposed layer surface 11 of (c) was about 22.5%, while the percentage of the exposed layer surface 11 of the Si substrate 10 covered with Ag particles in the reference sample was found to be about 48.5%.

In addition, the coating 323 is patterned by depositing a granular structure on the glass substrate 10 using substantially the same process _p And Ag particle structure 121 _t A glass sample was prepared and the sample was analyzed (sample B) to determine the effect of the discontinuous layer 120 on the transmittance of the sample. Patterning coating 323 by depositing a granular structure on glass substrate 10 _p A comparative glass sample (comparative sample a) was produced and another comparative glass sample (comparative sample C) was produced by directly depositing an 8nm thick Ag coating on the glass substrate 10. For each sample, the transmittance of EM radiation at different wavelengths was measured as a percentage of the intensity of EM radiation detected as it passes through each sample and is summarized in table 5 below:

TABLE 5

It can be seen that sample B exhibits a relatively low EM radiation transmission of about 54% at a wavelength of 450nm in the visible spectrum, while exhibiting a relatively high EM radiation transmission of about 88% at a wavelength of 850nm in the NIR spectrum, due to EM radiation absorption caused by the presence of at least one particle structure 121. Since comparative sample a exhibits a transmittance of about 90% at a wavelength of 850nm, it should be understood that the presence of at least one particle structure 121 does not substantially attenuate the transmission of EM radiation (including but not limited to EM signal 1061) at that wavelength. Comparative sample C exhibited a relatively low transmission of 30% -40% in the visible spectrum and a lower transmission relative to sample B at a wavelength of 850nm in the NIR spectrum.

For the purposes of the foregoing analysis, no more than about 10nm at 500nm scale ² And no greater than about 2.5nm at 200nm scale ² Small particle structures 121 below a threshold area _t Are ignored because these values approach the resolution of the image.

Display panel

Turning now to fig. 10, a cross-sectional view of a display panel 840 is shown. In some non-limiting examples, the display panel 840 may be a version of the layered semiconductor device 100, including but not limited to an optoelectronic device 700 ending with an outermost layer forming a face 1001 of the display panel.

Face 1001 of display panel 840 may extend laterally thereacross substantially along a plane defined by a lateral axis.

User equipment

In some non-limiting examples, the face 1001, and indeed the entire display panel 840, may serve as a face of the user device 800 through which at least one EM signal 1061 may be exchanged at a non-zero angle relative to the plane of the face 1001. In some non-limiting examples, user device 800 may be a computing device such as, but not limited to, a smart phone, a tablet, a laptop, and/or an electronic reader, and/or some other electronic device such as a monitor, a television, and/or a smart device, including, but not limited to, an automotive display and/or a windshield, a household appliance, and/or a medical, commercial, and/or industrial device.

In some non-limiting examples, the face 1001 may correspond to and/or mate with the body 850 and/or an opening 1051 therein within which at least one display lower member 860 may be received.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one display lower member 860 may be integrally formed with the display panel 840 on a surface thereof opposite the face 1001, or formed as an assembled module. In some non-limiting examples, at least one display lower part 860 may be formed on the exposed layer surface 11 of the substrate 10 of the display panel 840 opposite the face 1001.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one aperture 1041 may be formed in display panel 840 to allow at least one EM signal 1061 to be exchanged through face 1001 of display panel 840 at a non-zero angle to a plane defined by lateral axes of layers of display panel 840 (including but not limited to face 1001 of display panel 840) or an accompanying layer.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one aperture 1041 may be understood to include the absence and/or reduced thickness and/or opacity of a substantially opaque coating that would otherwise be disposed across the display panel 840. In some non-limiting examples, at least one aperture 1041 may be embodied as a signal transmission region 820 as described herein.

However, at least one aperture 1041 is embodied through which at least one EM signal 1061 may pass such that it passes through face 1001. Accordingly, the at least one EM signal 1061 may be considered to exclude any EM radiation that may extend along a plane defined by the lateral axis, including, but not limited to, any current that may be conducted laterally across the at least one particle structure 121 through the display panel 840.

Furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that at least one EM signal 1061 may be distinguishable from the EM radiation itself, including but not limited to, the current and/or electric field generated thereby, as at least one EM signal 1061 may convey some information content, either alone or with other EM signals 1061, including but not limited to an identifier by which at least one EM signal 1061 may be distinguished from other EM signals 1061. In some non-limiting examples, this information content may be conveyed by specifying, changing, and/or modulating at least one of a wavelength, frequency, phase, timing, bandwidth, resistance, capacitance, impedance, conductance, and/or other characteristics of at least one EM signal 1061.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one EM signal 1061 passing through the at least one aperture 1041 of the display panel 840 may include at least one photon, and in some non-limiting examples may have a wavelength spectrum within at least one of the visible spectrum, the IR spectrum, and/or the NIR spectrum, without limitation. In some non-limiting examples, at least one EM signal 1061 passing through at least one aperture 1041 of display panel 840 may have a wavelength within, but not limited to, the IR and/or NR spectra.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one EM signal 1061 passing through the at least one aperture 1041 of the display panel 840 may include ambient light incident thereon.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one EM signal 1061 exchanged through at least one aperture 1041 of the display panel 840 may be transmitted and/or received by at least one display lower component 860.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one display lower member 860 may have a size greater than the single signal transmission region 820, but may be located not only under a plurality thereof, but also under at least one emission region 810 extending therebetween. Similarly, in some non-limiting examples, the at least one display lower member 860 may have a size that is larger than a single hole in the at least one hole 1041.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one display lower component 860 may include a receiver 860 _r The receiver is adapted to receive and process at least one received EM signal 1061 passing through the at least one hole 1041 from outside the user equipment 800 _r . Such a receiver 860 _r Non-limiting examples of (c) include under-display cameras (UDC) and/or sensors including, but not limited to, IR sensors or detectors, NIR sensors or detectors, LIDAR sensing modules, fingerprint sensing modules, optical sensing modules, IR (proximity) sensing modules, iris recognition sensing modules, and/or facial recognition sensing modules, and/or portions thereof.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one display lower component 860 may include a transmitter 860 _t The transmitter is adapted to transmit at least one transmitted EM signal 1061 from outside the user equipment 800 through the at least one hole 1041 _t . Such a transmitter 860 _t Including, but not limited to, built-in flash, IR and/or NIR emitters and/or LIDAR sensing modules, fingerprint sensing modules, optical sensing modules, IR (proximity) sensing modules, iris recognition sensing modules and/or facial recognition sensing modules, and/or portions thereof.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one received EM signal 1061 _r Comprising at least one transmitted EM signal 1061 _t Is reflected or otherwise returned to at least one segment of the user device 800.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one EM signal 1061 passing through at least one aperture 1041 of display panel 840 outside user device 800 (including but not limited to by a transmitter 860 including _t Is a transmitted EM signal 1061 transmitted by at least one display lower component 860 of the display _t ) Can emanate from display panel 840 and act as transmit EM signal 1061 _r Passes back through at least one aperture 1041 of the display panel 840 to include a receiver 860 _r Is provided, is a display lower section 860.

In some non-limiting examples, the display lower component 860 may include an IR emitter and an IR sensor. As a non-limiting example, such a display lower component 860 may include (as part, component, or module thereof): lattice projectors, time-of-flight (ToF) sensor modules (which may operate as direct ToF and/or indirect ToF sensors), vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs), flood illuminators, NIR imagers, folded optics, and diffraction gratings.

In some non-limiting examples, there may be multiple display lower parts 730 within the user device 800, a first of which includes a transmitter 860 _t The transmitter is for transmitting at least one transmitted EM signal 1061 from outside the user equipment 800 through at least one aperture 1041 _t And a second of which includes a receiver 860 _r The receiver is configured to receive at least one received EM signal 1061 _r . In some non-limiting examples, such a transmitter 860 _t And receiver 860 _r May be embodied in a single common display lower section 860.

This can be seen by way of non-limiting example in fig. 11A, where the version of the user device 800 is shown with a display panel 840 that includes at least one display portion 1115 in its lateral orientation (shown vertically in the figure) adjacent to and separated by, in some non-limiting examples, at least one handshaking display portion 1116. The user equipment 800 accommodates for passing through the firstAt least one first signal transmission region 820 of the handshake display 1116 (and in some non-limiting examples substantially corresponding to the first handshake display) outside the face 1001 emits at least one emitted EM signal 1061 _t Is provided with at least one transmitter 860 _t And for receiving at least one received EM signal 1061 through at least one second signal-transmissive region 820 in (and, in some non-limiting examples, substantially corresponding to) the second signal-exchange display portion 1116 _r Receiver 860 of (c) _r . In some non-limiting examples, the at least one first and second handshake display portions 1116 may be identical.

Fig. 11B shows a version of a user device 800 including a display panel 840 defining a face of the device 800, according to a non-limiting example. The device 800 accommodates at least one emitter 860 disposed outside the face 1001 _t And at least one receiver 860 _r . Fig. 11C shows a cross-sectional view taken along line 11C-11C of device 800.

The display panel 840 includes a display portion 1115 and a signal exchange display portion 1116. The display section 1115 includes a plurality of emission areas 810 (not shown). The signal exchange display portion 1116 includes a plurality of emission areas 810 (not shown) and a plurality of signal transmission areas 820. The plurality of emission areas 810 in the display section 1115 and the signal-switching display section 1116 may correspond to the subpixels 84x of the display panel 840. The plurality of signal transmission regions 820 in the signal exchange display portion 1116 are configured to allow EM signals or light having wavelengths (ranges) corresponding to the IR spectrum to pass through the entire cross-sectional orientation thereof. At least one emitter 860 _t And at least one receiver 860 _r May be disposed behind the corresponding handshaking display portion 1116 such that IR signals may be transmitted and received through the handshaking display portion 1116 of the panel 840, respectively. In the non-limiting example shown, at least one transmitter 860 _t And at least one receiver 860 _r Is shown having a corresponding handshake display 1116 disposed in the signaling path.

FIG. 11D shows in plan view a view according to a non-limitingVersion of the illustrative user device 800 wherein at least one transmitter 860 _t And at least one receiver 860 _r Both disposed behind the common handshake display 1116. As a non-limiting example, the signal exchange display portion 1116 may extend along at least one configuration axis in the plan view such that it extends beyond the emitter 860 _t And receiver 860 _r Both of which are located in the same plane. FIG. 11E is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11E-11E in FIG. 11D.

Fig. 11F shows a version of the user device 800 in plan view, wherein the display panel 840 further comprises a non-display portion 1151, according to a non-limiting example. In some non-limiting examples, the display panel 840 may include at least one emitter 860 _t And at least one receiver 860 _r Each of them is disposed behind a corresponding handshake display portion 1116. In plan view, the non-display portion 1151 may be disposed adjacent to and between the two handshaking display portions 816. The non-display portion 1151 may be substantially free of any emissive area 810. In some non-limiting examples, the device 800 may house a camera 1160 disposed in the non-display portion 1151. In some non-limiting examples, the non-display portion 1151 may include a through-hole portion 1152 that may be arranged to overlap the camera 1160. In some non-limiting examples, the faceplate 840 in the via portion 1152 may be substantially free of any layers, coatings, and/or components that may be present in the display portion 1115 and/or the signal exchange display portion 1116. As a non-limiting example, the faceplate 840 in the through-hole portion 1152 may be substantially free of any backplate and/or front faceplate components whose presence may otherwise interfere with the image captured by the camera 1160. In some non-limiting examples, the cover glass of the panel 840 may extend substantially across the display portion 1115, the signal-exchange display portion 1116, and the via portion 1152, such that it may be present in all of the foregoing portions of the panel 840. In some non-limiting examples, panel 840 may also include a polarizer (not shown) that extends substantially across display portion 1115, signal-switching display portion 1116 and via portion 1152, such that it may be present in all of the foregoing of panel 840 In part. In some non-limiting examples, the through-hole portion 1152 may be substantially devoid of a polarizer in order to enhance transmission of light through this portion of the panel 840.

In some non-limiting examples, the non-display portion 1151 of the panel 840 may also include a non-through hole portion 1153. As a non-limiting example, the non-via portion 1153 may be disposed between the via portion 1152 and the handshake display portion 1116 in a lateral orientation. In some non-limiting examples, non-via portion 1153 may surround at least a portion or all of the perimeter of via portion 1152. Although not specifically shown, the device 800 may include additional modules, components, and/or sensors in a portion of the device 800 corresponding to the non-through hole portion 1153 of the display panel 840.

In some non-limiting examples, the signal-exchange display portion 1116 may reduce the number of back-plate components or substantially eliminate back-plate components that would otherwise impede or reduce the transmission of EM radiation through the signal-exchange display portion 1116. As a non-limiting example, the signal exchange display portion 1116 may be substantially devoid of TFT structures 701, including but not limited to: metal traces, capacitors, and/or other opaque or light absorbing elements. In some non-limiting examples, the emissive region 810 in the handshake display portion 1116 may be electrically coupled with one or more TFT structures 701 located in a non-via portion 1153 of the non-display portion 1151. In particular, TFT structures 701 for activating sub-pixels 84x in the handshake display portion 1116 may be relocated outside the handshake display portion 1116 and within the non-via portion 1153 of the panel 840, such that a relatively high transmission of EM radiation in at least the IR spectrum and/or the NIR spectrum through non-emitting areas 1220 (not shown) within the handshake display portion 1116 may be obtained. As a non-limiting example, the TFT structure 701 in the non-via portion 1153 may be electrically coupled with the subpixel 84x in the handshake display portion 1116 via conductive traces. In some non-limiting examples, the transmitter 860 _t And receiver 860 _r Is disposed adjacent or near the non-via portion 1153 when in a lateral orientation such that the distance that current travels between the TFT structure 701 and the subpixel 84x may be reduced.

In some non-limiting examples, the emission region 810 may be configured such that at least one of an aperture ratio and a pixel density of the emission region is the same within both the display portion 1115 and the signal exchange display portion 1116. In some non-limiting examples, the pixel density may be greater than about at least one of 300ppi, 350ppi, 400ppi, 450ppi, 500ppi, 550ppi, or 600 ppi. In some non-limiting examples, the aperture ratio may be at least one of at least about 25%, 27%, 30%, 33%, 35%, or 40%. In some non-limiting examples, the emissive areas 810 or pixels 84x of the panel 840 may be substantially the same shape and disposed between the display portion 1115 and the signal-exchange display portion 1116 to reduce the likelihood that a user will detect a visual difference between the display portion 1115 and the signal-exchange display portion 1116 of the panel 840.

Fig. 11H shows an enlarged plan view after partial cutaway of portions of panel 840 according to a non-limiting example. Specifically, the configuration and layout of the emission area 810 represented as a subpixel 84x in the display section 1115 and the signal-switching display section 1116 are shown. In each portion, a plurality of emission regions 810 may be provided, each emission region corresponding to a sub-pixel 84x. In some non-limiting examples, the subpixels 84x may correspond to the R (red), G (green), and/or B (blue) subpixels 1141, 1142, 1143, respectively. In the signal exchange display portion 1116, a plurality of signal transmission regions 820 may be provided between adjacent sub-pixels 84x.

In some non-limiting examples, the display panel 840 may further include a transition region (not shown) between the display portion 1115 and the signal-exchange display portion 1116, wherein the configuration of the emission region 810 and/or the signal-transmission region 820 may be different from the configuration of the adjacent display portion 1115 and/or the signal-exchange display portion 1116. In some non-limiting examples, the presence of such transition regions may be omitted such that the emissive region 810 is provided in a substantially continuous repeating pattern across the display portion 1115 and the handshaking display portion 1116.

Cover layer

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one cover layer 930 may be provided in the form of at least one layer of an outcoupling and/or encapsulation coating of the display panel 840, including but not limited to an outcoupling layer, CPL 1215, TFE layer, polarizing layer, or other physical layers and/or coatings that may be deposited on the display panel 840 as part of the manufacturing process. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one cover layer 930 can include lithium fluoride (LiF). In some non-limiting examples, at least one cover layer 930 may serve as the upper cover layer 130.

In some non-limiting examples, the CPL 1215 may be deposited over the entire surface of the device 300. The function of CPL 1215 may generally be to facilitate outcoupling of light emitted by device 300, thereby enhancing External Quantum Efficiency (EQE).

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one cover layer 930 may be deposited at least partially across a lateral extent of the face 1001, in some non-limiting examples at least partially covering the at least one particle structure 121 in the first portion 301 of the at least one particle structure 121 _t And forming a patterned coating 323 with a particle structure at the exposed layer surface 11 thereof _p Is defined by the interface of (a). In some non-limiting examples, the at least one cover layer 930 may also at least partially cover the second electrode 740 in the second portion 302.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the cover layers 930 may have a high refractive index. In some non-limiting examples, at least one cover layer 930 may have a patterned coating 323 that exceeds the grain structure _p Refractive index of the refractive index of (c).

In some non-limiting examples, display panel 840 may be patterned with particle structured coating 323 _p An air gap and/or an air interface is provided at the interface of the exposed layer surface 11, whether during or after manufacture, and/or in operation. Thus, in some non-limiting examples, such an air gap and/or air interface may be considered at least one cover layer 930. In some non-limiting examples, the display panel 840 may be provided with both a CPL 1215 and an air gap, wherein at least one particle structure 121 may be covered by the CPL 1215, and the air gap may be provided on or over the CPL 1215.

In some non-limiting examples, particlesGrain structure 121 _t May be in physical contact with at least one cover layer 930. In some non-limiting examples, substantially all of particle structure 121 _t May be in physical contact with at least one cover layer 930.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that additional layers not shown may be present that are introduced at various stages of fabrication.

In some non-limiting examples, the layer 323 is patterned in a particle structure comprising a low refractive index patterning material 1711 _p At the interface with at least one cover layer 930 (including but not limited to CPL 1215) comprising a material that may have a high refractive index, at least one particle structure 121 in the first portion 301 _t The external coupling of at least one EM signal 1061 through the signal transmission region 820 of the device 700 at a non-zero angle relative to the layers of the device may be enhanced.

Examples of devices with particle Structure

Biometric authentication

In the display panel 840, as shown in FIG. 8A, at least one signal transmissive region 820 may have a laterally oriented first portion 301 of its associated display panel 840, wherein the particle structured patterned coating 323 _p May be disposed on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110 and have at least one particle structure 121 disposed on the exposed layer surface 11, the at least one particle structure including at least one particle structure 121 _t Is included in the layer 120.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one signal transmissive region 820 may be substantially free of the encapsulating coating 1440 of particulate material.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one signal transmission region 820 may facilitate absorption of EM radiation therein in at least the wavelength range of the visible spectrum while allowing EM radiation in at least the wavelength range of the IR spectrum to pass therethrough.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may be provided such that they exhibit greater absorption in at least one wavelength sub-range of the visible spectrum than in the IR and/or NIR spectrum. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may be provided such that they do not absorb EM radiation in at least one wavelength sub-range of the visible spectrum and do not substantially absorb EM radiation in the IR and/or NIR spectrum.

Referring again to fig. 11A, in some non-limiting examples, the user device 800 may be configured such that at least one transmitter 860 _t Transmitting at least one transmitted EM signal 1061 _t And passes through the display panel 840 so that it is incident on the face, outline, or other portion of the user 1100 of the user device 800. At least one transmitted EM signal 1061 incident on the user 1100 _t Is reflected or otherwise returned by the user 1100 to generate at least one received EM signal 1061 _r The at least one received EM signal then passes through the display panel 840 such that it is received by the at least one receiver 860 _r Receiving and/or detecting.

In some non-limiting examples, by having at least one transmitter 860 _t Generating at least one transmitted EM signal 1061 to be reflected from the user 1100 _t To generate at least one received EM signal 1061 associated therewith _r (collectively, EM signal pair 1061) that is received by at least one receiver 860 _r And detect, thereby providing biometric authentication of the user 1100.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one transmitter 860 _t May be an IR transmitter for transmitting at least one EM signal 1061 having a wavelength range in the IR spectrum and/or the NIR spectrum as at least one transmitted IR signal 1061 _t . In some non-limiting examples, at least one receiver 860 _r May be an IR sensor for receiving at least one EM signal 1061 having a wavelength in the IR spectrum and/or the NIR spectrum as at least one received IR signal 1061 _r 。

In some non-limiting examples, the signal transmissive regions 820 of the display panel 840 may be arranged in an array, and the at least one emitter 860 _t And/or at least one receiver 860 _r May be positioned behind display panel 840 within user device 800 such that it is associated therewithThe at least one EM signal pair 1061 is configured to pass through the at least one signal transmissive region 820 of the display panel 840.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one transmitter 860 _t And at least one receiver 860 _r May be positioned to allow at least one EM signal pair 1061 associated therewith to pass through the common signal transmission region 820. In some non-limiting examples, at least one transmitter 860 _t And at least one receiver 860 _r May be positioned to allow at least one EM signal pair 1061 associated therewith to pass through different signal transmission areas 820.

In the display panel 840, at least one emissive region 810 may have a laterally oriented second portion 302 of its associated display panel 840, wherein the underlying exposed layer surface 11 may have a blocking coating 1440 of deposited material 1831 deposited thereon.

Thus, in some non-limiting examples, at least one emits an IR signal 1061 _t And at least one received IR signal 1061 _r May be transmitted through at least one signal transmission region 820 (at least in the case where they are located in the IR spectrum) while absorbing at least a portion of these (or other) EM signals 1061 (in the case where they are located in the visible spectrum), including EM signals 1061 (not shown) in at least the wavelength range of the visible spectrum that may be incident on the display panel 840 from an external source.

In this way, IR emitter 860 _t And IR detector 860 _r The presence of (a) may be at least partially hidden from the user 1100 without substantially impeding at least one emitted IR signal 1061 _t And at least one received IR signal 1061 _r Transmitted through the display panel 840, including but not limited to providing biometric authentication of the user 1100.

Such a configuration of the display panel 840 may be advantageous, for example, to allow for an IR emitter 860 _t And/or IR detector 860 _r Positioned within user device 800 and at least one signal transmission region 820 positioned within a lateral extent of display panel 840 without substantially affecting the user experience and/or facilitating hiding of IR emitter 860 from user 1100 _t And/or IR detector860 _r 。

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, at least one display lower member 860 (including but not limited to an IR emitter 860 _t And/or IR detector 860 _r ) May be sized so as to underlie not only a single signal transmissive region 820, but also a plurality of signal transmissive regions 820, and/or at least one emissive region 810 extending therebetween. In such examples, at least one display lower member 860 may be positioned below the plurality of signal transmission regions 820 and may exchange EM signals 1061 that pass through the plurality of signal transmission regions 820 at non-zero angles relative to and through the layers of the display panel 840.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structure 121 _t May be configured to allow EM signals 1061 in the IR spectrum and/or the NIR spectrum to be transmitted through the signal transmission region 820 of the face 1001 of the display panel 840 at a non-zero angle relative to the layers of the face 1001 while absorbing EM signals 1061 in at least one sub-range of the visible spectrum and/or the UV spectrum. In some non-limiting examples, such a granular structure 121 _t The method can have the following steps: (i) A percent coverage of at least one of about 10% -50%, 10% -45%, 12% -40%, 15% -35%, 18% -35%, 20% -35%, or 20% -30%, (ii) a majority of the granular structures 121 _t May have a maximum feature size of at least about at least one of 40nm, 35nm, 30nm, 25nm, or 20 nm; and (iii) an average and/or median feature size of at least one of about 5nm-40nm, 5nm-30nm, 8nm-30nm, 10nm-30nm, 8nm-25nm, 10nm-25nm, 8nm-20nm, 10nm-15nm, or 8nm-15 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structure 121 is configured to allow transmission of EM signals 1061 in the IR spectrum and/or the NIR spectrum through the signal transmission region 820 of the face 1001 of the display panel 840 at a non-zero angle relative to the layers of the face 1001 _t May have a characteristic dimension that may be in a range of at least one of about 1nm-200nm, 1nm-150nm, 1nm-100nm, 1nm-50nm, 1nm-40nm, 1nm-30nm, 1nm-20nm, 5nm-20nm, or 8nm-15 nm.

In some cases notIn a limiting example, the particle structure 121 allows transmission of an EM signal 1061 in the IR spectrum and/or the NIR spectrum through the signal transmission region 820 of the face 1001 of the display panel 840 at a non-zero angle relative to the layers of the face 1001 _t May have an average and/or median feature size of at least one of between about 5nm-100nm, 5nm-50nm, 5nm-40nm, 5nm-30nm, 5nm-25nm, 5nm-20nm, or 8nm-15 nm. As a non-limiting example, such average and/or median dimensions may correspond to the particle structures 121 of the at least one particle structure 121, respectively _t And/or a median diameter.

In some non-limiting examples, most of the particle structures 121 transmit through the signal transmission region 820 of the face 1001 of the display panel 840 at a non-zero angle relative to the layers of the face 1001 while allowing EM signals 1061 in the IR spectrum and/or the NIR spectrum to transmit through _t May have a maximum feature size of no greater than at least one of about 100nm, 80nm, 50nm, 40nm, 30nm, 25nm, 20nm, or 15 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structure 121 may have such a maximum feature size while allowing EM signals 1061 in the IR spectrum and/or NIR spectrum to transmit through the signal transmission region 820 of the face 1001 of the display panel 840 at a non-zero angle relative to the layers of the face 1001 _t The percent coverage of (a) may be at least about 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, or 10% of the area of its discontinuous layer 120.

Reduction of UVA damage or interference

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may include and/or act as a UVA absorbing coating that may generally absorb EM radiation in the UVA spectrum.

In some non-limiting examples, there may be such a goal: such UVA absorbing coating is provided to reduce and/or mitigate transmission of UVA radiation through the device 100. As a non-limiting example, the presence of such UVA absorbing coatings may enhance the quality of the image captured by the display lower component 860 through the device 100 by reducing interference caused by UVA radiation.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one particle structure 121 may absorb EM radiation in at least a portion of the UV spectrum and at least a portion of the visible spectrum while exhibiting reduced absorption and/or substantially no absorption of EM radiation in the IR and/or NIR spectrum.

Blind hole with UVA absorption layer

In some non-limiting examples, face 1001 of display panel 840 may have at least one blind hole region, which in some non-limiting examples is located at an edge thereof. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one blind hole region may be substantially circular when viewed in cross-section and have a cross-sectional dimension on the order of a few mm, corresponding to the cross-sectional dimension of the associated display lower member 860. The blind hole area allows exchange of at least one EM signal 1061 at a non-zero angle to a plane defined by the lateral axis through the face 1001 of the display panel 840.

In some non-limiting examples, the blind hole region may correspond to the first portion 301 in which the patterned coating 323 is disposed. When vapor flux 1832 of the deposition material is deposited in an open mask and/or maskless deposition process, the deposition of patterned coating 323 in first portion 301 results in first portion 301 being substantially free of a capping layer 1440 of deposited layer 1430. The absence of the capping layer 1440 of the deposited layer 1430 defines blind via areas.

Although the blocking coating 1440 of the deposited layer 1430 is not formed in the first portion due to the deposition of the patterned coating 121 on the first portion 301, the patterned coating 323 can also function as a granular structure patterned coating 323 as described herein _p Allowing at least one granular structure 121 to be formed thereon in the discontinuous layer 120 _t . At least one particle structure 121 deposited in the blind hole region _t The discontinuous layer 120 of (1) may include a UVA absorbing layer that absorbs EM radiation in at least a portion of the UV spectrum to reduce and/or mitigate transmission of UVA radiation and enhance the quality of the image captured by the lower display member 860 through the blind via region by reducing interference caused by UVA radiation.

Low RI patterned coating

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art may reasonably expect that, in some non-limiting examples, including the (lower) lower refractive index lower layer 110 in front of the higher refractive index upper cladding layer 130 in the optical path of EM radiation may cause EM radiation to reflect back from it toward the lower layer 110, resulting in a reduction in the portion of EM radiation that may be extracted from such a device.

However, it has been found that, somewhat surprisingly, arranging a (lower) low refractive index layer having a first refractive index lower than the second refractive index of the higher refractive index layer in the optical path in front of such higher refractive index layer, such that the (lower) low refractive index layer is located between the underlying layer 110 and the higher refractive index layer, may exhibit an improved outcoupling of EM radiation relative to an equivalent device lacking such a (lower) low refractive index layer between the underlying layer 110 and the higher refractive index layer, and may therefore increase the fraction of EM radiation that may be extracted from the device, at least in some non-limiting examples.

In some non-limiting examples, a granular structure patterned coating 323 disposed in the first portion 301 of the device 100 between the underlying layer 110 and the upper cladding layer 130 _p May serve as such a (lower) refractive index layer provided that it exhibits a first refractive index that is less than a second refractive index of the material comprising the upper cladding layer 130.

In some non-limiting examples, such enhanced outcoupling may be provided in the granular structure patterning coating 323 _p Is also enhanced with a first refractive index that is less than the third refractive index of the material comprising the underlying layer 110.

In some non-limiting examples, the first refractive index may be determined and/or measured at a first wavelength range and/or at least one first wavelength (range)) thereof.

In some non-limiting examples, such first wavelength (range) may be at least one of about 315nm-400nm, 450nm-460nm, 510nm-540nm, 600nm-640nm, 456nm-624nm, 425nm-725nm, 350nm-450nm, 300nm-550nm, 300nm-700nm, 380nm-740nm, 750nm-900nm, 380nm-900nm, or 300nm-900 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, the first maximum refractive index may correspond to a maximum value of the first refractive index measured within such first wavelength (range).

In some non-limiting examples, within such first wavelength (range), the first refractive index may vary by no more than about at least one of 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, or 0.1.

In some non-limiting examples, at such first wavelength (range), the first refractive index may be no greater than about at least one of 1.7, 1.6, 1.5, 1.45, 1.4, 1.35, 1.3, or 1.25.

In some non-limiting examples, at such first wavelength (range), the first refractive index may be at least one of between about 1.2-1.6, 1.2-1.5, 1.25-1.45, or 1.25-1.4.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structured patterned coating 323 _p And/or patterning material (in some non-limiting examples, coating 323 is patterned as a form of film and/or coating is deposited and while in contact with the particle structure _p In an environment similar to deposition within device 300) may exhibit a first extinction coefficient at such first wavelength (range) of no greater than about at least one of 0.1, 0.08, 0.05, 0.03, or 0.01.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structured patterned coating 323 _p And/or patterning material (in some non-limiting examples, coating 323 is patterned as a form of film and/or coating is deposited and while in contact with the particle structure _p In a similar environment as deposition within device 300) may be substantially transparent.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structured patterned coating 323 _p And/or patterning material (in some non-limiting examples, coating 323 is patterned as a form of film and/or coating is deposited and while in contact with the particle structure _p In an environment similar to deposition within device 300) may include a substantially porous coating and/or medium thatThe coating and/or the medium has at least one void formed therein. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesized that the presence of such pores and/or voids may contribute to the particle structure patterning coating 323 relative to a layer composed of a similar medium but substantially free of such pores and/or voids _p Is a decrease in the first refractive index of (c). In some non-limiting examples, such a substantially porous layer and/or medium may be considered at least one of the following: microporous layers and/or media that may contain at least one pore and/or void having a diameter of no greater than about 2nm as non-limiting examples; as a non-limiting example, a mesoporous layer and/or medium may contain at least one pore and/or void having a diameter between about 2nm and 50 nm; and microporous layers and/or media that may contain, as non-limiting examples, at least one pore and/or void having a diameter of at least about 50 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, the second refractive index may be determined and/or measured at a second wavelength range and/or at least one second wavelength (range)) thereof.

In some non-limiting examples, such second wavelength (range) may be at least one of about 315nm-400nm, 450nm-460nm, 510nm-540nm, 600nm-640nm, 456nm-624nm, 425nm-725nm, 350nm-450nm, 300nm-550nm, 300nm-700nm, 380nm-740nm, 750nm-900nm, 380nm-900nm, or 300nm-900 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, the second maximum refractive index may correspond to a maximum value of the second refractive index measured within such a second wavelength (range).

In some non-limiting examples, the first maximum refractive index may correspond to a wavelength within a first wavelength (range) that is different from a wavelength within a second wavelength (range) to which the second maximum refractive index may correspond.

In some non-limiting examples, the second refractive index may be at least one of about 1.7, 1.8, or 1.9.

The second refractive index in the second wavelength (range) exceeds the first refractive index in the first wavelength (range).

In some non-limiting examples, the second wavelength (range) may be the same as and/or different from the first wavelength (range).

In some non-limiting examples, the second refractive index in the second wavelength (range) may exceed the first refractive index in the first wavelength (range) by at least about at least one of 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.7, 1.0, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, or 1.5.

In some non-limiting examples, the second maximum refractive index may exceed the first maximum refractive index by at least about at least one of 0.5, 0.7, 1.0, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, or 1.7.

In some non-limiting examples, at such second wavelength (range), the upper cladding layer 130 and/or the material comprising the layer (in some non-limiting examples, when deposited as a form of film and/or coating and in an environment similar to the deposition of the upper cladding layer 130 within the device 300) may exhibit a second extinction coefficient of no greater than about at least one of 0.1, 0.08, 0.05, 0.03, or 0.01.

In some non-limiting examples, the third refractive index may be determined and/or measured at a third wavelength range and/or at least one third wavelength (range)) thereof.

In some non-limiting examples, such third wavelength (range) may be at least one of about 315nm-400nm, 450nm-460nm, 510nm-540nm, 600nm-640nm, 456nm-624nm, 425nm-725nm, 350nm-450nm, 300nm-550nm, 300nm-700nm, 380nm-740nm, 750nm-900nm, 380nm-900nm, or 300nm-900 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, the third maximum refractive index may correspond to a maximum value of the third refractive index measured within such a third wavelength (range).

In some non-limiting examples, the first maximum refractive index may correspond to a wavelength within a first wavelength (range) that is different from a wavelength within a third wavelength (range) to which the third maximum refractive index may correspond.

In some non-limiting examples, the third refractive index may be at least one of at least about 1.7, 1.8, or 1.9.

In some non-limiting examples, the third refractive index in the third wavelength (range) may exceed the third refractive index in the first wavelength (range)A refractive index such that, in some non-limiting examples, the particle structured patterned coating 323 _p May be located between two layers comprising higher refractive index materials (i.e., the higher refractive index lower layer 110 and the upper cladding layer 130).

Low RI patterned coating with embedded islands

In some non-limiting examples, the coating 323 may be patterned by providing a plurality of (relatively) low refractive index particle structures deposited on each other _p To supplement the previous examples, with at least one particle structure 121 deposited therebetween.

It has been found that, somewhat surprisingly, providing particulate material (including the form of the at least one particulate structure 121) within and/or adjacent to the at least one (relatively) low refractive index particulate structure patterned coating 323 can further affect the passage of the device 300 in a first direction (including but not limited to) in at least one wavelength (sub-) range of the EM spectrum (including but not limited to the visible spectrum and/or sub-ranges thereof), from the at least one (relatively) low refractive index particulate structure patterned coating 323 _p Absorption and/or transmission of EM radiation in a first direction through and/or through the at least one (lower) low refractive index layer, the at least one particle structure 121 and through the higher refractive index overlayer 130.

Patterning EM radiation absorbing layer

In some non-limiting examples, there may be such a goal: an EM radiation-absorbing layer is provided in some areas of the display panel 840. In some applications, such EM radiation absorbing layers may be referred to as Black Matrix (BM) layers, especially if these areas are located around but not over each (sub) pixel of the display panel 840. The EM radiation absorbing layer absorbs external EM radiation incident thereon and reduces reflection of such EM radiation by the display panel 840. In this way, the presence of the EM radiation absorbing layer may reduce interference of external EM radiation incident thereon into the display panel 840 and thus reduce EM radiation internally reflected therefrom, which may otherwise be compensated for by implementing a polarizer over the display panel 840. Such an EM radiation-absorbing layer may be shaped to avoid covering the emission area 810 of the display panel 840 so that emitted photons are not absorbed by it and are prevented from exiting the display panel 840.

In some non-limiting examples, a selectively configured discontinuous layer 120 of at least one particle structure 121 of a given feature size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, material, degree of aggregation, or other property may be used as such an EM radiation-absorbing layer.

In some non-limiting examples, the EM radiation-absorbing layer may include a supporting dielectric layer (not shown) that may be disposed on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110. In some non-limiting examples, such a supporting dielectric layer may be selectively deposited onto only a portion of the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110, including in some non-limiting examples the second portion 302. In some non-limiting examples, such a supporting dielectric layer may be used to electrically decouple the underlying particle structure 121 of the EM radiation-absorbing layer, either entirely or partially. In some non-limiting examples, such a supporting dielectric layer may be used to facilitate and/or increase absorption of EM radiation by the EM radiation-absorbing layer, typically or in some non-limiting examples, over a range of wavelengths. In some non-limiting examples, such a supporting dielectric layer may serve as the granular structure patterned coating 323 _p . In some non-limiting examples, such a supporting dielectric layer may include CPL 1215.

In some non-limiting examples, the EM radiation-absorbing layer may include a capping dielectric layer that may be disposed on the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 300 by depositing a capping dielectric material on the exposed layer surface to cover the particle structures 121. In some non-limiting examples, the cover dielectric material used to form the cover dielectric layer may be the same as or different from the support dielectric material used to form the support dielectric material. In some non-limiting examples, such a blanket dielectric layer may be selectively deposited onto only a portion of the exposed layer surface 11, including in some non-limiting examples the second portion 302. In some non-limiting examples, such a cover dielectric layer may be used to electrically decouple the particle structure 121 of the overlying EM radiation-absorbing layer, either entirely or partially. In some non-limiting examples, such a cover dielectric layer may be used to facilitate and/or increase absorption of EM radiation by the EM radiation-absorbing layer, typically or in some non-limiting examples, over a range of wavelengths. In some non-limiting examples, such a blanket dielectric layer may include CPL 1215.

NP outcoupling for enhanced stability

It has been reported in Fusella et al, "Plasmonic enhancement of stability and brightness in organic light-rising devices", "Nature 2020, volume 585, pages 379-382 (" Fusella et al "), that energy can be extracted from the plasma mode by incorporating an NP-based outcoupling layer over the cathode layer, thereby improving the stability of the OLED device. The NP-based outcoupling layer of Fusella et al was fabricated by spin casting a cubic Ag NP over an organic layer over the cathode. However, since most commercial OLED devices are fabricated using a vacuum-based process, solution-based spin casting may not constitute a suitable mechanism for forming such NP-based outcoupling layers over the cathode.

It has been found that by depositing the metallic particulate material in the discontinuous layer 120 onto the patterned coating 323 (which may be and/or be deposited on the cathode in some non-limiting examples), such an NP-based outcoupling layer over the cathode may be fabricated in vacuum (and thus this layer may be suitable for use in a commercial OLED fabrication process). Such a process may avoid the use of solvents or other wet chemicals that may damage the OLED device and/or may adversely affect the reliability of the device.

This finding may be used to enhance the transmittance (outcoupling) of photons (in some non-limiting examples, in a given wavelength range of the EM spectrum) emitted by optoelectronic devices, including but not limited to photoluminescent devices.

As non-limiting examples, the optoelectronic device may be an OLED light emitting panel or module, and/or an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display or module of a computing device (such as, but not limited to, a smart phone, tablet, laptop, and/or electronic reader) and/or some other electronic device (such as, but not limited to, a monitor, a television, and/or a smart device, including, but not limited to, an automotive display and/or a windshield, a household appliance, and/or a medical, commercial, and/or industrial device).

The outcoupling of photons in OLED devices can be enhanced by mounting a nanopatterned photonic crystal structure to control photon propagation and periodically modulate internally reflected light waves, especially in combination with optical coatings having high refractive indices.

Turning now to FIG. 12A, a simplified block diagram is shown of an exemplary optoelectronic device 1200 according to the present disclosure, as seen from a cross-sectional orientation.

In some non-limiting examples, each emissive region 810 of device 1200 can correspond to a single display pixel 3310 (fig. 33A). In some non-limiting examples, each pixel 3310 may emit light of a given wavelength spectrum. In some non-limiting examples, the wavelength spectrum may correspond to (but is not limited to) colors in the visible spectrum.

In some non-limiting examples, each emissive region 810 of device 1200 can correspond to a subpixel 84x of display pixel 3310. In some non-limiting examples, multiple subpixels 84x may be combined to form or represent a single display pixel 3310. In some non-limiting examples, a single display pixel 3310 may be represented by three sub-pixels 84x, which may correspond to R (red) sub-pixels 1141, G (green) sub-pixels 1142, and/or B (blue) sub-pixels 1143 in some non-limiting examples.

In some non-limiting examples, the emission spectrum of light emitted by a given subpixel 84x may correspond to the color represented by the subpixel 84x.

In some non-limiting examples, each emission region 810 of the device 1200 may be substantially surrounded and separated in at least one lateral direction by one or more non-emission regions 1220, wherein the structure and/or configuration of the device 1200 along the longitudinal orientation may be varied to substantially inhibit emission of photons therefrom. In some non-limiting examples, non-emissive areas 1220 may include those areas that are oriented laterally substantially without emissive areas 810.

Thus, in some non-limiting examples, the first electrode 720 may be disposed on the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 1200, in some non-limiting examples, within at least a portion of the lateral orientation of the emissive region 810. In some non-limiting examples, the exposed layer surface 11 may comprise TFT insulating layers 709 of various TFT structures 701 constituting driving circuitry for the emission area 810 corresponding to a single display (sub-) pixel 84x, at least laterally inwards of the emission area 810 of the (sub-) pixel 84x. In some non-limiting examples, the first electrode 720 may extend through the TFT insulating layer 709 to be electrically coupled to a terminal of a power supply and/or ground through at least one driving circuit incorporating at least one TFT structure 701.

In a longitudinal orientation, in some non-limiting examples, the configuration of each emissive region 810 can be defined by introducing at least one Pixel Defining Layer (PDL) 710 substantially throughout at least a portion of the lateral orientation of the surrounding non-emissive region 1220. In some non-limiting examples, PDL 710 may cover an edge of first electrode 720. In some non-limiting examples, the cross-sectional thickness and/or profile of the PDL 710 may impart a substantially valley-shaped configuration to the emissive region 810 of each (sub) pixel 84x by regions of increased thickness along the lateral orientation of the surrounding non-emissive region 1220 and the lateral orientation of the surrounding emissive region 810.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one semiconductive layer 730 may be deposited on the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 1200 in at least a portion of the lateral orientation of such emissive region 810, which may include the first electrode 720 in some non-limiting examples.

In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may be disposed on the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 1200 in at least a portion of the lateral orientation of such emissive region 810, which may include at least one semiconductive layer 730 in some non-limiting examples.

In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may also extend beyond the lateral orientation of the emissive region 810 and at least partially inward of the lateral orientation of the surrounding non-emissive region 1220. In some non-limiting examples, the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 1200 in the lateral orientation of the non-emissive region 1220 may include PDL 710.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 may be selectively deposited on the exposed layer surface 11 of the second electrode 740.

In some non-limiting examples, after selective deposition of the patterned coating 323, the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 1200 may be exposed to a vapor flux 1832 of particulate material, including but not limited to exposure in an open mask and/or maskless deposition process, to form at least one particulate structure 121 as a discontinuous layer 120 on the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one capping layer 930 may be deposited at least partially across the lateral extent of the device 1200, in some non-limiting examples at least partially covering at least one particle structure 121 of the discontinuous layer 120 and forming an interface with the patterned coating 323 at its exposed layer surface 11. In some non-limiting examples, at least one cover layer 930 may be specifically deposited to act as a cover layer. In some non-limiting examples, at least one cap layer 930 may be deposited on device 1200 as part of the fabrication process, but also serves as at least one cap layer 930.

In some non-limiting examples, the thin discrete layer 120 of particle structures 121 may enhance the external coupling of EM radiation emitted by the emission region 810 through the at least one cover layer 930 at the interface between the patterned coating 323 as a patterned coating 323 comprising a patterned material having a low refractive index and the at least one cover layer 930 comprising a material having a high refractive index.

In some non-limiting examples, the particulate material used to form the particulate structure 121 may include at least one of Ag, au, cu, or Al, with enhanced external coupling of EM radiation emitted by the emission region 810.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structure 121 may have a feature size in a range of at least one of about 1nm-500nm, 10nm-500nm, 50nm-300nm, 50nm-500nm, 100nm-300nm, 1nm-250nm, 1nm-200nm, 1nm-180nm, 1nm-150nm, 1nm-100nm, 5nm-150nm, 5nm-130nm, 5nm-100nm, or 5nm-80nm with enhanced external coupling of photons emitted by the emission region 810.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structure 121 may have an average and/or median characteristic size of at least one of about 10nm-500nm, 50nm-300nm, 50nm-500nm, 100nm-300nm, 5nm-130nm, 10nm-100nm, 10nm-90nm, 15nm-90nm, 20nm-80nm, 20nm-70nm, or 20nm-60nm with enhanced external coupling of EM radiation emitted by the emission region 810. As a non-limiting example, such average and/or median size may correspond to the average diameter and/or median diameter of the particle structures 121 of the discontinuous layer 120.

In some non-limiting examples, the majority of the particle structures 121 may have a maximum feature size of at least one of about 500nm, 300nm, 200nm, 130nm, 100nm, 90nm, 80nm, 60nm, or 50nm with enhanced external coupling of EM radiation emitted by the emission region 810.

In some non-limiting examples, the percentage of particle structures 121 having such a maximum characteristic size may exceed at least one of about 50%, 60%, 75%, 80%, 90%, or 95% with enhanced outcoupling of EM radiation emitted by the emission region 810.

In some non-limiting examples, the maximum threshold percentage coverage may be at least one of about 75%, 60%, 50%, 35%, 30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, or 10% of the area of the discontinuous layer 120 with enhanced outcoupling of EM radiation emitted by the emission region 810.

In some non-limiting examples, the resonance imparted by the at least one particle structure 121 for enhancing the outcoupling of emitted EM radiation may be tuned by judicious selection of at least one of the characteristic dimensions, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, and/or composition of the particle structure 121.

In some non-limiting examples, the resonance may be tuned by varying the deposition thickness of the deposited material.

In some non-limiting examples, the resonance may be tuned by varying the average film thickness of the patterned coating 323.

In some non-limiting examples, the resonance may be tuned by varying the thickness of the at least one cover layer 930. In some non-limiting examples, the thickness of the at least one capping layer 930 may range from 0nm (corresponding to the absence of the at least one capping layer 930) to a value exceeding the characteristic dimension of the deposited particle structure 121.

In some non-limiting examples, the resonance may be tuned by changing the dielectric constant of the deposited particle structure 121 by changing the metal composition in the particulate material.

In some non-limiting examples, the resonance may be modulated by doping the patterning material with an organic material having a different composition.

In some non-limiting examples, the resonance may be tuned by selecting and/or modifying the patterning material 1711 to have a particular refractive index and/or a particular extinction coefficient.

In some non-limiting examples, the resonance may be tuned by selecting and/or modifying a material deposited as the at least one cover layer 930 to have a particular refractive index and/or a particular extinction coefficient. As a non-limiting example, a typical organic CPL 1215 material may have a refractive index in the range of about 1.8-2.0, while SiON, which is commonly used as a TFE material _x May have a refractive index in excess of about 2.4. At the same time, siON _x May have a high extinction coefficient, which may affect the desired resonance characteristics.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that additional parameters and/or values and/or ranges may become apparent as they are suitable for tuning the resonance imparted by the discontinuous layer 120 for enhancing the outcoupling of emitted EM radiation.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that while certain values and/or ranges of these parameters may be suitable for tuning the resonance imparted by the discontinuous layer 120 for enhancing the outcoupling of emitted EM radiation, other values and/or ranges of such parameters may be suitable for other purposes in addition to enhancing the outcoupling, including improving the performance, stability, reliability, and/or lifetime of the device 1200.

FIG. 12B is a simplified block diagram of an exemplary version 1205 of the optoelectronic device 1200 of FIG. 12A. In device 1205, CPL 1215 may be disposed between second electrode 740 and patterned coating 323. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the layers 10, 701, 709, 710, 720, 730, 740, and 1215 may correspond to conventionally fabricated OLED devices. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that additional layers not shown may be present that are introduced at various stages of fabrication. Thus, in some non-limiting examples, device 1205 may be produced by depositing patterned coating 323, discontinuous layer 120, and capping layer 930 (which may be an outcoupling layer, CPL 1215, TFE layer, polarizing layer, or other physical layer and/or coating) over such conventionally fabricated OLED devices.

Turning now to FIG. 12C, a simplified block diagram of an exemplary version 1210 of the optoelectronic device 1200 of FIG. 12A is shown. In device 1210, patterned coating 323 can extend beyond the lateral orientation of emissive region 810 and (at least partially) along the lateral orientation of surrounding non-emissive region 1220, as in device 1200. However, in device 1210, discontinuous layer 120 of granular structure 121 may extend substantially only laterally of emission area 810.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material may be limited to a lateral orientation substantially only across emission region 810 by different mechanisms, including, but not limited to, using shadow masks.

Turning now to fig. 12D, a simplified block diagram of an exemplary version 1215 of the electroluminescent device 1200 of fig. 12A is shown. The lateral orientation of the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 1216 may include a first portion 301 and a second portion 302. In the first portion 301, the patterned coating 323 can be selectively deposited as a patterned coating 323 on the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 1216, substantially only across the lateral orientation of the emissive region 810. However, in the second portion 302, the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 1216 may be substantially free of the patterned coating 323.

After selectively depositing patterned coating 323 across first portion 301, exposed layer surface 11 of device 1216 may be exposed to a vapor flux of deposition material 1831, which in some non-limiting examples may be and/or include a material similar to particulate material, including but not limited to particulate material in an open mask and/or maskless deposition process.

Thus, in some non-limiting examples, the discontinuous layer 120 comprising at least one particle structure 121 may be formed on and confined to the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323 in the first portion 301, substantially spanning only the lateral orientation of the emission region 810.

In the case where the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 1216 may be substantially free of the patterned coating 323, a deposition material 1831 (which may be and/or include a material similar to a particulate material in some non-limiting examples) may be deposited in the second portion 302 as a deposition layer 1430 (fig. 12), which is a capping coating 1440, which may be used as an auxiliary electrode 1250 as a non-limiting example.

In some non-limiting examples, the average film thickness of the auxiliary electrode 1250 in the second portion 302 may be greater than the characteristic dimension of the particle structure 121 of the discontinuous layer 120 in the first portion 301.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one capping layer 930 may be deposited at least partially across the lateral extent of the device 1216, in some non-limiting examples at least partially covering at least one particle structure 121 of the discontinuous layer 120 and forming an interface with the patterned coating 323 at its exposed layer surface 11 in the first portion 301, and in some non-limiting examples covering the auxiliary electrode 1250 in the second portion 302.

Turning now to fig. 12E, a simplified block diagram of an exemplary version 1219 of the electroluminescent device 1200 of fig. 12A is shown. In device 1219, patterned coating 323 and discontinuous layer 120 (and, in some non-limiting examples, at least one cover layer 930) can be disposed between first electrode 720 and second electrode 740, and in some non-limiting examples, between one of at least one semiconductive layer 730 and second electrode 740. In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 can include one of at least one semiconductive layer 730, including, but not limited to, HIL 2131 (fig. 21), HTL 2133 (fig. 21), ETL 2137 (fig. 21), and/or EIL 2139 (fig. 21). In some non-limiting examples, at least one cover layer 930 may include another of at least one semiconductive layer 730, including, but not limited to ETL 2137 and/or EIL 2137.

In some non-limiting examples, at least the second electrode 740 may have an upper cladding layer 130 deposited thereon, including but not limited to an outcoupling layer, CPL 1215, TFE layer, polarizing layer, or other physical layer and/or coating.

Particles in the emission region

In some non-limiting examples, the pixel 3310 may include a plurality of adjacent subpixels 84x, with each subpixel 84x emitting EM radiation having an emission spectrum corresponding to a different wavelength range. Due to the difference in wavelength spectrum between adjacent sub-pixels 84x, their optical performance may be different if the physical structure of their corresponding emission regions 810 is the same. In some non-limiting examples, a wavelength range of subpixels 84x _i Can be associated with a sub-pixel 84x of another wavelength range _j Is different in physical structure so as to divide the sub-pixel 84x _i 、84x _j Tuning to its associated wavelength range. In some non-limiting examples, such tuning may provide relatively consistent optical performance among the subpixels 84x of different wavelength ranges. In some non-limiting examples, such tuning may focus on the optical performance of the sub-pixels for a given wavelength range.

One mechanism of tuning the optical properties of the sub-pixels 84x for a given wavelength range may utilize the ability to control the formation and/or properties of a thin dispersed layer of particulate material (including but not limited to the particulate structure 121), including but not limited to enhance the emission and/or outcoupling of EM radiation (in some non-limiting examples, in the wavelength range of the EM spectrum associated with such sub-pixels 84 x).

Turning now to fig. 13, an exemplary version 1310 of the device 1200 of fig. 12A is shown. In device 1310, a plurality of subpixels 84x corresponding to a common pixel 3310 are shown _i 、84x _j . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that although two sub-pixels 84x are shown _I 、84x _j In some non-limiting examples, pixel 3310 may have more than two subpixels 84x associated therewith. In some non-limiting examples, subpixel 84x _i 、84x _j Any of which corresponds to the R (red), G (green), B (blue) or W (white) wavelength range, and sub-pixel 84x _i 、84x _j May correspond to a different wavelength range.

In some non-limiting examples, subpixel 84x _i And 84x _j With corresponding emission areas 810 _i 、810 _j . In some non-limiting examples, emission area 810 _i Can be formed by at least one non-emissive region 1220 _a 、1220 _b Surrounding, and emitting area 810 _j Can be formed by at least one non-emissive region 1220 _b 、1220 _c Surrounding.

In some non-limiting examples, corresponds to sub-pixel 84x _i Is arranged on the first electrode 720 of (a) _i And corresponds to sub-pixel 84x _j Is arranged on the first electrode 720 of (a) _j May be disposed over the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 1310, in some non-limiting examples, at the corresponding emissive region 810 _i 、810 _j Is disposed within at least a portion of the lateral orientation of (a). In some non-limiting examples, at least in emission area 810 _i 、810 _j The exposed layer surface 11 may include various TFT structures 701 _i 、701 _j TFT insulating layers 709 of the same, which are configured for the corresponding emission regions 810 _i 、810 _j Is provided. In some non-limiting examples, the first electrode 720 _i 、720 _j May extend through TFT insulating layer 709 to pass through the incorporation of a corresponding at least one TFT structure 701 _i 、701 _j Corresponding to (a)At least one drive circuit is electrically coupled to a terminal of the power supply 2105 and/or to ground.

In some non-limiting examples, in such emissive region 810 _i 、810 _j At least one semiconductive layer 730 may be deposited on the exposed layer surface of device 1310, which in some non-limiting examples includes first electrode 720 _i 、720 _j 。

In some non-limiting examples, at least one semiconductive layer 730 may also extend beyond emission region 810 _i 、810 _j And at least partially in the surrounding non-emissive region 1220 _a 、1220 _b 、1220 _c At least one of which is directed laterally inwardly. In some non-limiting examples, the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 1310 in the lateral orientation of the non-emissive region 1220 may include PDL 710 corresponding thereto.

In some non-limiting examples, the lateral orientation of the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 1310 may include a first portion 301 and a second portion 302, wherein the first portion 301 extends substantially across the emission region 810 _i And the second portion 302 extends substantially across at least the emission region 810 _j And lateral orientation of non-emissive region 1220.

In some non-limiting examples, the exposed layer surface 11 of the at least one semiconductive layer 730 may be exposed to a vapor flux 1712 of the patterning material 1711, including but not limited to using a shadow mask 1715 to expose to form the patterning coating 323 as a patterning coating 323, substantially spanning only the emissive region 810 _i I.e. the first portion 301. However, in the second portion 302, the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 810 may be substantially free of the patterned coating 323.

After selectively depositing patterned coating 323 across first portion 301, exposed layer surface 11 of device 1310 may be exposed to a vapor flux 1832 of deposition material 1832, which in some non-limiting examples may be and/or include a material similar to particulate material, including but not limited to particulate material in an open mask and/or maskless deposition process.

Thus, in some non-limiting examples, the discontinuous layer 120 comprising at least one particle structure 121 may be formed on and confined to the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323 in the first portion 301, substantially spanning only the emission region 810 _i Is oriented laterally.

In some non-limiting examples, the discontinuous layer 120 may act as the second electrode 740 _i 。

In the case where the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 1310 may be substantially free of the patterned coating 323, a deposition material may be deposited in the second portion 302 as a deposition layer 1430 forming a capping layer 1440, which may serve as the emissive region 810, as a non-limiting example _j Corresponding sub-pixel 84x in (a) _j Is provided with a second electrode 740 _j 。

In some non-limiting examples, second electrode 740 in second portion 302 _j The average film thickness of (a) may be greater than the characteristic dimension of the particle structure 121 in the first portion 301.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1832 used to form the particle structure 121 may include at least one of Ag, au, cu, or Al with enhanced emission and/or external coupling of EM radiation through its non-emission region 1220 at a non-zero angle relative to the layers of the device 1310.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structure 121 may have a feature size in a range of at least one of about 1nm-500nm, 10nm-500nm, 50nm-300nm, 50nm-500nm, 100nm-300nm, about 1nm-250nm, 1nm-200nm, 1nm-180nm, 1nm-150nm, 1nm-100nm, 5nm-150nm, 5nm-130nm, 5nm-100nm, or 5nm-80nm with enhanced emission and/or external coupling of EM radiation through its non-emission region 1220 at non-zero angles relative to a layer of the device 1310.

In some non-limiting examples, the particle structure 121 may have an average and/or median feature size of at least one of about 10nm-500nm, 50nm-300nm, 50nm-500nm, 100nm-300nm, 5nm-130nm, 10nm-100nm, 10nm-90nm, 15nm-90nm, 20nm-80nm, 20nm-70nm, or 20nm-60nm with enhanced emission and/or external coupling of EM radiation through its non-emission region 1220 at a non-zero angle relative to a layer of the device 1310. As a non-limiting example, such average and/or median size may correspond to the average diameter and/or median diameter of the particle structure 121.

In some non-limiting examples, the majority of the particle structures 121 may have a maximum feature size of at least one of about 500nm, 300nm, 200nm, 130nm, 100nm, 90nm, 80nm, 60nm, or 50nm with enhanced emission and/or external coupling of EM radiation through their non-emission regions 1220 at non-zero angles relative to the layers of the device 1310.

In some non-limiting examples, the percentage of particle structures 121 having such a maximum feature size may exceed at least one of about 50%, 60%, 75%, 80%, 90%, or 95% with enhanced emission and/or external coupling of EM radiation through their non-emission regions 1220 at non-zero angles relative to the layers of device 1310.

In some non-limiting examples, the maximum threshold percentage coverage may be at least one of about 75%, 60%, 50%, 35%, 30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, or about 10% of the area of the discontinuous layer 120 with enhanced emission and/or external coupling of EM radiation through its non-emission region 1220 at a non-zero angle relative to the layer of the device 1310.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one capping layer 930 may be deposited at least partially across the lateral extent of device 1310, in some non-limiting examples at least partially covering at least one particle structure 121 and forming an interface with patterned coating 323 in first portion 301 at its exposed layer surface 11, and in some non-limiting examples covering second electrode 740 in second portion 302 _j 。

Furthermore, at the interface between the patterned coating 323 comprising a low refractive index patterned material and the at least one cover layer 930 comprising a high refractive index material, the at least one particle structure 121 may enhance the light emitted by the emission region 810 _i The emitted EM radiation is coupled out through the at least one cover layer 930.

Patterning

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that more details of patterning the deposition material 1831 using the patterning coating 323 (whether or not for the purpose of forming the at least one particle structure 121) will now be described.

In some non-limiting examples, in the first portion 301, the patterned coating 323 (which in some non-limiting examples may be NIC comprising the patterned material 1711, which in some non-limiting examples may be NIC material) may be selectively deposited as a blocking coating 1440 on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layers of the device 100, including but not limited to the substrate 10, only in the first portion 301. However, in the second portion 302, the underlying exposed layer surface 11 may be substantially free of the encapsulation coating 1440 of the patterning material 1711.

Patterned coating

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a layered semiconductor device 1400, in some non-limiting examples, device 100 may be one version of the device. Patterned coating 323 can include a patterning material 1711. In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 can include a capping layer 1440 of patterned material 1711.

The patterned coating 323 can provide an exposed layer surface 11 (in some non-limiting examples, under conditions determined in the dual QCM technique described by Walker et al) with a relatively low initial adhesion probability for deposition of the deposition material 1831, which in some non-limiting examples can be significantly less than the initial adhesion probability for deposition of the deposition material 1831 for the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer of the device 1400 on which the patterned coating 323 has been deposited.

Because of the low initial adhesion probability of patterned coating 323 and/or patterned material 1711 to the deposition of deposition material 1831 (in some non-limiting examples, as some form of film and/or coating is deposited and in an environment similar to the deposition of patterned coating 323 within device 1200), first portion 301 comprising patterned coating 323 may be substantially free of encapsulation coating 1440 of deposition material 1831.

In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 and/or patterned material 1711 (in some non-limiting examples, as some form of film and/or layer deposition and in an environment similar to the deposition of patterned coating 323 within device 1400) can have an initial adhesion probability for deposition of deposited material 1831 of at least one of no more than about 0.9, 0.3, 0.2, 0.15, 0.1, 0.08, 0.05, 0.03, 0.02, 0.01, 0.008, 0.005, 0.003, 0.001, 0.0008, 0.0005, 0.0003, or 0.0001.

In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 and/or patterned material 1711 (in some non-limiting examples, as some form of film and/or layer deposition and in an environment similar to the deposition of patterned coating 323 within device 1400) can have an initial adhesion probability for deposition of Ag and/or Mg of at least one of no more than about 0.9, 0.3, 0.2, 0.15, 0.1, 0.08, 0.05, 0.03, 0.02, 0.01, 0.008, 0.005, 0.003, 0.001, 0.0008, 0.0005, 0.0003, or 0.0001.

In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 and/or patterned material 1711 (in some non-limiting examples, when deposited as a form of film and/or layer and in an environment similar to the deposition of patterned coating 323 within device 1400) may have an initial adhesion probability for deposition of deposited material 1831 of at least one of about: 0.15-0.0001, 0.1-0.0003, 0.08-0.0005, 0.08-0.0008, 0.05-0.001, 0.03-0.0001, 0.03-0.0003, 0.03-0.0005, 0.03-0.0008, 0.03-0.001, 0.03-0.005, 0.03-0.008, 0.03-0.01, 0.02-0.0001, 0.02-0.0003, 0.02-0.0005, 0.02-0.0008, 0.02-0.001, 0.02-0.005, 0.02-0.008 0.02-0.01, 0.01-0.0001, 0.01-0.0003, 0.01-0.0005, 0.01-0.0008, 0.01-0.001, 0.01-0.005, 0.01-0.008, 0.008-0.0001, 0.008-0.0003, 0.008-0.0005, 0.008-0.0008, 0.008-0.001, 0.008-0.005, 0.005-0.0001, 0.005-0.0003, 0.005-0.0005, 0.005-0.0008 or 0.005-0.001.

In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 and/or patterned material 1711 (in some non-limiting examples, as some form of film and/or layer deposition and in an environment similar to the deposition of patterned coating 323 within device 1400) may have an initial adhesion probability for deposition of multiple deposition materials 1831 that is not greater than a threshold value. In some non-limiting examples, such a threshold may be at least one of about 0.3, 0.2, 0.18, 0.15, 0.13, 0.1, 0.08, 0.05, 0.03, 0.02, 0.01, 0.008, 0.005, 0.003, or 0.001.

In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 and/or patterned material 1711 (in some non-limiting examples, when deposited as a form of film and/or layer and in an environment similar to the deposition of patterned coating 323 within device 1400) may have an initial adhesion probability for deposition of a plurality of deposited materials 1831 selected from at least one of Ag, mg, yb, cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn) that is less than such a threshold. In some further non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can exhibit an initial adhesion probability for deposition of a plurality of deposition materials 1631 selected from at least one of Ag, mg, and Yb that is equal to or below the threshold.

In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 and/or patterned material 1711 (in some non-limiting examples, when deposited as a form of film and/or layer and in an environment similar to the deposition of patterned coating 323 within device 1400) may exhibit an initial adhesion probability for the deposition of first deposited material 1831 that is equal to or below a first threshold and an initial adhesion probability for the deposition of second deposited material 1831 that is equal to or below a second threshold. In some non-limiting examples, the first deposited material 1831 may be Ag and the second deposited material 1831 may be Mg. In some other non-limiting examples, the first deposited material 1831 may be Ag and the second deposited material 1831 may be Yb. In some other non-limiting examples, the first deposition material 1831 may be Yb and the second deposition material 1831 may be Mg. In some non-limiting examples, the first threshold may exceed the second threshold.

In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 and/or patterned material 1711 (in some non-limiting examples, when deposited as a form of film and/or layer and in an environment similar to the deposition of patterned coating 323 within device 1400) may have a transmittance of at least a threshold transmittance value for EM radiation after being subjected to a vapor flux 1832 of deposited material 1831 including, but not limited to, ag.

In some non-limiting examples, such transmittance may be measured under typical conditions that may be used to deposit an electrode of an optoelectronic device (which may be a cathode of an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) device, as a non-limiting example) after exposing the patterned coating 323 and/or the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned material 1711 formed as a thin film to the vapor flux 1832 of the deposition material 1831, including but not limited to Ag.

In some non-limiting examples, the conditions for subjecting the exposed layer surface 11 to the vapor flux 1832 of the deposition material 1831 (including but not limited to Ag) may be as follows: (i) About 10 ^-4 Bracket or 10 ^-5 Vacuum pressure of the tray; (ii) Vapor flux 1832 of deposited material 1831 (including but not limited to Ag) is about 1 angstromThe reference deposition rate per second is substantially uniform, as a non-limiting example, it may be monitored and/or measured using QCM; and (iii) the exposed layer surface 11 is subjected to a vapor flux 1832 of a deposition material 1831 (including but not limited to Ag) until a reference average layer thickness of about 15nm is reached, and upon reaching such reference average layer thickness, the exposed layer surface 11 is not further subjected to the vapor flux 1832 of the deposition material 1831 (including but not limited to Ag).

In some non-limiting examples, the exposed layer surface 11 subjected to the vapor flux 1832 of the deposition material 1831 (including but not limited to Ag) may be substantially at room temperature (e.g., about 25 ℃). In some non-limiting examples, the exposed layer surface 11 subjected to the vapor flux 1832 of the deposition material 1831 (including but not limited to Ag) may be positioned about 65cm from the evaporation source that evaporates the deposition material 1831 (including but not limited to Ag).

In some non-limiting examples, the threshold transmittance value may be measured at a wavelength in the visible spectrum. As a non-limiting example, the threshold transmittance value may be measured at a wavelength of about 460 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the threshold transmittance values may be measured at wavelengths in the IR and/or NIR spectra. As non-limiting examples, the threshold transmittance values may be measured at wavelengths of about 700nm, 900nm, or about 1000 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the threshold transmission value may be expressed as a percentage of incident EM power that may be transmitted through the sample. In some non-limiting examples, the threshold transmittance value may be at least one of at least about 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, or 90%.

In some non-limiting examples, there may be a positive correlation between the initial adhesion probability for deposition of the deposition material 1831 and the average layer thickness of the deposition material 1831 thereon for the patterned coating 323 and/or the patterned material 1711 (in some non-limiting examples, as some form of film and/or layer deposition and in an environment similar to that of the patterned coating 323 within the device 1400).

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that a high transmittance may generally indicate the absence of the capping layer 1440 of the deposited material 1831, which may be Ag, as a non-limiting example. On the other hand, low transmittance may generally indicate the presence of the capping layer 1440 of the deposited material 1831 (including but not limited to Ag, mg, and/or Yb) because the metal film (particularly when formed as the capping layer 1440) may exhibit high absorption of EM radiation.

It may further be assumed that an exposed layer surface 11 that exhibits a low initial adhesion probability relative to the deposited material 1831 (including but not limited to Ag, mg, and/or Yb) may exhibit high transmittance. On the other hand, the exposed layer surface 11 that exhibits a high adhesion probability relative to the deposited material 1831 (including but not limited to Ag, mg, and/or Yb) may exhibit low transmittance.

A series of samples were made to measure the transmittance of the exemplary material and to visually observe whether a capping layer 1440 of Ag was formed on the exposed layer surface 11 of such exemplary material. By depositing a coating of an exemplary material about 50nm thick on a glass substrate 10, and then subjecting the coated exposed layer surface 11 to aboutAg vapor flux 1832 at a rate of/sec until about 1 is reached Reference layer thickness of 5nm, each sample was prepared. Each sample was then visually analyzed and the transmission through each sample was measured.

The molecular structures of the exemplary materials used in the samples herein are listed in table 6 below:

TABLE 6

The samples in which the substantially closed coating 1440 of Ag had been formed were visually confirmed, and the presence of such coating in these samples was further confirmed by measuring the transmission through the samples, which showed no more than about 50% transmission at a wavelength of about 460 nm.

Samples in which the capping layer 1440 of Ag was not formed were also confirmed, and it was further confirmed that such a coating was not present in these samples by measuring the transmittance through the samples, and the samples showed a transmittance of more than about 70% at a wavelength of about 460 nm.

The results are summarized in table 7 below:

TABLE 7

Material	Is a capping layer of Ag?
		HT211	Presence of
HT01	Presence of
		TAZ	Presence of
Balq	Presence of
		Liq	Presence of
Exemplary Material 1	Presence of
		Exemplary Material 2	Presence of
Exemplary Material 3	Is not present in
		Exemplary Material 4	Is not present in
Exemplary Material 5	Is not present in
		Exemplary Material 6	Is not present in
Exemplary Material 7	Is not present in
		Exemplary Material 8	Is not present in
Exemplary Material 9	Is not present in

Based on the foregoing, it was found that the materials used in the first 7 samples in tables 6 and 7 (HT 211 through exemplary material 2) may be less suitable for inhibiting deposition of deposition material 1831 (including, but not limited to, ag and/or Ag-containing materials) thereon.

On the other hand, it was found that exemplary materials 3 through 9 may be suitable (at least in some non-limiting applications) to act as a patterned coating 323 for inhibiting deposition of deposited materials 1831 (including, but not limited to, ag and/or Ag-containing materials) thereon.

In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 and/or patterned material 1711 (in some non-limiting examples, when deposited as a form of film and/or layer and in an environment similar to the deposition of patterned coating 323 within device 1400) may have a surface energy of no greater than about 24 dynes/cm, 22 dynes/cm, 20 dynes/cm, 18 dynes/cm, 16 dynes/cm, 15 dynes/cm, 13 dynes/cm, 12 dynes/cm, or 11 dynes/cm.

In some non-limiting examples, the surface energy may be at least about at least one of 6 dynes/cm, 7 dynes/cm, or 8 dynes/cm.

In some non-limiting examples, the surface energy may be at least one of between about 10 dynes/cm and 20 dynes/cm or 13 dynes/cm and 19 dynes/cm.

In some non-limiting examples, the critical surface tension of the surface may be determined according to the zisman method, as further detailed in w.a. zisman, advances in Chemistry 43 (1964) pages 1-51.

As a non-limiting example, a series of samples were made to measure the critical surface tension of surfaces formed from various materials. The measurement results are summarized in table 8 below:

TABLE 8

Material	Critical surface tension (dyne/cm)
		HT211	25.6
HT01	>24
		TAZ	22.4
Balq	25.9
		Liq	24
Exemplary Material 1	26.3
		Exemplary Material 2	24.8
Exemplary Material 3	19
		Exemplary Material 4	7.6
Exemplary Material 5	15.9
		Exemplary Material 6	<20
Exemplary Material 7	13.1
		Exemplary Material 8	20
Exemplary Material 9	18.9

Based on the foregoing measurements of critical surface tension in table 8 and previous observations regarding the substantially closed coating 1440 with or without Ag, it was found that materials that form a low surface energy surface when deposited as a coating (as non-limiting examples, materials that can have a critical surface tension of between about 13 dynes/cm and 20 dynes/cm or at least one of 13 dynes/cm 19 dynes/cm) can be suitable for forming patterned coating 323 to inhibit deposition of deposition materials 1831 (including but not limited to Ag and/or Ag-containing materials) thereon.

Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it may be assumed that materials forming surfaces having a surface energy below (as non-limiting examples) about 13 dynes/cm may be less suitable as patterning material 1711 in certain applications because such materials may exhibit relatively poor adhesion to layers surrounding such materials, exhibit low melting points, and/or exhibit low sublimation temperatures.

In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 and/or patterned material 1711 (in some non-limiting examples, as a form of film and/or coating deposition and in an environment similar to the deposition of patterned coating 323 within device 1400) may have a low refractive index.

In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 and/or patterned material 1711 (in some non-limiting examples, when deposited as a form of film and/or coating and in an environment similar to the deposition of patterned coating 323 within device 1400) may have a refractive index of at least one of no greater than about 1.55, 1.5, 1.45, 1.43, 1.4, 1.39, 1.37, 1.35, 1.32, or 1.3 for EM radiation of 550nm wavelength.

Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it has been observed that providing the patterned coating 323 with a low refractive index may (at least in some devices 1400) enhance transmission of external EM radiation through the second portion 302 thereof. As a non-limiting example, when the patterned coating 323 has a low refractive index, the device 1400 including an air gap therein (which may be disposed near or adjacent to the patterned coating 323) may exhibit higher transmittance relative to a similarly configured device in which such a low refractive index patterned coating 323 is not provided.

As a non-limiting example, a series of samples were fabricated to measure the refractive index at 550nm wavelength of coatings formed from some of the various exemplary materials. The measurement results are summarized in table 9 below:

TABLE 9

Material	Refractive index
		HT211	1.76
HT01	1.80
		TAZ	1.69
Balq	1.69
		Liq	1.64
Exemplary Material 2	1.72
		Exemplary Material 3	1.37
Exemplary Material 5	1.38
		Exemplary Material 7	1.3

Based on the foregoing measurements of refractive index in table 9, and previous observations in table 7 regarding the substantially closed coating 1440 with or without Ag, it has been found that the material forming the low refractive index coating (which may be a material having a refractive index of at least one of no more than about 1.4 or 1.38, as non-limiting examples) may be suitable for forming the patterned coating 323 to inhibit deposition of deposition material 1831 (including, but not limited to, ag and/or Ag-containing materials) thereon.

In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 and/or patterned material 1711 (in some non-limiting examples, when deposited as a form of film and/or coating and in an environment similar to the deposition of patterned coating 323 within device 1400) may have an extinction coefficient of no greater than about 0.01 for photons at a wavelength of at least one of about 600nm, 500nm, 460nm, 420nm, or 410 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 and/or patterned material 1711 (in some non-limiting examples, as a form of film and/or coating is deposited and in an environment similar to the deposition of patterned coating 323 within device 1400) may not substantially attenuate EM radiation passing therethrough in at least the visible spectrum.

In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 and/or patterned material 1711 (when deposited as a form of film and/or coating and in an environment similar to the deposition of patterned coating 323 within device 1400) may not substantially attenuate EM radiation passing therethrough in at least the IR spectrum and/or the NIR spectrum.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 and/or the patterned material 1711 (in some non-limiting examples, as some form of film and/or coating is deposited and in an environment similar to the deposition of the patterned coating 323 within the device 1400) may have an extinction coefficient that may be at least about at least one of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, or 0.5 for EM radiation at wavelengths shorter than at least one of about 400nm, 390nm, 380nm, or 370 nm.

In this manner, patterned coating 323 and/or patterned material 1711 (when deposited as a form of film and/or coating and in an environment similar to the deposition of patterned coating 323 within device 1400) may absorb EM radiation in the UVA spectrum incident on device 1200, thereby reducing the likelihood that EM radiation in the UVA spectrum may impart undesirable effects in device performance, device stability, device reliability, and/or device lifetime.

In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 and/or patterned material 1711 (in some non-limiting examples, when deposited as a form of film and/or coating and in an environment similar to the deposition of patterned coating 323 within device 1400) may have a glass transition temperature of no greater than about 300 ℃, 150 ℃, 130 ℃, 30 ℃, 0 ℃, at least one of-30 ℃, or-50 ℃.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterning material 1711 may have a sublimation temperature of at least one of about 100-320 ℃, 120-300 ℃, 140-280 ℃, or 150-250 ℃. In some non-limiting examples, such sublimation temperatures may allow the patterning material 1711 to be easily deposited as a coating using PVD.

The sublimation temperature of a material can be determined using a variety of methods apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art, including, but not limited to, by heating the material in a crucible under high vacuum and by determining the achievable temperature to:

observe when material starts to deposit onto the QCM surface mounted at a fixed distance from the crucible;

observe a specific deposition rate on the surface on a QCM mounted at a fixed distance from the crucible, as a non-limiting example, 0.1/sec; and/or

Up to a threshold vapor pressure of the material, as a non-limiting example, of about 10 ^-4 Or 10 ^-5 And (5) a bracket.

In some non-limiting examples, the sublimation temperature of a material may be determined by: in a high vacuum environment (as a non-limiting example, about 10 ^-4 Torr), and determining the achievable cause of material evaporation to produce a temperature sufficient to cause material deposition (as a non-limiting example, to aboutDeposition rate per second to the temperature of the vapor flux on a surface on the QCM mounted at a fixed distance from the source).

In some non-limiting examples, to determine the sublimation temperature, the QCM may be mounted about 65cm from the crucible.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 and/or the patterned material 1711 can include fluorine (F) atoms and/or Si atoms. As a non-limiting example, the patterning material 1711 used to form the patterning coating 323 can be a F and/or Si containing compound.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterning material 1711 may include an F-containing compound. In some non-limiting examples, the patterning material 1711 can include a compound containing F and carbon atoms. In some non-limiting examples, the patterning material 1711 can include a compound including F and C, where the atomic ratio of F and C An F/C quotient corresponding to at least one of at least about 1, 1.5, or 2. In some non-limiting examples, the atomic ratio of F to C can be determined by the following method: counting all F atoms present in the compound structure and, for C atoms, only sp atoms present in the compound structure ³ The hybridized C atoms were counted. In some non-limiting examples, the patterning material 1711 can include a compound including F and C containing moieties as part of its molecular substructure, wherein the atomic ratio of F and C corresponds to an F/C quotient of at least about 1, 1.5, or 2.

In some non-limiting examples, the compound of the patterning material 1711 may include an organic-inorganic hybrid material.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned material 1711 can be or include an oligomer.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterning material 1711 may be or include a compound having a molecular structure that includes a backbone and at least one functional group bonded to the backbone. In some non-limiting examples, the backbone may be an inorganic moiety and the at least one functional group may be an organic moiety.

In some non-limiting examples, such compounds may have a molecular structure that includes siloxane groups. In some non-limiting examples, the siloxane groups can be linear, branched, or cyclic siloxane groups. In some non-limiting examples, the backbone may be or include siloxane groups. In some non-limiting examples, the backbone may be or include a siloxane group and at least one F-containing functional group. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one F-containing functional group can be a fluoroalkyl group. Non-limiting examples of such compounds include fluorosilicones. Non-limiting examples of such compounds are exemplary material 6 and exemplary material 9.

In some non-limiting examples, the compound may have a molecular structure that includes a silsesquioxane group. In some non-limiting examples, the silsesquioxane group may be POSS. In some non-limiting examples, the backbone may be or include silsesquioxane groups. In some non-limiting examples, the backbone may be or include silsesquioxane groups and at least one functional group comprising F. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one F-containing functional group can be a fluoroalkyl group. Non-limiting examples of such compounds include fluoro silsesquioxane and/or fluoro POSS. A non-limiting example of such a compound is exemplary material 8.

In some non-limiting examples, the compounds can have a molecular structure that includes a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group and/or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group. In some non-limiting examples, the aryl group may be phenyl or naphthyl. In some non-limiting examples, at least one C atom of an aryl group can be substituted with a heteroatom (as non-limiting examples, O, N and/or S) to derive a heteroaryl group. In some non-limiting examples, the backbone may be or include substituted or unsubstituted aryl groups and/or substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl groups. In some non-limiting examples, the backbone may be or include a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group and/or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group and at least one functional group comprising F. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one F-containing functional group can be a fluoroalkyl group.

In some non-limiting examples, the compound may have a molecular structure that includes a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branched, or cyclic hydrocarbyl group. In some non-limiting examples, one or more C atoms of the hydrocarbyl group may be substituted with heteroatoms (which may be O, N and/or S, as non-limiting examples).

In some non-limiting examples, the compound may have a molecular structure that includes a phosphazene group. In some non-limiting examples, the phosphazene group may be a linear, branched, or cyclic phosphazene group. In some non-limiting examples, the backbone may be or include phosphazene groups. In some non-limiting examples, the backbone may be or include a phosphazene group and at least one functional group comprising F. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one F-containing functional group can be a fluoroalkyl group. Non-limiting examples of such compounds include fluorophosphinenitrile. A non-limiting example of such a compound is exemplary material 4.

In some non-limiting examples, the compound may be a fluoropolymer. In some non-limiting examples, the compound may be a block copolymer comprising F. In some non-limiting examples, the compound may be an oligomer. In some non-limiting examples, the oligomer may be a fluorine-containing oligomer. In some non-limiting examples, the compound may be a block oligomer comprising F. Non-limiting examples of fluoropolymers and/or fluorooligomers are those having the molecular structure of exemplary material 3, exemplary material 5, and/or exemplary material 7.

In some non-limiting examples, the compound may be a metal complex. In some non-limiting examples, the metal complex may be an organometallic complex. In some non-limiting examples, the organometallic complex can include F. In some non-limiting examples, the organometallic complex can include at least one ligand comprising F. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one ligand comprising F may be or include a fluoroalkyl group.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned material 1711 can be or include an organic-inorganic hybrid material.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned material 1711 can include a variety of different materials.

In some non-limiting examples, the molecular weight of the compound of the patterning material 1711 may be no greater than about at least one of 5,000g/mol, 4,500g/mol, 4,000g/mol, 3,800g/mol, or 3,500 g/mol.

In some non-limiting examples, the molecular weight of the compound of the patterning material 1711 can be at least about at least one of 1,500g/mol, 1,700g/mol, 2,000g/mol, 2,200g/mol, or 2,500 g/mol.

Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesized that for compounds suitable for forming surfaces having relatively low surface energies, there may be a goal of: in at least some applications, such compounds have a molecular weight of between about 1,500g/mol and 5,000g/mol, 1,500g/mol and 4,500g/mol, 1,700g/mol and 4,500g/mol, 2,000g/mol and 4,000g/mol, 2,200g/mol and 4,000g/mol, or 2,500g/mol and 3,800 g/mol.

Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesized that such compounds may exhibit at least one property that may be suitable for forming coatings and/or layers having the following characteristics: (i) a relatively high melting point, as non-limiting examples, of at least 100 ℃, (ii) a relatively low surface energy, and/or (iii) a substantially amorphous structure, as non-limiting examples, when deposited using a vacuum-based thermal evaporation process.

In some non-limiting examples, the percentage attributable to the presence of F atoms of the molar weight of such compounds may be at least one of between about 40% -90%, 45% -85%, 50% -80%, 55% -75%, or 60% -75%. In some non-limiting examples, the F atoms may constitute a majority of the molar weight of such compounds.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be disposed in a pattern that can be defined by at least one region of the enclosed coating 1440 in which the patterned coating 323 can be substantially absent. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one region may separate the patterned coating 323 into a plurality of discrete segments thereof. In some non-limiting examples, the plurality of discrete segments of the patterned coating 323 can be physically spaced apart from each other in their lateral directions. In some non-limiting examples, the plurality of discrete segments of the patterned coating 323 can be arranged in a regular structure (including, but not limited to, an array or matrix) such that in some non-limiting examples, the discrete segments of the patterned coating 323 can be configured in a repeating pattern.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the plurality of discrete segments of the patterned coating 323 can each correspond to the emission region 810.

In some non-limiting examples, the aperture ratio of the emission region 810 may be no greater than at least one of about 50%, 40%, 30%, or 20%.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be formed as a single, unitary coating.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can have and/or provide (including but not limited to) at least one nucleation site for the deposited material 1831 due to the patterning material 1711 and/or the deposition environment used.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be doped, covered, and/or supplemented with another material that can act as a seed or heterology to act as such nucleation sites for the deposited material 1831. In some non-limiting examples, such other materials may include NPC 2020 materials. In some non-limiting examples, such other materials may include organic materials (such as, by way of non-limiting example, polycyclic aromatic compounds) and/or materials containing non-metallic elements (such as, but not limited to, at least one of O, S, N or C, which may otherwise be source materials, equipment for deposition, and/or contaminants in a vacuum chamber environment). In some non-limiting examples, such other materials may be deposited in a layer thickness of a fraction of a monolayer to avoid forming its capping layer 1440. Instead, the monomers of such other materials may tend to be spaced apart in a lateral direction so as to form discrete nucleation sites for the deposited material.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can act as an optical coating. In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 may modify at least one property and/or characteristic of EM radiation (including, but not limited to, photon form) emitted by device 1400. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 may exhibit a degree of haze, resulting in the emitted EM radiation being scattered. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 may include a crystalline material for causing EM radiation transmitted therethrough to be scattered. In some non-limiting examples, such scattering of EM radiation may be advantageous to enhance the external coupling of EM radiation from device 1400. In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 may be initially deposited as a substantially amorphous (including but not limited to a substantially amorphous) coating, whereupon, after its deposition, patterned coating 323 may become crystalline and thereafter serve as an optical coupling.

Materials suitable for providing patterned coating 323 may generally have low surface energy when deposited as a thin film or coating on a surface. In some non-limiting examples, materials with low surface energy may exhibit low intermolecular forces. In some non-limiting examples, materials with low intermolecular forces may exhibit low melting points. In some non-limiting examples, coatings or materials having low melting points may not be suitable for some applications requiring high temperature reliability (up to at least one of 60 ℃, 85 ℃, or 100 ℃ as non-limiting examples) because of the change in physical properties of such materials at operating temperatures near the melting point of the material. As a non-limiting example, a material with a melting point of 120 ℃ may not be suitable for applications that rely on high temperature reliability up to 100 ℃. Thus, materials with higher melting points may be desirable in at least some applications where high temperature reliability is required. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is now assumed that materials with relatively high surface energies may be suitable, at least in some applications where high temperature reliability is required.

In some non-limiting examples, materials with low intermolecular forces may exhibit low sublimation temperatures. In some non-limiting examples, materials with low sublimation temperatures may not be suitable for manufacturing processes that require high control over the layer thickness of a deposited film of the material. As a non-limiting example, for materials with sublimation temperatures less than about 140 ℃, 120 ℃, 110 ℃, 100 ℃, or 90 ℃, it may be difficult to control the deposition rate and layer thickness of films deposited using vacuum thermal evaporation or other methods in the art. In some non-limiting examples, materials with higher sublimation temperatures may be suitable in at least some applications where high control of film thickness is desired. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is now hypothesized that materials having relatively high surface energies may be suitable, at least in some applications where high control of film thickness is required.

In general, a material having a low surface energy may exhibit a large or wide optical bandgap, which may correspond to the HOMO-LUMO bandgap of the material, as a non-limiting example. At least some materials having a large or wide optical bandgap and/or HOMO-LUMO energy gap may exhibit relatively weak or no photoluminescence in the visible spectrum, its deep B (blue) region, and/or the near UV spectrum. As a non-limiting example, such materials may exhibit limited photoluminescence when subjected to EM radiation having a wavelength of about 365nm, which is a common wavelength for radiation sources used in fluorescence microscopes. The presence of such materials, particularly when deposited as a thin film, can be challenging to detect using standard optical detection techniques (such as fluorescence microscopy), due to the limited photoluminescence exhibited by the materials. This may create difficulties for applications where material is selectively deposited on portions of the substrate 10, for example by an FMM, as there may be such goals: the presence of such material is determined after deposition of the material. In some non-limiting examples, materials having relatively small HOMO-LUMO energy gaps may be suitable in applications that use optical techniques to detect films of the material. In some non-limiting examples, materials with higher surface energies may be suitable for applications using optical techniques to detect films of materials.

In some non-limiting examples, there may be such a goal: the patterned coating 323 is provided to cause formation of the discontinuous layer 120 of the at least one particle structure 121 when the patterned coating 323 is subjected to a vapor flux 1832 of the deposition material 1831. In at least some applications, the patterned coating 323 can exhibit a sufficiently low initial adhesion probability such that the closed coating 1440 of the deposited material 1831 can be formed in the second portion 302, which can be substantially free of the patterned coating 323, and the discontinuous layer 120 of the at least one particle structure 121 having the at least one characteristic can be formed on the patterned coating 323 in the first portion 301. In some non-limiting examples, there may be such a goal: a discontinuous layer 120 of at least one particle structure 121 of a deposition material 1831 (which may be a metal or metal alloy, as a non-limiting example) is formed in the second portion 302 while a capping layer 1440 of the deposition material 1831 is deposited having a thickness of, for example, at least one of no greater than about 100nm, 50nm, 25nm, or 15 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the relative amount of deposition material 1831 deposited as discontinuous layer 120 of at least one granular structure 121 in first portion 301 may correspond to at least one of about 1% -50%, 2% -25%, 5% -20%, or 7% -10% of the amount of deposition material 1831 deposited 1440 as a closed coating in second portion 302, which may correspond to a thickness of at least one of no greater than about 100nm, 75nm, 50nm, 25nm, or 15nm, as non-limiting examples.

Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, the inventors have now found that a patterned coating 323 comprising a material that exhibits a relatively high surface energy when deposited as a thin film may, in some non-limiting examples, form a discontinuous layer 120 of at least one particle structure 121 of deposited material 1831 in the first portion 301 and form a closed coating 1440 of deposited material 1831 in the second portion 302, including, but not limited to, where the thickness of the closed coating (as a non-limiting example) is not greater than at least one of about 100nm, 75nm, 50nm, 25nm, or 15 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can include a variety of materials. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can include a first material and a second material.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the plurality of materials of patterned coating 323 may be used as a NIC when deposited as a thin film.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the plurality of materials of patterned coating 323 may function as a NIC when deposited as a thin film, and another material of the patterned coating forms NPC 2020 when deposited as a thin film. In some non-limiting examples, the first material may form NPC 2020 when deposited as a thin film, and the second material may form NIC when deposited as a thin film. In some non-limiting examples, the presence of the first material in the patterned coating 323 can result in an increased initial adhesion probability of the patterned coating as compared to a case in which the patterned coating 323 is formed of the second material without substantially the first material.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 may be suitable for forming a surface with low surface energy when deposited as a thin film. In some non-limiting examples, the first material may be adapted to form a surface having a lower surface energy than a surface provided by a film comprising the second material when deposited as a film.

In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 may include, but is not limited to, exhibiting photoluminescence by including a material that exhibits photoluminescence.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can exhibit photoluminescence at wavelengths corresponding to the UV spectrum and/or the visible spectrum. In some non-limiting examples, photoluminescence may occur at wavelengths (ranges) corresponding to UV spectra (including, but not limited to, UVA spectra and/or UVB spectra). In some non-limiting examples, photoluminescence may occur at wavelengths (ranges) corresponding to the visible spectrum. In some non-limiting examples, photoluminescence may occur at wavelengths (ranges) corresponding to deep blue or near UV.

In some non-limiting examples, the first material may have a first optical bandgap and the second material may have a second optical bandgap. In some non-limiting examples, the second optical bandgap may exceed the first optical bandgap. In some non-limiting examples, the difference between the first optical bandgap and the second optical bandgap may exceed at least one of about 0.3eV, 0.5eV, 0.7eV, 1eV, 1.3eV, 1.5eV, 1.7eV, 2eV, 2.5eV, and/or 3 eV.

In some non-limiting examples, the first optical bandgap may be no greater than at least one of about 4.1eV, 3.5eV, or 3.4 eV. In some non-limiting examples, the second optical bandgap may exceed at least one of about 3.4eV, 3.5eV, 4.1eV, 5eV, or 6.2 eV.

In some non-limiting examples, the first optical bandgap and/or the second optical bandgap may correspond to a HOMO-LUMO bandgap.

In some non-limiting examples, the first material may exhibit photoluminescence at wavelengths corresponding to the UV spectrum and/or the visible spectrum. In some non-limiting examples, photoluminescence may occur at wavelengths corresponding to the UV spectrum (including, but not limited to, UVA spectrum and/or UVB spectrum). In some non-limiting examples, photoluminescence may occur at wavelengths corresponding to the visible spectrum. In some non-limiting examples, photoluminescence may occur at wavelengths corresponding to deep B (blue) of the visible spectrum.

In some non-limiting examples, the first material may exhibit photoluminescence at wavelengths corresponding to the visible spectrum, and the second material may not exhibit substantial photoluminescence at wavelengths corresponding to the visible spectrum.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 that may exhibit photoluminescence may include at least one of a conjugated bond, an aryl moiety, an electron-donating-electron withdrawing group, or a heavy metal complex.

By way of non-limiting example, photoluminescence of the coating and/or material may be observed through a photoexcitation process. During photoexcitation, the coating and/or material is subjected to EM radiation emitted by a light source (including but not limited to UV lamps). When the emitted EM radiation is absorbed by the coating and/or material, electrons of the coating and/or material may be temporarily excited. After excitation, one or more relaxation processes may occur, including but not limited to fluorescence and phosphorescence, where EM radiation may be emitted from the coating and/or material. EM radiation emitted from the coating and/or material during this process may be detected, for example, by a photodetector, to characterize the photoluminescent properties of the coating and/or material. As used herein, the wavelength of photoluminescence associated with a coating and/or material may generally refer to the wavelength of EM radiation emitted by such coating and/or material as a result of electrons relaxing from an excited state. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the wavelength of light emitted by the coating and/or material as a result of the photoexcitation process may be longer than the wavelength of radiation used to induce photoexcitation in some non-limiting examples. Photoluminescence can be detected and/or characterized using various techniques known in the art, including but not limited to fluorescence microscopy. As used herein, a photoluminescent coating or photoluminescent material may be a coating or material that exhibits photoluminescence at a certain wavelength when irradiated with excitation radiation of a certain wavelength. In some non-limiting examples, the photoluminescent coating or material may exhibit photoluminescence at wavelengths exceeding about 365nm when irradiated with excitation radiation having a wavelength of 365 nm. The photoluminescent coating may be detected on the substrate 10 using standard optical techniques (including but not limited to fluorescence microscopy) which may quantify, measure or check for the presence of such coatings or materials.

In some non-limiting examples, the optical bandgaps (including, but not limited to, the first optical bandgap and/or the second optical bandgap) of the various coatings and/or materials may correspond to the energy gaps of the coatings and/or materials from which EM radiation is absorbed or emitted during the photoexcitation process.

In some non-limiting examples, photoluminescence may be detected and/or characterized by subjecting the coating and/or material to EM radiation having wavelengths corresponding to the UV spectrum (including, but not limited to, the UVA spectrum or UVB spectrum). In some non-limiting examples, the EM radiation used to induce photoexcitation may have a wavelength of about 365 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, the second material may exhibit substantially no photoluminescence at any wavelength corresponding to the visible spectrum. In some non-limiting examples, the second material may not exhibit photoluminescence when subjected to EM radiation having a wavelength of at least one of about 300nm, 320nm, 350nm, and/or 365 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the second material may exhibit insignificant and/or undetectable absorption when subjected to such EM radiation. In some non-limiting examples, the second optical bandgap of the second material may be wider than the photon energy of EM radiation emitted by the source such that the second material does not experience photoexcitation when subjected to such EM radiation. However, in some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 comprising such a second material may still exhibit photoluminescence when subjected to EM radiation due to the first material exhibiting photoluminescence. In some non-limiting examples, the presence of patterned coating 323 can be detected and/or observed using conventional characterization techniques, such as fluorescence microscopy, while patterned coating 323 is deposited.

In some non-limiting examples, the concentration (including but not limited to weight) of the first material in the patterned coating 323 may be no greater than the concentration of the second material in the patterned coating 323. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can include a first material that is at least about at least one of 0.1wt.%, 0.2wt.%, 0.5wt.%, 0.8wt.%, 1wt.%, 3wt.%, 5wt.%, 8wt.%, 10wt.%, 15wt.%, or 20 wt.%. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can include a first material that is not greater than at least one of about 50wt.%, 40wt.%, 30wt.%, 25wt.%, 20wt.%, 15wt.%, 10wt.%, 8wt.%, 5wt.%, 3wt.%, or 1 wt.%. In some non-limiting examples, the remainder of the patterned coating 323 can consist essentially of the second material. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can include additional materials, including but not limited to a third material and/or a fourth material.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (including but not limited to the first material and/or the second material) may include at least one of F and Si. As a non-limiting example, at least one of the first material and the second material may include at least one of F and Si. In some further non-limiting examples, the first material may include F and/or Si, and the second material may include F and/or Si. In some non-limiting examples, both the first material and the second material may be F. In some non-limiting examples, both the first material and the second material may include Si. In some non-limiting examples, each of the first material and the second material may include F and/or Si.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the first material and the second material may include both F and Si. In some non-limiting examples, one of the first material and the second material does not include F and/or Si. In some non-limiting examples, the second material may include F and/or Si, and the first material may not include F and/or Si.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include F, and at least one of the other materials of patterned coating 323 may include sp ² And (3) carbon. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include F, and at least one of the other materials of patterned coating 323 may include sp ³ And (3) carbon. In some cases notIn a limiting example, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include F and sp ³ Carbon, and at least one of the other materials of patterned coating 323 may include sp ² And (3) carbon. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include F and sp ³ Carbon, wherein all F bonded to carbon (C) can be bonded to sp ³ Carbon, and at least one of the other materials of patterned coating 323 may include sp ² And (3) carbon. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include F and sp ³ Carbon, wherein all F bonded to C can be bonded to sp ³ Carbon, and at least one of the other materials of patterned coating 323 may include sp ² Carbon may also not include F. As a non-limiting example, in any of the foregoing non-limiting examples, "at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323" may correspond to the second material, and "at least one of the other materials of the patterned coating 323" may correspond to the first material.

As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art, include F, sp ² Carbon, sp ³ The presence of material in the coating of carbon, aromatic hydrocarbon moieties and/or at least one of the other functional groups or moieties may be detected using various methods known in the art, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), as non-limiting examples.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (which may be the first material and/or the second material, as non-limiting examples) may include F, and at least one of the other materials of patterned coating 323 may include an aromatic hydrocarbon moiety. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include F, and at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 may not include an aromatic hydrocarbon moiety. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include F and may not include aromatic hydrocarbon moieties, and at least one of the other materials of patterned coating 323 may include aromatic hydrocarbon moieties. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include F and may not include an aromatic hydrocarbon moiety, and at least one of the other materials of patterned coating 323 may include an aromatic hydrocarbon moiety and may not include F as seen. Non-limiting examples of aromatic hydrocarbon moieties include at least one of a substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon moiety, an unsubstituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon moiety, a substituted phenyl moiety, and an unsubstituted phenyl moiety.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include F, and at least one of the other materials of patterned coating 323 may include a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon moiety. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include F, and at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 may not include a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon moiety. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include F and may not include a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon moiety, and at least one of the other materials of patterned coating 323 may include a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon moiety. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include F and may not include a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon moiety, and at least one of the other materials of patterned coating 323 may include a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon moiety and may not include F.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include at least one of a fluorocarbon portion and a siloxane portion, and at least one of the other materials of the patterned coating 323 may include a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon portion. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) comprises at least one of a fluorocarbon moiety and a siloxane moiety, and at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 may not include a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon moiety. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include at least one of a fluorocarbon portion and a siloxane portion and may not include a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon portion, and at least one of the other materials of the patterned coating 323 may include a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon portion. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include at least one of a fluorocarbon portion and a siloxane portion and may not include a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon portion, and at least one of the other materials of the patterned coating 323 may include a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon portion and may not include a fluorocarbon portion or a siloxane portion.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include F, and at least one of the other materials of patterned coating 323 may include phenyl moieties. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include F, and at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 may include phenyl moieties. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include F and may not include phenyl moieties, and at least one of the other materials of patterned coating 323 may include phenyl moieties. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include F and may not include phenyl moieties, and at least one of the other materials of patterned coating 323 may include phenyl moieties and may not include F.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include at least one of a fluorocarbon moiety and a siloxane moiety, and at least one of the other materials of the patterned coating 323 may include a phenyl moiety. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include at least one of a fluorocarbon moiety and a siloxane moiety, and at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 may not include a phenyl moiety. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include at least one of a fluorocarbon moiety and a siloxane moiety and may not include a phenyl moiety, and at least one of the other materials of the patterned coating 323 may include a phenyl moiety. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may include at least one of a fluorocarbon moiety and a siloxane moiety and may not include a phenyl moiety, and at least one of the other materials of the patterned coating 323 may include a phenyl moiety and may not include a fluorocarbon moiety or a siloxane moiety.

In general, the molecular structure and/or molecular composition of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and the second material) may be different from each other. In some non-limiting examples, the materials may be selected such that they have at least one property that is substantially similar or different from one another, including, but not limited to, at least one of: molecular structure of monomers, monomer backbones and/or functional groups; the presence of common elements; similarity of molecular structures; characteristic surface energy; refractive index; molecular weight; thermal properties, including but not limited to melting temperature, sublimation temperature, glass transition temperature, or thermal decomposition temperature.

As used herein, particularly with respect to materials, characteristic surface energy may generally refer to the surface energy measured from such materials. As a non-limiting example, the characteristic surface energy may be measured from a surface formed of a material deposited and/or coated in thin film form. Various methods and theories for determining the surface energy of a solid are known. As a non-limiting example, the surface energy may be calculated and/or derived based on a series of contact angle measurements, wherein various liquids may be brought into contact with a solid surface to measure the contact angle between the liquid-gas interface and the surface. In some non-limiting examples, the surface energy of the solid surface may be equal to the surface tension of a liquid having the highest surface tension of a fully wetted surface. As a non-limiting example, a zismann diagram may be used to determine the highest surface tension value that will result in complete wetting (i.e., 0 ° contact angle) with the surface.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the first material and the second material of the patterned coating 323 can be an oligomer.

In some non-limiting examples, the first material may include a first oligomer and the second material may include a second oligomer. Each of the first oligomer and the second oligomer may include a plurality of monomers.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one segment of the molecular structure of at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) may be represented by the following formula:

(Mon) _n (I)

wherein:

mon represents a monomer, and

n is an integer of at least 2.

In some non-limiting examples, n may be an integer between about at least one of 2-00, 2-50, 3-20, 3-15, 3-10, or 3-7.

In some non-limiting examples, the molecular structure of the first material and the second material of the patterned coating 323 can each be independently represented by formula (I). As a non-limiting example, the monomers and/or n of the first material may be different from those of the second material. In some non-limiting examples, n of the first material may be the same as n of the second material. In some non-limiting examples, n of the first material may be different from n of the second material. In some non-limiting examples, the first material and the second material may be oligomers.

In some non-limiting examples, the monomer may include at least one of F and Si.

In some non-limiting examples, the monomer may include a functional group. In some non-limiting examples, at least one functional group of the monomer may have a low surface tension. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one functional group of the monomer may include at least one of F and Si. Non-limiting examples of such functional groups include at least one of fluorocarbon groups and siloxane groups. In some non-limiting examples, the monomer may include a silsesquioxane group.

Although some non-limiting examples have been described herein with reference to the first material and the second material, it should be understood that the patterned coating may also include at least one additional material, and that the description of the molecular structure and/or properties of the first material, the second material, the first oligomer, and/or the second oligomer may apply to additional materials that may be included in the patterned coating.

The surface tension of fragments attributable to molecular structure, including but not limited to monomers, monomer backbone units, linkers, or functional groups, may be determined using various methods known in the art. Non-limiting examples of such methods include the use of Parachor, such as may be further described by way of non-limiting example in the following documents: "Conception and Significance of the Parachor", nature,196:890-891. In some non-limiting examples, at least one functional group of the monomer may have a surface tension of no greater than about at least one of 25 dynes/cm, 21 dynes/cm, 20 dynes/cm, 19 dynes/cm, 18 dynes/cm, 17 dynes/cm, 16 dynes/cm, 15 dynes/cm, 14 dynes/cm, 13 dynes/cm, 12 dynes/cm, 11 dynes/cm, or 10 dynes/cm.

In some non-limiting examples, the monomer may include CF ₂ And CF (compact F) ₂ At least one of the H portions. In some non-limiting examples, the monomer may include CF ₂ And CF (compact F) ₃ At least one of the portions. In some non-limiting examples, the monomer may include CH ₂ CF ₃ Part(s). In some non-limiting examples, the monomer may include at least one of C and O. In some non-limiting examples, the monomer may include a fluorocarbon monomer. In some non-limiting waysIn an example, the monomer may include at least one of: a vinyl fluoride moiety, a vinylidene fluoride moiety, a tetrafluoroethylene moiety, a chlorotrifluoroethylene moiety, a hexafluoropropylene moiety or a fluorinated 1, 3-dioxole moiety.

In some non-limiting examples, the monomer may include a monomer backbone and functional groups. In some non-limiting examples, the functional groups may be directly bonded to or bonded to the monomer backbone via a linking group. In some non-limiting examples, the monomer can include a linking group, and the linking group can be bonded to the monomer backbone and the functional group. In some non-limiting examples, the monomer may include multiple functional groups, which may be the same or different from each other. In such examples, each functional group may be directly bonded to or bonded to the monomer backbone via a linking group. In some non-limiting examples, where multiple functional groups are present, multiple linking groups may also be present.

In some non-limiting examples, the molecular structure of at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (which may be the first material and/or the second material) may be a plurality of different monomers. In some non-limiting examples, such molecular structures may include monomeric species having different molecular compositions and/or molecular structures. Non-limiting examples of such molecular structures include those represented by the following formula:

(Mon ^A ) _k (Mon ^B ) _m (I-1)

(Mon ^A ) _k (Mon ^A ) _m (Mon ^C ) _o (I-2)

wherein:

Mon ^A 、Mon ^B and Mon ^C Each represents a monomer species, and

k. m and o are each an integer of at least 2.

In some non-limiting examples, k, m, and o are each represented as integers of at least one of between about 2-100, 2-50, 3-20, 3-15, 3-10, or 3-7. Those of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that various non-limiting examples and descriptions regarding monomer Mon may apply to Mon ^A 、Mon ^B And Mon ^C Each of which is a single-phase alternating current power supply.

In some non-limiting examples, the monomer may be represented by the formula:

M-(L-R _x ) _y (II)

wherein:

m represents a main chain unit of a monomer,

l represents a linking group, and the like,

r represents a functional group, and the R represents a functional group,

x is an integer between 1 and 4, and

y is an integer between 1 and 3.

In some non-limiting examples, the linking group may be formed from a single bond, O, N, NH, C, CH, CH ₂ And S.

Various non-limiting examples of functional groups that have been described herein are applicable to R of formula (II). In some non-limiting examples, the functional group R can include an oligomer unit, and the oligomer unit can further include a plurality of functional group monomer units. In some non-limiting examples, the functional monomer units may be CH ₂ Or CF (CF) ₂ At least one of them. In some non-limiting examples, the functional group may include CH ₂ CF ₃ Part(s). For example, such functional monomer units may be bonded together to form at least one of alkyl and/or fluoroalkyl oligomer units. In some non-limiting examples, the oligomer units may also include functional group terminal units. In some non-limiting examples, the functional group terminal units may be disposed at the ends of the oligomer units and bonded to the functional group monomer units. In some non-limiting examples, the end at which the functional group terminal unit may be disposed may correspond to a fragment of the functional group that may be remote from the monomer backbone unit. In some non-limiting examples, the functional group end units may include CF ₂ H or CF ₃ At least one of them.

In some non-limiting examples, the monomeric backbone unit M may have a high surface tension. In some non-limiting examples, the monomeric backbone unit may have a higher surface tension than at least one of the functional groups R to which it is bonded. In some non-limiting examples, the monomer backbone unit may have a higher surface tension than any functional group R bonded thereto.

In some non-limiting examples, the monomeric backbone unit may have a surface tension that is at least one of: at least about 25 dynes/cm, 30 dynes/cm, 40 dynes/cm, 50 dynes/cm, 75 dynes/cm, 100 dynes/cm, 150 dynes/cm, 200 dynes/cm, 250 dynes/cm, 500 dynes/cm, 1,000 dynes/cm, 1,500 dynes/cm, or 2,000 dynes/cm.

In some non-limiting examples, the monomer backbone units may include phosphorus (P) and N, including but not limited to phosphazenes, wherein a double bond exists between P and N and may be denoted as "NP" or "n=p. In some non-limiting examples, the monomer backbone units may include Si and O, including but not limited to silsesquioxanes, which may be expressed as SiO _3/2 。

In some non-limiting examples, at least a portion of the molecular structure of at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) is represented by the formula:

(NP-(L-R _x ) _y ) _n (III)

wherein:

NP represents a phosphazene monomer backbone unit,

l represents a linking group, and the like,

r represents a functional group, and the R represents a functional group,

x is an integer between 1 and 4,

y is an integer between 1 and 3, and

n is an integer of at least 2.

In some non-limiting examples, the molecular structure of the first material and/or the second material may be represented by formula (III). In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the first material and the second material may be cyclophosphazene. In some non-limiting examples, the molecular structure of cyclophosphazene may be represented by formula (III).

In some non-limiting examples, L may represent oxygen, x may be 1, and R may represent a fluoroalkyl group. In some non-limiting examples, at least a portion of the molecular structure of at least one material (which may be, for example, the first material and/or the second material) of the patterned coating 323 is represented by the formula:

(NP(OR _f ) ₂ ) _n (IV)

wherein:

R _f represents a fluoroalkyl group, and

n is an integer between 3 and 7.

In some non-limiting examples, the fluoroalkyl group may include CF ₂ Radicals, CF ₂ H group, CH ₂ CF ₃ Radicals and CF ₃ At least one of the groups. In some non-limiting examples, the fluoroalkyl group can be represented by the formula:

wherein:

p is an integer from 1 to 5;

q is an integer from 6 to 20; and is also provided with

Z represents hydrogen or F.

In some non-limiting examples, p may be 1 and q may be an integer between 6 and 20.

In some non-limiting examples, fluoroalkyl groups R in formula (IV) _f Can be represented by formula (V).

(SiO _3/2 -(L-R)) _n (VI)

wherein:

l represents a linking group, and the like,

r represents a functional group, and

n is an integer between 6 and 12.

In some non-limiting embodiments, L may represent the presence of at least one of a single bond, O, a substituted alkyl group, or an unsubstituted alkyl group. In some non-limiting examples, n may be 8, 10, or 12. In some casesIn a non-limiting example, R may include a functional group having a low surface tension. In some non-limiting examples, R can include at least one of an F-containing group and a Si-containing group. In some non-limiting examples, R can include at least one of a fluorocarbon group and a siloxane-containing group. In some non-limiting examples, R may include CF ₂ Radicals and CF ₂ At least one of the H groups. In some non-limiting examples, R may include CF ₂ And CF (compact F) ₃ At least one of the groups. In some non-limiting examples, R may include CH ₂ CF ₃ A group. In some non-limiting examples, the material represented by formula (VI) may be a polyoctahedral silsesquioxane.

(SiO _3/2 -R _f ) _n (VII)

wherein:

n is an integer of 6 to 12, and

R _f represents a fluoroalkyl group.

In some non-limiting examples, n may be 8, 10, or 12. In some non-limiting examples, R _f Including functional groups having low surface tension. In some non-limiting examples, R _f May include CF ₂ Part and CF ₂ At least one of the H portions. In some non-limiting examples, R _f May include CF ₂ Part and CF ₃ At least one of the portions. In some non-limiting examples, R _f May include CH ₂ CF ₃ Part(s). In some non-limiting examples, the material represented by formula (VII) may be a polyoctahedral silsesquioxane.

In some non-limiting examples, fluoroalkyl groups R in formula (VII) _f Can be represented by formula (V).

(SiO _3/2 -(CH ₂ ) _x (CF ₃ )) _n (VIII)

wherein:

x is an integer between 1 and 5, and

n is an integer between 6 and 12.

In some non-limiting examples, n may be 8, 10, or 12.

In some non-limiting examples, the compound represented by formula (VIII) may be a polyoctahedral silsesquioxane.

In some non-limiting examples, the functional group R and/or the fluoroalkyl group R _f Such groups in any of the preceding formulas may be independently selected for each occurrence. It is also to be understood that any of the foregoing formulas may represent a substructure of a compound, and that additional groups or moieties may be present, which are not explicitly shown in the formulas above. It is also to be understood that the individual formulae provided herein may represent linear, branched, cyclic-linear and/or crosslinked structures.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can include at least one material represented by at least one of formulas (I), (I-1), (I-2), (II), (III), (IV), (VI), (VII), and (VIII), and at least one material exhibiting at least one of the following characteristics: (a) comprises an aromatic hydrocarbon moiety, (b) comprises sp2 carbon, (c) comprises a phenyl moiety, (d) has a characteristic surface energy of greater than about 20 dynes/cm, and (e) exhibits photoluminescence, including, but not limited to, photoluminescence at a wavelength of at least about 365nm when irradiated with excitation radiation having a wavelength of about 365 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating can further include a third material different from the first material and the second material. In some non-limiting examples, the third material may include a monomer in common with at least one of the first material and the second material.

In some non-limiting examples, the difference in sublimation temperatures of the plurality of materials of the patterned coating 323 (including, but not limited to, the difference between the first material and the second material) may be no greater than about at least one of 5 ℃, 10 ℃, 15 ℃, 20 ℃, 30 ℃, 40 ℃, or 50 ℃. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (including but not limited to the first material and/or the second material) may include at least one of F and Si, and the sublimation temperatures of the materials of the patterned coating 323 may differ by no more than at least one of about 5 ℃, 10 ℃, 15 ℃, 20 ℃, 25 ℃, 40 ℃, or 50 ℃. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (including but not limited to the first material and/or the second material) can include at least one of a fluorocarbon portion and a siloxane portion, and the sublimation temperatures of the materials of the patterned coating 323 can differ by no more than at least one of about 5 ℃, 10 ℃, 15 ℃, 20 ℃, 25 ℃, 40 ℃, or 50 ℃.

In some non-limiting examples, the difference in melting temperature of the plurality of materials of patterned coating 323 (including, but not limited to, the difference between the first NIC material and the second NIC material) may be no greater than at least one of about 5 ℃, 10 ℃, 15 ℃, 20 ℃, 30 ℃, 40 ℃, or 50 ℃. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (including but not limited to the first material and/or the second material) may include at least one of F and Si, and the melting temperatures of the materials of the patterned coating 323 may differ by no more than at least one of about 5 ℃, 10 ℃, 15 ℃, 20 ℃, 25 ℃, 40 ℃, or 50 ℃. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (including but not limited to the first material and/or the second material) can include at least one of a fluorocarbon portion and a siloxane portion, and the melting temperatures of the materials of the patterned coating 323 can differ by no more than at least one of about 5 ℃, 10 ℃, 15 ℃, 20 ℃, 25 ℃, 40 ℃, or 50 ℃.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of patterned coating 323 (including but not limited to the first material and/or the second material) may have a low characteristic surface energy. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (including but not limited to the first material and/or the second material) may have a low characteristic surface energy, and at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 may include at least one of F and Si. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (including but not limited to the first material and/or the second material) may have a low characteristic surface energy, may include at least one of F and Si, and at least one other material of the patterned coating 323 may have a high characteristic surface energy. In some non-limiting examples, the presence of F and Si may be due to the presence of fluorocarbon and siloxane moieties, respectively. As non-limiting examples, at least one of these materials (including but not limited to the second material) may have a low characteristic surface energy of about 10 dynes/cm to 20 dynes/cm, 12 dynes/cm to 20 dynes/cm, 15 dynes/cm to 20 dynes/cm, or 17 dynes/cm to 19 dynes/cm, and another material (including but not limited to the first material) may have a high characteristic surface energy of at least one of about 20 dynes/cm to 100 dynes/cm, 20 dynes/cm to 50 dynes/cm, or 25 dynes/cm to 45 dynes/cm. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of these materials may include at least one of F and Si. In some non-limiting examples, the second material may include at least one of F and Si.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (including but not limited to the second material) may have a low characteristic surface energy of no greater than about 20 dynes/cm, and may include at least one of F and/or Si, and another material (including but not limited to the first material) may have a characteristic surface energy of at least about 20 dynes/cm.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (including but not limited to the second material) may have a low characteristic surface energy of no greater than about 20 dynes/cm, and may include at least one of a fluorocarbon portion and a siloxane portion, and another material of the patterned coating 323 (including but not limited to the first material) may have a characteristic surface energy of at least about 20 dynes/cm.

In some non-limiting examples, each of the two or more materials of patterned coating 323 (including but not limited to those of the first material and the second material) has a surface energy of less than about 25 dynes/cm, less than about 21 dynes/cm, less than about 20 dynes/cm, less than about 19 dynes/cm, less than about 18 dynes/cm, less than about 17 dynes/cm, less than about 16 dynes/cm, less than about 15 dynes/cm, less than about 14 dynes/cm, less than about 13 dynes/cm, less than about 12 dynes/cm, less than about 11 dynes/cm, or less than about 10 dynes/cm.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (including but not limited to the first material and the second material) may have a refractive index of no greater than about at least one of 1.5, 1.45, 1.44, 1.43, 1.42, or 1.41 at a wavelength of at least one of 500nm and 460 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can include at least one material that exhibits photoluminescence, and the patterned coating 323 can have a refractive index of no greater than about at least one of 1.5, 1.45, 1.44, 1.43, 1.42, or 1.41 at a wavelength of at least one of 500nm and 460 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the materials of the patterned coating 323 (including but not limited to the first material and the second material) may have a molecular weight in excess of at least one of about 750, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000, 2,500, or 3,000.

In some non-limiting examples, the molecular weight of at least one material of the patterned coating 323 (including but not limited to the first material and the second material) may be no greater than at least one of about 10,000, 7,500, or 5,000.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can include a variety of materials that exhibit similar thermal properties, wherein at least one of the materials can exhibit photoluminescence. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can include a plurality of materials having similar thermal properties, wherein at least one of the materials can photoluminescent, and wherein at least one of the materials can include F or Si. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can include a variety of materials having similar thermal properties, including but not limited to a melting temperature or sublimation temperature of the materials, wherein at least one of the materials can exhibit photoluminescence at a wavelength of at least about 365nm when excited by radiation having an excitation wavelength of about 365nm, and wherein at least one of the materials can include at least one of F and Si.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can include a plurality of materials having at least one of at least one common element or at least one common substructure, wherein at least one of the materials can exhibit photoluminescence. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of these materials may include F and Si. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can include a plurality of materials having similar thermal properties, wherein at least one of the materials can exhibit photoluminescence at wavelengths exceeding at least about 365nm when excited by radiation having an excitation wavelength of about 365nm, and wherein at least one of the materials can include at least one of F and Si. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one common element may include at least one of F and Si. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one common substructure may include at least one of a fluorocarbon, a fluoroalkyl, and a siloxy.

In some non-limiting examples, a method for fabricating optoelectronic device 700 may include the acts of: depositing a patterned coating on the first exposed layer surface 11 of the device 700 in the laterally oriented first portion 301 of the device; and depositing a deposition material 1831 on the second exposed layer surface 11 of the device 700 in the laterally oriented second portion 302 of the device. The initial adhesion probability for the deposition material 1831 on the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323 in the first portion 301 may be substantially less than the initial adhesion probability for the deposition material 1831 on the exposed layer surface 11 in the second portion 302 such that the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323 in the first portion 301 may be substantially free of the encapsulation coating 1440 of the deposition material 1831. The patterned coating 323 deposited on the first exposed layer surface 11 of the device 700 may include a first material and a second material.

In some non-limiting examples, depositing the patterned coating 323 on the first exposed layer surface 11 of the device 700 may include: a mixture comprising a plurality of materials is provided and deposited onto the first exposed layer surface 11 of the device 700 to form a patterned coating 323 thereon. In some non-limiting examples, the mixture may include a first material and a second material. In some non-limiting examples, both the first material and the second material may be deposited onto the first exposed layer surface 11 to form the patterned coating 323 thereon.

In some non-limiting examples, a mixture comprising a plurality of materials may be deposited onto the first exposed layer surface 11 of the device 700 by a PVD process (including, but not limited to, thermal evaporation). In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be formed by evaporating the mixture from a common evaporation source and depositing the mixture on the first exposed layer surface 11 of the device 700. In some non-limiting examples, the mixture comprising the first material and the second material may be placed in a common crucible and/or evaporation source to heat under vacuum, as non-limiting examples. Once the vaporization temperature of the material is reached, the resulting vapor flux 1832 may be directed toward the first exposed layer surface 11 of the device 700 to deposit the patterned coating 323 thereon.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be deposited by co-evaporation of the first material and the second material. In some non-limiting examples, the first material may be evaporated from the first crucible and/or the first evaporation source, and the second material may be simultaneously evaporated from the second crucible and/or the second evaporation source, such that the mixture may be formed in the gas phase and may be co-deposited onto the first exposed layer surface 11 to provide the patterned coating 323 thereon.

To evaluate the properties of certain exemplary patterned coatings 323 comprising at least two materials, a series of samples were fabricated by depositing a layer of organic material that was useful as an HTL material, approximately 20nm thick, in vacuo, followed by a nucleation modifying coating having a different composition as summarized in table 10 below, over the organic material layer.

Table 10

Sample identification	Composition of nucleation modifying coating
		Sample 1	Patterning material (15 nm)
Sample 2	Patterning material: PL material 1 (0.5%, 15 nm)
		Sample 3	Patterning material: PL Material 2 (0.5%, 15 nm)
Sample 4	PL Material 1 (10 nm)
		Sample 5	PL Material 2 (10 nm)
Sample 6	No nucleation modifying coating is provided

In this example, the patterning material is selected such that, for example, when deposited as a thin film, the patterning material exhibits a low initial adhesion probability for deposition of the deposition material 1831 (including but not limited to at least one of Ag and Yb).

In this example, PL materials 1 and 2 are selected such that, as a non-limiting example, when deposited as thin films, each of PL materials 1 and 2 may exhibit photoluminescence that can be detected by standard optical measurement techniques, including but not limited to fluorescence microscopy.

In table 10, sample 1 is a comparative sample in which a nucleation modifying coating is provided by depositing a patterned material. Sample 2 is an exemplary sample in which a nucleation modifying coating was provided by co-depositing a patterned material and PL material 1 together to form a coating comprising PL material 1 at a concentration of 0.5% by volume. Sample 3 is an exemplary sample in which a nucleation modifying coating is provided by co-depositing a patterned material and PL material 2 together to form a coating comprising PL material 2 at a concentration of 0.5% by volume. Sample 4 is a comparative sample in which a nucleation modifying coating was provided by depositing PL material 1. Sample 5 is a comparative sample in which a nucleation modifying coating was provided by depositing PL material 2. Sample 6 is a comparative sample in which no nucleation modifying coating is provided on the organic material layer.

Photoluminescence (PL) responses of each of sample 1 1510, sample 2 1520, and sample 3 1530, and sample 6 (not shown) were measured and plotted as shown in fig. 15. The PL intensities of samples 1 and 6 were observed to be the same, thus indicating that the patterned material did not exhibit photoluminescence over the detection wavelength range. For simplicity, PL intensity for sample 6 is not plotted in fig. 15. Photoluminescence was detected at a wavelength of about 500nm to about 600nm for each of sample 2 and sample 3.

Each of samples 1 through 6 was then subjected to open mask deposition of Yb followed by Ag. Specifically, the surface of a nucleation modifying coating formed of the above-described material is subjected to open mask deposition of Yb followed by Ag. More specifically, each sample was subjected to Yb vapor flux 1832 until a reference thickness of about 1nm was reached, and then subjected to Ag vapor flux 1832 until a reference thickness of about 12nm was reached. Once the samples are fabricated, light transmittance measurements are made to determine the relative amounts of Yb and/or Ag deposited on the exposed layer surface 11 of the nucleation modifying coating. As will be appreciated, samples having relatively little to no metal present thereon may be substantially transparent, while samples having metal deposited thereon (particularly as a sealer coating 1440) may generally exhibit substantially lower light transmission. Thus, the relative performance of the various exemplary coatings as patterned coating 323 can be assessed by measuring the EM radiation transmittance, which can be directly related to the amount or thickness of metal deposition material deposited thereon by deposition of either or both Yb or Ag.

The decrease in optical transmittance as a function of wavelength was measured for each of sample 1 1610, sample 2 1620, sample 3 1630, sample 4 1640, sample 5 1650, and sample 6 1660, and plotted as shown in fig. 16. In addition, the decrease in optical transmittance at 600nm wavelength of each sample after each sample was subjected to Ag vapor flux was measured and summarized in table 11 below.

TABLE 11

Specifically, the transmittance decrease (%) of each sample in table 11 was determined by measuring the light transmittance through the sample before and after exposure to Yb and Ag vapor flux 1832 and expressing the decrease in the EM radiation transmittance as a percentage.

It can be seen that sample 1, sample 2 and sample 3 exhibit a relatively low reduction in transmittance of less than 2%, or in the case of sample 1 and sample 3, a reduction in transmittance of less than 1%. Thus, it was observed that the nucleation modifying coating provided for these samples served as a NIC. In contrast, sample 4, sample 5 and sample 6 each exhibited a 43%, 47% and 45% reduction in transmittance, respectively. Thus, the nucleation modifying coating provided for these samples does not act as a NIC, but may do act as an NPC 2020.

Furthermore, sample 1, in which the patterned coating 323 substantially only included NIC material, was found to exhibit no photoluminescence. However, it was found that sample 2 and sample 3, in which patterned coating 323 included PL material 1 and PL material 2, respectively, in addition to the NIC material, exhibited photoluminescence while also functioning as a NIC by providing a surface with a low initial adhesion probability for deposition of deposited material 1831.

Deposited layer

In some non-limiting examples, in the laterally-oriented second portion 302 of the device 1400, a deposited layer 1430 comprising a deposited material 1831 may be provided as a capping layer 1440 on the exposed layer surface 11 of an underlying layer (including, but not limited to, the substrate 10).

In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 can include deposited material 1831.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may include an element selected from at least one of K, na, li, ba, cs, yb, ag, au, cu, al, mg, zn, cd, sn or Y. In some non-limiting examples, the particulate structural material may include an element selected from at least one of K, na, li, ba, cs, yb, ag, au, cu, al and/or Mg. In some non-limiting examples, the element may include at least one of Cu, ag, and/or Au. In some non-limiting examples, the element may be Cu. In some non-limiting examples, the element may be Al. In some non-limiting examples, the element may include at least one of Mg, zn, cd, or Yb. In some non-limiting examples, the element may include at least one of Mg, ag, al, yb or Li. In some non-limiting examples, the element may include at least one of Mg, ag, or Yb. In some non-limiting examples, the element may include at least one of Mg or Ag. In some non-limiting examples, the element may be Ag.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may be and/or include a pure metal. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may be at least one of pure Ag or substantially pure Ag. In some non-limiting examples, the substantially pure Ag can have a purity of at least one of about 95%, 99%, 99.9%, 99.99%, 99.999%, or 99.9995%. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may be at least one of pure Mg or substantially pure Mg. In some non-limiting examples, the substantially pure Mg may have a purity of at least one of about 95%, 99%, 99.9%, 99.99%, 99.999%, or 99.9995%.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may include an alloy. In some non-limiting examples, the alloy may be at least one of an Ag-containing alloy, an Mg-containing alloy, or an AgMg-containing alloy. In some non-limiting examples, the AgMg-containing alloy can have an alloy composition that can range from about 1:10 (Ag: mg) to about 10:1 by volume.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposited material 1831 may include other metals in place of Ag and/or in combination with Ag. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may include an alloy of Ag with at least one other metal. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may include an alloy of Ag and at least one of Mg or Yb. In some non-limiting examples, such an alloy may be a binary alloy having a composition between about 5% and 95% Ag by volume, with the remainder being other metals. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may include Ag and Mg. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may include an ag:mg alloy having a composition between about 1:10-10:1 by volume. In some non-limiting examples, the deposited material 1831 may include Ag and Yb. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may include a Yb: ag alloy having a composition between about 1:20-10:1 by volume. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may include Mg and Yb. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may include a Mg: yb alloy. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may include Ag, mg, and Yb. In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 may include an Ag-Mg-Yb alloy.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 can include at least one additional element. In some non-limiting examples, such additional elements may be non-metallic elements. In some non-limiting examples, the nonmetallic element may be at least one of O, S, N or C. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, such additional elements may be incorporated into the deposition layer 1430 as contaminants due to the presence of such additional elements in the source material, the apparatus used for deposition, and/or the vacuum chamber environment. In some non-limiting examples, the concentration of such additional elements may be limited to below a threshold concentration. In some non-limiting examples, such additional elements may form a compound with other elements of the deposited layer 1430. In some non-limiting examples, the concentration of the nonmetallic element in the deposition material 1831 may be no greater than about 1%, 0.1%, 0.01%, 0.001%, 0.0001%, 0.00001%, 0.000001%, or 0.0000001% of at least one of. In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 can have a composition wherein the combined amount of O and C can be no greater than about 10%, 5%, 1%, 0.1%, 0.01%, 0.001%, 0.0001%, 0.00001%, 0.000001%, or 0.0000001%.

It has been found that, somewhat surprisingly, reducing the concentration of certain nonmetallic elements in the deposited layer 1430, particularly where the deposited layer 1430 may consist essentially of a metal and/or metal alloy, may facilitate selective deposition of the deposited layer 1430. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesized that certain nonmetallic elements (such as O or C, as non-limiting examples) when present in the vapor flux 1832 of the deposition layer 1430 and/or in the deposition chamber and/or environment, may deposit on the surface of the patterned coating 323 to act as nucleation sites for the metallic elements of the deposition layer 1430. It may be assumed that reducing the concentration of such non-metallic elements that may act as nucleation sites may be advantageous to reduce the amount of deposited material 1831 deposited on the exposed layer surface 11 of patterned coating 323.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 to be deposited on the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 1400 may have a dielectric constant property, which in some non-limiting examples may be selected to promote and/or increase the absorption of EM radiation by the at least one particle structure 121, typically or in some time-limited examples in the wavelength (sub-) range (including but not limited to the visible spectrum) and/or sub-range and/or wavelength (including but not limited to corresponding to a particular color) of the EM spectrum.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may be deposited on a metal-containing underlying layer. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 and underlying layers below may include a common metal.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 can include multiple layers of deposited material 1831. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 of a first layer of the plurality of layers may be different from the deposition material 1831 of a second layer of the plurality of layers. In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 may include a multi-layer coating. In some non-limiting examples, such a multilayer coating may be at least one of Yb/Ag, yb/Mg: ag, yb/Yb: ag, yb/Ag/Mg, or Yb/Mg/Ag.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may include a metal having a bond dissociation energy of no greater than about at least one of 300kJ/mol, 200kJ/mol, 165kJ/mol, 150kJ/mol, 100kJ/mol, 50kJ/mol, or 20 kJ/mol.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may include a metal having an electronegativity of not greater than about at least one of 1.4, 1.3, or 1.2.

In some non-limiting examples, the sheet resistance of the deposited layer 1430 may generally correspond to the sheet resistance of the deposited layer 1430 measured or determined separately from other components, layers, and/or portions of the device 100. In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 may be formed as a thin film. Thus, in some non-limiting examples, the characteristic sheet resistance of deposited layer 1430 may be determined and/or calculated based on the composition, thickness, and/or morphology of such films. In some non-limiting examples, the sheet resistance may be no greater than about at least one of 10Ω/∈mΩ, 5Ω/∈mΩ, 0.5Ω/∈mΩ/∈m, 0.2Ω/∈m, or 0.1Ω/∈m.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 can be disposed in a pattern that can be defined by at least one region of the closeout coating 1440 in which the layer 1430 is substantially absent. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one region can separate the deposited layer 1430 into a plurality of discrete fragments thereof. In some non-limiting examples, each discrete segment of the deposited layer 1430 can be a different second portion 302. In some non-limiting examples, the plurality of discrete segments of the deposition layer 1430 can be physically spaced apart from each other in their lateral directions. In some non-limiting examples, at least two of such multiple discrete segments of the deposited layer 1430 can be electrically coupled. In some non-limiting examples, at least two of such multiple discrete segments of the deposited layer 1430 may each be electrically coupled with a common conductive layer or coating (including, but not limited to, the underlying surface) to allow current to flow therebetween. In some non-limiting examples, at least two of such multiple discrete segments of the deposited layer 1430 can be electrically isolated from each other.

Selective deposition using patterned coating

Fig. 17 is an exemplary schematic diagram illustrating a non-limiting example of an evaporative deposition process, shown generally at 1700, in a chamber 1710 for selectively depositing a patterned coating 323 onto the first portion 301 of the underlying exposed layer surface 11.

In process 1700, an amount of patterning material 1711 is heated under vacuum to evaporate and/or sublimate the patterning material 1711. In some non-limiting examples, the patterning material 1711 may include entirely and/or substantially the material used to form the patterning coating 323. In some non-limiting examples, such materials may include organic materials.

The evaporation flux 1712 of the patterning material 1711 may flow through the chamber 1710 (including in the direction indicated by arrow 171) to the exposed layer surface 11. When the evaporation flux 1712 is incident on the exposed layer surface 11, a patterned coating 323 can be formed on the surface.

In some non-limiting examples, as shown in the diagram of process 1700, patterned coating 323 can be selectively deposited onto only a portion (first portion 301 in the illustrated example) of exposed layer surface 11 by inserting a shadow mask 1715 (which in some non-limiting examples can be a FMM) between evaporation flux 1712 and exposed layer surface 11. In some non-limiting examples, such shadow mask 1715 can be used in some non-limiting examples to form relatively small features, where the feature size is on the order of tens of microns or less.

Shadow mask 1715 can have at least one aperture 1716 extending therethrough such that a portion of the evaporated flux 1712 passes through aperture 1716 and can be incident on exposed layer surface 11 to form patterned coating 323. In the event that the evaporation flux 1712 does not pass through aperture 1716 but is incident on surface 1717 of shadow mask 1715, the evaporation flux is prevented from being disposed on exposed layer surface 11 to form patterned coating 323. In some non-limiting examples, shadow mask 1715 can be configured such that evaporated flux 1712 passing through apertures 1716 can be incident on first portion 301 but not second portion 302. The second portion 302 of the exposed layer surface 11 may thus be substantially free of the patterned coating 323. In some non-limiting examples (not shown), patterned material 1711 incident on shadow mask 1715 can be deposited on surface 1717 thereof.

Thus, a patterned surface may be created upon completion of the deposition of the patterned coating 323.

FIG. 18 is an exemplary schematic diagram showing a non-limiting example of the results of an evaporation process in chamber 1710, generally at 1800 _a A blocking coating 1440 for depositing layer 1430 is shown selectively deposited onto the second portion 302 of the underlying exposed layer surface 11 that is substantially free of (including but not limited to the patterned coating 323 selectively deposited onto the first portion 301 by the evaporation process 1700 of fig. 17).

In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 can be composed of a deposited material 1831, which in some non-limiting examples includes at least one metal. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that, in general, the vaporization temperature of an organic material is low relative to the vaporization temperature of a metal, such as may be used as the deposition material 1831.

Thus, in some non-limiting examples, there may be fewer constraints in selectively depositing a pattern of patterned coating 323 using shadow mask 1715 relative to directly patterning deposited layer 1430 using such shadow mask 1715.

Once the patterned coating 323 has been deposited on the first portion 301 of the underlying exposed layer surface 11, a blocking coating 1440 of the deposited material 1831 may be deposited as a deposited layer 1430 on the second portion 302 of the exposed layer surface 11 that is substantially free of the patterned coating 323.

In process 1800 _a In some embodiments, a quantity of the deposition material 1831 may be heated under vacuum to evaporate and/or sublimate the deposition material 1831. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may entirely and/or substantially include the material used to form the deposition layer 1430.

The evaporation flux 1832 of the deposition material 1831 may be directed (including in the direction indicated by arrow 161) inside the chamber 1710 towards the exposed layer surfaces 11 of the first and second portions 301, 302. When the evaporation flux 1832 is incident on the second portion 302 of the exposed layer surface 11, a capping layer 1440 of the deposited material 1831 may be formed thereon as a deposited layer 1430.

In some non-limiting examples, deposition of the deposition material 1831 may be performed using an open mask and/or a maskless deposition process.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the feature size of the aperture mask, as opposed to the feature size of shadow mask 1715, may generally be comparable to the size of the device 1200 being fabricated.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, the use of an open mask may be omitted. In some non-limiting examples, the open mask deposition process described herein may alternatively be performed without the use of an open mask, such that the entire target exposed layer surface 11 may be exposed.

In fact, as shown in fig. 18, the evaporation flux 1832 may be incident on the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323 in the first portion 301 and on the underlying exposed layer surface 11 in the second portion 302 substantially free of the patterned coating 323.

Since the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323 in the first portion 301 may exhibit a relatively low initial adhesion probability for deposition of the deposition material 1831 relative to the underlying exposed layer surface 11 in the second portion 302, the deposition layer 1430 may be substantially selectively deposited only on the underlying exposed layer surface 11 in the second portion 302, which is substantially free of the patterned coating 323. In contrast, the evaporation flux 1832 incident on the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323 in the first portion 301 may tend not to deposit (as shown by 1833), and the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323 in the first portion 301 may be substantially free of the capping layer 1440 of the deposited layer 1430.

In some non-limiting examples, the initial deposition rate of the evaporation flux 1832 on the underlying exposed layer surface 11 in the second portion 302 may exceed the initial deposition rate of the evaporation flux 1832 on the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323 in the first portion 301 by at least one of about 200, 550, 900, 1,000, 1,500, 1,900, or 2,000 times.

Thus, the combination of selective deposition of patterned coating 323 using shadow mask 1715 in fig. 17, and open mask and/or maskless deposition of deposition material 1831, may result in pattern 1800 of device 1400 shown in fig. 18 _a 。

After selectively depositing patterned coating 323 in first portion 301, in some non-limiting examples, a hermetic coating 1440 of deposited material 1831 may be deposited on device 1800 using an open mask and/or maskless deposition process _a As deposited layer 1430, but the capping layer may remain substantially only in the second portion 302 which is substantially free of the patterned coating 323.

The patterned coating 323 can provide an exposed layer surface 11 within the first portion 301 that has a relatively low initial adhesion probability to deposition of the deposition material 1831, i.e., significantly less than the device 1600 _a The initial adhesion probability of the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying material within the second portion 302 to the deposition of the deposition material 1831.

Thus, the first portion 301 may be substantially free of the encapsulation coating 1440 of the deposited material 1831.

While the present disclosure contemplates patterned deposition of patterned coating 323 using an evaporation deposition process (involving shadow mask 1715), one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples this may be accomplished using any suitable deposition process, including but not limited to microcontact printing processes.

While the present disclosure contemplates patterned coating 323 being a NIC, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 may be NPC 2020. In such examples, a portion of the NPC 2020 (such as, but not limited to, the first portion 301) may have a closed coating 1440 of deposited material 1831 in some non-limiting examples, while another portion (such as, but not limited to, the second portion 302) may be substantially free of the closed coating 1440 of deposited material 1831.

In some non-limiting examples, the average layer thickness of patterned coating 323 and the average layer thickness of deposited layer 1430 deposited thereafter may vary according to a variety of parameters including, but not limited to, a given application and a given performance characteristic. In some non-limiting examples, the average layer thickness of the patterned coating 323 can be comparable to and/or not substantially greater than the average layer thickness of the deposited layer 1430 deposited thereafter. Selective patterning of the deposited layer 1430 using the relatively thin patterned coating 323 may be suitable for providing the flexible device 1400. In some non-limiting examples, the relatively thin patterned coating 323 may provide a relatively flat surface upon which a barrier coating or other Thin Film Encapsulation (TFE) layer 2850 may be deposited. In some non-limiting examples, providing such a relatively flat surface for application of such a barrier coating 2850 may increase its adhesion to such a surface.

Edge effect

Patterned coating transition region

Turning to fig. 19A, a diagram may illustrate a version 1900 of the device 1400 of fig. 14 _a It may show in enlarged form the interface between the patterned coating 323 in the first portion 301 and the deposited layer 1430 in the second portion 302. Fig. 19B may illustrate device 1900 in plan view _a 。

As can be better seen in fig. 19B, in some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 in the first portion 301 may be surrounded on all sides by the deposited layer 1430 in the second portion 302, such that the first portion 301 may have a boundary defined by the patterned coating 323 at another extent or edge 1915 oriented laterally along each lateral axis. In some non-limiting examples, the laterally-oriented patterned coating edge 1915 may be defined by the first portion 301 at the perimeter of such orientation.

In some non-limiting examples, the first portion 301 may include at least one patterned coating transition region 301 in a lateral orientation _t Wherein the thickness of the patterned coating 323 may transition from a maximum thickness to a reduced thickness. The extent of the first portion 301 that does not exhibit such a transition may be determined as the patterned-coating non-transition portion 301 of the first portion 301 _n . In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be in the patterned coating non-transition portion 301 of the first portion 301 _n Forming a substantially enclosed coating 1440.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating transition region 301 _t The patterned coating non-transition portion 301 may be oriented laterally at the first portion 301 _n And patterned coating edge 1915.

In some non-limiting examples, in plan view, the coating transition region 301 is patterned _t The patterned coating can surround the first portion 301 without a transition portion 301 _n And/or along the perimeter thereof.

In some non-limiting examples, the coating non-transition portion 301 is patterned along at least one lateral axis _n The entire first portion 301 may be occupied such that there is no patterned coating transition region 301 between it and the second portion 302 _t 。

As shown in fig. 19A, in some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 is at the patterned coating non-transition portion 301 of the first portion 301 _n Can have an average film thickness d ₂ The average film thickness may be in a range of at least one of about 1nm-100nm, 2nm-50nm, 3nm-30nm, 4nm-20nm, 5nm-15nm, 5nm-10nm, or 1nm-10 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating of the first portion 301 is not a transition portion 301 _n Average film thickness d of patterned coating 323 in (a) ₂ May be substantially the same or constant therebetween. In some non-limiting examples, at the patterned coating non-transition portion 301 _n In, patterned coating 32Average layer thickness d of 3 ₂ Can be maintained at the average film thickness d of the patterned coating 323 ₂ Is within at least one of about 95% or 90%.

In some non-limiting examples, the average film thickness d ₂ And may be between about 1nm and 100 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the average film thickness d ₂ May be no greater than about at least one of 80nm, 60nm, 50nm, 40nm, 30nm, 20nm, 15nm, or 10nm. In some non-limiting examples, the average film thickness d of patterned coating 323 ₂ May exceed at least one of about 3nm, 5nm, or 8 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating of the first portion 301 is not a transition portion 301 _n Average film thickness d of patterned coating 323 in (a) ₂ May be no greater than about 10nm. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it has been found that, somewhat surprisingly, at least in some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating relative to the first portion 301 is not a transition portion 301 _n Average film thickness d of (a) ₂ A patterned coating 323 of greater than 10nm, a non-zero average film thickness d of the patterned coating 323 of no greater than about 10nm ₂ Certain advantages may be provided for achieving, as a non-limiting example, enhanced patterning contrast of the deposited layer 1430.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can have a transition region 301 in the patterned coating _t The thickness of the patterned coating decreases from a maximum to a minimum. In some non-limiting examples, the maximum may be at the patterned coating transition region 301 of the first portion 301 _t And a patterned coating non-transition portion 301 _n At and/or near the boundary between. In some non-limiting examples, the minimum may be at and/or near the patterned coating edge 1915. In some non-limiting examples, the maximum value may be the patterned coating non-transition portion 301 of the first portion 301 _n Average film thickness d of (a) ₂ . In some non-limiting examples, the maximum value may be no greater than the patterned coating non-transition portion 301 of the first portion 301 _n Average film thickness d of (a) ₂ In about 95% or 90% of (C)At least one of (2). In some non-limiting examples, the minimum may be in a range between about 0nm and 0.1 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating transition region 301 _t The profile of the patterned coating thickness in (a) may be sloped and/or follow a gradient. In some non-limiting examples, such a profile may be tapered. In some non-limiting examples, the taper may follow a linear, nonlinear, parabolic, and/or exponential decay profile.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be in the patterned coating transition region 301 _t Completely covering the underlying surface. In some non-limiting examples, in the patterned coating transition region 301 _t At least a portion of the underlying layer may not be covered by the patterned coating 323. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be in the patterned coating transition region 301 _t Is incorporated into and/or patterned into at least a portion of the coating non-transitional portion 301 _n Comprises a substantially enclosed coating 1440 in at least a portion thereof.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be in the patterned coating transition region 301 _t Is incorporated into and/or patterned into at least a portion of the coating non-transitional portion 301 _n Including discontinuous layer 120 in at least a portion of the substrate.

In some non-limiting examples, at least a portion of patterned coating 323 in first portion 301 may be substantially free of a capping layer 1440 of deposited layer 1430. In some non-limiting examples, at least a portion of the exposed layer surface 11 of the first portion 301 may be substantially free of the deposited layer 1430 or the encapsulation coating 1440 of the deposited material 1831.

In some non-limiting examples, the coating non-transition portion 301 is patterned along at least one lateral axis (including, but not limited to, the X-axis) _n Can have a width w ₁ And patterning the coating transition region 301 _t Can have a width w ₂ . In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating non-transition portion 301 _n May have a cross-sectional area that may be, in some non-limiting examples, measured byAverage film thickness d ₂ Multiplied by the width w ₁ To approximate. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating transition region 301 _t May have a cross-sectional area that may be achieved by, in some non-limiting examples, transitioning across the patterned coating transition region 301 _t The average film thickness multiplied by the width w ₁ To approximate.

In some non-limiting examples, w ₁ Can exceed w ₂ . In some non-limiting examples, w ₁ /w ₂ May be at least about at least one of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 1,500, 5,000, 10,000, 50,000, or 100,000.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of w1 and w2 may exceed the average film thickness d of the underlying layer ₁ 。

In some non-limiting examples, w ₁ And w ₂ At least one of which may exceed d ₂ . In some non-limiting examples, w ₁ And w ₂ Both can exceed d ₂ . In some non-limiting examples, w ₁ And w ₂ Both can exceed d ₁ And d ₁ Can exceed d ₂ 。

Transition region of deposited layer

As can be better seen in fig. 19B, in some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 in the first portion 301 can be surrounded by the deposited layer 1430 in the second portion 302 such that the second portion 302 has a boundary defined by the deposited layer 1430 at another extent or edge 1935 oriented laterally along each lateral axis. In some non-limiting examples, a laterally oriented deposit layer edge 1935 may be defined by the second portion 302 at a perimeter of such orientation.

In some non-limiting examples, the second portion 302 may include at least one deposited layer transition region 302 in a lateral orientation _t Wherein the thickness of the deposited layer 1430 may transition from a maximum thickness to a reduced thickness. The extent of the second portion 302 that does not exhibit such a transition may be determined as the deposited layer non-transition portion 302 of the second portion 302 _n . In some non-limiting examplesIn which the deposited layer 1430 may be formed on the deposited layer non-transition portion 302 of the second portion 302 _n Forming a substantially enclosed coating 1440.

In some non-limiting examples, in plan view, a deposition layer transition region 302 _t Can be laterally oriented to deposit a layer non-transition portion 302 at the second portion 302 _n And a deposited layer edge 1935.

In some non-limiting examples, in plan view, a deposition layer transition region 302 _t Non-transition portions 302 of the deposited layer that may surround the second portion 302 _n And/or along the perimeter thereof.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer of the second portion 302 does not transition portion 302 along at least one lateral axis _n The entire second portion 302 may be occupied such that there is no deposited layer transition region 302 between it and the first portion 301 _t 。

As shown in fig. 19A, in some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 is deposited on the deposited layer non-transition portion 302 of the second portion 302 _n Can have an average film thickness d ₃ The average film thickness may be in a range of at least one of about 1nm-500nm, 5nm-200nm, 5nm-40nm, 10nm-30nm, or 10nm-100 nm. In some non-limiting examples, d ₃ May exceed at least one of about 10nm, 50nm, or 100 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer of the second portion 302 is not the transition portion 302 _t Average film thickness d of deposited layer 1430 in (a) ₃ May be substantially the same or constant therebetween.

In some non-limiting examples, d ₃ Can exceed the average film thickness d of the underlying layer ₁ 。

In some non-limiting examples, quotient d ₃ /d ₁ May be at least about at least one of 1.5, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, or 100. In some non-limiting examples, quotient d ₃ /d ₁ May be in a range of at least one of about 0.1-10 or 0.2-40.

In some non-limiting examples, d ₃ Can exceed the average film thickness d of the patterned coating 323 ₂ 。

In some non-limiting examples, quotient d ₃ /d ₂ May be at least about at least one of 1.5, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, or 100. In some non-limiting examples, quotient d ₃ /d ₂ May be in a range of at least one of about 0.2-10 or 0.5-40.

In some non-limiting examples, d ₃ Can exceed d ₂ And d ₂ Can exceed d ₁ . In some other non-limiting examples, d ₃ Can exceed d ₁ And d ₁ Can exceed d ₂ 。

In some non-limiting examples, quotient d ₂ /d ₁ May be between about at least one of 0.2-3 or 0.1-5.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer of the second portion 302 is not the transition portion 302 along at least one lateral axis (including, but not limited to, the X-axis) _n Can have a width w ₃ . In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer of the second portion 302 is not the transition portion 302 _n Can have a cross-sectional area a ₃ In some non-limiting examples, the cross-sectional area may be determined by averaging the film thickness d ₃ Multiplied by the width w ₃ To approximate.

In some non-limiting examples, w ₃ May exceed the patterned coating non-transition portion 301 _n Width w of (2) ₁ . In some non-limiting examples, w ₁ Can exceed w ₃ 。

In some non-limiting examples, quotient w ₁ /w ₃ May be in a range of at least one of about 0.1-10, 0.2-5, 0.3-3, or 0.4-2. In some non-limiting examples, quotient w ₃ /w ₁ May be at least about at least one of 1, 2, 3, or 4.

In some non-limiting examples, w ₃ Can exceed the average film thickness d of the deposited layer 1430 ₃ 。

In some non-limiting examples, quotient w ₃ /d ₃ May be at least about at least one of 10, 50, 100, or 500. In some non-limiting examples, quotient w ₃ /d ₃ May be no greater than about 100,000.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 may have a transition region 302 in the deposited layer _t The thickness of the inner wall decreases from a maximum value to a minimum value. In some non-limiting examples, the maximum may be at a deposited layer transition region 302 of the second portion 302 _t And a deposited layer non-transition portion 302 _n At and/or near the boundary between. In some non-limiting examples, the minimum may be at and/or near the deposited layer edge 1935. In some non-limiting examples, the maximum may be the deposited layer non-transition portion 302 of the second portion 302 _n Average film thickness d of (a) ₃ . In some non-limiting examples, the minimum may be in a range between about 0nm and 0.1 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the minimum value may be the deposited layer non-transition portion 302 of the second portion 302 _n Average film thickness d of (a) ₃ 。

In some non-limiting examples, the deposition layer transition region 302 _t The thickness profile of (c) may be oblique and/or follow a gradient. In some non-limiting examples, such a profile may be tapered. In some non-limiting examples, the taper may follow a linear, nonlinear, parabolic, and/or exponential decay profile.

In some non-limiting examples, as with the exemplary version 1900 of the device 1400 in FIG. 19E _e As shown by way of non-limiting example in (a), the deposited layer 1430 may be in the deposited layer transition region 302 _t Completely covering the underlying surface. In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 may be in the deposited layer transition region 302 _t Comprises a substantially enclosed coating 1440 in at least a portion thereof. In some non-limiting examples, at the deposit transition region 302 _t At least a portion of the underlying surface may be uncovered by the deposited layer 1430.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 may be in the deposited layer transition region 302 _t Including discontinuous layer 120 in at least a portion of the substrate.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that although not explicitly illustrated, the patterning material 1711 may also be present to some extent at the interface between the deposited layer 1430 and the underlying layer. Such material may be deposited due to shadowing effects, wherein the deposition pattern is not the same as the pattern of the mask, and in some non-limiting examples may result in some evaporated patterned material 1711 being deposited on shadowed portions of the target exposed layer surface 11. As non-limiting examples, such material may be formed as a granular structure 121 and/or as a thin film that may have a thickness that is not substantially greater than the average thickness of patterned coating 323.

Overlapping of

In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer edge 1935 may be oriented laterally toward the patterned coating transition region 301 with the first portion 301 _t Spaced apart such that there is no overlap in lateral orientation between the first portion 301 and the second portion 302.

In some non-limiting examples, at least a portion of the first portion 301 and at least a portion of the second portion 302 may overlap in a lateral orientation. Such overlap may be confirmed by an overlap portion 1703, such as may be shown by way of a non-limiting example in fig. 19A, wherein at least a portion of the second portion 302 overlaps at least a portion of the first portion 301.

In some non-limiting examples, as shown by way of non-limiting example in FIG. 19F, a layer transition region 302 is deposited _t May be disposed in the patterned coating transition region 301 _t At least a portion of (a) a substrate. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating transition region 301 _t May be substantially free of deposited layer 1430 and/or deposited material 1831. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may be in the patterned coating transition region 301 _t A discontinuous layer 120 is formed on at least a portion of the exposed layer surface 11.

In some non-limiting examples, as shown by way of non-limiting example in FIG. 19G, a layer transition region 302 is deposited _t May be disposed at least a portion of the patterned coating non-transition portion 301 of the first portion 301 _n At least a portion of (a) a substrate.

Although not shown, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, the overlap portion 1703 may reflect a scene in which at least a portion of the first portion 301 overlaps at least a portion of the second portion 302.

Thus, in some non-limiting examples, the coating transition region 301 is patterned _t May be disposed in the deposited layer transition region 302 _t At least a portion of (a) a substrate. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition layer transition region 302 _t May be substantially free of patterned coating 323 and/or patterned material 1711. In some non-limiting examples, the patterning material 1711 may be in the deposited layer transition region 302 _t A discontinuous layer 120 is formed on at least a portion of the exposed layer surface.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating transition region 301 _t May be disposed in the deposited layer non-transition portion 302 of the second portion 302 _n At least a portion of (a) a substrate.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating edge 1915 may be oriented laterally toward the deposited layer non-transition portion 302 of the second portion 302 _n Spaced apart.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 may be formed across the deposited layer non-transition portion 302 of the second portion 302 _n And a deposited layer transition region 302 _t A single monolithic coating of both.

Edge effect of patterned coating and deposited layer

Fig. 20A-20I depict various potential behaviors of the patterned coating 323 at the deposition interface with the deposited layer 1430.

Turning to fig. 20A, a first example of a portion of an exemplary version 2000 of a device 1400 at a patterned coating deposition boundary may be shown. The device 2000 may include a substrate 10 having an exposed layer surface 11. A patterned coating 323 can be deposited on the first portion 301 of the exposed layer surface 11. A deposition layer 1430 may be deposited on the second portion 302 of the exposed layer surface 11. As shown, the first portion 301 and the second portion 302 may be distinct and non-overlapping portions of the exposed layer surface 11, as non-limiting examples.

The deposited layer 1430 may include a first portion 1430 ₁ And a second portion 1430 ₂ . As shown, a first portion 1430 of the layer 1430 is deposited as a non-limiting example ₁ May substantially cover second portion 302 and deposit second portion 1430 of layer 1430 ₂ May partially protrude above and/or overlap a first portion of patterned coating 323.

In some non-limiting examples, since the patterned coating 323 can be formed such that its exposed layer surface 11 exhibits a relatively low initial adhesion probability for deposition of the deposition material 1831, protruding and/or overlapping second portions 1430 of the deposition layer 1430 ₂ And the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323 may form a gap 2029 therebetween. Thus, in cross-sectional orientation, second portion 1430 ₂ May not be in physical contact with the patterned coating 323, but may be spaced apart therefrom by a gap 2029. In some non-limiting examples, a first portion 1430 of the layer 1430 is deposited ₁ May be in physical contact with the patterned coating 323 at the interface and/or boundary between the first portion 301 and the second portion 302.

In some non-limiting examples, a protruding and/or overlapping second portion 1430 of the deposited layer 1430 ₂ First portion 1430 of layer 1430 may be laterally extended and deposited over patterned coating 323 ₁ Average layer thickness d of (2) _a To a considerable extent. As a non-limiting example, as shown, second portion 1430 ₂ Width w of (2) _b Can be connected with the first part 1430 ₁ Average layer thickness d of (2) _a Equivalent. In some non-limiting examples, second portion 1430 ₂ Width w of (2) _b And a first portion 1430 ₁ Average layer thickness d of (2) _a May be in a range of about at least one of 1:1-1:3, 1:1-1:1.5, or 1:1-1:2. Although the average layer thickness d _a May span the first portion 1430 in some non-limiting examples ₁ Relatively uniform, but in some non-limiting examples, second portion 1430 ₂ The extent (i.e., w) to which the patterned coating 323 can protrude and/or overlap _b ) May vary to some extent across different portions of the exposed layer surface 11.

Turning now to fig. 20B, the deposited layer 1430 can be shown to include a layer disposed on the second portion 1430 ₂ Third portion 1430 between the patterned coating 323 ₃ . As shown, a second portion 1430 of the layer 1430 is deposited ₂ May be deposited on a third portion 1430 of the layer 1430 ₃ Extends laterally above and is longitudinally spaced apart therefrom, and a third portion 1430 ₃ May be in physical contact with the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323. A third portion 1430 of the deposited layer 1430 ₃ Average layer thickness d of (2) _c May be no greater than the first portion 1430 thereof ₁ Average layer thickness d of (2) _a And in some non-limiting examples substantially less than the average layer thickness of the first portion. In some non-limiting examples, third portion 1430 ₃ Width w of (2) _c Can exceed the second portion 1430 ₂ Width w of (2) _b . In some non-limiting examples, third portion 1430 ₃ May extend laterally to be greater than the second portion 1430 ₂ The patterned coating 323 is overlapped to a greater extent. In some non-limiting examples, third portion 1430 ₃ Width w of (2) _c And a first portion 1430 ₁ Average layer thickness d of (2) _a May be in a range of at least one of about 1:2-3:1 or 1:1.2-2.5:1. Although the average layer thickness d _a May span the first portion 1430 in some non-limiting examples ₁ Relatively uniform, but in some non-limiting examples, third portion 1430 ₃ The extent (i.e., w) to which the patterned coating 323 can protrude and/or overlap _c ) May vary to some extent across different portions of the exposed layer surface 11.

In some non-limiting examples, third portion 1430 ₃ Average layer thickness d of (2) _c May not exceed the first portion 1430 ₁ Average layer thickness d of (2) _a About 5% of (a). As a non-limiting example, d _c Can be not greater than d _a At least one of about 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, or 0.5%. In place of and/or in addition to third portion 1430 ₃ In addition to being formed as a thin film, as shown, deposited material 1831 of deposited layer 1430 may be formed as granular structure 121 on a portion of patterned coating 323. As a non-limiting example, such particle structures 121 may beIncluding features that are physically separated from each other such that they do not form a continuous layer.

Turning now to fig. 20c, an npc 2020 may be disposed between the substrate 10 and the deposited layer 1430. The NPC 2020 may be disposed in a first portion 1430 of the deposited layer 1430 ₁ And the second portion 302 of the substrate 10. The NPC 2020 is shown disposed on the second portion 302 but not on the first portion 301, on which the patterned coating 323 has been deposited. The NPC 2020 may be formed such that at an interface and/or boundary between the NPC 2020 and the deposited layer 1430, a surface of the NPC 2020 may exhibit a relatively high initial adhesion probability for deposition of the deposited material 1831. Thus, the presence of NPC 2020 may facilitate formation and/or growth of deposited layer 1430 during deposition.

Turning now to fig. 20d, an NPC 2020 may be disposed on both the first portion 301 and the second portion 302 of the substrate 10, and the patterned coating 323 may cover a portion of the NPC 2020 disposed on the first portion 301. Another portion of the NPC 2020 may be substantially free of the patterned coating 323, and the deposited layer 1430 may cover this portion of the NPC 2020.

Turning now to fig. 20E, the deposited layer 1430 may be shown partially overlapping a portion of the patterned coating 323 in the third portion 2003 of the substrate 10. In some non-limiting examples, in addition to the first portion 1430 ₁ And a second portion 1430 ₂ In addition, the deposited layer 1430 may also include a fourth portion 1430 ₄ . As shown, a fourth portion 1430 of the layer 1430 is deposited ₄ May be disposed on a first portion 1430 of the deposited layer 1430 ₁ And a second portion 1430 ₂ And a fourth portion 1430 ₄ May be in physical contact with the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323. In some non-limiting examples, the overlap in the third portion 2003 may be formed due to lateral growth of the deposition layer 1430 during an open mask and/or maskless deposition process. In some non-limiting examples, while the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323 may exhibit a relatively low initial adhesion probability for deposition of the deposited material 1831, and thus the probability of nucleation of the material on the exposed layer surface 11 may be low, the deposited layer 143 grows with the thickness of the deposited layer 14300 may also grow laterally and may cover a subset of the patterned coating 323, as shown.

Turning now to fig. 20F, a first portion 301 of the substrate 10 may be coated with a patterned coating 323 and a second portion 302 adjacent thereto may be coated with a deposited layer 1430. In some non-limiting examples, it has been observed that performing open mask and/or maskless deposition of deposited layer 1430 can cause deposited layer 1430 to exhibit a tapered cross-sectional profile at and/or near the interface between deposited layer 1430 and patterned coating 323.

In some non-limiting examples, the average layer thickness of deposited layer 1430 at and/or near the interface may be less than the average layer thickness d of deposited layer 1430 ₃ . While such a tapered profile may be shown as curved and/or arched, in some non-limiting examples, the profile may be substantially linear and/or non-linear in some non-limiting examples. As a non-limiting example, the average layer thickness d of the deposited layer 1430 ₃ May decrease in a substantially linear, exponential, and/or quadratic manner in a region proximate to the interface without limitation.

It has been observed that the contact angle θ of the deposited layer 1430 at and/or near the interface between the deposited layer 1430 and the patterned coating 323 _c May vary depending on the nature of the patterned coating 323, such as the relative initial adhesion probability. It can be further assumed that, in some non-limiting examples, the contact angle θ of the core _c The film contact angle of the deposited layer 1430 formed by deposition may be indicated. Referring to FIG. 20F, as a non-limiting example, the contact angle θ _c May be determined by measuring the slope of a tangent line to the deposited layer 1430 at and/or near the interface between the deposited layer 1430 and the patterned coating 323. In some non-limiting examples, where the cross-sectional tapered profile of the deposited layer 1430 may be substantially linear, the contact angle θ _c May be determined by measuring the slope of the deposited layer 1430 at and/or near the interface. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art, the contact angle θ _c Typically measured with respect to the non-zero angle of the underlying layer. In the present disclosure, for purposes of simplifying the description, the patterned coating 323 and the deposited layer 1430 may be shown asDeposited on a flat surface. However, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the patterned coating 323 and the deposited layer 1430 may be deposited on uneven surfaces.

In some non-limiting examples, contact angle θ of deposited layer 1430 _c May exceed about 90. Referring now to fig. 20G, as a non-limiting example, the deposited layer 1430 may be shown to include a portion that extends past the interface between the patterned coating 323 and the deposited layer 1430, and may be spaced apart from the patterned coating 323 by a gap 2029. In this non-limiting scenario, the contact angle θ _c In some non-limiting examples, may exceed 90 °.

In some non-limiting examples, it may be advantageous to form a lens exhibiting a relatively high contact angle θ _c Is deposited layer 1430. As a non-limiting example, the contact angle θ _c May exceed about at least one of 10 °, 15 °, 20 °, 25 °, 30 °, 35 °, 40 °, 50 °, 70 °, 75 °, or 80 °. As a non-limiting example, have a relatively high contact angle θ _c May allow for the creation of finely patterned features while maintaining a relatively high aspect ratio. As a non-limiting example, there may be such a goal: form a contact angle theta of greater than about 90 deg _c Is deposited layer 1430. As a non-limiting example, the contact angle θ _c May exceed at least one of about 90 °, 95 °, 100 °, 105 °, 110 °, 120 °, 130 °, 135 °, 140 °, 145 °, 150 °, or 170 °.

Turning now to fig. 20H-20I, the deposited layer 1430 may partially overlap a portion of the patterned coating 323 in a third portion 2003 of the substrate 10, which may be disposed between the first portion 301 and the second portion 302 of the substrate. As shown, a subset of the deposited layer 1430 that partially overlaps a subset of the patterned coating 323 may be in physical contact with its exposed layer surface 11. In some non-limiting examples, the overlap in the third portion 2003 may be formed due to lateral growth of the deposition layer 1430 during an open mask and/or maskless deposition process. In some non-limiting examples, while the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323 may exhibit a relatively low initial adhesion probability for deposition of the deposited material 1831, and thus a low probability of nucleation of the material on the exposed layer surface 11, as the thickness of the deposited layer 1430 grows, the deposited layer 1430 may also grow laterally and may cover a subset of the patterned coating 323.

With respect to fig. 20H-20I, the contact angle θ of the deposited layer 1430 _c May be measured at the edge near the interface between the deposited layer and patterned coating 323, as shown. In FIG. 20I, the contact angle θ _c May exceed about 90 deg., which may result in a subset of deposited layer 1430 being spaced apart from patterned coating 323 by gap 2029 in some non-limiting examples.

Optoelectronic component

Fig. 21 is a simplified block diagram of an exemplary electroluminescent device 2100 according to the present disclosure from a cross-sectional view. In some non-limiting examples, device 2100 is an OLED.

The device 2100 may include a substrate 10 on which a front panel 2110 including a plurality of layers, a first electrode 720, at least one semiconductive layer 730, and a second electrode 740, respectively, is disposed. In some non-limiting examples, front panel 2110 may provide a mechanism for photon emission and/or manipulation of emitted photons.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 and the underlying layer may together form at least a portion of at least one of the first electrode 720 and the second electrode 740 of the device 2100. In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 and the underlying layer thereunder may together form at least a portion of a cathode of the device 2100.

In some non-limiting examples, the device 2100 may be electrically coupled to the power source 2105. When so coupled, device 2100 may emit photons as described herein.

Substrate board

In some examples, the substrate 10 may include a bottom substrate 712. In some examples, the base substrate 712 may be formed of a material suitable for its use, including but not limited to an inorganic material, including but not limited to Si, glass, metal (including but not limited to metal foil), sapphire, and/or other inorganic materials, and/or an organic material, including but not limited to a polymer, including but not limited to polyimide and/or a Si-based polymer. In some examples, the bottom substrate 712 may be rigid or flexible. In some examples, the substrate 10 may be defined by at least one planar surface. In some non-limiting examples, substrate 10 may have at least one surface that supports the remaining front panel 2110 components of device 2100, including, but not limited to, first electrode 720, at least one semiconductive layer 730, and/or second electrode 740.

In some non-limiting examples, such surfaces may be organic and/or inorganic surfaces.

In some examples, substrate 10 may include at least one additional organic and/or inorganic layer (not shown, also not specifically described herein) supported on the exposed layer surface 11 of the bottom substrate 712 in addition to the bottom substrate 712.

In some non-limiting examples, such additional layers may include and/or form at least one organic layer that may include, replace, and/or supplement at least one of the at least one semiconductive layer 730.

In some non-limiting examples, such additional layers may include at least one inorganic layer that may include and/or form at least one electrode that may include, replace, and/or supplement the first electrode 720 and/or the second electrode 740 in some non-limiting examples.

In some non-limiting examples, such additional layers may include and/or be formed from and/or act as a back plate 2115. In some non-limiting examples, the backplate 2115 may contain power circuitry and/or switching elements for driving the device 2100, including but not limited to the electronic TFT structure 701 and/or components thereof that may be formed by a photolithographic process, which may not be provided in and/or may be provided prior to the introduction of a low pressure (including but not limited to a vacuum) environment.

Backboard and TFT structure contained therein

In some non-limiting examples, the back plate 2115 of the substrate 10 may include at least one electronic component and/or optoelectronic component, including but not limited to transistors, resistors, and/or capacitors, such as those components that may support the device 2100 for use as an active matrix and/or passive matrix device. In some non-limiting examples, such a structure may be a Thin Film Transistor (TFT) structure 901.

Non-limiting examples of TFT structures 701 include top gate, bottom gate, n-type, and/or p-type TFT structures 701. In some non-limiting examples, the TFT structure 701 may incorporate any of amorphous Si (a-Si), indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO), and/or low temperature poly-Si (LTPS).

First electrode

The first electrode 720 may be deposited on the substrate 10. In some non-limiting examples, the first electrode 720 may be electrically coupled with a terminal of the power source 2105, and/or grounded. In some non-limiting examples, the first electrode 720 may be coupled by at least one drive circuit that, in some non-limiting examples, may incorporate at least one TFT structure 701 in the backplate 2115 of the substrate 10.

In some non-limiting examples, the first electrode 720 may include an anode and/or a cathode. In some non-limiting examples, the first electrode 720 may be an anode.

In some non-limiting examples, the first electrode 720 may be formed by depositing at least one thin conductive film on (a portion of) the substrate 10. In some non-limiting examples, there may be a plurality of first electrodes 720 disposed in a spatial arrangement in a lateral direction of the substrate 10. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of these at least one first electrode 720 may be deposited on (a portion of) the TFT insulating layer 709 disposed in a lateral orientation with a certain spatial arrangement. If so, in some non-limiting examples, at least one of such at least one first electrode 720 may extend through an opening of a corresponding TFT insulating layer 709 to electrically couple with an electrode of the TFT structure 701 in the backplate 2115.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one first electrode 720 and/or at least one thin film thereof may comprise various materials including, but not limited to, at least one metallic material including, but not limited to, mg, al, calcium (Ca), zn, ag, cd, ba, or Yb, or a combination of any of them, including, but not limited to, an alloy comprising any of these materials, at least one metal oxide including, but not limited to, a TCO, including, but not limited to, a ternary composition such as, but not limited to, fluorine Tin Oxide (FTO), indium Zinc Oxide (IZO), or ITO, or a combination of any of them in different proportions, or in at least one layer, where any of the at least one layers may be, but not limited to, a thin film.

Second electrode

The second electrode 740 may be deposited on the at least one semiconductive layer 730. In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may be electrically coupled to a terminal of the power source 2105, and/or grounded. In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may be coupled by at least one drive circuit that, in some non-limiting examples, may incorporate at least one TFT structure 701 in the backplate 2115 of the substrate 10.

In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may include an anode and/or a cathode. In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may be a cathode.

In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may be formed by depositing a deposition layer 1430 (as at least one thin film in some non-limiting examples) on (a portion of) the at least one semiconductive layer 730. In some non-limiting examples, there may be a plurality of second electrodes 740 disposed in a spatial arrangement laterally facing at least one semiconductive layer 730.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one second electrode 740 may comprise various materials including, but not limited to: at least one metallic material including, but not limited to Mg, al, ca, zn, ag, cd, ba or Yb, or a combination of any of them, including, but not limited to an alloy comprising any of these materials, at least one metallic oxide including, but not limited to TCO, including, but not limited to ternary compositions such as, but not limited to, FTO, IZO, or ITO, or a combination of any of them, or In different proportions, or zinc oxide (ZnO), or other oxides containing indium (In) or Zn, or a combination of any of them In at least one layer; and/or at least one non-metallic material, any of which may be, but is not limited to, a thin conductive film. In some non-limiting examples, for Mg: ag alloys, such alloy compositions may range between about 1:9 to 9:1 by volume.

In some non-limiting examples, deposition of the second electrode 740 may be performed using an open mask and/or maskless deposition process.

In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may include a plurality of such layers and/or coatings. In some non-limiting examples, such layers and/or coatings may be different layers and/or coatings disposed on top of each other.

In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may include a Yb/Ag bilayer coating. As a non-limiting example, such a two-layer coating may be formed by depositing a Yb coating followed by depositing an Ag coating. In some non-limiting examples, the thickness of such an Ag coating may exceed the thickness of a Yb coating.

In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may be a multi-layer electrode 740 including at least one metal layer and/or at least one oxide layer.

In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may include fullerenes and Mg.

As a non-limiting example, such a coating may be formed by depositing a fullerene coating, followed by depositing an Mg coating. In some non-limiting examples, fullerenes may be dispersed within the Mg coating to form a Mg alloy coating containing fullerenes. Non-limiting examples of such coatings are described in U.S. patent application publication No. 2015/0287846 published at 10/8 and/or PCT international application No. PCT/IB2017/054970 published at 15/8/2017 and 22/2/2018 as WO 2018/033860.

Semiconductive layer

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one semiconductive layer 730 may comprise a plurality of layers 2131, 2133, 2135, 2137, 2139, any of which may be provided in a thin film form, in a stacked configuration, in some non-limiting examples, which may include, but are not limited to, at least one of a Hole Injection Layer (HIL) 2131, a Hole Transport Layer (HTL) 2133, an emissive layer (EML) 2135, an Electron Transport Layer (ETL) 2137, and/or an Electron Injection Layer (EIL) 2139.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one semiconductive layer 730 may form a "series" structure comprising a plurality of EMLs 2135. In some non-limiting examples, such a series structure may further include at least one Charge Generation Layer (CGL).

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily appreciate that the structure of the device 2100 may be altered by omitting and/or combining at least one of the semiconductor layers 2131, 2133, 2135, 2137, 2139.

Further, any of the layers 2131, 2133, 2135, 2137, 2139 of the at least one semiconductive layer 730 may comprise any number of sub-layers. Still further, any of the layers 2131, 2133, 2135, 2137, 2139 and/or sublayers thereof may include various mixtures and/or compositional gradients. In addition, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the device 2100 may include at least one layer including inorganic and/or organometallic materials and may not necessarily be limited to devices composed solely of organic materials. As a non-limiting example, device 2100 can include at least one QD.

In some non-limiting examples, HIL 2131 may be formed using a hole injection material that may facilitate hole injection by the anode.

In some non-limiting examples, the HTL 2133 may be formed using a hole transport material, which may exhibit high hole mobility in some non-limiting examples.

In some non-limiting examples, ETL 2137 may be formed using an electron transport material, which may exhibit high electron mobility in some non-limiting examples.

In some non-limiting examples, EIL 2139 may be formed using an electron injection material that may facilitate electron injection by the cathode.

In some non-limiting examples, EML 2135 may be formed by doping a host material with at least one emitter material, as non-limiting examples. In some non-limiting examples, the emitter material may be a fluorescent emitter, a phosphorescent emitter, a Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence (TADF) emitter, and/or any combination thereof.

In some non-limiting examples, the device 2100 may be an OLED, wherein the at least one semiconductive layer 730 comprises at least one EML 2135 interposed between conductive thin-film electrodes 720, 740, whereby, when a potential difference is applied between them, holes may be injected into the at least one semiconductive layer 730 through the anode and electrons may be injected into the at least one semiconductive layer 730 through the cathode, migrate towards the EML 2135 and combine to emit EM radiation in the form of photons.

In some non-limiting examples, device 2100 can be an electroluminescent QD device, where at least one semiconductive layer 730 can include an active layer having at least one QD. When current may be supplied to the first electrode 720 and the second electrode 740 by the power source 2105, photons may be emitted from the active layer including the at least one semiconductive layer 730 therebetween.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily appreciate that the structure of device 2100 may be altered by introducing at least one additional layer (not shown) including, but not limited to, a Hole Blocking Layer (HBL) (not shown), an Electron Blocking Layer (EBL) (not shown), an additional Charge Transport Layer (CTL) (not shown), and/or an additional Charge Injection Layer (CIL) (not shown) in place within the stack of at least one semiconductive layer 730.

In some non-limiting examples, including where the OLED device 2100 includes an illumination panel, the entire lateral orientation of the device 2100 may correspond to a single emissive element. As such, the substantially planar cross-sectional profile shown in fig. 21 may extend substantially along the entire lateral orientation of the device 2100 such that EM radiation is emitted from the device 2100 along substantially the entire lateral extent of the device. In some non-limiting examples, such a single emissive element may be driven by a single drive circuit of device 2100.

In some non-limiting examples, including where the OLED device 2100 includes a display module, the lateral orientation of the device 2100 may be subdivided into a plurality of emission regions 810 of the device 2100, where within each of the emission regions 810, the cross-sectional orientation of the device structure 2100 may be such that EM radiation is emitted therefrom when energized.

Emission area

In some non-limiting examples, such as may be shown by way of non-limiting example in fig. 22, the active region 2230 of the emissive region 810 may be defined laterally oriented to bound the first electrode 720 and the second electrode 740, and laterally oriented to the emissive region 810 defined by the first electrode 720 and the second electrode 740. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive region 810, and thus the lateral boundaries of the active region 2230, may not correspond to the entire lateral orientation of either or both of the first electrode 720 and the second electrode 740. Conversely, the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive region 810 can be substantially no greater than the lateral extent of the first electrode 720 and the second electrode 740. As a non-limiting example, some portions of the first electrode 720 may be covered by the PDL 710 and/or some portions of the second electrode 740 may not be disposed on the at least one semiconductive layer 730, such that in either or both scenarios, the emissive region 810 may be laterally constrained.

In some non-limiting examples, the various emission regions 810 of the device 2100 may be arranged in a lateral pattern. In some non-limiting examples, the pattern may extend along the first lateral direction. In some non-limiting examples, the pattern may also extend along a second lateral direction, which may be substantially perpendicular to the first lateral direction in some non-limiting examples. In some non-limiting examples, the pattern may have a plurality of elements in a pattern, each element being characterized by at least one feature thereof, including but not limited to a wavelength of EM radiation emitted by its emission region 810, a shape of such emission region 810, a dimension (along either or both of the first and/or second lateral directions), an orientation (relative to either and/or both of the first and/or second lateral directions), and/or a spacing (relative to either or both of the first and/or second lateral directions) from a previous element in the pattern. In some non-limiting examples, the pattern may be repeated in either or both of the first and/or second lateral directions.

In some non-limiting examples, each individual emission region 810 of device 2100 may be associated with and driven by a corresponding driving circuit within the backplate 2115 of device 2100 for driving the OLED structure for the associated emission region 810. In some non-limiting examples, including but not limited to, where emission regions 810 may extend in both a first (row) lateral direction and a second (column) lateral direction in a regular pattern layout, there may be signal lines in back plate 2115 corresponding to each row of emission regions 810 extending in the first lateral direction and signal lines corresponding to each column of emission regions 810 extending in the second lateral direction. In such a non-limiting configuration, a signal on a row select line may energize a respective gate of the switching TFT structure 701 electrically coupled thereto, and a signal on a data line may energize a respective source of the switching TFT structure 701 electrically coupled thereto, such that a signal on a row select line/data line pair may be electrically coupled to and energize an anode of an OLED structure of an emission region 810 associated with such pair through a positive terminal of the power source 2105, thereby causing photons to be emitted therefrom, with a cathode thereof electrically coupled to a negative terminal of the power source 2105.

In some non-limiting examples, each emission region 810 of the device 2100 may correspond to a single display pixel 3310. In some non-limiting examples, each pixel 3310 may emit light of a given wavelength spectrum. In some non-limiting examples, the wavelength spectrum may correspond to (but is not limited to) colors in the visible spectrum.

In some non-limiting examples, each emission region 810 of device 2100 may correspond to a subpixel 84x of display pixel 3310. In some non-limiting examples, multiple subpixels 84x may be combined to form or represent a single display pixel 3310.

In some non-limiting examples, a single display pixel 3310 may be represented by three sub-pixels 84x. In some non-limiting examples, three subpixels 84x may be represented as R (red) subpixel 1141, G (green) subpixel 1142, and/or B (blue) subpixel 1143, respectively. In some non-limiting examples, a single display pixel 3310 may be represented by four sub-pixels 84x, where three of such sub-pixels 84x may be represented as R (red), G (green), and B (blue) sub-pixels 84x, and a fourth sub-pixel 84x may be represented as a W (white) sub-pixel 84x. In some non-limiting examples, the emission spectrum of EM radiation emitted by a given subpixel 84x may correspond to the color represented by subpixel 84x. In some non-limiting examples, the wavelength of the EM radiation may not correspond to such a color, but further processing may be performed in a manner that would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art to convert the wavelength to such a corresponding wavelength.

Since the wavelengths of the different color sub-pixels 84x may be different, the optical characteristics of such sub-pixels 84x may be different, particularly if a common electrode 720, 740 having a substantially uniform thickness profile is used for the different color sub-pixels 84x.

When a common electrode 720, 740 having a substantially uniform thickness may be provided as the second electrode 740 in the device 2100, the optical performance of the device 2100 may not be easily fine-tuned according to the emission spectrum associated with each (sub) pixel 3310/84 x. In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 used in such an OLED device 2100 may be a common electrode 720, 740 coating a plurality of (sub-) pixels 3310/84 x. As a non-limiting example, such common electrodes 720, 740 may be relatively thin conductive films having a substantially uniform thickness throughout the device 2100. While in some non-limiting examples efforts have been made to adjust the optical microcavity effect associated with each (sub) pixel 3310/84x color by varying the thickness of the organic layer disposed within the different (sub) pixels 3310/84x, in some non-limiting examples this approach may provide a significant degree of adjustment of the optical microcavity effect in at least some instances. Additionally, in some non-limiting examples, such a method may be difficult to implement in an OLED display production environment.

Thus, the presence of an optical interface created by many thin film layers and coatings having different refractive indices (such as may be used to construct optoelectronic devices including, but not limited to, OLED device 2100 in some non-limiting examples) may create different optical microcavity effects for different colored subpixels 84 x.

Some factors that may affect the observed microcavity effect in device 2100 include, but are not limited to, the total path length (which in some non-limiting examples may correspond to the total thickness of device 2100 (in the longitudinal orientation) through which EM radiation emitted from the device will travel before being coupled out) and the refractive indices of the various layers and coatings.

In some non-limiting examples, adjusting the thickness of the electrodes 720, 740 in and across the lateral orientation 2210 of the emission region 810 of the (sub) pixel 3310/84x may affect the observed microcavity effect. In some non-limiting examples, this effect may be due to a change in the total optical path length.

In some non-limiting examples, in addition to the change in total optical path length, the change in thickness of the electrodes 720, 740 may also change the refractive index of EM radiation passing therethrough in some non-limiting examples. In some non-limiting examples, this is particularly the case where the electrodes 720, 740 may be formed from at least one deposited layer 1430.

In some non-limiting examples, the optical properties of the device 2100, which may be changed by adjusting at least one optical microcavity effect, and/or in some non-limiting examples the optical properties of the lateral orientation 2210 of the emission region 810 across the (sub) pixel 3310/84x, may include, but are not limited to, emission spectrum, intensity (including, but not limited to, luminous intensity), and/or angular distribution of the emitted EM radiation, including, but not limited to, angular dependence of brightness, and/or color shift of the emitted EM radiation.

In some non-limiting examples, a subpixel 84x may be associated with a first set of other subpixels 84x to represent a first display pixel 3310, but also with a second set of other subpixels 84x to represent a second display pixel 3310, such that the first and second display pixels 3310 may have the same subpixel 84x associated therewith.

The pattern and/or organization of the subpixels 84x into the display pixel 3310 continues to evolve. All current and future patterns and/or organizations are considered to fall within the scope of this disclosure.

Non-emission regions

In some non-limiting examples, each emission region 810 of device 2100 may be substantially surrounded and separated in at least one lateral direction by at least one non-emission region 1220, wherein the structure and/or configuration of device structure 1900 along the cross-sectional orientation shown in (without limitation) fig. 21 may be varied to substantially inhibit emission of EM radiation therefrom. In some non-limiting examples, non-emissive areas 1220 may include those areas that are oriented laterally substantially without emissive areas 810.

Thus, as shown in the cross-sectional view of fig. 22, the lateral topology of the layers of the at least one semiconductive layer 730 may be altered to define at least one emission region 810 surrounded by at least one non-emission region 1220 (at least in one lateral direction).

In some non-limiting examples, the emission region 810 corresponding to a single display (sub) pixel 3310/84x may be understood to have a lateral orientation 2210 surrounded in at least one lateral direction by at least one non-emission region 1220 having a lateral orientation 2220.

A non-limiting example of a specific implementation of the cross-sectional orientation of the device 2100 applied to the emissive area 810 corresponding to a single display (sub) pixel 3310/84x of the OLED display 2100 will now be described. While such embodied features are shown as being specific to emission area 810, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, more than one emission area 810 may encompass common features.

In some non-limiting examples, the first electrode 720 may be disposed on the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 2100, in some non-limiting examples, within at least a portion of the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive region 810. In some non-limiting examples, at least within the lateral orientation 2210 of the emission area 810 of a (sub) pixel 3310/84x, the exposed layer surface 11 may comprise a TFT insulating layer 709 constituting various TFT structures 701 for driving circuits corresponding to the emission area 810 of a single display (sub) pixel 3310/84x when the first electrode 720 is deposited.

In some non-limiting examples, TFT insulating layer 709 may be formed with an opening extending therethrough to allow first electrode 720 to electrically couple with one of TFT electrodes 705, 707, 708, including but not limited to TFT drain electrode 708 as shown in fig. 22.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the drive circuit includes a plurality of TFT structures 701. In fig. 22, only one TFT structure 701 may be shown for the sake of simplicity of explanation, but one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will understand that such TFT structure 701 may represent a plurality of such TFT structures and/or at least one component thereof constituting a driving circuit.

In cross-sectional orientation, in some non-limiting examples, the configuration of each emissive region 810 can be defined by introducing at least one PDL 710 substantially throughout the lateral orientation 2220 of the surrounding non-emissive region 1220. In some non-limiting examples, the PDL 710 may include insulating organic and/or inorganic materials.

In some non-limiting examples, PDL 710 may be deposited substantially on TFT insulating layer 709, although as shown, in some non-limiting examples PDL 710 may also extend over at least a portion of deposited first electrode 720 and/or its outer edge.

In some non-limiting examples, as shown in fig. 22, the cross-sectional thickness and/or profile of the PDL 710 may impart a substantially valley-shaped configuration to the emissive region 810 of each (sub) pixel 3310/84x by an area of increased thickness along the boundary of the lateral orientation 2220 of the surrounding non-emissive region 1220 and the lateral orientation (corresponding to the (sub) pixel 3310/84 x) of the surrounding emissive region 810.

In some non-limiting examples, the profile of PDL 710 may have a reduced thickness beyond such a valley-shaped configuration, including but not limited to, being away from the boundary between the lateral orientation 2220 of the surrounding non-emissive region 1220 and the lateral orientation 2210 of the surrounding emissive region 810, and in some non-limiting examples being substantially well within the lateral orientation 2220 of such non-emissive region 1220.

While PDL 710 is generally shown as having a linear sloped surface to form a valley-shaped configuration defining an emission region 810 surrounded thereby, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples at least one of the shape, aspect ratio, thickness, width, and/or configuration of such PDL 710 may vary. As a non-limiting example, the PDL 710 may be formed with steeper or more gently sloped portions. In some non-limiting examples, such PDL 710 may be configured to extend substantially perpendicularly away from a surface on which it is deposited, which may cover at least one edge of the first electrode 720. In some non-limiting examples, such PDL 710 may be configured to deposit at least one semiconductive layer 730 thereon by solution processing techniques, including, but not limited to, by printing, including, but not limited to, inkjet printing.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one semiconductive layer 730 may be deposited on the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 2100, including at least a portion of the lateral orientation 2210 of such an emission region 810 of (sub) pixels 3310/84 x. In some non-limiting examples, such an exposed layer surface 11 may comprise the first electrode 720 when at least one semiconductive layer 730 (and/or layers 2131, 2133, 2135, 2137, 2139 thereof) is deposited, at least in a lateral orientation 2210 of the emission area 810 of the (sub) pixel 3310/84 x.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one semiconductive layer 730 may also extend beyond the lateral orientation 2210 of the emission region 810 of the (sub) pixel 3310/84x and at least partially within the lateral orientation 2220 of the surrounding non-emission region 1220. In some non-limiting examples, such an exposed layer surface 11 of such a surrounding non-emissive region 1220 may include PDL 710 when at least one semiconductive layer 730 is deposited.

In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may be disposed on the exposed layer surface 11 of the device 2100, including at least a portion of the lateral orientation 2210 of the emission region 810 of the (sub) pixel 3310/84 x. In some non-limiting examples, such an exposed layer surface 11 may comprise at least one semiconductive layer 730 when the second electrode 720 is deposited, at least laterally inward of the emission region 810 of the (sub) pixel 3310/84 x.

In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may also extend beyond the lateral orientation 2210 of the emission region 810 of the (sub) pixel 3310/84x and at least partially within the lateral orientation 2220 of the surrounding non-emission region 1220. In some non-limiting examples, such an exposed layer surface 11 of such a surrounding non-emissive region 1220 may include PDL 710 when deposited by the second electrode 740.

In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may extend throughout substantially all or a majority of the lateral orientation 2220 of the surrounding non-emissive region 1220.

Selective deposition of patterned electrodes

In some non-limiting examples, the ability to achieve selective deposition of the deposition material 1831 by pre-selective deposition of the patterned coating 323 in an open mask and/or maskless deposition process may be used to achieve selective deposition of patterned electrodes 720, 740, 1250 of optoelectronic devices (including but not limited to OLED device 2100) and/or at least one layer thereof and/or conductive elements electrically coupled thereto.

In this manner, the selective deposition of patterned coating 323 in fig. 22 using shadow mask 1715, as well as the open mask and/or maskless deposition of deposition material 1831, may be combined to achieve selective deposition of at least one deposition layer 1430, thereby forming device features in device 2100 shown in fig. 21, including but not limited to patterned electrodes 720, 740, 1250 and/or at least one layer thereof, and/or conductive elements electrically coupled thereto, without shadow mask 1715 being employed in the deposition process used to form deposition layer 1430. In some non-limiting examples, such patterning may allow and/or enhance the transmittance of the device 2100.

Several non-limiting examples of such patterned electrodes 720, 740, 1250 and/or at least one layer thereof and/or conductive elements electrically coupled thereto will now be described to impart various structural and/or performance capabilities to such devices 1900.

As a result of the foregoing, there may be such a goal: the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive region 810 across the (sub) pixels 3310/84x and/or the lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emissive region 1220 surrounding the emissive region 810 selectively deposits device features, including but not limited to at least one of the first electrode 720, the second electrode 740, the auxiliary electrode 1250, and/or conductive elements electrically coupled thereto, in a pattern on the exposed layer surface 11 of the front panel 2110 of the device 2100. In some non-limiting examples, the first electrode 720, the second electrode 740, and/or the auxiliary electrode 1250 may be deposited in at least one of the plurality of deposition layers 1430.

Fig. 23 may be a plan view of an exemplary patterned electrode 2300 in which a second electrode 740 is adapted for use with an exemplary version 2400 (fig. 24) of the device 2100. The electrode 2300 may include a single continuous structure of the pattern 2310 formed with or defining a plurality of holes 2320 patterned therein, wherein the holes 2320 may correspond to regions of the device 2400 where no cathode is present.

In this figure, as a non-limiting example, the pattern 2310 may be disposed across the entire lateral extent of the device 2400 without distinguishing between the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive region 810 corresponding to a (sub) pixel 3310/84x and the lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emissive region 1220 surrounding such an emissive region 810. Thus, the illustrated example may correspond to a device 2400 that may be substantially transmissive with respect to EM radiation incident on an outer surface thereof such that a majority of such externally incident EM radiation may be transmitted through the device 2400 except for the emission of EM radiation (in top emission, bottom emission, and/or dual-sided emission) that is internally generated within the device 2400 as disclosed herein.

The transmissivity of the device 2200 may be adjusted and/or modified by changing the pattern 2310 employed, including, but not limited to, the average size of the holes 2320, and/or the spacing and/or density of the holes 2320.

Turning now to fig. 24, a cross-sectional view of device 2400 taken along line 24-24 in fig. 23 may be shown. In this figure, device 2400 is shown to include a substrate 10, a first electrode 720, and at least one semiconductive layer 730.

The patterned coating 323 can be selectively disposed on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110 in a pattern substantially corresponding to the pattern 2310.

A deposition layer 1430 suitable for forming a patterned electrode 2300 (in this figure, a second electrode 740) may be disposed on substantially all of the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110 using an open mask and/or a maskless deposition process. The underlying layer may include regions of the patterned coating 323 disposed in the pattern 2310, and regions of the pattern 2310 in which at least one semiconductive layer 730 of the patterned coating 323 is not deposited. In some non-limiting examples, the area of the patterned coating 323 can substantially correspond to the first portion 301 including the apertures 2320 shown in the pattern 2310.

Due to the nucleation inhibiting properties of those areas of the pattern 2310 (corresponding to the holes 2320) where the patterned coating 323 is disposed, the deposited material 1831 disposed on those areas may tend not to remain, resulting in selective deposition of the deposited layer 1430 exhibiting a pattern that may substantially correspond to the remainder of the pattern 2310, leaving areas of the first portion 301 of the pattern 2310 corresponding to the holes 2320 substantially free of the capping coating 1440 of the deposited layer 1430.

In other words, the deposition layer 1430 that will form the cathode may be selectively deposited substantially only on the second portion 302 that includes those regions of the at least one semiconductive layer 730 that surround but do not occupy the holes 2320 in the pattern 2310.

Fig. 25A may be a plan view illustration showing a plurality of patterns 2510, 2520 of electrodes 720, 740, 1250.

In some non-limiting examples, the first pattern 2510 can include a plurality of elongated spaced apart regions extending in a first lateral direction. In some non-limiting examples, the first pattern 2510 may include a plurality of first electrodes 720. In some non-limiting examples, the plurality of regions constituting the first pattern 2510 may be electrically coupled.

In some non-limiting examples, the second pattern 2520 may include a plurality of elongated spaced apart regions extending in a second lateral direction. In some non-limiting examples, the second lateral direction may be substantially perpendicular to the first lateral direction. In some non-limiting examples, the second pattern 2520 may include a plurality of second electrodes 740. In some non-limiting examples, a plurality of regions constituting the second pattern 2520 may be electrically coupled.

In some non-limiting examples, the first pattern 2510 and the second pattern 2520 may form part of an exemplary version of the device 2100 (shown generally at 2500).

In some non-limiting examples, the lateral orientation 2210 of the emission region 810 corresponding to the (sub) pixels 3310/84x may be formed where the first pattern 2510 and the second pattern 2520 overlap. In some non-limiting examples, the lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emitting region 1220 can correspond to any lateral orientation other than lateral orientation 2210.

In some non-limiting examples, a first terminal (which may be a positive terminal in some non-limiting examples) of the power source 2105 may be electrically coupled with at least one electrode 720, 740, 1250 of the first pattern 2510. In some non-limiting examples, the first terminal may be coupled with at least one electrode 720, 740, 1250 of the first pattern 2510 through at least one driving circuit. In some non-limiting examples, a second terminal (which may be a negative terminal in some non-limiting examples) of the power source 2105 may be electrically coupled with at least one electrode 720, 740, 1250 of the second pattern 2520. In some non-limiting examples, the second terminal may be coupled with at least one electrode 720, 740, 1250 of the second pattern 2520 through at least one driving circuit.

Turning now to fig. 25B, a cross-sectional view of the device 2500 at a deposition stage 2500B, taken along line 25B-25B in fig. 25A, may be shown. In the figure, the device 2500 in stage 2500b may be shown as including a substrate 10.

The patterning coating 323 may be selectively disposed on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110, which may be the substrate 10 as shown in the figure, in a pattern substantially corresponding to the inverse of the first pattern 2510.

A deposition layer 1430 suitable for forming a first pattern 2510 of electrodes 720, 740, 1250 (in this figure, first electrode 720) may be provided on substantially all of the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110 using an open mask and/or maskless deposition process. The underlying layer 110 may include regions of the patterned coating 323 disposed in an inverse pattern of the first pattern 2510, and regions of the substrate 10 disposed in the first pattern 2510 where the patterned coating 323 is not deposited. In some non-limiting examples, the regions of the substrate 10 may substantially correspond to the elongated spaced apart regions of the first pattern 2510, while the regions of the patterned coating 323 may substantially correspond to the first portions 301 including gaps therebetween.

Due to the nucleation inhibiting properties of those areas of the first pattern 2510 where the patterned coating 323 is disposed (corresponding to the gaps therebetween), the deposited material 1831 disposed on those areas may tend not to remain, resulting in the selective deposition of the deposited layer 1430 exhibiting a pattern that may substantially correspond to the elongated spaced apart areas of the first pattern 2510, leaving the first portion 301 comprising the gaps therebetween substantially free of the closed coating 1440 of the deposited layer 1430.

In other words, the deposition layer 1430 of the first pattern 2510, which may form the electrodes 720, 740, 1250, may be selectively deposited substantially only on the second portion 302, which includes those regions of the substrate 10 defining the elongated spaced-apart regions of the first pattern 2510.

Turning now to fig. 25C, a cross-sectional view 2500C of the device 2500 may be shown, taken along line 25C-25C in fig. 25A. In this figure, device 2500 may be shown as comprising: a substrate 10; a first pattern 2510 of electrodes 720 deposited as shown in fig. 25B; and at least one semiconductive layer 730.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one semiconductive layer 730 may be provided as a common layer across substantially all lateral orientations of device 2500.

The patterned coating 323 can be selectively disposed on the underlying exposed layer surface 11, which is at least one semiconductive layer 730 as shown in the figure, in a pattern substantially corresponding to the second pattern 2520.

A deposition layer 1430 suitable for forming a second pattern 2520 of electrodes 720, 740, 1250 (in this figure, second electrode 740) may be provided on substantially all of the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110 using an open mask and/or maskless deposition process. The underlying layer may include regions of the patterned coating 323 disposed in an inverse pattern of the second pattern 2520, and regions of the second pattern 2520 in which at least one semiconductive layer 730 of the patterned coating 323 is not deposited. In some non-limiting examples, the region of the at least one semiconductive layer 730 may substantially correspond to the first portion 301 including the elongated spaced-apart regions of the second pattern 2520, while the region of the patterned coating 323 may substantially correspond to the gap therebetween.

Due to the nucleation inhibiting properties of those areas of the second pattern 2520 where the patterned coating 323 is disposed (corresponding to the gaps therebetween), the deposited layer 1430 disposed over those areas may tend not to remain, resulting in selective deposition of the deposited layer 1430 exhibiting a pattern that may substantially correspond to the elongated spaced apart areas of the second pattern 2520, leaving the first portion 301 including the gaps therebetween substantially free of the capping layer 1440 of the deposited layer 1430.

In other words, the deposition layer 1430, which may form the second pattern 2520 of the electrodes 720, 740, 1250, may be selectively deposited substantially only on the second portion 302, which includes those regions of the at least one semiconductive layer 730 defining the elongated spaced apart regions of the second pattern 2520.

In some non-limiting examples, the average layer thickness of the patterned coating 323 and the average layer thickness of the deposited layer 1430 of either or both of the first pattern 2510 and/or the second pattern 2520 that is subsequently deposited to form the electrodes 720, 1250 may vary according to a variety of parameters, including, but not limited to, a given application and a given performance characteristic. In some non-limiting examples, the average layer thickness of the patterned coating 323 may be comparable to and/or substantially less than the average layer thickness of the deposited layer 1430 deposited thereafter. The use of a relatively thin patterning coating 323 to achieve selective patterning of a subsequently deposited deposition layer 1430 may be suitable for providing a flexible device 1900. In some non-limiting examples, the relatively thin patterned coating 323 may provide a relatively flat surface upon which the barrier coating 2350 may be deposited. In some non-limiting examples, providing such a relatively flat surface for application of the barrier coating 2350 may increase the adhesion of the barrier coating 2350 to such a surface.

At least one of the first patterns 2510 of electrodes 720, 740, 1250 and at least one of the second patterns 2520 of electrodes 720, 740, 1250 may be electrically coupled with a power supply 2105 directly and/or, in some non-limiting examples, through their respective drive circuits to control EM radiation emission from the emission areas 810 corresponding to (sub) pixels 3310/84x laterally toward 2210.

Auxiliary electrode

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the process of forming the second electrode 740 in the second pattern 2520 shown in fig. 25A-25C may be used in a similar manner in some non-limiting examples to form the auxiliary electrode 1250 of the device 2100. In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 thereof may include a common electrode, and the auxiliary electrode 1250 may be deposited over the second electrode 740 in a second pattern 2520 (in some non-limiting examples) or (in some non-limiting examples) under and electrically coupled with the second electrode. In some non-limiting examples, the second pattern 2520 for such auxiliary electrode 1250 may be such that the elongated spaced apart regions of the second pattern 2520 are located substantially within the lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emissive regions 1220 that surround the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive region 810 corresponding to the (sub) pixel 3310/84 x. In some non-limiting examples, the second pattern 2520 for such auxiliary electrodes 1250 may be such that the elongated spaced apart regions of the second pattern 2520 are located substantially within the lateral orientation 2210 of the emission areas 810 corresponding to the (sub) pixels 3310/84x and/or within the lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emission areas 1220 surrounding them.

Fig. 26 may illustrate an exemplary cross-sectional view of an exemplary version 2600 of a device 2100 that is substantially similar, but may further include at least one auxiliary electrode 1250 disposed over and electrically coupled (not shown) to a second electrode 740 in a pattern.

The auxiliary electrode 1250 may be conductive. In some non-limiting examples, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may be formed of at least one metal and/or metal oxide. Non-limiting examples of such metals include Cu, al, molybdenum (Mo), or Ag. As a non-limiting example, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may include a multi-layered metal structure, including but not limited to a multi-layered metal structure formed of Mo/Al/Mo. Non-limiting examples of such metal oxides include ITO, znO, IZO, or other oxides containing In or Zn. In some non-limiting examples, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may include a multi-layer structure formed of a combination of at least one metal and at least one metal oxide, including but not limited to Ag/ITO, mo/ITO, ITO/Ag/ITO, or ITO/Mo/ITO. In some non-limiting examples, the auxiliary electrode 1250 includes a plurality of such conductive materials.

The device 2600 is shown as including a substrate 10, a first electrode 720, and at least one semiconductive layer 730.

The second electrode 740 may be disposed on substantially all of the exposed layer surface 11 of the at least one semiconductive layer 730.

In some non-limiting examples, particularly in top-emitting device 2600, second electrode 740 may be formed by depositing a relatively thin conductive film layer (not shown) to reduce, as non-limiting examples, optical interference (including, but not limited to, attenuation, reflection, and/or diffusion) associated with the presence of second electrode 740. In some non-limiting examples, as described elsewhere, the reduced thickness of the second electrode 740 may generally increase the sheet resistance of the second electrode 740, which may reduce the performance and/or efficiency of the device 2600 in some non-limiting examples. In some non-limiting examples, by providing the auxiliary electrode 1250 that may be electrically coupled with the second electrode 740, sheet resistance, and thus IR drop associated with the second electrode 740, may be reduced.

In some non-limiting examples, the device 2600 can be a bottom-emitting and/or dual-sided emitting device 2600. In such examples, the second electrode 740 may be formed as a relatively thick conductive layer without significantly affecting the optical characteristics of such a device 2600. However, even in such a scenario, as a non-limiting example, the second electrode 740 may still be formed as a relatively thin conductive film layer (not shown) such that the device 2600 may be substantially transmissive with respect to EM radiation incident on its outer surface, such that a substantial portion of such externally incident EM radiation may be transmitted through the device 2600, except for the emission of EM radiation internally generated within the device 2600 as disclosed herein.

The patterned coating 323 can be selectively disposed on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110 in a pattern, which can be the second electrode 740 as shown in this figure. In some non-limiting examples, as shown, the patterned coating 323 can be disposed in the first portion 301 of the pattern as a series of parallel rows 2620, which can correspond to the lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emissive region 1220.

A deposition layer 1430 suitable for forming the patterned auxiliary electrode 1250 may be disposed on substantially all of the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110 using an open mask and/or maskless deposition process. The underlying layer 110 may include regions of the patterned coating 323 disposed in a pattern of rows 2620, and regions of the second electrode 740 where the patterned coating 323 is not deposited.

Due to the nucleation inhibiting properties of the rows 2620 provided with the patterned coating 323, the deposited material 1831 provided on the rows 2620 may tend not to remain, resulting in the selective deposition of the deposited layer 1430 exhibiting a pattern which may substantially correspond to the at least one second portion 302 of the pattern, leaving behind a first portion 301 comprising the rows 2620 which is substantially free of the closed coating 1440 of the deposited layer 1430.

In other words, the deposition layer 1430, which may form the auxiliary electrode 1250, may be selectively deposited substantially only on the second portion 302 including those regions of the at least one semiconductive layer 730 surrounding but not occupying the rows 2620.

In some non-limiting examples, selectively depositing auxiliary electrode 1250 to cover only certain rows 2620 of lateral orientation of device 2600 while other regions thereof remain uncovered may control and/or reduce optical interference associated with the presence of auxiliary electrode 1250.

In some non-limiting examples, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may be selectively deposited from a pattern that is not easily detected by the naked eye at typical viewing distances.

In some non-limiting examples, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may be formed on devices other than OLED devices, including for reducing the effective resistance of electrodes of such devices.

The ability to pattern electrodes 720, 740, 1250 (including but not limited to second electrode 740 and/or auxiliary electrode 1250) during a high temperature deposition layer 1430 deposition process (including but not limited to the process depicted in fig. 17) by employing patterned coating 323 without employing shadow mask 1715 may allow for a number of configurations of auxiliary electrode 1250 to be deployed.

In some non-limiting examples, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may be disposed between adjacent emission regions 810 and electrically coupled with the second electrode 740. In a non-limiting example, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may have a width smaller than a separation distance between adjacent emission regions 810. Accordingly, there may be a gap within at least one non-emission region 1220 on each side of the auxiliary electrode 1250. In some non-limiting examples, such an arrangement may reduce the likelihood that the auxiliary electrode 1250 will interfere with the light output of the device 2600, which in some non-limiting examples, is from at least one of the emission regions 810. In some non-limiting examples, such an arrangement may be appropriate where auxiliary electrode 1250 is relatively thick (in some non-limiting examples, greater than a few hundred nm, and/or on the order of a few microns thick). In some non-limiting examples, the aspect ratio of the auxiliary electrode 1250 may be greater than about 0.05, such as at least about at least one of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, 1, or 2. As non-limiting examples, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may have a height (thickness) exceeding about 50nm, such as at least about at least one of 80nm, 100nm, 200nm, 500nm, 700nm, 1,000nm, 1,500nm, 1,700nm, or 2,000 nm.

Fig. 27 may show a schematic in plan view, which shows an example of a pattern 1250 of auxiliary electrodes 1250 formed as a grid that may be overlaid on both the lateral orientation 2210 of the emission region 810 (which may correspond to the (sub) pixels 3310/84x of the exemplary version 2700 of the device 2100) and the lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emission region 1220 surrounding the emission region 810.

In some non-limiting examples, the auxiliary electrode pattern 1250 may extend substantially only over some, but not all, of the lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emission region 810, so as not to cover substantially all of the lateral orientation 2210 of the emission region 1220.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that while in this figure the pattern 1250 of auxiliary electrodes 1250 may be shown as being formed as a continuous structure such that all of its elements are both physically and electrically coupled to each other and to at least one electrode 720, 740, 1250 (in some non-limiting examples, may be the first electrode 720 and/or the second electrode 740), in some non-limiting examples the pattern 1250 of auxiliary electrodes 1250 may be provided as a plurality of discrete elements of the pattern 1250 of auxiliary electrodes 1250 that may not be physically connected to each other while remaining electrically coupled to each other. Even so, such discrete elements of the pattern 1250 of auxiliary electrodes 1250 may substantially reduce the sheet resistance of at least one electrode 720, 740, 1250 electrically coupled thereto, and thus reduce the sheet resistance of the device 2500, to increase the efficiency of the device 2700 without substantially interfering with its optical characteristics.

In some non-limiting examples, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may be used in a device 2700 having a variety of (sub) pixel 3310/84x arrangements. In some non-limiting examples, the (sub) pixel 3310/84x arrangement may be substantially diamond-shaped.

As a non-limiting example, fig. 28A may plan view a plurality of groups 1141-1143 of emissive regions 810 in an exemplary version 2800 of device 2100, each group corresponding to a subpixel 84x, surrounded by a lateral orientation of a plurality of non-emissive regions 1220 comprising PDL 710 in a diamond configuration. In some non-limiting examples, the configuration may be defined by the pattern 1141-1143 of the emissive areas 810 and the PDL 710 in an alternating pattern of first and second rows.

In some non-limiting examples, the lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emissive region 1220 including the PDL 710 may be substantially elliptical. In some non-limiting examples, the long axis of the lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emission regions 1220 in the first row may be aligned with and substantially perpendicular to the long axis of the lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emission regions 1220 in the second row. In some non-limiting examples, the long axis of the lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emitting regions 1220 in the first row may be substantially parallel to the axis of the first row.

In some non-limiting examples, the first set 1141 of emissive regions 810 may correspond to sub-pixels 84x that emit EM radiation at a first wavelength, and in some non-limiting examples, the first set 1141 of sub-pixels 84x may correspond to R (red) sub-pixels 1141. In some non-limiting examples, the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive regions 810 of the first set 1141 may have a substantially diamond-shaped configuration. In some non-limiting examples, the emissive areas 810 of the first set 1141 may be located in a pattern of a first row, preceded and followed by the PDL 710. In some non-limiting examples, the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive regions 810 of the first set 1141 may slightly overlap with the lateral orientations 2220 of the preceding and following non-emissive regions 1220 including PDL 710 in the same row and the lateral orientations 2220 of the adjacent non-emissive regions 1220 including PDL 710 in the preceding and following patterns of the second row.

In some non-limiting examples, the second set 1142 of emissive regions 810 may correspond to sub-pixels 84x that emit EM radiation at a second wavelength, and in some non-limiting examples, the sub-pixels 84x of the second set 1142 may correspond to G (green) sub-pixels 1142. In some non-limiting examples, the lateral orientation 2210 of the emitting regions 810 of the second set 1142 may have a substantially elliptical configuration. In some non-limiting examples, the emissive areas 810 of the second set 1141 may be located in a pattern of the second row, preceded and followed by the PDL 710. In some non-limiting examples, some lateral orientations of the emitting regions 810 of the second set 1142 may be at a first angle relative to the axis of the second row 2210, which may be 45 ° in some non-limiting examples. In some non-limiting examples, the long axes of the other lateral orientations 2210 of the emitting regions 810 of the second set 1142 may be at a second angle, which in some non-limiting examples may be substantially perpendicular to the first angle. In some non-limiting examples, the emitting regions 810 of the second set 1142 whose lateral orientation 2210 may have a long axis at a first angle may alternate with the emitting regions 810 of the second set 1142 whose lateral orientation 2210 may have a long axis at a second angle.

In some non-limiting examples, the third set 1143 of emissive regions 810 may correspond to sub-pixels 84x that emit EM radiation at a third wavelength, and in some non-limiting examples, the sub-pixels 84x of the third set 1143 may correspond to B (blue) sub-pixels 1143. In some non-limiting examples, the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive regions 810 of the third set 1143 may have a substantially diamond-shaped configuration. In some non-limiting examples, the third set 1143 of emissive areas 810 may be located in a pattern of a first row, preceded and followed by a PDL 710. In some non-limiting examples, the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive regions 810 of the third set 1143 may slightly overlap with the lateral orientations 2220 of the preceding and following non-emissive regions 1220 including PDL 710 in the same row and the lateral orientations 2220 of the adjacent non-emissive regions 1220 including PDL 710 in the preceding and following patterns of the second row. In some non-limiting examples, the pattern of the second row may include the emissive areas 810 of the first set 1141 alternating with the emissive areas 810 of the third set 1143, each of which is preceded and followed by the PDL 710.

Turning now to fig. 28B, an exemplary cross-sectional view of device 2800 may be shown taken along line 28B-28B in fig. 28A. In this figure, the device 2800 may be shown as a plurality of elements including a substrate 10 and a first electrode 720 formed on an exposed layer surface 11 thereof. The substrate 10 may include a bottom substrate 712 (not shown for simplicity of illustration) and/or at least one TFT structure 701 (not shown for simplicity of illustration) corresponding to and for driving each sub-pixel 84x. PDL 710 may be formed on the substrate 10 between elements of the first electrode 720 to define an emission region 810 separated by a non-emission region 1220 including PDL 710 on each element of the first electrode 720. In this figure, the emission areas 810 may all correspond to the second group 1142.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one semiconductive layer 730 may be deposited on each element of the first electrode 720, between the surrounding PDLs 710.

In some non-limiting examples, a second electrode 740 (which may be a common cathode in some non-limiting examples) may be deposited over the emissive regions 810 of the second set 1142 to form G (green) subpixels 1142 thereof, and over the surrounding PDL 710.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be selectively deposited on the second electrode 740 across the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive region 810 of the second set 1142G (green) subpixel 1142 to allow for selective deposition of the deposited layer 1430 on portions of the second electrode 740 that can be substantially free of the patterned coating 323 (i.e., across the lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emissive region 1220 including PDL 710). In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 may tend to accumulate along substantially planar portions of the PDL 710, as the deposited layer 1430 may tend not to remain on sloped portions of the PDL 710, but may tend to descend to the bottom of such sloped portions, which may be coated with the patterned coating 323. In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 on the substantially planar portion of the PDL 710 may form at least one auxiliary electrode 1250, which may be electrically coupled with the second electrode 740.

In some non-limiting examples, the device 2800 may include a CPL 1215 and/or an outcoupling layer. As non-limiting examples, such CPL 1215 and/or an outcoupling layer may be disposed directly on the surface of the second electrode 740 and/or on the surface of the patterned coating 323. In some non-limiting examples, such CPL 1215 and/or outcoupling layers may be provided across the lateral orientation of at least one emission region 810 corresponding to a (sub) pixel 3310/84 x.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 may also act as an index matching coating. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 may also act as an outcoupling layer.

In some non-limiting examples, device 2800 can include an encapsulation layer 2850. Non-limiting examples of such encapsulation layers 2850 include glass covers, barrier films, barrier adhesives, barrier coatings 2350, and/or TFE layers (such as shown by the dashed outline) provided to encapsulate device 2800. In some non-limiting examples, TFE layer 2850 may be considered as a type of barrier coating 2350.

In some non-limiting examples, an encapsulation layer 2850 may be disposed on at least one of the second electrode 740 and/or the patterned coating 323. In some non-limiting examples, device 2800 may include additional optical and/or structural layers, coatings, and components, including, but not limited to, polarizers, color filters, anti-reflective coatings, anti-glare coatings, cover glass, and/or Optically Clear Adhesives (OCAs).

Turning now to fig. 28C, an exemplary cross-sectional view of device 2800 may be shown taken along line 28C-28C in fig. 28A. In this figure, the device 2800 may be shown as a plurality of elements including a substrate 10 and a first electrode 720 formed on an exposed layer surface 11 thereof. PDL 710 may be formed on the substrate 10 between elements of the first electrode 720 to define an emission region 810 separated by a non-emission region 1220 including PDL 710 on each element of the first electrode 720. In this figure, the emission areas 810 may correspond to the first set 1141 and the third set 1143 in an alternating manner.

In some non-limiting examples, a second electrode 740 (which may be a common cathode in some non-limiting examples) may be deposited over the emissive regions 810 of the first set 1141 to form R (red) subpixels 1141 thereof, over the emissive regions 810 of the third set 1143 to form B (blue) subpixels 1143 thereof, and over the surrounding PDL 710.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be selectively deposited on the second electrode 740 across the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive region 810 of the first set 1141R (red) sub-pixels 1141 and/or the third set 1143B (blue) sub-pixels 1143 to allow for selective deposition of the deposited layer 1430 on portions of the second electrode 740 that can be substantially free of the patterned coating 323 (i.e., across the lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emissive region 1220 that includes PDL 710). In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 may tend to accumulate along a substantially flat portion of the PDL 710, as the deposited layer 1430 may tend not to remain on sloped portions of the PDL 710, but may tend to descend to the bottom of such sloped portions, which are coated with the patterned coating 323. In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 on the substantially planar portion of the PDL 710 may form at least one auxiliary electrode 1250, which may be electrically coupled with the second electrode 740.

Turning now to fig. 29, an exemplary version 2900 of device 2100 may be shown that may encompass the device shown in the cross-sectional view in fig. 22, but with additional deposition steps described herein.

The device 2900 may show the patterned coating 323 selectively deposited on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110 (in this figure, the second electrode 740) within the first portion 301 of the device 2900, which substantially corresponds to the lateral orientation 2210 of the emission region 810 corresponding to the (sub) pixel 3310/84x, but not within the second portion 302 of the device 2900, which substantially corresponds to the lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emission region 1220 surrounding the first portion 301.

In some non-limiting examples, shadow mask 1715 may be used to selectively deposit patterned coating 323.

The patterned coating 323 can provide an exposed layer surface 11 within the first portion 301 that has a relatively low initial adhesion probability to deposition of a deposition material 1831 that is subsequently deposited as a deposition layer 1430 to form the auxiliary electrode 1250.

After selective deposition of patterned coating 323, deposition material 1831 may be deposited over device 2900, but may remain substantially only within second portion 302 (which may be substantially free of any patterned coating 323) to form auxiliary electrode 1250.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposition material 1831 may be deposited using an open mask and/or a maskless deposition process.

The auxiliary electrode 1250 may be electrically coupled to the second electrode 740 to reduce the sheet resistance of the second electrode 740, including (as shown) by being positioned over and in physical contact with the second electrode 740 across a second portion, which may be substantially free of any patterned coating 323.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer 1430 may include substantially the same material as the second electrode 740 to ensure a high initial adhesion probability for deposition of the deposited material 1831 in the second portion 302.

In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may include substantially pure Mg, and/or an alloy of Mg with another metal (including, but not limited to Ag). In some non-limiting examples, the Mg: ag alloy composition can be in the range of about 1:9 to 9:1 by volume. In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may include a metal oxide (including, but not limited to, a ternary metal oxide, such as, but not limited to, ITO and/or IZO), and/or a combination of metals and/or metal oxides.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposition layer 1430 used to form the auxiliary electrode 1250 may include substantially pure Mg.

Turning now to fig. 30, an exemplary version 3000 of a device 2100 may be shown that may encompass the device shown in the cross-sectional view in fig. 22, but with additional deposition steps as described herein.

The device 3000 may show a patterned coating 323 selectively deposited on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110 (in this figure, the second electrode 740) within the first portion 301 of the device 3000, which substantially corresponds to a portion of the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive region 810 corresponding to the (sub) pixel 3310/84x, but not within the second portion 302. In this figure, the first portion 301 may extend partially along the extent of the inclined portion of the PDL 710 defining the emission area 810.

After selective deposition of patterned coating 323, deposition material 1831 may be deposited on device 3000, but may remain substantially only within second portion 302 (which may be substantially free of patterned coating 323) to form auxiliary electrode 1250. Thus, in device 3000, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may extend partially across the sloped portion of PDL 710 defining emission region 810.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposition layer 1430 may be deposited using an open mask and/or a maskless deposition process.

The auxiliary electrode 1250 may be electrically coupled to the second electrode 740 to reduce the sheet resistance of the second electrode 740, including (as shown) by being positioned above and in physical contact with the second electrode 740 across the second portion 302, which may be substantially free of the patterned coating 323.

In some non-limiting examples, the material from which the second electrode 740 may be comprised may not have a high initial adhesion probability for deposition of the deposition material 1831.

Fig. 31 may illustrate such a scenario, which may show an exemplary version 3100 of the device 2100, which may encompass the device shown in the cross-sectional view in fig. 22, but with additional deposition steps described herein.

The device 3100 may show NPC 2020 deposited on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying material (second electrode 740 in the figure).

In some non-limiting examples, the NPC 2020 may be deposited using an open mask and/or a maskless deposition process.

The patterned coating 323 can then be selectively deposited on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110 (NPC 2020 in this figure) within the first portion 301 of the device 3100, which substantially corresponds to the portion of the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive region 810 corresponding to the (sub) pixel 3310/84x, and not within the second portion 302 of the device 3100, which substantially corresponds to the lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emissive region 1220 surrounding the first portion 301.

After selective deposition of the patterned coating 323, a deposition material 1831 may be deposited on the device 3100, but may remain substantially only within the second portion 302 (which may be substantially free of the patterned coating 323) to form the auxiliary electrode 1250.

The auxiliary electrode 1250 may be electrically coupled with the second electrode 740 to reduce sheet resistance thereof. Although, as shown, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may not be located above and in physical contact with the second electrode 740, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the auxiliary electrode 1250 may be electrically coupled to the second electrode 740 by a number of well-known mechanisms. As a non-limiting example, the presence of a relatively thin film of patterned coating 323 (in some non-limiting examples, up to about 50 nm) may still allow current to pass therethrough, thus allowing the sheet resistance of second electrode 740 to be reduced.

Turning now to fig. 32, an exemplary version 3200 of device 2100 may be shown, which may encompass the device shown in the cross-sectional view in fig. 22, but with additional deposition steps as described herein.

The device 3200 may show a patterned coating 323 deposited on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying material (second electrode 740 in the figure).

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be deposited using an open mask and/or a maskless deposition process.

The patterned coating 323 can provide an exposed layer surface 11 that has a relatively low initial adhesion probability for deposition of a deposition material 1831 that is subsequently deposited as a deposition layer 1430 to form the auxiliary electrode 1250.

After depositing patterned coating 323, NPC 2020 may be selectively deposited on exposed layer surface 11 (corresponding substantially to a portion of lateral orientation 2220 of non-emissive region 810) and surrounding second portion 302 of device 3000 (corresponding substantially to lateral orientation 2210 of emissive region 1220 corresponding to (sub) pixels 3310/84 x) of underlying layer (patterned coating 323 in this figure).

In some non-limiting examples, NPC 2020 may be selectively deposited using shadow mask 1715.

The NPC 2020 may provide an exposed layer surface 11 within the first portion 301 that has a relatively high initial adhesion probability for deposition of a deposition material 1831 that is subsequently deposited as a deposition layer 1430 to form the auxiliary electrode 1250.

After the selective deposition of NPC 2020, a deposition material 1831 may be deposited on device 3000, but may remain substantially where patterned coating 323 has been covered by NPC 2020 to form auxiliary electrode 1250.

The auxiliary electrode 1250 may be electrically coupled with the second electrode 740 to reduce sheet resistance of the second electrode 740.

Transparent OLED

Because the OLED device 2100 may emit EM radiation through either or both of the first electrode 720 (in the case of bottom-emitting and/or dual-sided emitting devices) and the substrate 10 and/or the second electrode 740 (in the case of top-emitting and/or dual-sided emitting devices), there may be such an objective: in some non-limiting examples, either or both of the first electrode 720 and/or the second electrode 740 are made substantially transparent to EM radiation (or light) ("transmissive") at least across a majority of the lateral orientation of the emission region 810 of the device 2100. In the present disclosure, such transmissive elements (including, but not limited to, electrodes 720, 740), materials from which such elements may be formed, and/or properties thereof may include elements, materials, and/or properties thereof that are substantially transmissive ("transparent") and/or partially transmissive ("translucent") in at least one wavelength range (in some non-limiting examples).

A variety of mechanisms may be employed to impart transmissive properties to device 1900, at least across a substantial portion of the lateral orientation of its emissive region 810.

In some non-limiting examples, including but not limited to, where the device 2100 is a bottom-emitting device and/or a dual-sided emitting device, the TFT structures 701 of the drive circuitry associated with the emitting regions 810 of the (sub) pixels 3310/84x (which may at least partially reduce the transmissivity of the surrounding substrate 10) may be located within the lateral orientation 2220 of the surrounding non-emitting regions 810 to avoid affecting the transmissive properties of the substrate 10 within the lateral orientation 2210 of the emitting regions 1220.

In some non-limiting examples, where the device 1900 is a dual-sided emissive device, a first one of the electrodes 720, 740 may be made substantially transmissive (including but not limited to) by at least one of the mechanisms disclosed herein for the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive region 810 of the (sub) pixel 3310/84x, and a second one of the electrodes 720, 740 may be made substantially transmissive (including but not limited to) by at least one of the mechanisms disclosed herein for the lateral orientation 2210 of the neighboring and/or adjacent (sub) pixel 3310/84 x. Thus, the lateral orientation 2210 of the first emission region 810 of a (sub) pixel 3310/84x may be made substantially top-emitting, while the lateral orientation 2210 of the second emission region 810 of a neighboring (sub) pixel 3310/84x may be made substantially bottom-emitting, such that a subset of the (sub) pixels 3310/84x may be substantially top-emitting and a subset of the (sub) pixels 3310/84x may be substantially bottom-emitting, employing alternating (sub) pixel 3310/84x sequences, while only a single electrode 720, 740 of each (sub) pixel 3310/84x may be made substantially transmissive.

In some non-limiting examples, the mechanism by which the electrodes 720, 740 (the first electrode 720 is selected in the case of bottom-emitting devices and/or double-sided emitting devices, and/or the second electrode 740 is selected in the case of top-emitting devices and/or double-sided emitting devices) are made transmissive may form such electrodes 720, 740 of transmissive film.

In some non-limiting examples, the conductive deposited layer 1430 in thin film form (including but not limited to those formed by depositing a thin conductive film layer of metal (including but not limited to Ag, al) and/or by depositing a thin layer of metal alloy (including but not limited to Mg: ag alloy and/or Yb: ag alloy)) may exhibit transmission characteristics. In some non-limiting examples, the alloy may include a composition in a range between about 1:9-9:1 by volume. In some non-limiting examples, the electrodes 720, 740 can be formed from a plurality of thin conductive film layers of any combination of deposited layers 1430, any at least one of which can be composed of TCO, thin metal film, thin metal alloy film, and/or any combination of any of the foregoing.

In some non-limiting examples, particularly in the case of such thin conductive films, the relatively thin layer thickness may be a maximum of substantially tens of nm to facilitate enhanced transmission quality but still have advantageous optical properties (including, but not limited to, reduced microcavity effects) for use in the OLED device 1900.

In some non-limiting examples, decreasing the thickness of the electrodes 720, 740 to promote transmission quality may be accompanied by an increase in sheet resistance of the electrodes 720, 740.

In some non-limiting examples, a device 2100 including at least one electrode 720, 740 having a high sheet resistance may produce a large current resistance (IR) drop when coupled to a power source 2105 in operation. In some non-limiting examples, this IR drop may be compensated for to some extent by increasing the level of the power supply 2105. However, in some non-limiting examples, increasing the level of the power supply 2105 to compensate for IR drops due to high sheet resistance may require increasing the level of the voltage supplied to other components to maintain efficient operation of the device 2100 for at least one (sub) pixel 3310/84 x.

In some non-limiting examples, to reduce the power requirements of the device 1900 without significantly affecting the ability to substantially transmit the electrodes 720, 740 (by employing at least one thin film layer of TCO, thin metal film, and/or any combination of thin metal alloy films), auxiliary electrodes 1250 may be formed on the device 2100 to allow current to be more effectively carried to the various emission regions 810 of the device 2100 while reducing the sheet resistance of the transmissive electrodes 720, 740 and their associated IR drops.

In some non-limiting examples, the sheet resistance specification of the common electrodes 720, 740 of the display device 2100 may vary according to several parameters, including, but not limited to, the (panel) size of the device 2100 and/or the tolerance of voltage variations across the device 2100. In some non-limiting examples, sheet resistance specifications may increase as panel size increases (i.e., lower sheet resistance is specified). In some non-limiting examples, the sheet resistance specification may increase as the tolerance for voltage variation decreases.

In some non-limiting examples, sheet resistance specifications may be used to derive an exemplary thickness of auxiliary electrode 1250 to meet such specifications for various panel sizes.

As a non-limiting example, for a top-emitting device, the second electrode 740 may be made transmissive. On the other hand, in some non-limiting examples, such auxiliary electrode 1250 may not be substantially transmissive, but may be electrically coupled with the second electrode 740 (including but not limited to by depositing a conductive deposition layer 1430 therebetween) to reduce the effective sheet resistance of the second electrode 740.

In some non-limiting examples, such auxiliary electrodes 1250 may be positioned and/or shaped in either or both of a lateral orientation and/or a cross-sectional orientation so as not to interfere with the lateral orientation emission of photons from the emission region 810 of the (sub) pixel 3310/84 x.

In some non-limiting examples, the mechanism by which the first electrode 720 and/or the second electrode 740 is fabricated may be: these electrodes 720, 740 are formed in a pattern across at least a portion of the lateral orientation of their emissive regions 1220 and/or (in some non-limiting examples) across at least a portion of the lateral orientation 2220 of their non-emissive regions 810. In some non-limiting examples, such a mechanism may be used to form auxiliary electrode 1250 in a position and/or shape in either or both of a lateral orientation and/or a cross-sectional orientation so as not to interfere with photon emission from lateral orientation 2210 of emission region 810 of (sub) pixel 3310/84x, as discussed above.

In some non-limiting examples, device 2100 may be configured such that it may be substantially free of conductive oxide material in the optical path of EM radiation emitted by device 2100. As a non-limiting example, in the lateral orientation 2210 of at least one emission region 810 corresponding to a (sub) pixel 3310/84x, at least one of the layers and/or coatings deposited after at least one semiconductive layer 730 (including, but not limited to, the second electrode 740, the patterned coating 323, and/or any other layers and/or coatings deposited thereon) may be substantially free of any conductive oxide material. In some non-limiting examples, the substantial absence of any conductive oxide material may reduce absorption and/or reflection of EM radiation emitted by device 2100. As a non-limiting example, conductive oxide materials (including, but not limited to, ITO and/or IZO) may absorb EM radiation in at least the B (blue) region of the visible spectrum, which may generally reduce the efficiency and/or performance of the device 2100.

In some non-limiting examples, a combination of these and/or other mechanisms may be employed.

Additionally, in some non-limiting examples, in addition to having at least one of the first electrode 720, the second electrode 740, and/or the auxiliary electrode 1250 substantially transmit across at least a majority of the lateral orientation 2210 of the emission region 810 corresponding to the (sub) pixel 3310/84x of the device 2100 to allow EM radiation to be emitted substantially across its lateral orientation 2210, there may be such an objective: at least one of the lateral orientations 2220 of the surrounding non-emitting region 1220 of the device 2100 is made substantially transmissive in both the bottom and top directions such that the device 2100 is substantially transmissive with respect to EM radiation incident on its outer surface such that a substantial portion of such externally incident EM radiation may be transmitted through the device 2100 except for the emission of EM radiation (in top emission, bottom emission, and/or dual-sided emission) generated internally of the device 2100 as disclosed herein.

Turning now to fig. 33A, an exemplary plan view of a transmissive (transparent) version of the device 2100 may be shown, the transmissive version being shown generally at 3300. In some non-limiting examples, the device 3300 may be an Active Matrix OLED (AMOLED) device having a plurality of pixels or pixel regions 3310 and a plurality of transmissive regions 820. In some non-limiting examples, at least one auxiliary electrode 1250 may be deposited on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer 110 between the pixel regions 3310 and/or the transmissive region 820.

In some non-limiting examples, each pixel region 3310 may include a plurality of emission regions 810, each emission region corresponding to a sub-pixel 84x. In some non-limiting examples, the subpixels 84x may correspond to the R (red), G (green), and/or B (blue) subpixels 1141, 1142, 1143, respectively.

In some non-limiting examples, each transmissive region 820 may be substantially transparent and allow EM radiation to pass through the entire cross-sectional orientation of the transmissive region.

Turning now to fig. 33B, an exemplary cross-sectional view of a version 3300 of the device 2100, taken along line 33B-33B in fig. 33A, may be shown. In the drawing, the device 3300 may be shown to include a substrate 10, a TFT insulating layer 709, and a first electrode 720 formed on a surface of the TFT insulating layer 709. In some non-limiting examples, the substrate 10 may include a bottom substrate 712 (not shown for simplicity of illustration) and/or at least one TFT structure 701 corresponding to and for driving each sub-pixel 84x substantially below and electrically coupled with its first electrode 720. In some non-limiting examples, PDL 710 may be formed in a non-emission region 1220 over substrate 10 to define an emission region 810 on a first electrode 720 corresponding thereto that also corresponds to each subpixel 84x. In some non-limiting examples, PDL 710 may cover an edge of first electrode 720.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one semiconductive layer 730 may be deposited over the exposed areas of the first electrode 720, and in some non-limiting examples over at least a portion of the surrounding PDL 710.

In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may be deposited over the at least one semiconductive layer 730, including over the pixel region 3310 to form a subpixel 84x of the pixel region, and in some non-limiting examples, at least partially over the surrounding PDL 710 in the transmissive region 820.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 may be selectively deposited over the first portion 301 of the device 3300, including both the pixel region 3310 and the transmissive region 820, but excluding the region of the second electrode 740 corresponding to the auxiliary electrode 1250 including the second portion 302 thereof.

In some non-limiting examples, the entire exposed layer surface 11 of the device 3300 may then be exposed to the vapor flux 1832 of the deposition material 1831, which in some non-limiting examples may be Mg. A deposition layer 1430 can be selectively deposited over the second portion 302 of the second electrode 740 that is substantially free of the patterned coating 323 to form an auxiliary electrode 1250 that can be electrically coupled to, and in some non-limiting examples in physical contact with, the uncoated portion of the second electrode 740.

At the same time, the transmissive region 820 of the device 3300 may remain substantially free of any material capable of substantially affecting the transmission of EM radiation through the material. Specifically, as shown, in a cross-sectional orientation, the TFT structure 701 and the first electrode 720 may be positioned below their corresponding sub-pixels 84x, and may be located outside the transmissive region 820 along with the auxiliary electrode 1250. Thus, these components may not attenuate or block light transmission through the transmissive region 820. In some non-limiting examples, such an arrangement (in some non-limiting examples) may allow a viewer of the viewing device 3100 to see through the device 3300 from a typical viewing distance, when all (sub) pixels 3310/84x may not emit, thereby forming a transparent device 3300.

Although not shown in the figures, in some non-limiting examples, the device 3300 may also include an NPC 2020 disposed between the auxiliary electrode 1250 and the second electrode 740. In some non-limiting examples, NPC 2020 may also be disposed between patterned coating 323 and second electrode 740.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be formed simultaneously with the at least one semiconductive layer 730. As a non-limiting example, at least one material used to form patterned coating 323 may also be used to form at least one semiconductive layer 730. In such non-limiting examples, the number of stages for fabricating device 3300 may be reduced.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, various other layers and/or coatings (including, but not limited to, those forming the at least one semiconductive layer 730 and/or the second electrode 740) may cover a portion of the transmissive region 820, particularly if such layers and/or coatings are substantially transparent. In some non-limiting examples, PDL 710 may have a reduced thickness, including but not limited to by forming wells therein, which in some non-limiting examples may be similar to wells defined for emission region 810 to further facilitate transmission of EM radiation through transmission region 820.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, a (sub) pixel 3310/84x arrangement other than that shown in fig. 33A and 33B may be employed.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, an arrangement of auxiliary electrodes 1250 other than the arrangement shown in fig. 33A and 33B may be employed. As a non-limiting example, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may be disposed between the pixel region 3310 and the transmissive region 820. As a non-limiting example, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may be disposed between the sub-pixels 84x within the pixel region 3310.

Turning now to fig. 34A, an exemplary plan view of a transparent version of device 2100 may be shown, generally indicated at 3400. In some non-limiting examples, the device 3400 may be an AMOLED device having a plurality of pixel regions 3310 and a plurality of transmissive regions 820. The device 3400 may be different from the device 3300 in that no auxiliary electrode 1250 is located between the pixel regions 3310 and/or the transmissive region 820.

In some non-limiting examples, each transmissive region 820 may be substantially transparent and may allow light to pass through the entire cross-sectional orientation of the transmissive region.

Turning now to fig. 34B, an exemplary cross-sectional view of device 3400 may be shown taken along line 34-34 in fig. 34A. In the drawing, the device 3400 may be shown to include a substrate 10, a TFT insulating layer 709, and a first electrode 720 formed on a surface of the TFT insulating layer 709. The substrate 10 may include a bottom substrate 712 (not shown for simplicity of illustration) and/or at least one TFT structure 701 corresponding to and for driving each sub-pixel 84x substantially beneath and electrically coupled with its first electrode 720. PDL 710 may be formed in a non-emission region 1220 over the substrate 10 to define an emission region 810 on the first electrode 720 corresponding thereto, also corresponding to each subpixel 84x. PDL 710 covers the edge of the first electrode 720.

In some non-limiting examples, the first deposition layer 1430a can be deposited over the at least one semiconductive layer 730, including over the pixel region 3310 to form a subpixel 84x of the pixel region, and over the surrounding PDL 710 in the transmissive region 820. In some non-limiting examples, the average layer thickness of the first deposited layer 1430a may be relatively thin such that the presence of the first deposited layer 1430a across the transmissive region 820 does not substantially attenuate transmission of EM radiation through the layer. In some non-limiting examples, the first deposition layer 1430a may be deposited using an open mask and/or a maskless deposition process.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be selectively deposited over the first portion 301 of the device 3400 including the transmissive region 820.

In some non-limiting examples, the entire exposed layer surface 11 of the device 3400 may then be exposed to a vapor flux 1832 of a deposition material 1831 (which may be Mg in some non-limiting examples) to selectively deposit a second deposition layer 1430b on the second portion 302 (in some examples, pixel region 3310) of the first deposition layer 1430a that may be substantially free of the patterned coating 323 such that the second deposition layer 1430b may be electrically coupled with and in some non-limiting examples in physical contact with the uncoated portion of the first deposition layer 1430a to form the second electrode 740.

In some non-limiting examples, the average layer thickness of the first deposited layer 1430a may be no greater than the average layer thickness of the second deposited layer 1430 b. In this way, a relatively high transmittance may be maintained in the transmissive region 820, and only the first deposition layer 1430a may extend over the transmissive region. In some non-limiting examples, the average layer thickness of the first deposited layer 1430a can be no greater than at least one of about 30nm, 25nm, 20nm, 15nm, 10nm, 8nm, or 5 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the average layer thickness of the second deposited layer 1430b can be no greater than at least one of about 30nm, 25nm, 20nm, 15nm, 10nm, or 8 nm.

Thus, in some non-limiting examples, the average layer thickness of the second electrode 740 may be no greater than about 40nm, and/or in some non-limiting examples, at least one of about 5nm-30nm, 10nm-25nm, or 15nm-25 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, the average layer thickness of the first deposited layer 1430a may exceed the average layer thickness of the second deposited layer 1430 b. In some non-limiting examples, the average layer thickness of the first deposited layer 1430a and the average layer thickness of the second deposited layer 1430b may be substantially the same.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one deposition material 1831 used to form the first deposition layer 1430a may be substantially the same as the at least one deposition material 1831 used to form the second deposition layer 1430 b. In some non-limiting examples, such at least one deposition material 1831 may be substantially as described herein with respect to first electrode 720, second electrode 740, auxiliary electrode 1250, and/or deposited layer 1430 thereof.

In some non-limiting examples, the first deposited layer 1430a may provide, at least in part, the function of EIL 2139 in pixel region 3310. Non-limiting examples of the deposition material 1831 used to form the first deposition layer 1430a include Yb, which may be, for example, about 1nm-3nm thick.

In some non-limiting examples, the transmissive region 820 of the device 3400 may remain substantially free of any material capable of substantially inhibiting transmission of EM radiation (including, but not limited to, EM signals in the IR spectrum and/or the NIR spectrum) therethrough. Specifically, as shown, in cross-sectional orientation, TFT structure 709 and/or first electrode 720 may be positioned below its corresponding subpixel 84x and outside transmissive region 820. Thus, these components may not attenuate or block the transmission of EM radiation through the transmissive region 820. In some non-limiting examples, this arrangement (in some non-limiting examples) may allow a viewer viewing device 3400 from a typical viewing distance to see through device 3400 when (sub) pixels 3310/84x are not emitting, thereby forming a transparent AMOLED device 3400.

In some non-limiting examples, such an arrangement may also allow for an IR emitter 860 _t And/or IR detector 860 _r Is disposed behind AMOLED device 3400 such that EM signals (including but not limited to EM signals in the IR and/or NIR spectra) are exchanged by such display lower component 860 through AMOLED device 3400.

Although not shown in the figures, in some non-limiting examples, the device 3200 may further include an NPC 2020 disposed between the second deposited layer 1430b and the first deposited layer 1430 a. In some non-limiting examples, NPC 2020 may also be disposed between patterned coating 323 and first deposited layer 1430 a.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be formed simultaneously with the at least one semiconductive layer 730. As a non-limiting example, at least one material used to form patterned coating 323 may also be used to form at least one semiconductive layer 730. In such non-limiting examples, the number of stages for fabricating the device 3200 may be reduced.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, various other layers and/or coatings (including, but not limited to, those forming the at least one semiconductive layer 730 and/or the first deposited layer 1430 a) may cover a portion of the transmissive region 820, particularly if such layers and/or coatings are substantially transparent. In some non-limiting examples, PDL 710 may have a reduced thickness, including but not limited to by forming wells therein, which in some non-limiting examples may be similar to wells defined for emission region 810 to further facilitate transmission of EM radiation through transmission region 820.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, a (sub) pixel 3310/84x arrangement other than that shown in fig. 34A and 34B may be employed.

Turning now to fig. 34C, an exemplary cross-sectional view of a different version 3410 of the device 2100 taken along the same line 34-34 in fig. 34A may be shown. In the drawing, the device 3410 may be shown to include a substrate 10, a TFT insulating layer 709, and a first electrode 720 formed on a surface of the TFT insulating layer 709. The substrate 10 may include a bottom substrate 712 (not shown for simplicity of illustration) and/or at least one TFT structure 701 corresponding to and for driving each sub-pixel 84x substantially beneath and electrically coupled with its first electrode 720. PDL 710 may be formed in a non-emission region 1220 over the substrate 10 to define an emission region 810 on the first electrode 720 corresponding thereto, also corresponding to each subpixel 84x. PDL 710 may cover the edge of the first electrode 720.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be selectively deposited over the first portion 301 of the device 3410 including the transmissive region 820.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposition layer 1430 may be deposited over the at least one semiconductive layer 730, including over the pixel region 3310 to form a subpixel 84x of the pixel region, but not over the surrounding PDL 710 in the transmissive region 820. In some non-limiting examples, the first deposition layer 1430a may be deposited using an open mask and/or a maskless deposition process. In some non-limiting examples, such deposition may be achieved by exposing the entire exposed layer surface 11 of the device 3410 to a vapor flux 1832 of a deposition material 1831 (which may be Mg in some non-limiting examples) to selectively deposit a deposition layer 1430 on the second portion 302 (in some non-limiting examples, pixel region 3310) of the at least one semiconductive layer 730 that is substantially free of the patterned coating 323, such that the deposition layer 1430 may be deposited on the at least one semiconductive layer 730 to form the second electrode 740.

In some non-limiting examples, the transmissive region 820 of the device 3410 may remain substantially free of any material capable of substantially affecting the transmission of EM radiation (including, but not limited to, EM signals, including, but not limited to, EM signals in the IR and/or NIR spectra) therethrough. Specifically, as shown, in cross-sectional orientation, the TFT structure 701 and/or the first electrode 720 may be positioned below its corresponding subpixel 84x and outside the transmissive region 820. Thus, these components may not attenuate or block the transmission of EM radiation through the transmissive region 820. In some non-limiting examples, this arrangement (in some non-limiting examples) may allow a viewer viewing device 3410 from a typical viewing distance to see through device 3410 when (sub) pixels 3310/84x are not emitting, thereby forming transparent AMOLED device 3410.

By providing a transmissive region 820 that may be devoid and/or substantially devoid of any deposited layer 1430, by way of non-limiting example, the transmittance in such region 820 may be advantageously enhanced compared to the device 3400 of fig. 34B, in some non-limiting examples.

Although not shown, in some non-limiting examples, the device 3210 may further include an NPC 2020 disposed between the deposited layer 1430 and the at least one semiconductive layer 730. In some non-limiting examples, the NPC 2020 may also be disposed between the patterned coating 323 and the PDL 710.

Although not shown in fig. 34B and 34C for simplicity, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, at least one particle structure 121 may be disposed thereon to facilitate absorption of EM radiation in the transmission region 820 in at least a portion of the visible spectrum while allowing EM signals 1061 having wavelengths in at least a portion of the IR and/or NIR spectrum to be exchanged through the device in the transmission region 820.

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be formed simultaneously with the at least one semiconductive layer 730. As a non-limiting example, at least one material used to form patterned coating 323 may also be used to form at least one semiconductive layer 730. In such non-limiting examples, the number of stages for fabricating the device 3410 may be reduced.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the at least one semiconductive layer 730 may be deposited in the transmissive region 820 to provide the patterned coating 323. As a non-limiting example, ETL 2137 of at least one semiconductive layer 730 may be a patterned coating 323 that may be deposited in both emissive region 810 and transmissive region 820 during deposition of at least one semiconductive layer 730. EIL 2139 may then be selectively deposited in emission area 810 over ETL 2137 such that exposed layer surface 11 of ETL 2137 in transmission area 820 may be substantially free of EIL 2139. The exposed layer surface 11 of EIL 2139 in emissive region 810 and the exposed layer surface of ETL 2137 acting as patterned coating 323 may then be exposed to vapor flux 1832 of deposited material 1831 to form a capping layer 1440 of deposited layer 1430 on EIL 2139 in emissive region 810 and a discontinuous layer 120 of deposited material 1831 on EIL 2139 in transmissive region 820.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, various other layers and/or coatings (including, but not limited to, those forming at least one semiconductive layer 730 and/or deposited layer 1430) may cover a portion of the transmissive region 820, particularly if such layers and/or coatings are substantially transparent. In some non-limiting examples, PDL 710 may have a reduced thickness, including but not limited to by forming wells therein, which in some non-limiting examples may be similar to wells defined for emission region 810 to further facilitate transmission of EM radiation through transmission region 820.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, a (sub) pixel 3310/84x arrangement other than that shown in fig. 34A and 34C may be employed.

Selective deposition to adjust electrode thickness over emissive region

As discussed above, adjusting the thickness of the electrodes 720, 740, 1250 in and across the lateral orientation 2210 of the emission region 810 of the (sub) pixel 3310/84x may affect the observed microcavity effect. In some non-limiting examples, selectively depositing at least one deposition layer 1430 by depositing at least one patterning coating 323 (including but not limited to NIC) and/or NPC 2020 in lateral orientations 2210 of the emission regions 810 corresponding to different sub-pixels 84x in the pixel region 3310 may allow for controlling and/or adjusting optical microcavity effects in each emission region 810 to optimize desired optical microcavity effects on a sub-pixel 84x basis, including but not limited to angular dependence of emission spectrum, luminous intensity and/or brightness, and/or color shift of emitted light.

This effect may be controlled by independently adjusting the average layer thickness and/or number of deposited layers 1430 disposed in each of the emissive areas 810 of the sub-pixels 84 x. As a non-limiting example, the average layer thickness of the second electrode 740 disposed over the B (blue) subpixel 1143 may be smaller than the average layer thickness of the second electrode 740 disposed over the G (green) subpixel 1142, and the average layer thickness of the second electrode 740 disposed over the G (green) subpixel 1142 may be smaller than the average layer thickness of the second electrode 740 disposed over the R (red) subpixel 1141.

In some non-limiting examples, this effect may be controlled to an even greater extent by independently adjusting the average layer thickness and/or number of deposited layers 1430 and the thickness and/or number of patterned coating 323 and/or NPC 2020 deposited in portions of each emissive region 810 of sub-pixel 84x.

As shown by way of non-limiting example in fig. 35, in some non-limiting examples, in versions 3500 of OLED display device 2100 having different emission spectra, there may be a deposited layer 1430 of varying average layer thickness deposited selectively for the emission regions 810 corresponding to sub-pixels 84x. In some non-limiting examples, the first emission region 810a may correspond to a sub-pixel 84x configured to emit EM radiation of a first wavelength and/or emission spectrum, and/or in some non-limiting examples, the second emission region 810b may correspond to a sub-pixel 84x configured to emit EM radiation of a second wavelength and/or emission spectrum. In some non-limiting examples, device 3500 may include a third emission region 810c, which may correspond to a subpixel 84x configured to emit EM radiation at a third wavelength and/or emission spectrum.

In some non-limiting examples, the first wavelength may be less than, greater than, and/or equal to at least one of the second wavelength and/or the third wavelength. In some non-limiting examples, the second wavelength may be less than, greater than, and/or equal to at least one of the first wavelength and/or the third wavelength. In some non-limiting examples, the third wavelength may be less than, greater than, and/or equal to at least one of the first wavelength and/or the second wavelength.

In some non-limiting examples, device 3500 may further include at least one additional emission region 810 (not shown) that, in some non-limiting examples, may be configured to emit EM radiation having substantially the same wavelength and/or emission spectrum as at least one of first emission region 810a, second emission region 810b, and/or third emission region 810 c.

In some non-limiting examples, patterned coating 323 can be selectively deposited using shadow mask 1715, which can also be used to deposit at least one semiconductive layer 730 of first emission region 810 a. In some non-limiting examples, this shared use of shadow mask 1715 may allow tuning the optical microcavity effect for each subpixel 84x in a cost-effective manner.

The device 3300 may be shown as including a substrate 10, a TFT insulating layer 709, and a plurality of first electrodes 720 formed on an exposed layer surface 11 of the TFT insulating layer 709.

In some non-limiting examples, the substrate 10 may include a bottom substrate 712 (not shown for simplicity of illustration) and/or at least one TFT structure 701 corresponding to and for driving a corresponding emissive region 810, each having a corresponding sub-pixel 84x positioned substantially thereunder and electrically coupled with its associated first electrode 720. PDL 710 may be formed over substrate 10 to define an emission area 810. In some non-limiting examples, PDLs 710 may cover the edges of their respective first electrodes 720.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one semiconductive layer 730 may be deposited over exposed areas of its respective first electrode 720, and in some non-limiting examples over at least a portion of the surrounding PDL 710.

In some non-limiting examples, a first deposition layer 1430a may be deposited over the at least one semiconductive layer 730. In some non-limiting examples, the first deposition layer 1430a may be deposited using an open mask and/or a maskless deposition process. In some non-limiting examples, such deposition may be by rounding device 3300The exposure of the exposed layer surface 11 to a vapor flux 1832 of a deposition material 1831 (which may be Mg in some non-limiting examples) is achieved to deposit a first deposition layer 1430a over the at least one semiconductive layer 730 to form a first layer (not shown) of the second electrode 740a (which may be a common electrode in some non-limiting examples at least for the first emission region 810 a). Such a common electrode may have a first thickness t in the first emission region 810a _c1 . In some non-limiting examples, the first thickness t _c1 May correspond to the thickness of the first deposited layer 1430a.

In some non-limiting examples, a first patterned coating 323a may be selectively deposited over the first portion 301 of the device 3500 including the first emission region 810 a.

In some non-limiting examples, a second deposition layer 1430b may be deposited over the device 3500. In some non-limiting examples, the second deposition layer 1430b may be deposited using an open mask and/or a maskless deposition process. In some non-limiting examples, such deposition may be achieved by: the entire exposed layer surface 11 of the device 3500 is exposed to a vapor flux 1832 of a deposition material 1831 (which may be Mg in some non-limiting examples) to deposit a second deposition layer 1430b over the first deposition layer 1430a, which may be substantially devoid of the first patterned coating 323a, in some examples over the second emission region 810b and the third emission region 810c, and/or over at least a portion of the non-emission region 1220 where the PDL 710 is located, such that the second deposition layer 1430b may be deposited over the second portion 402 of the first deposition layer 1430a, which may be substantially devoid of the first patterned coating 323a, to form a second layer (not shown) of the second electrode 740b (which may be a common electrode in some non-limiting examples, at least for the second emission region 810 b). In some non-limiting examples, such a common electrode may have a second thickness t in the second emission region 810b _c2 . In some non-limiting examples, the second thickness t _c2 May correspond to a combined average layer thickness of the first deposited layer 1430a and the second deposited layer 1430b, and may exceed the first thickness t in some non-limiting examples _c1 。

In some non-limiting examples, a second patterned coating 323b may be selectively deposited over the additional first portion 301 of the device 3300 including the second emission region 810 b.

In some non-limiting examples, a third deposition layer 1430c may be deposited over the device 3500. In some non-limiting examples, the third deposition layer 1430c may be deposited using an open mask and/or a maskless deposition process. In some non-limiting examples, such deposition may be achieved by: the entire exposed layer surface 11 of the device 3500 is exposed to a vapor flux 1832 of a deposition material 1831 (which may be Mg in some non-limiting examples) to deposit a third deposition layer 1430c over the second deposition layer 1430b, which may be substantially free of the first patterned coating 323a or the second patterned coating 323b, in some examples over at least a portion of the non-emissive region 1220 where the third emissive region 810c and/or PDL 710 is located, such that the third deposition layer 1430c may be deposited over a further second portion 302 of the second deposition layer 1430b, which may be substantially free of the second patterned coating 323b, to form a third layer (not shown) of the second electrode 740c (which may be a common electrode in some non-limiting examples at least for the third emissive region 810 c). In some non-limiting examples, such a common electrode may have a third thickness t in the third emission region 810c _c3 . In some non-limiting examples, the third thickness t _c3 May correspond to the combined thickness of the first deposited layer 1430a, the second deposited layer 1430b, and the third deposited layer 1430c, and may exceed the first thickness t in some non-limiting examples _c1 And a second thickness t _c2 Either or both.

In some non-limiting examples, a third patterned coating 323c may be selectively deposited over the additional first portion 301 of the device 3500 including the third emission region 810 c.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one auxiliary electrode 1250 may be disposed in non-emissive regions 1220 of the device 3500 between adjacent emissive regions 810 thereof, and in some non-limiting examples, above the PDL 710. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition layer 1430 for depositing the at least one auxiliary electrode 1250 may be deposited using an open mask and/or a maskless deposition process. In some non-limiting examples, such deposition may be achieved by: the entire exposed layer surface 11 of the device 3500 is exposed to a vapor flux 1832 of a deposition material 1831 (which in some non-limiting examples may be Mg) to deposit a deposition layer 1430 over the exposed portions of the first deposition layer 1430a, the second deposition layer 1430b, and the third deposition layer 1430c that may be substantially devoid of any of the first patterning coating 323a, the second patterning coating 323b, and/or the third patterning coating 323c, such that the deposition layer 1430 may be deposited over the additional second portions 302 including the exposed portions of any of the first deposition layer 1430a, the second deposition layer 1430b, and/or the third deposition layer 1430c that may be substantially devoid of the first patterning coating 323a, the second patterning coating 323b, and/or the third patterning coating 323c to form at least one auxiliary electrode 1250. In some non-limiting examples, each of the at least one auxiliary electrode 1250 may be electrically coupled with a respective one of the second electrodes 740. In some non-limiting examples, each of the at least one auxiliary electrode 1250 may be in physical contact with such a second electrode 740.

In some non-limiting examples, the first, second, and third emissive regions 810a, 810b, 810c may be substantially free of the encapsulation coating 1440 of the deposition material 1831 used to form the at least one auxiliary electrode 1250.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the first deposited layer 1430a, the second deposited layer 1430b, and/or the third deposited layer 1430c can be light transmissive and/or substantially transparent in at least a portion of the visible spectrum. Thus, in some non-limiting examples, the second deposited layer 1430b and/or the third deposited layer 1430a (and/or any additional deposited layers 1430) may be disposed on top of the first deposited layer 1430a to form a multi-coated electrode 720, 740, 1250 that may also be light transmissive and/or substantially transparent in at least a portion of the visible spectrum. In some non-limiting examples, the transmittance of any at least one of the first deposited layer 1430a, the second deposited layer 1430b, the third deposited layer 1430c, any additional deposited layer 14301230, and/or the multi-coated electrodes 720, 740, 1250 can be more than about 30%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 75%, or 80% in at least a portion of the visible spectrum.

In some non-limiting examples, the average layer thickness of the first, second, and/or third deposited layers 1430a, 1430b, 1430c may be made relatively thin to maintain relatively high transmittance. In some non-limiting examples, the average layer thickness of the first deposited layer 1430a can be at least one of about 5nm-30nm, 8nm-25nm, or 10nm-20 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the second deposited layer 1430b can have an average layer thickness of at least one of about 1nm-25nm, 1nm-20nm, 1nm-15nm, 1nm-10nm, or 3nm-6 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the average layer thickness of the third deposited layer 1430c can be at least one of about 1nm-25nm, 1nm-20nm, 1nm-15nm, 1nm-10nm, or 3nm-6 nm. In some non-limiting examples, the thickness of the multi-coated electrode formed by the combination of the first deposited layer 1430a, the second deposited layer 1430b, the third deposited layer 1430c, and/or any additional deposited layer 1430 may be at least one of about 6nm-35nm, 10nm-30nm, 10nm-25nm, or 12nm-18 nm.

In some non-limiting examples, the thickness of the at least one auxiliary electrode 1250 may exceed the average layer thickness of the first deposited layer 1430a, the second deposited layer 1430b, the third deposited layer 1430c, and/or the common electrode. In some non-limiting examples, the thickness of the at least one auxiliary electrode 1250 may exceed at least one of about 50nm, 80nm, 100nm, 150nm, 200nm, 300nm, 400nm, 500nm, 700nm, 800nm, 1 μm, 1.2 μm, 1.5 μm, 2 μm, 2.5 μm, or 3 μm.

In some non-limiting examples, at least one auxiliary electrode 1250 may be substantially opaque and/or opaque. However, since the at least one auxiliary electrode 1250 may be disposed in the non-emission region 1220 of the device 3300 in some non-limiting examples, the at least one auxiliary electrode 1250 may not cause or contribute to significant optical interference. In some non-limiting examples, the transmittance of the at least one auxiliary electrode 1250 may be no greater than at least one of about 50%, 70%, 80%, 85%, 90%, or 95% in at least a portion of the visible spectrum.

In some non-limiting examples, the at least one auxiliary electrode 1250 may absorb EM radiation in at least a portion of the visible spectrum.

In some non-limiting examples, the average layer thickness of the first, second, and/or third patterned coatings 323a, 323b, and/or 323c disposed in the first, second, and/or third emission regions 810a, 810b, and/or 810c, respectively, may vary according to the color and/or emission spectrum of EM radiation emitted by each emission region 810. In some non-limiting examples, the first patterned coating 323a can have a first patterned coating thickness t _n1 The second patterned coating 323b may have a second patterned coating thickness t _n2 And/or the third patterned coating 323c may have a third patterned coating thickness t _n3 . In some non-limiting examples, the first patterned coating thickness t _n1 Thickness t of second patterned coating _n2 And/or third patterned coating thickness t _n3 May be substantially identical. In some non-limiting examples, the first patterned coating thickness t _n1 Thickness t of second patterned coating _n2 And/or third patterned coating thickness t _n3 May be different from each other.

In some non-limiting examples, the device 3300 may also include any number of emission regions 810a-810c and/or (sub) pixels 3310/84x thereof. In some non-limiting examples, the device may include a plurality of pixels 3310, where each pixel 3310 includes two, three, or more sub-pixels 84x.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the specific arrangement of the (sub) pixels 3310/84x may vary depending on the device design. In some non-limiting examples, the subpixels 84x may be arranged according to known arrangement schemes, including, but not limited to, RGB side-by-side, diamond-shaped, and/or

Conductive coating for electrically coupling an electrode to an auxiliary electrode

Turning to fig. 36, a cross-sectional view of an exemplary version 3600 of the device 2100 may be shown. In a lateral orientation, device 3600 may include emissive region 810 and adjacent non-emissive region 1220.

In some non-limiting examples, the emissive region 810 can correspond to the subpixel 84x of the device 3600. The emission region 810 may have a substrate 10, a first electrode 720, a second electrode 740, and at least one semiconductive layer 730 disposed therebetween.

The first electrode 720 may be disposed on the exposed layer surface 11 of the substrate 10. The substrate 10 may include a TFT structure 701, which may be electrically coupled with the first electrode 720. The edge and/or perimeter of the first electrode 720 may be generally covered by at least one PDL 710.

The non-emission region 1220 may have an auxiliary electrode 1250, and the first portion of the non-emission region 1220 may have a protruding structure 3660 arranged to protrude upward in and overlap with a lateral direction of the auxiliary electrode 1250. The protruding structures 3660 may extend laterally to provide a masking region 3665. As a non-limiting example, the protruding structures 3660 may be recessed on at least one side at and/or near the auxiliary electrode 1250 to provide a shielding region 3665. As shown, in some non-limiting examples, the masking region 3665 can correspond to a region on the surface of the PDL 710 that can overlap with a lateral protrusion of the protruding structure 3660. The non-emissive region 1220 may further include a deposition layer 1430 disposed in the shadow region 3665. The deposition layer 1430 may electrically couple the auxiliary electrode 1250 with the second electrode 740.

The patterned coating 323a may be disposed in an emission region 810 on the exposed layer surface 11 of the second electrode 740. In some non-limiting examples, the exposed layer surface 11 of the protruding structures 3660 may be coated with a residual thin conductive film from depositing the thin conductive film to form the second electrode 740. In some non-limiting examples, the exposed layer surface 11 of the residual thin conductive film may be coated with a residual patterned coating 323b from the deposited patterned coating 323.

However, because the protruding structures 3660 protrude laterally over the masking regions 3665, the masking regions 3665 may be substantially free of the patterned coating 323. Thus, while the deposition layer 1430 may be deposited on the device 3600 after the deposition of the patterned coating 323, the deposition layer 1430 may be deposited on and/or migrate to the shadow region 3665 to couple the auxiliary electrode 1250 to the second electrode 740.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that a non-limiting example has been shown in fig. 36, and that various modifications may be apparent. As a non-limiting example, the protruding structures 3660 may provide a masking region 3665 along at least two sides thereof. In some non-limiting examples, the protruding structure 3660 may be omitted, and the auxiliary electrode 1250 may include a recessed portion capable of defining the shielding region 3665. In some non-limiting examples, the auxiliary electrode 1250 and the deposition layer 1430 may be disposed directly on the surface of the substrate 10, instead of on the PDL 710.

Selective deposition of optical coatings

In some non-limiting examples, a device (not shown) (which may be an optoelectronic device in some non-limiting examples) may include the substrate 10, the patterned coating 323, and the optical coating. In a lateral orientation, the patterned coating 323 may cover the first lateral portion 301 of the substrate 10. In a lateral orientation, the optical coating may cover the second lateral portion 302 of the substrate 10. At least a portion of patterned coating 323 can be substantially free of an optical coating of sealer coating 1440.

In some non-limiting examples, the optical coating may be used to adjust optical properties of EM radiation transmitted, emitted, and/or absorbed by the device, including, but not limited to, plasmonic modes. As non-limiting examples, the optical coating may be used as an optical filter, an index matching coating, an optical outcoupling coating, a scattering layer, a diffraction grating, and/or portions thereof.

In some non-limiting examples, the optical coating may be used to adjust at least one optical microcavity effect in the device by, but not limited to, adjusting the total optical path length and/or its refractive index. At least one optical property of the device may be affected by adjusting at least one optical microcavity effect (including but not limited to outputting EM radiation), including but not limited to angular dependence of its intensity and/or wavelength shift thereof. In some non-limiting examples, the optical coating may be a non-electrical component, i.e., the optical coating may not be configured to conduct and/or transmit electrical current during normal device operation.

In some non-limiting examples, the optical coating may be formed of any deposition material 1831 and/or any mechanism for depositing deposition layer 1430 as described herein may be employed.

Separator and recess

Turning to fig. 37, a cross-sectional view of an exemplary version 3700 of device 2100 may be shown. The device 3700 can include a substrate 10 having an exposed layer surface 11. The substrate 10 may include at least one TFT structure 701. As a non-limiting example, as described herein, in some non-limiting examples, the at least one TFT structure 701 may be formed by depositing and patterning a series of thin films when fabricating the substrate 10.

In the lateral orientation, the device 3700 can include an emission region 810 having an associated lateral orientation 2210 and at least one adjacent non-emission region 1220 each having an associated lateral orientation 2220. The exposed layer surface 11 of the substrate 10 in the emission region 810 may be provided with a first electrode 720, which may be electrically coupled with the at least one TFT structure 701. The PDL 710 may be disposed on the exposed layer surface 11 such that the PDL 710 covers at least one edge and/or perimeter of the exposed layer surface 11 and the first electrode 720. In some non-limiting examples, the PDL 710 may be disposed in a lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emissive region 1220. The PDL 710 may define a valley-shaped configuration that may provide an opening that may generally correspond to the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive region 810 through which a layer surface of the first electrode 720 may be exposed. In some non-limiting examples, the device 3500 may include a plurality of such openings defined by the PDL 710, each of which may correspond to a (sub) pixel 3310/84x region of the device 3700.

As shown, in some non-limiting examples, a divider 3721 may be disposed on the exposed layer surface 11 in a lateral orientation 2220 of the non-emissive region 1220, and as described herein, may define a masking region 3665, such as a recess 3722. In some non-limiting examples, the recess 3722 may be formed by an edge of a lower section of the divider 3721 that is recessed, staggered, and/or offset relative to an edge of an upper section of the divider 3721, which may overlap and/or protrude beyond the recess 3722.

In some non-limiting examples, the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive region 810 can include at least one semiconductive layer 730 disposed over the first electrode 720, a second electrode 740 disposed over the at least one semiconductive layer 730, and a patterned coating 323 disposed over the second electrode 740. In some non-limiting examples, the at least one semiconductive layer 730, the second electrode 740, and the patterned coating 323 can extend laterally to cover at least a lateral orientation 2220 of a portion of at least one adjacent non-emissive region 1220. In some non-limiting examples, as shown, at least one semiconductive layer 730, a second electrode 740, and a patterned coating 323 can be disposed on at least a portion of at least one PDL 710 and at least a portion of a separator 3721. Thus, as shown, the lateral orientation 2210 of the emissive region 810, a portion of at least one adjacent non-emissive region 1220, a portion of at least one PDL 710, and a lateral orientation 2220 of at least a portion of the spacer 3721 may together comprise the first portion 301 in which the second electrode 740 may be located between the patterned coating 323 and the at least one semiconductive layer 730.

The auxiliary electrode 1250 may be disposed near and/or within the recess 3722, and the deposition layer 1430 may be arranged to electrically couple the auxiliary electrode 1250 with the second electrode 740. Thus, as shown, in some non-limiting examples, the recess 3722 can include a second portion 302 in which the deposited layer 1430 is disposed on the exposed layer surface 11.

In some non-limiting examples, at least a portion of the evaporation flux 1832 of the deposition material 1831 may be directed at a non-normal angle relative to the lateral plane of the exposed layer surface 11 when depositing the deposition layer 1430. As a non-limiting example, at least a portion of the evaporation flux 1832 may be incident on the device 3700 at a non-zero incident angle of at least one of no more than about 90 °, 85 °, 80 °, 75 °, 70 °, 60 °, or 50 ° with respect to such lateral plane of the exposed layer surface 11. By directing the evaporation flux 1832 of the deposition material 1831 (including at least a portion thereof incident at a non-normal angle), the recess 3722 and/or at least one exposed layer surface 11 in the recess may be exposed to such evaporation flux 1832.

In some non-limiting examples, due to the presence of the divider 3721, the likelihood that such evaporation flux 1832 is prevented from being incident on and/or in at least one exposed layer surface 11 of the recess 3722 may be reduced because at least a portion of such evaporation flux 1832 is capable of flowing at a non-normal angle of incidence.

In some non-limiting examples, at least a portion of such evaporation flux 1832 may be non-collimated. In some non-limiting examples, at least a portion of such evaporation flux 1832 may be generated by an evaporation source that is a point source, a linear source, and/or a surface source.

In some non-limiting examples, device 3700 may shift during deposition of deposition layer 1430. As a non-limiting example, the device 3700 and/or its substrate 10 and/or any layers deposited thereon may undergo an angular displacement in a lateral direction and/or in a direction substantially parallel to the cross-sectional direction.

In some non-limiting examples, the device 3700 can rotate about an axis substantially perpendicular to a lateral plane of the exposed layer surface 11 while being subjected to the evaporation flux 1832.

In some non-limiting examples, at least a portion of such evaporation flux 1832 may be directed toward exposed layer surface 11 of device 3700 in a direction substantially perpendicular to a lateral plane of exposed layer surface 11.

Without wishing to be bound by a particular theory, it is hypothesized that the deposition material 1831 may still be deposited within the recesses 3722 due to lateral migration and/or desorption of adsorbed atoms that are adsorbed on the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323. In some non-limiting examples, it may be assumed that any adsorbed atoms that adsorb onto the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323 may tend to migrate and/or desorb from such exposed layer surface 11 due to the unfavorable thermodynamic properties of the exposed layer surface 11 to form a stable core. In some non-limiting examples, it may be assumed that at least some of the adatoms that migrate and/or desorb away from such exposed layer surface 11 may redeposit onto the surface in recess 3722 to form deposited layer 1430.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposition layer 1430 may be formed such that the deposition layer 1430 can be electrically coupled with both the auxiliary electrode 1250 and the second electrode 740. In some non-limiting examples, the deposition layer 1430 may be in physical contact with at least one of the auxiliary electrode 1250 and/or the second electrode 740. In some non-limiting examples, an intermediate layer may be present between the deposited layer 1430 and at least one of the auxiliary electrode 1250 and/or the second electrode 740. However, in such examples, such an intermediate layer may not substantially interfere with the deposited layer 1430 being electrically coupled with at least one of the auxiliary electrode 1250 and/or the second electrode 740. In some non-limiting examples, such an intermediate layer may be relatively thin and allow, for example, electrical coupling therethrough. In some non-limiting examples, the sheet resistance of the deposited layer 1430 may be no greater than the sheet resistance of the second electrode 740.

As shown in fig. 37, the recess 3722 may be substantially free of the second electrode 740. In some non-limiting examples, during deposition of the second electrode 740, the recess 3722 may be masked by the divider 3721 such that the evaporation flux 1832 of the deposition material 1831 used to form the second electrode 740 may be substantially prevented from being incident on and/or in at least one exposed layer surface 11 of the recess 3722. In some non-limiting examples, at least a portion of the evaporation flux 1832 of the deposition material 1831 used to form the second electrode 740 may be incident on and/or in at least one exposed layer surface 11 of the recess 3722 such that the second electrode 740 may extend to cover at least a portion of the recess 3722.

In some non-limiting examples, the auxiliary electrode 1250, the deposition layer 1430, and/or the separator 3721 may be selectively disposed in a specific region of the display panel 840. In some non-limiting examples, any of these features may be provided at and/or near at least one edge of such a display panel for electrically coupling at least one element of the front panel 2110 (including but not limited to the second electrode 740) to at least one element of the back panel 2115. In some non-limiting examples, locating such features at and/or near such edges may facilitate supplying and distributing current from auxiliary electrode 1250 located at and/or near such edges to second electrode 740. In some non-limiting examples, such a configuration may be advantageous to reduce the bezel size of the display panel.

In some non-limiting examples, the auxiliary electrode 1250, the deposition layer 1430, and/or the separator 3721 may be omitted from certain regions of such a display panel 840. In some non-limiting examples, such features may be omitted from portions of display panel 840, including but not limited to where relatively high pixel densities may be provided, rather than at and/or near at least one edge thereof.

Holes in non-emissive areas

Turning now to fig. 38A, an exemplary version 3800 of device 2100 may be illustrated _a Is a cross-sectional view of (a). Device 3800 _a A difference from the device 3700 may be that a pair of spacers 3721 in the non-emissive region 1220 may be provided in a face-to-face arrangement to define a shielded region 3665 therebetween, such as an aperture 3822. As shown, in some non-limiting examples, at least one of the separators 3721 can function as a PDL 710 that covers at least an edge of the first electrode 720 and defines at least one emission region 810. In some non-limiting examples, at least one of the dividers 3721 may be provided separately from the PDL 710.

A masking region 3665 (such as a recess 3722) may be defined by at least one of the dividers 3721. In some non-limiting examples, the recess 3722 may be disposed in a portion of the aperture 3822 proximate the substrate 10. In some non-limiting examples, the aperture 3822 may be substantially elliptical when viewed in plan. In some non-limiting examples, the recess 3722 may be substantially annular and surround the aperture 3822 when viewed in plan.

In some non-limiting examples, the recess 3722 may be substantially free of material used to form each of the layers of the device stack 3810 and/or the residual device stack 3811.

In these figures, the device stack 3810 may be shown as including at least one semiconductive layer 730 deposited on an upper section of the separator 3721, a second electrode 740, and a patterned coating 323.

In these figures, the residual device stack 3811 may be illustrated as including at least one semiconductive layer 730 deposited on the substrate 10 beyond the spacers 3721 and recesses 3722, the second electrode 740, and the patterned coating 323. As can be seen from a comparison with fig. 37, in some non-limiting examples, the residual device stack 3811 can correspond to the semiconductive layer 730, the second electrode 740, and the patterned coating 323, as it is proximate to the recess 3722 at and/or near the lip of the spacer 3721. In some non-limiting examples, residual device stack 3810 may be formed when various materials of device stack 3811 are deposited using open mask and/or maskless deposition processes.

In some non-limiting examples, the residual device stack 3811 may be disposed within the hole 3822. In some non-limiting examples, the evaporated material for each of the layers forming device stack 3810 may be deposited within holes 3822 to form residual device stack 3811 therein.

In some non-limiting examples, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may be arranged such that at least a portion thereof is disposed within the recess 3722. As shown, in some non-limiting examples, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may be disposed within the aperture 3822 such that the residual device stack 3811 is deposited on a surface of the auxiliary electrode 1250.

A deposited layer 1430 may be disposed within the hole 3822 for electrically coupling the second electrode 740 with the auxiliary electrode 1250. As a non-limiting example, at least a portion of the deposited layer 1430 can be disposed within the recess 3722.

Turning now to fig. 38B, the figure may illustrate device 3800 _b Cross-sectional view of another example of (a). As shown, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may be arranged to form at least a portion of one side of the separator 3721. Accordingly, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may be substantially annular and may surround the hole 3822 when viewed in a plan view. As shown, in some non-limiting examples, the residual device stack 3811 may be deposited onto the exposed layer surface 11 of the substrate 10.

In some non-limiting examples, the divider 3721 may include and/or be formed from an NPC 2020. As a non-limiting example, the auxiliary electrode 1250 may function as an NPC 2020.

In some non-limiting examples, the NPC 2020 may be provided by the second electrode 740 and/or a portion, layer, and/or material thereof. In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may extend laterally to cover the exposed layer surface 11 disposed in the masking region 3665. In some non-limiting examples, the second electrode 740 may include a bottom layer thereof and a second layer thereof, wherein the second layer may be deposited on the bottom layer. In some non-limiting examples, the bottom layer of the second electrode 740 may include an oxide, such as, but not limited to, ITO, IZO, or ZnO. In some non-limiting examples, the upper layer of the second electrode 740 may include a metal, such as, but not limited to, at least one of Ag, mg: ag, yb/Ag, other alkali metals, and/or other alkaline earth metals.

In some non-limiting examples, the bottom layer of the second electrode 740 may extend laterally to cover the surface of the shielded area 3665 such that it forms an NPC 2020. In some non-limiting examples, at least one surface defining the shielded area 3665 may be treated to form an NPC 2020. In some non-limiting examples, such NPC 2020 may be formed by chemical and/or physical treatment, including, but not limited to, subjecting the surface of the shielded area 3665 to plasma, UV, and/or UV-ozone treatment.

Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesized that such treatment may chemically and/or physically alter such surfaces to alter at least one property thereof. As non-limiting examples, such treatment of the surface may increase the concentration of C-O and/or C-OH bonds on such surface, may increase the roughness of such surface, and/or may increase the concentration of certain species and/or functional groups (including, but not limited to, halogen, nitrogen-containing functional groups, and/or oxygen-containing functional groups) to subsequently act as NPC 2020.

Reducing diffraction

It has been found that in some non-limiting examples, at least one EM signal 1061 passing through at least one signal transmission region 820 may be affected by the diffraction characteristics of the diffraction pattern imposed by the shape of at least one signal transmission region 820.

In at least some non-limiting examples, passing at least one EM signal 1061 through the display panel 840 of the at least one signal transmissive region 820 shaped to exhibit a unique and non-uniform diffraction pattern may interfere with the capture of the image and/or EM radiation pattern represented thereby.

As non-limiting examples, such diffraction patterns may interfere with the ability to facilitate mitigating interference created by such diffraction patterns, i.e., allow the display lower component 860 to accurately receive and process such images or patterns (even where optical post-processing techniques are applied), or allow an observer of such images and/or patterns to discern the information contained therein through such display panel 840.

In some non-limiting examples, the unique and/or non-uniform diffraction pattern may result from the shape of the at least one signal transmission region 820, which may result in unique and/or angularly separated diffraction peaks in the diffraction pattern.

In some non-limiting examples, the first diffraction spike may be distinguished from the second adjacent diffraction spike by simple observation such that the total number of diffraction spikes along a full angular rotation may be counted. However, in some non-limiting examples, particularly where the number of diffraction peaks is large, it may be more difficult to identify individual diffraction peaks. In this case, the distortion effect of the resulting diffraction pattern may actually facilitate the mitigation of the interference caused thereby, as the distortion effect tends to be blurred and/or more evenly distributed. In some non-limiting examples, such blurring and/or more uniform distribution of distortion effects may be more suitable for mitigation by optical post-processing techniques, including but not limited to, in order to recover the original image and/or information contained therein.

In some non-limiting examples, the ability to facilitate mitigating interference caused by the diffraction pattern may increase as the number of diffraction peaks increases.

In some non-limiting examples, the unique and non-uniform diffraction pattern may result from the shape of the at least one signal transmission region 820 increasing the pattern boundary length between the high intensity EM radiation region and the low intensity EM radiation region within the diffraction pattern, and/or decreasing the ratio of the pattern perimeter relative to its pattern boundary length, depending on the pattern perimeter of the diffraction pattern.

Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesized that, relative to a display panel 840 having a closed boundary of a light transmissive region 820 defined by a non-polygonal corresponding signal transmissive region 820, a display panel 710 having a closed boundary of a light transmissive region 820 defined by a polygonal corresponding signal transmissive region 820 may exhibit a unique and non-uniform diffraction pattern that may adversely affect the ability to facilitate mitigating interference caused by the diffraction pattern.

In this disclosure, the term "polygon" may generally refer to a shape, a graph, a closed boundary, and/or a perimeter formed by a limited number of linear and/or straight line segments, and the term "non-polygon" may generally refer to a non-polygonal shape, a graph, a closed boundary, and/or a perimeter. As a non-limiting example, a closed boundary formed by a limited number of straight line segments and at least one nonlinear or curvilinear segment may be considered to be a non-polygon.

Without wishing to be bound by a particular theory, it is hypothesized that when the closed boundary of the EM radiation-transparent region 820 defined by the corresponding signal-transmissive region 820 includes at least one non-straight and/or curved segment, the EM signal incident thereon and transmitted therethrough may exhibit a less unique and/or more uniform diffraction pattern that facilitates mitigating interference caused by the diffraction pattern.

In some non-limiting examples, a display panel 840 having a closed boundary of EM radiation-transparent regions 820 defined by corresponding signal-transparent regions 820 that are substantially elliptical and/or circular may further facilitate mitigating interference caused by the diffraction pattern.

In some non-limiting examples, the signal transmission region 820 may be defined by a limited number of convex circular segments. In some non-limiting examples, at least some of the segments coincide at a concave notch or peak.

Removal of selective coatingsRemoval of

In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 may be removed after deposition of the deposited layer 1430 such that at least a portion of the previously exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying material covered by the patterned coating 323 may be re-exposed. In some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 can be selectively removed by etching and/or dissolving the patterned coating 323 and/or by employing plasma and/or solvent treatment techniques that do not substantially affect or attack the deposited layer 1430.

Turning now to fig. 39A, an exemplary cross-sectional view of an exemplary version 3900 of device 2100 at a deposition stage 3900a may be shown in which a patterned coating 323 may have been selectively deposited over a first portion 301 of an underlying exposed layer surface 11 of material. In the figures, the underlying material may be the substrate 10.

In fig. 39B, device 3900 may be shown in a deposition phase 3900B, wherein a deposition layer 1430 may be deposited on both the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying material, i.e., on both the exposed layer surface 11 of patterned coating 323 (wherein patterned coating 323 may have been deposited during phase 3900 a) and on the exposed layer surface 11 of substrate 10 (wherein patterned coating 323 may not have been deposited during phase 3900 a). Due to the nucleation inhibiting properties of the first portion 301, which may be provided with the patterned coating 323, the deposited layer 1430 disposed on that portion may tend not to remain, resulting in selective deposition of the deposited layer 1430 exhibiting a pattern that may correspond to the second portion 302, leaving the first portion 301 substantially free of the deposited layer 1430.

In fig. 39C, device 3900 may be shown in a deposition phase 3900C, wherein patterned coating 323 may have been removed from first portion 301 of exposed layer surface 11 of substrate 10, such that deposited layer 1430 deposited during phase 3900b may remain on substrate 10, and areas of substrate 10 that may have been deposited patterned coating 323 during phase 3900a may now be exposed or revealed.

In some non-limiting examples, removal of patterned coating 323 in stage 3900c can be achieved by exposing device 3900 to a solvent and/or plasma that reacts with patterned coating 323 and/or etches away the patterned coating without substantially affecting deposited layer 1430.

Method actions

Turning now to fig. 40, a flow chart, shown generally at x00, is illustrated that shows exemplary actions taken to controllably select the formation of at least one granular structure on an underlying layer during fabrication of a semiconductor device having multiple layers.

One exemplary action 4010 is: deposition, including the underlying layers.

In some non-limiting examples, one exemplary action 4020 may be: limiting the formation of the at least one particle structure to a laterally oriented first portion of the device.

In some non-limiting examples, act 4020 may include an act 4021, act 4021 being: seed material in the template layer is seeded onto the underlying layer in the first portion.

In some non-limiting examples, act 4020 may include an act 4022, act 4022 being: the patterning material in the patterned coating is applied to the underlying layer in the first portion.

One exemplary action 4030 is: the exposed layer surface of the underlying layer is exposed to a flux of particulate material such that the particulate material is in contact with the contact material.

In some non-limiting examples, act 4030 may include an act 4031, act 4031 being: the particulate material is co-deposited with the co-deposited dielectric material.

As a result of the foregoing, the resulting action 4040 is: the particulate material coalesces to dispose the at least one particulate structure on the underlying layer.

In some non-limiting examples, one exemplary action 4050 may be: the at least one particle structure and the underlying layer are covered with at least one overlayer.

Film formation

Forming a thin film on the underlying exposed layer surface 11 during vapor deposition may involve a nucleation and growth process.

During the initial stage of film formation, a sufficient amount of vapor monomer 1832 (which in some non-limiting examples may be molecules and/or atoms of deposition material 1831 in vapor form 1832) may generally condense from the vapor phase to form an initial core on the exposed layer surface 11 presented to the underlying layer. As the vapor monomer 1832 may strike such surfaces, the characteristic size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity of these initial nuclei may be increased to form small particle structures 121. Non-limiting examples of dimensions to which such feature sizes refer may include the height, width, length, and/or diameter of such particle structures 121.

After reaching the saturated island density, adjacent particle structures 121 may generally begin to coalesce, thereby increasing the average feature size of such particle structures 121 while reducing their deposition density.

With continuous vapor deposition of monomer 1832, coalescence of adjacent particle structures 121 may continue until substantially closed coating 1440 may eventually deposit on underlying exposed layer surface 11. The behavior of such a close coating 1240, including the resulting optical effects, can generally be relatively uniform, consistent, and not surprising.

There may be at least three basic modes of film formation, in some non-limiting examples, the final formation of the cap layer 1440: 1) islands (Volmer-Weber), 2) layer-by-layer (Frank-van der Merwe), and 3) Stranski-Krastanov.

Island growth typically occurs when stale monomer clusters 1832 nucleate and grow on exposed layer surface 11 to form discrete islands. This growth mode may occur when the interaction between monomers 1832 is stronger than the interaction between monomers 1832 and the surface.

The nucleation rate may describe how many nuclei of a given size can be formed on a surface per unit time (where free energy does not push the clusters of such nuclei to grow or shrink) ("critical nuclei"). During the initial stages of film formation, nuclei are less likely to grow due to direct impingement of monomer 1832 on the surface due to the lower deposition density of nuclei, and thus nuclei may cover a relatively small portion of the surface (e.g., there are larger gaps/spaces between adjacent nuclei). Thus, the rate at which critical nuclei can grow is generally dependent on the rate at which adsorbed atoms (e.g., adsorbed monomer 1832) on the surface migrate and attach to nearby nuclei.

An example of the energy distribution of the adatoms adsorbed on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying material is shown in fig. 41. Specifically, fig. 41 may illustrate an exemplary qualitative energy distribution corresponding to: adsorbed atoms escaping from the localized low energy sites (4110); diffusion of adsorbed atoms (4120) on the exposed layer surface 11; and desorption of the adsorbed atoms (4130).

In 4110, the localized low energy sites may be any sites on the exposed layer surface 11 of the underlying layer where the adatoms will be at a lower energy. In general, nucleation sites may include defects and/or anomalies on the exposed layer surface 11, including but not limited to, flanges, stepped edges, chemical impurities, bonding sites, and/or kinks ("heterogeneity").

Sites of substrate non-uniformity may increase the energy E involved in desorbing adsorbed atoms from the surface _des 4131 such that higher nuclear deposition densities are observed at such sites. In addition, impurities or contaminants on the surface may also increase E _des 4131, resulting in a higher density of nuclear deposition. For vapor deposition processes performed under high vacuum conditions, the type of contaminants on the surface and the deposition density may be affected by the vacuum pressure and the composition of the residual gases that make up the pressure.

Once the adatoms are trapped at the local low energy sites, in some non-limiting examples, an energy barrier may typically exist before surface diffusion occurs. Such an energy barrier may be represented as Δe4111 in fig. 40. In some non-limiting examples, if the energy barrier Δe4111 escaping a local low energy site is sufficiently large, that site may act as a nucleation site.

In 4120, the adatoms may diffuse over the exposed layer surface 11. As a non-limiting example, in the case of a topical absorbent, the adatoms may tend to oscillate around a minimum of surface potential and migrate to various adjacent sites until the adatoms are desorbed and/or bound toIn the growing islands 121 formed by adsorbed clusters of atoms and/or growing films. In FIG. 41, the activation energy associated with the surface diffusion of adsorbed atoms may be represented as E _s 4111。

In 4130, the activation energy associated with desorption of adsorbed atoms from the surface may be represented as E _des 4131. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that any adsorbed atoms that are not desorbed may remain on the exposed layer surface 11. As non-limiting examples, such adatoms may diffuse over the exposed layer surface 11, become part of the adatom clusters that form islands 121 on the exposed layer surface 11, and/or be incorporated as part of a growing film and/or coating.

After adsorption of the adsorbed atoms on the surface, the adsorbed atoms may be desorbed from the surface, or may migrate a distance on the surface before being desorbed, interacting with other adsorbed atoms to form small clusters, or attaching to the growing nuclei. The average amount of time that the adatoms can remain on the surface after initial adsorption can be given by:

in the above formula:

v is the vibration frequency of the adsorbed atoms on the surface,

k is a Botzmann constant, and

t is the temperature.

As can be noted from equation TF1, E _des The lower the value of 4131, the easier the adatoms are to desorb from the surface, and thus the shorter the time that the adatoms can remain on the surface. The average distance over which the adsorbed atoms can diffuse can be given by,

wherein:

α ₀ is lattice constant.

For low E _des 4131 value and/or high E _s 4121 value, adsorption ofAtoms may diffuse a short distance before desorption and are therefore less likely to attach to the growing nucleus or interact with another adatom or cluster of adatoms.

During an initial stage of formation of the deposited layer of the particle structure 121, adsorbed adsorption atoms may interact to form the particle structure 121, wherein a critical concentration of the particle structure 121 per unit area is given by,

wherein:

E _i To dissociate the critical clusters containing i adatoms into the energies involved in the individual adatoms,

n ₀ is the total deposition density of adsorption sites, and

N ₁ for a monomer deposition density given by:

wherein:

is the vapor impingement rate.

In general, i may depend on the crystal structure of the deposited material, and the critical dimensions of the particle structure 121 may be determined to form a stable core.

The critical monomer supply rate for growing the particle structure 121 may be given by the vapor impact rate and the average area over which the adsorbed atoms may diffuse prior to desorption:

thus, the critical nucleation rate can be given by a combination of the above equations:

from the above equation, it can be noted that critical nucleation rates can be suppressed for surfaces where the desorption energy of adsorbed adatoms is low, the activation energy of adatom diffusion is high, at high temperatures, and/or subjected to vapor impingement rates.

Under high vacuum conditions, the flux of molecules 1832 (per cm ² Seconds) can be given by:

wherein:

p is the pressure, and

m is the molecular weight.

Thus, reactive gases such as H ₂ Higher partial pressure of O may result in higher deposition density of contaminants on the surface during vapor deposition such that E _des 4131 increases and thus results in a higher deposition density of nuclei.

In this disclosure, "nucleation inhibition" may refer to a coating, material, and/or layer thereof, the surface of which may exhibit an initial adhesion probability for deposition of the deposited material 1831 thereon, which may be close to 0, including, but not limited to, less than about 0.3, such that deposition of the deposited material 1831 on such surface may be inhibited.

In this disclosure, "nucleation promoting" may refer to a coating, material, and/or layer thereof, the surface of which exhibits an initial adhesion probability for deposition of the deposited material 1831 thereon, which may be close to 1, including, but not limited to, greater than about 0.7, such that deposition of the deposited material 1831 on such a surface may be promoted.

Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesized that the shape and size of such nuclei, and the subsequent growth of such nuclei into islands 121 and subsequent growth into films, may depend on various factors including, but not limited to, the interfacial tension between the vapor, surface, and/or condensing film nuclei.

One measure of nucleation inhibition and/or nucleation promoting characteristics of a surface may be the initial adhesion probability of the surface for deposition of a given deposition material 1831.

In some non-limiting examples, the adhesion probability S may be given by:

Wherein:

N _ads to retain the number of adsorbed atoms on the exposed layer surface 11 (i.e., incorporated into the film), and

N _{totals to} Is the total number of impinging monomers on the surface.

An adhesion probability S equal to 1 may indicate that all of the monomers 1832 striking the surface are adsorbed and subsequently incorporated into the growing film. An adhesion probability S equal to 0 may indicate that all of the monomer 1832 striking the surface is desorbed and subsequently does not form a film on the surface.

The adhesion probability S of the deposited material 1831 on various surfaces may be evaluated using various techniques for measuring adhesion probability S, including but not limited to as described by Walker et al in j.Phys.chem.c 2007,111,765 (2006), "a dual Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) technology".

As the deposition density of the deposition material 1831 may increase (e.g., increase the average film thickness), the adhesion probability S may change.

Thus, the initial adhesion probability S ₀ Can be designated as the sticking probability S of the surface before any significant number of critical nuclei are formed. Initial adhesion probability S ₀ The adhesion probability S of a surface to the deposition of the deposition material 1831 during an initial phase of the deposition material, wherein the average film thickness of the deposition material 1831 across the surface is at or below a threshold. In some non-limiting example descriptions, as a non-limiting example, the threshold for the initial adhesion probability may be designated as 1nm. The average adhesion probability S can be given by:

Wherein:

S _nuc is the adhesion probability S of the region covered by the granular structure 121, and

A _nuc is the percentage of the area of the substrate surface covered by the particle structure 121.

As a non-limiting example, the low initial adhesion probability may increase with increasing average film thickness. This can be understood based on the difference in adhesion probability between the areas of the exposed layer surface 11 without the particle structure 121 (the base substrate 10, as a non-limiting example) and the areas with high deposition density. As a non-limiting example, the monomer 1832 that may strike the surface of the particle structure 121 may have an adhesion probability of approximately 1.

Based on the energy profiles 4110, 4120, 4130 shown in fig. 41, it can be assumed that a relatively low desorption activation energy (E _des 4131 And/or relatively high surface diffusion activation energy (E) _s 4121 A) may be deposited as a patterned coating 323 and may be suitable for various applications.

Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesized that in some non-limiting examples, the relationship between the various interfacial tensions present during nucleation and growth may be specified according to the young's equation in capillary theory:

γ _sv ＝γ _fs +γ _vf cosθ(TF10)

wherein:

γ _sv (figure 42) corresponds to the interfacial tension between the substrate 10 and the vapor 1832,

γ _fs (figure 42) corresponds to the interfacial tension between the deposited material 1831 and the substrate 10,

γ _vf (FIG. 42) corresponds to the interfacial tension between the vapor 1832 and the membrane, and

θ is the film core contact angle.

Fig. 42 may show the relationship between the various parameters represented in this equation.

Based on the young's equation (equation @TF 10)), it can be concluded that for island growth, the film core contact angle can exceed 0, thus: gamma ray _sv <γ _fs +γ _vf 。

For layer growth, where the deposited material 1831 may "wet" the substrate 10, the core contact angle θ may be equal to 0, thus: gamma ray _sv ＝γ _fs +γ _vf 。

For Stranski-Krastanov growth, where the strain energy per unit area of film overgrowth may be large relative to the interfacial tension between vapor 1832 and deposited material 1831: gamma ray _sv >γ _fs +γ _vf 。

Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesized that nucleation and growth patterns of the deposited material 1831 at the interface between the patterned coating 323 and the exposed layer surface 11 of the substrate 10 may follow an island growth model, where θ >0.

In particular, where the patterned coating 323 may exhibit a relatively low initial adhesion probability for deposition of the deposition material 1831 (in some non-limiting examples, under conditions determined in the dual QCM technique described by Walker et al), there may be a relatively high film contact angle of the deposition material 1831.

Conversely, while deposition material 1831 may be selectively deposited on exposed layer surface 11 without the use of patterned coating 323, by way of non-limiting example, by employing shadow mask 1715, the nucleation and growth patterns of such deposition material 1831 may be different. In particular, it has been observed that, at least in some non-limiting examples, a coating formed using a shadow mask 1715 patterning process can exhibit a relatively low film contact angle of less than about 10 °.

It has been found that, somewhat surprisingly, in some non-limiting examples, the patterned coating 323 (and/or the patterned material 1711 it comprises) can exhibit a relatively low critical surface tension.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the "surface energy" of a coating, layer, and/or material comprising such a coating and/or layer may generally correspond to the critical surface tension of the coating, layer, and/or material. According to some models of surface energy, the critical surface tension of a surface may substantially correspond to the surface energy of such a surface.

In general, materials with low surface energy may exhibit low intermolecular forces. In general, a material with low intermolecular forces may readily crystallize or undergo other phase changes at a lower temperature than another material with high intermolecular forces. In at least some applications, materials that can readily crystallize or undergo other phase changes at relatively low temperatures may be detrimental to the long term performance, stability, reliability, and/or lifetime of the device.

Without wishing to be bound by a particular theory, it is hypothesized that certain low energy surfaces may exhibit relatively low initial adhesion probabilities and thus may be suitable for forming patterned coating 323.

Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesized that, particularly for low surface energy surfaces, critical surface tension may be positively correlated with surface energy. As a non-limiting example, surfaces exhibiting relatively low critical surface tension may also exhibit relatively low surface energy, and surfaces exhibiting relatively high critical surface tension may also exhibit relatively high surface energy.

Referring to the young equation (TF 10)), a lower surface energy may result in a larger contact angle while also decreasing γ _sv Thereby enhancing the likelihood that such surfaces have low wettability and low initial adhesion probability relative to the deposited material 1831.

In various non-limiting examples, the critical surface tension values herein may correspond to such values measured at about Normal Temperature and Pressure (NTP), which in some non-limiting examples may correspond to a temperature of 20 ℃ and an absolute pressure of 1 atm. In some non-limiting examples, the critical surface tension of a surface may be determined according to the zisman method, as further detailed in w.a. "Advances in Chemistry"43 (1964) pages 1-51.

In some non-limiting examples, the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323 can exhibit a critical surface tension of no greater than about at least one of 20 dynes/cm, 19 dynes/cm, 18 dynes/cm, 17 dynes/cm, 16 dynes/cm, 15 dynes/cm, 13 dynes/cm, 12 dynes/cm, or 11 dynes/cm.

In some non-limiting examples, the exposed layer surface 11 of the patterned coating 323 can exhibit a critical surface tension of at least about at least one of 6 dynes/cm, 7 dynes/cm, 8 dynes/cm, 9 dynes/cm, and 10 dynes/cm.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that various methods and theories for determining the surface energy of a solid may be known. As a non-limiting example, the surface energy may be calculated and/or derived based on a series of measurements of contact angles, wherein various liquids are brought into contact with a solid surface to measure the contact angle between the liquid-gas interface and the surface. In some non-limiting examples, the surface energy of the solid surface may be equal to the surface tension of a liquid having the highest surface tension of a fully wetted surface. As a non-limiting example, a zismann diagram may be used to determine the highest surface tension value that will result in a 0 ° contact angle with the surface. According to some theories of surface energy, various types of interactions between a solid surface and a liquid may be considered in determining the surface energy of the solid. As a non-limiting example, according to some theories, including but not limited to the euler/tatter theory and/or the fox theory, the surface energy may include a dispersed component and a non-dispersed or "polar" component.

Without wishing to be bound by a particular theory, it is hypothesized that in some non-limiting examples, the contact angle of the coating of deposition material 1831 may be determined based at least in part on the properties (including, but not limited to, the initial adhesion probability) of the patterned coating 323 on which the deposition material 1831 is deposited. Thus, allowing selective deposition of the patterning material 1711 that exhibits a relatively high contact angle of the deposited material 1631 may provide certain benefits.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that various methods may be used to measure the contact angle θ, including but not limited to static and/or dynamic hydrostatic and pendant drop methods.

In some non-limiting examples, the activation energy (E _des 3831 (in some non-limiting examples, at a temperature of about 300K) may be no greater than about 2 times, 1.5 times, 1.3 times the thermal energyAt least one of a multiple, 1.2-fold, 1.0-fold, 0.8-fold, or 0.5-fold. In some non-limiting examples, the activation energy (E _s 3821 (in some non-limiting examples, at a temperature of about 300K) may exceed at least one of about 1.0 times, 1.5 times, 1.8 times, 2 times, 3 times, 5 times, 7 times, or 10 times the thermal energy.

Without wishing to be bound by a particular theory, it is hypothesized that during film nucleation and growth of the deposited material 1831 at and/or near the interface between the underlying exposed layer surface 11 and the patterned coating 323, a relatively high contact angle between the edges of the deposited material 1831 and the underlying layer may be observed due to the nucleation inhibition of the patterned coating 323 to the solid surface of the deposited material 1831. Such nucleation inhibition properties may be driven by minimizing the surface energy between the underlying layers, film vapors, and patterned coating 323.

One measure of the nucleation inhibition and/or nucleation promoting properties of a surface may be the initial deposition rate of a given (electrically conductive) deposition material 1831 on the surface relative to the initial deposition rate of the same deposition material 1831 on a reference surface, where both surfaces are subjected to and/or exposed to the evaporation flux of the deposition material 1831.

Definition of the definition

In some non-limiting examples, the optoelectronic device may be an electroluminescent device. In some non-limiting examples, the electroluminescent device may be an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) device. In some non-limiting examples, the electroluminescent device may be part of an electronic device. By way of non-limiting example, the electroluminescent device may be an OLED lighting panel or module, and/or an OLED display or module of a computing device such as a smart phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, electronic reader, and/or some other electronic device such as a monitor and/or an OLED display or module of a television.

In some non-limiting examples, the optoelectronic device may be an Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) device that converts photons into electricity. In some non-limiting examples, the optoelectronic device may be an electroluminescent Quantum Dot (QD) device.

In the present disclosure, unless explicitly indicated to the contrary, reference will be made to OLED devices, it being understood that in some examples, such disclosure can be equally applicable to other optoelectronic devices, including but not limited to OPV and/or QD devices, in a manner apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art.

The structure of such devices may be described from each of two orientations, i.e., from a cross-sectional orientation and/or from a lateral (plan view) orientation.

In the present disclosure, the directional convention of extending substantially perpendicular to the lateral directions described above may be followed, wherein the substrate may be the "bottom" of the device and the layers may be disposed on the "top" of the substrate. Following this convention, the second electrode may be on top of the device shown, even though (as may be the case in some examples, including but not limited to, during the fabrication process, wherein at least one layer may be introduced by means of a vapor deposition process), the substrate may be physically inverted such that the top surface in which one of the layers (such as but not limited to the first electrode) may be disposed may be located physically below the substrate to allow the deposition material (not shown) to move upward and deposit as a thin film on its top surface.

In the context of introducing a cross-sectional orientation herein, the components of such devices may be shown in substantially planar lateral layers. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that such a substantially planar representation may be for illustrative purposes only, and that there may be localized substantially planar layers of different thickness and dimensions over the lateral extent of such devices, including in some non-limiting examples substantially entirely absent layers and/or layers separated by uneven transition regions (including lateral gaps and even discontinuities). Thus, while for illustrative purposes the device may be shown as a substantially layered structure in the cross-sectional orientation below, in the plan view orientation discussed below, such devices may show different topography to define features, each of which may exhibit the layered profile discussed substantially in the cross-sectional orientation.

In this disclosure, the terms "layer" and "strata" are used interchangeably to refer to similar concepts.

The thickness of each layer shown in the figures may be merely schematic and does not necessarily represent the thickness relative to the other layer.

For purposes of simplifying the description, in the present disclosure, a combination of elements in a single layer may be indicated by a colon ":", while (a combination of) elements in a multi-layer coating comprising multiple layers may be indicated by a diagonal "/", separating two such layers. In some non-limiting examples, layers following the diagonal line may be deposited after and/or over layers preceding the diagonal line.

For purposes of the illustrative description, an exposed layer surface of an underlying material on which a coating, layer, and/or material may be deposited may be understood as that which, when deposited, may present a surface for such underlying material on which the coating, layer, and/or material is deposited.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will understand that when a component, layer, region, and/or portion thereof is referred to as being "formed," "disposed," and/or "deposited" on and/or over another underlying material, component, layer, region, and/or portion, such formation, disposition, and/or deposition can be directly and/or indirectly on exposed surfaces of such underlying material, component, layer, region, and/or portion (when such is formed, disposed, and/or deposited), intervening material, component, layer, region, and/or portion may be present therebetween.

In this disclosure, the terms "overlapping" and/or "overlapping" may generally refer to a plurality of layers and/or structures arranged to intersect a cross-sectional axis substantially perpendicularly away from a surface upon which the layers and/or structures may be disposed.

Although the present disclosure discusses thin film formation in terms of vapor deposition with respect to at least one layer or coating, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that in some non-limiting examples, various components of the device may be selectively deposited using a variety of techniques, including but not limited to evaporation (including but not limited to thermal evaporation and/or electron beam evaporation), photolithography, printing (including but not limited to inkjet and/or vapor jet printing, roll-to-roll printing and/or microcontact transfer printing), PVD (including but not limited to sputtering), chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) (including but not limited to Plasma Enhanced CVD (PECVD) and/or organic vapor deposition (OVPD)), laser annealing, laser Induced Thermal Imaging (LITI) patterning, atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), coating (including but not limited to spin coating, dip coating, line coating and/or spray coating), and/or combinations thereof (collectively referred to as "deposition processes").

During deposition of any of the various layers and/or coatings, some processes may be used in combination with shadow masks, which in some non-limiting examples may be open masks and/or Fine Metal Masks (FMMs), to achieve various patterns by masking and/or excluding deposition of deposition material on portions of the surface of underlying material exposed thereto.

In this disclosure, the terms "evaporation" and/or "sublimation" are used interchangeably and generally refer to a deposition process in which a source material is converted to a vapor (including but not limited to) by heating to deposit in a solid state onto a target surface (including but not limited to). As will be appreciated, the vapor deposition process may be a type of PVD process in which at least one source material is vaporized and/or sublimated under a low pressure (including but not limited to vacuum) environment to form vapor monomers and deposited on a target surface by de-sublimation of at least one evaporation source material. A variety of different evaporation sources may be used to heat the source material, and thus, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the source material can be heated in a variety of ways. As non-limiting examples, the source material may be heated by filament, electron beam, induction heating, and/or resistive heating. In some non-limiting examples, the source material may be loaded into a heated crucible, a heated evaporation dish, a knudsen cell (which may be a exuding evaporator source), and/or any other type of evaporation source.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposition source material may be a mixture. In some non-limiting examples, at least one component of a mixture of deposition source materials may not be deposited during the deposition process (or, in some non-limiting examples, deposited in relatively small amounts as compared to other components of such a mixture).

In the present disclosure, regardless of the deposition mechanism of the material, indexing of the layer thickness, film thickness, and/or average layer and/or film thickness of the material may refer to the amount of material deposited on the target exposed layer surface, which corresponds to the amount of material covering the target surface with a uniform thickness of the layer of material having the indexed layer thickness. As a non-limiting example, depositing a 10nm layer thickness of material may indicate that the amount of material deposited on the surface may correspond to the amount of material forming a uniform thickness material layer that may be 10nm thick. It should be appreciated that in view of the above-described mechanism of forming the thin film, the actual thickness of the deposited material may be non-uniform due to possible stacking or aggregation of the monomers, as a non-limiting example. As non-limiting examples, depositing a layer thickness of 10nm may result in depositing some portion of the material having an actual thickness greater than 10nm, or depositing other portions of the material having an actual thickness no greater than 10 nm. Thus, in some non-limiting examples, the particular layer thickness of material deposited on the surface may correspond to an average thickness of deposited material across the target surface.

In the present disclosure, indexing of the reference layer thickness may refer to the layer thickness of a deposited material (such as Mg) that may be deposited on a reference surface that exhibits a high initial adhesion probability or initial adhesion coefficient (i.e., a surface having an initial adhesion probability of about and/or close to 1.0). The reference layer thickness may not be indicative of the actual thickness of deposited material deposited on a target surface, such as, but not limited to, the surface of the patterned coating. Conversely, the reference layer thickness may refer to the layer thickness of the deposition material to be deposited on the reference surface when subjecting the target surface and the reference surface to the same vapor flux of the deposition material for the same deposition period, which in some non-limiting examples is the surface of a quartz crystal positioned within a deposition chamber for monitoring the deposition rate and reference layer thickness. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that where the target surface and the reference surface are not simultaneously subjected to the same vapor flux during deposition, the reference layer thickness may be determined and/or monitored using appropriate tool factors.

In this disclosure, the reference deposition rate may refer to the rate at which a layer of deposited material will grow on the reference surface if it is positioned and configured identically to the sample surface within the deposition chamber.

In the present disclosure, indexing of depositing X monolayers of material may refer to depositing an amount of material to cover a given area of an exposed layer surface with X monolayers of material constituent monomers, such as, but not limited to, in a sealer coating.

In the present disclosure, indexing of a small portion of a monolayer of deposited material may refer to depositing an amount of material to cover that portion of a given area of the exposed layer surface with constituent monomers of the monolayer material. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the actual local thickness of the deposited material across a given area of the surface may be non-uniform due to possible stacking and/or aggregation of monomers, as a non-limiting example. As a non-limiting example, depositing 1 monolayer of material may result in some localized areas of a given area of the surface not being covered by material, while other localized areas of the given area of the surface may have multiple atomic and/or molecular layers deposited thereon.

In this disclosure, a target surface (and/or target region thereof) may be considered to be "substantially free", "substantially free" and/or "substantially uncovered" of material if there is substantially no material on the target surface as determined by any suitable determination mechanism.

In this disclosure, the terms "adhesion probability" and "adhesion coefficient" are used interchangeably.

In the present disclosure, the term "nucleation" may refer to a nucleation stage of a film forming process in which monomers in the gas phase condense onto a surface to form nuclei.

In the present disclosure, in some non-limiting examples, as indicated by the context, the terms "patterned coating" and "patterning material" are used interchangeably to refer to similar concepts, and references herein to patterned coating may apply in some non-limiting examples to patterning material in the context of selective deposition to pattern deposition material and/or electrode coating material.

Similarly, in some non-limiting examples, as indicated by the context, the terms "patterning coating" and "patterning material" may be used interchangeably to refer to similar concepts, and references herein to NPC may apply in some non-limiting examples to NPC in the context of selective deposition to pattern a deposited material and/or electrode coating.

Although the patterning material may be a nucleation inhibiting material or a nucleation promoting material, in this disclosure, unless the context indicates otherwise, references herein to patterning material are intended to be references to NIC.

In some non-limiting examples, indexing a patterned coating may represent a coating having a particular composition as described herein.

In this disclosure, the terms "deposition layer," "conductive coating," and "electrode coating" are used interchangeably to refer to similar concepts and references to deposition layers herein in the context of patterning by selective deposition of patterning coating and/or NPC, which may be applicable to deposition layers in the context of patterning by selective deposition of patterning material, in some non-limiting examples. In some non-limiting examples, indexing an electrode coating may represent a coating having a particular composition as described herein. Similarly, in the present disclosure, the terms "deposited layer material", "deposited material", "conductive coating material" and "electrode coating material" are used interchangeably to refer to similar concepts and references to deposited materials herein.

In the present disclosure, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the organic material may include, but is not limited to, a variety of organic molecules and/or organic polymers. Furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that organic materials doped with various inorganic substances (including, but not limited to, elements and/or inorganic compounds) may still be considered organic materials. Furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that a variety of organic materials may be used, and that the methods described herein are generally applicable to the entire range of such organic materials. Furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that organic materials that include metals and/or other organic elements may still be considered organic materials. Further, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the various organic materials may be molecules, oligomers, and/or polymers.

As used herein, an organic-inorganic hybrid material may generally refer to a material that includes both organic and inorganic components. In some non-limiting examples, such organic-inorganic hybrid materials may include organic-inorganic hybrid compounds that include an organic moiety and an inorganic moiety. Non-limiting examples of such organic-inorganic hybrid compounds include those in which the inorganic scaffold is functionalized with at least one organic functional group. Non-limiting examples of such organic-inorganic hybrid materials include those comprising at least one of siloxane groups, silsesquioxane groups, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) groups, phosphazene groups, and metal complexes.

In this disclosure, semiconductor materials may be described as materials that generally exhibit a band gap. In some non-limiting examples, the band gap may be formed between the Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) and the Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) of the semiconductor material. Thus, semiconductor materials typically exhibit a conductivity that is not greater than the conductivity of conductive materials (including but not limited to metals), but greater than the conductivity of insulating materials (including but not limited to glass). In some non-limiting examples, the semiconductor material may include an organic semiconductor material. In some non-limiting examples, the semiconductor material may include an inorganic semiconductor material.

As used herein, an oligomer may generally refer to a material that includes at least two monomer units or monomers. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the oligomer may be different from the polymer in at least one aspect, including but not limited to: (1) the number of monomer units contained therein; (2) molecular weight; and (3) other material properties and/or characteristics. Further descriptions of Polymers and Oligomers can be found in Naka k (2014) "Monomers, oligomers, polymers, and Macromolecules (review)" and Kobayashi s, mullen k (edit), "Encyclopedia of Polymeric Nanomaterials", schpringer, berlin, halsburgh, as non-limiting examples.

The oligomer or polymer may generally comprise monomer units capable of chemically bonding together to form a molecule. The monomer units may be substantially identical to each other such that the molecule is formed predominantly of repeating monomer units, or the molecule may comprise a plurality of different monomer units. In addition, the molecule may include at least one terminal unit, which may be different from the monomer unit of the molecule. The oligomer or polymer may be linear, branched, cyclic, cyclo-linear and/or cross-linked. The oligomer or polymer may comprise a plurality of different monomer units arranged in a repeating pattern and/or in alternating blocks of different monomer units.

In this disclosure, the term "semiconductive layer" is used interchangeably with "organic layer" because, in some non-limiting examples, layers in an OLED device may comprise organic semiconductive materials.

In the present disclosure, the inorganic substance may refer to a substance mainly including an inorganic material. In the present disclosure, inorganic materials may include any material that is not considered an organic material, including, but not limited to, metals, glass, and/or minerals.

In this disclosure, the terms "EM radiation", "photon" and "light" are used interchangeably to refer to similar concepts. In the present disclosure, EM radiation may have wavelengths in the visible spectrum, the Infrared (IR) region (IR spectrum), the near infrared region (NIR spectrum), the Ultraviolet (UV) region (UV spectrum), and/or its UVA region (UVA spectrum), which may correspond to a wavelength range between about 315nm-400nm, and/or its UVB region (UVB spectrum), which may correspond to a wavelength between about 280nm-315 nm.

In the present disclosure, the term "visible spectrum" as used herein generally refers to at least one wavelength in the visible portion of the EM spectrum.

As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art, such visible portion may correspond to any wavelength between about 380nm and 740 nm. Generally, the electroluminescent device may be configured to emit and/or transmit EM radiation having a wavelength in the range between about 425nm-725nm, and more particularly, in some non-limiting examples, having peak emission wavelengths of 456nm, 528nm, and 624nm corresponding to B (blue), G (green), and R (red) sub-pixels, respectively. Thus, in the case of such electroluminescent devices, the visible portion may refer to any wavelength between about 425nm and 725nm or between about 456nm and 624 nm. In some non-limiting examples, EM radiation having wavelengths in the visible spectrum may also be referred to herein as "visible light".

In the present disclosure, the term "emission spectrum" as used herein generally refers to the electroluminescence spectrum of light emitted by an optoelectronic device. By way of non-limiting example, the emission spectrum may be detected using an optical instrument (such as a spectrophotometer, as a non-limiting example) that may measure EM radiation intensity across a range of wavelengths.

In the present disclosure, the term "initial wavelength" as used herein may generally refer to the lowest wavelength at which emission is detected within the emission spectrum.

In the present disclosure, the term "peak wavelength" as used herein may generally refer to the wavelength at which the maximum luminous intensity is detected within the emission spectrum.

In some non-limiting examples, the starting wavelength may be less than the peak wavelength. In some non-limiting examples, the starting wavelength λ _onset May correspond to a wavelength of at least one of an emission intensity of no greater than about 10%, 5%, 3%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, or 0.01% of the emission intensity at the peak wavelength.

In some non-limiting examples, the emission spectrum located in the R (red) portion of the visible spectrum may be characterized by a peak wavelength, which may be located in a wavelength range of about 600nm-640nm, and in some non-limiting examples may be substantially about 620nm.

In some non-limiting examples, the emission spectrum in the G (green) portion of the visible spectrum may be characterized by a peak wavelength, which may be in a wavelength range of about 510nm-540nm, and may be substantially about 530nm in some non-limiting examples.

In some non-limiting examples, the emission spectrum in the B (blue) portion of the visible spectrum may be defined by a peak wavelength λ _max Characterization, the peak wavelength may be in the wavelength range of about 450nm-460nm, and is shown in some non-limiting examplesIn an example, it may be substantially about 455nm.

In the present disclosure, the term "IR signal" as used herein may generally refer to EM radiation having wavelengths in an IR subset of the EM spectrum (IR spectrum). In some non-limiting examples, the IR signal may have wavelengths corresponding to its Near Infrared (NIR) subset (NIR spectrum). As non-limiting examples, the NIR signal may have a wavelength of at least one between about 750nm-1400nm, 750nm-1300nm, 800nm-1200nm, 850nm-1300nm, or 900nm-1300 nm.

In the present disclosure, the term "absorption spectrum" as used herein may generally refer to a range of wavelengths (sub-) of the EM spectrum on which absorption may be concentrated.

In the present disclosure, the terms "absorption edge", "absorption discontinuity", and/or "absorption limit" as used herein may generally refer to a sharp discontinuity in the absorption spectrum of a substance. In some non-limiting examples, the absorption edge may tend to occur at wavelengths where the energy of the absorbed EM radiation may correspond to electron transitions and/or ionization potentials.

In this disclosure, the term "extinction coefficient" as used herein may generally refer to the degree to which an EM coefficient may decay as it propagates through a material. In some non-limiting examples, the extinction coefficient may be understood as corresponding to the imaginary part k of the complex refractive index. In some non-limiting examples, the extinction coefficient of a material may be measured by a variety of methods, including, but not limited to, by ellipsometry.

In the present disclosure, the terms "refractive index" and/or "refraction" as used herein to describe a medium may refer to a value calculated from the ratio of the speed of light in such medium relative to the speed of light in vacuum. In the present disclosure, particularly when used to describe properties of substantially transparent materials including, but not limited to, thin film layers and/or coatings, these terms may correspond to the real part N in the expression n=n+ik, where N may represent the complex refractive index and k may represent the extinction coefficient.

As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art, substantially transparent materials (including but not limited to thin film layers and/or coatings) may generally exhibit relatively low extinction coefficient values in the visible spectrum, and thus the contribution of the imaginary part of the expression to the complex refractive index is negligible. On the other hand, a light-transmitting electrode formed of, for example, a metal thin film may exhibit a relatively low refractive index value and a relatively high extinction coefficient value in the visible spectrum. Thus, the complex refractive index N of such films may be determined primarily by its imaginary part k.

In this disclosure, unless the context indicates otherwise, no specific indexing of the refractive index may be intended to index the real part N of the complex refractive index N.

In some non-limiting examples, there may be a substantially positive correlation between refractive index and transmittance, or in other words, a substantially negative correlation between refractive index and absorption. In some non-limiting examples, the absorption edge of the substance may correspond to a wavelength having an extinction coefficient close to 0.

It should be understood that the refractive index and/or extinction coefficient values described herein may correspond to such values measured at wavelengths in the visible spectrum. In some non-limiting examples, the refractive index and/or the extinction coefficient value may correspond to values measured at wavelengths of about 456nm (which may correspond to the peak emission wavelength of the B (blue) subpixel), about 528nm (which may correspond to the peak emission wavelength of the G (green) subpixel), and/or about 624nm (which may correspond to the peak emission wavelength of the R (red) subpixel). In some non-limiting examples, the refractive index and/or extinction coefficient values described herein may correspond to values measured at a wavelength of about 589nm, which may correspond approximately to fraunhofer and fischer-tropsch lines.

In this disclosure, the concept of a pixel may be discussed in connection with the concept of at least one subpixel of the pixel. For purposes of simplifying the specification only, this composite concept may be referred to herein as a "(sub-pixel") unless the context indicates otherwise, and this term may be understood to imply either or both of the pixel and/or at least one sub-pixel thereof.

In some non-limiting examples, one measure of the amount of material on a surface may be the percentage of coverage of the surface by such material. In some non-limiting examples, the surface coverage may be assessed using a variety of imaging techniques, including but not limited to TEM, AFM, and/or SEM.

In this disclosure, the terms "particle," "island," and "cluster" are used interchangeably to refer to similar concepts.

In the present disclosure, for purposes of simplifying the specification, the terms "coating film", "blocking coating" and/or "blocking film" as used herein may refer to a thin film structure and/or coating of a deposition material for a deposition layer, wherein relevant portions of a surface may thereby be substantially coated such that such surface may be substantially not exposed by or by a coating film deposited thereon.

In the present disclosure, unless the context indicates otherwise, the lack of indexing of the specificity of the film may be intended to index the substantially closed coating.

In some non-limiting examples, the deposit layer and/or the washcoat of deposit material (in some non-limiting examples) may be disposed to cover a portion of the underlying surface such that within this portion, at least one of no more than about 40%, 30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, 3%, or 1% of the underlying surface therein may be exposed by or through the washcoat.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the sealer coating can be patterned using a variety of techniques and processes, including but not limited to those described herein, to intentionally leave a portion of the exposed layer surface of the underlying surface to be exposed after deposition of the sealer coating. However, in the present disclosure, such patterned films may be considered to constitute a closed coating if, as a non-limiting example, the film deposited in the context of such patterning and between such intentionally exposed portions of the underlying surface of the exposed layer and/or the coating itself substantially comprises a closed coating.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will recognize that, due to inherent variability in the deposition process, and in some non-limiting examples, the deposition of thin films using various techniques and processes (including but not limited to those described herein) may still result in the formation of pinholes, tears and/or cracks therein, including but not limited to pinholes, tears and/or cracks, due to the presence of impurities in either or both of the deposited material, in some non-limiting examples, the deposited material, and the exposed layer surface of the underlying material. In the present disclosure, despite the presence of such apertures, if, as a non-limiting example, the deposited film and/or coating substantially comprises a closed coating and meets any specified percentage coverage criteria set forth, such film may still be considered to constitute a closed coating.

In the present disclosure, for purposes of simplifying the specification, the term "discontinuous layer" as used herein may refer to a thin film structure and/or a coating of a material for the deposited layer, wherein the relevant portion of the surface thus coated may be neither substantially free of such material nor form a closed coating thereof. In some non-limiting examples, the discontinuous layer of deposited material may appear as a plurality of discrete islands disposed on such a surface.

In the present disclosure, for the purposes of simplifying the description, the result of vapor monomer deposition onto the exposed layer surface of the underlying material (which has not reached the stage where the sealer coating has been formed) may be referred to as an "intermediate stage layer". In some non-limiting examples, such an intermediate stage layer may reflect that the deposition process has not been completed, where such an intermediate stage layer may be considered an intermediate stage of forming the closed coating. In some non-limiting examples, the intermediate stage layer may be the result of a completed deposition process and thus constitute its own final formation stage.

In some non-limiting examples, the mid-stage layer may be more similar to a film than the discontinuous layer, but may have holes and/or gaps in the surface coverage, including but not limited to at least one dendritic protrusion and/or at least one dendritic recess. In some non-limiting examples, such an intermediate stage layer may comprise a small portion of a single monolayer of deposited material such that it does not form a closed coating.

In the present disclosure, for the purposes of simplifying the specification, the term "dendritic" with respect to a coating (including but not limited to a deposited layer) may refer to features that resemble a branched structure when viewed from a lateral orientation. In some non-limiting examples, the deposited layer may include dendritic protrusions and/or dendritic recesses. In some non-limiting examples, the dendritic projections may correspond to a portion of the deposited layer exhibiting a branched structure including a plurality of short projections physically connected and extending substantially outward. In some non-limiting examples, the dendritic recesses may correspond to physical connections of the deposited layer and substantially outwardly extending gaps, openings, and/or branching structures of uncovered portions. In some non-limiting examples, the dendritic recesses may correspond to (including but not limited to) a mirror image and/or inverse pattern of the pattern of dendritic projections. In some non-limiting examples, the dendritic projections and/or dendritic recesses can have a configuration that exhibits and/or mimics a fractal pattern, mesh, net, and/or intersecting structure.

In some non-limiting examples, sheet resistance may be a property of a component, layer, and/or portion that may change a characteristic of current flowing through such component, layer, and/or portion. In some non-limiting examples, the sheet resistance of the coating may generally correspond to a characteristic sheet resistance of the coating measured and/or determined separately from other components, layers, and/or portions of the device.

In the present disclosure, deposition density may refer to a distribution within a region, which may include, in some non-limiting examples, an area and/or volume of deposited material therein. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that such deposition density may be independent of the density of the substance or material within the particulate structure itself, which may itself include such deposited material. In the present disclosure, unless the context indicates otherwise, references to deposition density and/or density may be intended to refer to a distribution of such deposition material (including, but not limited to, as at least one particle) within a region.

In some non-limiting examples, the bond dissociation energy of the metal element may correspond to the standard state enthalpy change measured at 298K from bond cleavage of a diatomic molecule formed from two identical atoms of the metal. As a non-limiting example, bond dissociation energies may be determined based on known literature, including but not limited to Luo, yu-Ran, "Bond Dissociation Energies" (2010).

Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesized that providing NPC may facilitate deposition of a deposition layer onto certain surfaces.

Non-limiting examples of suitable materials for forming the NPC may include, but are not limited to, at least one of metals (including, but not limited to, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, transition metals, and/or post-transition metals), metal fluorides, metal oxides, and/or fullerenes.

Non-limiting examples of such materials may include Ca, ag, mg, yb, ITO, IZO, znO, ytterbium fluoride (YbF ₃ ) Magnesium fluoride (MgF) ₂ ) And/or cesium fluoride (CsF).

In the present disclosure, the term "fullerene" may generally refer to a material comprising carbon molecules. Non-limiting examples of fullerene molecules include carbon cage molecules, including but not limited to three-dimensional backbones comprising a plurality of carbon atoms forming a closed shell, and which may be, but are not limited to, spherical and/or hemispherical in shape. In some non-limiting examples, the fullerene molecule may be designated as C _n Where n may be an integer corresponding to a number of carbon atoms included in the carbon skeleton of the fullerene molecule. Non-limiting examples of fullerene molecules include C _n Wherein n may be in the range of 50 to 250, such as but not limited to C ₆₀ 、C ₇₀ 、C ₇₂ 、C ₇₄ 、C ₇₆ 、C ₇₈ 、C ₈₀ 、C ₈₂ And C ₈₄ . Other non-limiting examples of fullerene molecules include tubular and/or cylindrical carbon molecules including, but not limited to, single-walled carbon nanotubes and/or multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

Based on findings and experimental observations, it can be assumed that nucleation promoting materials, including but not limited to fullerenes, metals (including but not limited to Ag and/or Yb), and/or metal oxides (including but not limited to ITO and/or IZO), as discussed further herein, can act as nucleation sites for deposition of a deposited layer (including but not limited to Mg).

In some non-limiting examples, suitable materials for forming NPCs may include those materials that exhibit or are characterized as having an initial adhesion probability of at least about 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.75, 0.8, 0.9, 0.93, 0.95, 0.98, or 0.99 for the material of the deposited layer.

As a non-limiting example, where Mg is deposited on a fullerene treated surface using an evaporation process without limitation, in some non-limiting examples, the fullerene molecules may act as nucleation sites that may promote the formation of stable nuclei for Mg deposition.

In some non-limiting examples, no more than a monolayer of NPCs (including but not limited to fullerenes) may be provided on the treated surface to act as nucleation sites for Mg deposition.

In some non-limiting examples, treating a surface by depositing several monolayers of NPC on the surface may result in a higher number of nucleation sites and thus a higher initial adhesion probability.

One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the amount of material (including but not limited to fullerenes) deposited on the surface may be more or less than a monolayer. As a non-limiting example, such surfaces may be treated by depositing at least one of about 0.1, 1, 10, or more monolayers of nucleation promoting material and/or nucleation inhibiting material.

In some non-limiting examples, the average layer thickness of the NPC deposited on the exposed layer surface of the underlying material may be at least one of about 1nm-5nm or 1nm-3 nm.

Where features or aspects of the disclosure may be described in terms of markush groups, those of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that the disclosure may also be described in terms of any individual member of a subgroup of members of such markush groups accordingly.

Terminology

Reference to the singular may include the plural and vice versa unless otherwise specified.

As used herein, relational terms such as "first" and "second", and numbered devices such as "a", "b", and the like, may be used solely to distinguish one entity or element from another entity or element without necessarily requiring or implying any physical or logical relationship or order between such entities or elements.

The terms "include" and "comprising" are used broadly and in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean "including, but not limited to. The terms "example" and "exemplary" may be used merely to identify examples for illustrative purposes and should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention to the examples set forth. In particular, the term "exemplary" should not be construed to mean or impart any complimentary, beneficial or other property in the sense of design, performance or otherwise to the expression employed.

Furthermore, the term "critical", particularly when used in reference to "critical nuclei", "critical nucleation rate", "critical concentration", "critical clusters", "critical monomers", "critical particle structure size" and/or "critical surface tension", may be a term familiar to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art, including referring to or being in a state in which some mass, property or phenomenon undergoes a definite change. Thus, the term "critical" should not be construed as representing or imparting any significance or importance to the expression used herein, whether in design, performance or otherwise.

The terms "coupled" and "connected," in any way, may be used to indicate a direct connection or an indirect connection via some interface, device, intermediate component, or connection, whether optically, electrically, mechanically, chemically, or otherwise.

When the term "on" or "over" and/or "covering" another component is used with respect to a first component relative to another component, it can be encompassed by the term "on" or "on" the other component as well as the term "on" the first component relative to the other component.

Unless otherwise indicated, directional terms such as "upward", "downward", "left" and "right" may be used to refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Similarly, terms such as "inwardly" and "outwardly" may be used to refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center, region or volume of the device, or designated portions thereof. Moreover, all dimensions described herein may be intended as examples for illustration of certain examples only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure to any examples that may deviate from the specified dimensions.

As used herein, the terms "substantially," "essentially," "approximately," and/or "about" may be used to represent and describe minor variations. When used in connection with an event or circumstance, such terms can refer to the instance in which the event or circumstance occurs accurately, as well as the instance in which the event or circumstance occurs in close proximity. As a non-limiting example, such terms, when used in conjunction with a numerical value, may refer to a range of variation of no more than about ±10% of such numerical value, for example no more than about: at least one of ± 5%, ±4%, ±3%, ±2%, ±1%, ±0.5%, ±0.1% or ± 0.05%.

As used herein, the phrase "consisting essentially of …" can be understood to include those elements specifically recited and any additional elements that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the technology, and the phrase "consisting of …" without use of any modifier can exclude any elements not specifically recited.

As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art, for any and all purposes, particularly in terms of providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein may also encompass any and all possible sub-ranges and/or combinations of sub-ranges thereof. Any listed range can be readily identified as sufficiently descriptive and/or such that the same range is at least broken down into its equivalent fractions, including but not limited to one-half, one-third, one-fourth, one-fifth, one-tenth, and so forth. As a non-limiting example, each of the ranges discussed herein can be readily broken down into a lower third, middle third, and/or upper third, etc.

As will also be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art, all languages and/or terms such as "up to," "at least," "greater than," "less than," etc. may include and/or refer to the ranges described, and may also refer to ranges that may be subsequently broken down into sub-ranges as discussed herein.

As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art, a range may include each individual member of the range.

General principle

The purpose of the abstract is to enable the relevant patent office or the public (typically and specifically, those skilled in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology) to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature of the technical disclosure. The abstract is neither intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, nor is it intended to be limiting in any way.

The structure, manufacture, and use of the presently disclosed examples have been discussed above. The specific examples discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the concepts disclosed herein and do not limit the scope of the application. Rather, the general principles set forth herein are merely illustrative of the scope of the disclosure.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is described by the claims rather than by the specific implementations provided, and that alternatives and/or equivalent functional elements may be modified by alterations, omissions, additions or substitutions, and/or use of the elements and/or limitations without departing from the scope of the disclosure, whether or not specifically disclosed herein, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art, and that many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts may be provided without departing from the disclosure.

In particular, features, techniques, systems, subsystems, and methods described and illustrated in at least one of the examples above, whether described as discrete or separate, may be combined or integrated into another system without departing from the scope of the present disclosure to create alternative examples consisting of combinations or subcombinations of features that may not be explicitly described above, or certain features may be omitted or not be implemented. Features suitable for such combinations and sub-combinations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the present application as a whole. Other examples of changes, substitutions, and alterations are readily ascertainable and can be made without departing from the spirit and scope disclosed herein.

All statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and examples of the disclosure, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof, as well as to cover and encompass all suitable variations of the technology. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.

Clause of (b)

The present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following clauses:

the device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterned coating comprises a patterned material.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the initial adhesion probability of the patterned coating to the deposition of the deposition material is not greater than the initial adhesion probability of the exposed layer surface to the deposition of the deposition material.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterned coating is substantially free of a capping layer of the deposited material.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least one of the patterned coating and the patterned material has an initial adhesion probability for deposition of the deposited material of not greater than about at least one of 0.9, 0.3, 0.2, 0.15, 0.1, 0.08, 0.05, 0.03, 0.02, 0.01, 0.008, 0.005, 0.003, 0.001, 0.0008, 0.0005, 0.0003, and 0.0001.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least one of the patterned coating and the patterned material has an initial adhesion probability for deposition of at least one of silver (Ag) and magnesium (Mg) of not greater than about 0.9, 0.3, 0.2, 0.15, 0.1, 0.08, 0.05, 0.03, 0.02, 0.01, 0.008, 0.005, 0.003, 0.001, 0.0008, 0.0005, 0.0003, and 0.0001.

According to at least one of the clauses herein, wherein at least one of the patterned coating and the patterned material has a thickness of about 0.15-0.0001, 0.1-0.0003, 0.08-0.0005, 0.08-0.0008, 0.05-0.001, 0.03-0.0001, 0.03-0.0003, 0.03-0.0005, 0.03-0.0008, 0.03-0.001, 0.03-0.005, 0.03-0.008, 0.03-0.01, 0.02-0.0001, 0.02-0.0003, 0.02-0.0005, 0.02-0.0008, 0.02-0.001, 0.02-0.005, 0.02-0.008 0.02-0.01, 0.01-0.0001, 0.01-0.0003, 0.01-0.0005, 0.01-0.0008, 0.01-0.001, 0.01-0.005, 0.01-0.008, 0.008-0.0001, 0.008-0.0003, 0.008-0.0005, 0.008-0.0008, 0.008-0.001, 0.008-0.005, 0.005-0.0001, 0.005-0.0003, 0.005-0.0005, 0.005-0.0008, and 0.005-0.001.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least one of the patterned coating and the patterned material has an initial adhesion probability for deposition of the deposited material that is no greater than a threshold value, the threshold value being at least one of about 0.3, 0.2, 0.18, 0.15, 0.13, 0.1, 0.08, 0.05, 0.03, 0.02, 0.01, 0.008, 0.005, 0.003, and 0.001.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least one of the patterned coating and the patterned material has an initial adhesion probability for deposition of at least one of Ag, mg, ytterbium (Yb), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn) that is not greater than the threshold.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the threshold has a first threshold for deposition of a first deposition material and a second threshold for deposition of a second deposition material.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the first deposited material is Ag and the second deposited material is Mg.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the first deposited material is Ag and the second deposited material is Yb.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the first deposited material is Yb and the second deposited material is Mg.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the first threshold exceeds the second threshold.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least one of the patterned coating and the patterned material has a transmittance of at least a threshold transmittance value for EM radiation after being subjected to the vapor flux 1832 of the deposited material.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the threshold transmittance is measured at a wavelength in the visible spectrum.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the threshold transmission value is at least one of about 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, and 90% of the incident EM power transmitted therethrough.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least one of the patterned coating and the patterned material has a surface energy of not greater than about at least one of 24 dynes/cm, 22 dynes/cm, 20 dynes/cm, 18 dynes/cm, 16 dynes/cm, 15 dynes/cm, 13 dynes/cm, 12 dynes/cm, and 11 dynes/cm.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least one of the patterned coating and the patterned material has a surface energy of at least about at least one of 6 dynes/cm, 7 dynes/cm, and 8 dynes/cm.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least one of the patterned coating and the patterned material has a surface energy of at least one of between about 10 dynes/cm-20 dynes/cm and 13 dynes/cm-19 dynes/cm.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least one of the patterned coating and the patterned material has a refractive index for EM radiation at 550nm wavelength of at least one of not greater than about 1.55, 1.5, 1.45, 1.43, 1.4, 1.39, 1.37, 1.35, 1.32, and 1.3.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least one of the patterned coating and the patterned material has an extinction coefficient of not greater than about 0.01 for photons having a wavelength of at least one of greater than about 600nm, 500nm, 460nm, 420nm, and 410 nm.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least one of the patterned coating and the patterned material has an extinction coefficient of at least about 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5 for EM radiation having a wavelength shorter than at least one of at least about 400nm, 390nm, 380nm, and 370 nm.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least one of the patterned coating and the patterned material has a glass transition temperature of not greater than at least one of about 300 ℃, 150 ℃, 130 ℃, 30 ℃, 0 ℃, 30 ℃ and-50 ℃.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterning material has a sublimation temperature of at least one of between about 100-320 ℃, 120-300 ℃, 140-280 ℃, and 150-250 ℃.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least one of the patterned coating and the patterned material comprises at least one of fluorine atoms and silicon atoms.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterned coating comprises fluorine and carbon.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the atomic ratio of fluorine to carbon is at least one of about 1, 1.5, and 2.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterned coating comprises an oligomer.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterned coating comprises a compound having a molecular structure comprising a backbone and at least one functional group bonded thereto.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the compound comprises at least one of: siloxane groups, silsesquioxane groups, aryl groups, heteroaryl groups, fluoroalkyl groups, hydrocarbon groups, phosphazene groups, fluoropolymers, and metal complexes.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the compound has a molecular weight of not greater than about at least one of 5,000g/mol, 4,500g/mol, 4,000g/mol, 3,800g/mol, and 3,500 g/mol.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the molecular weight is at least about: 1,500g/mol, 1,700g/mol, 2,000g/mol, 2,200g/mol and 2,500g/mol.

The device of at least one clause herein wherein the molecular weight is at least one of about 1,500g/mol to 5,000g/mol, 1,500g/mol to 4,500g/mol, 1,700g/mol to 4,500g/mol, 2,000g/mol to 4,000g/mol, 2,200g/mol to 4,000g/mol, and 2,500g/mol to 3,800 g/mol.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the percentage of the molar weight of the compound attributable to the presence of fluorine atoms is between about 40% -90%, 45% -85%, 50% -80%, 55% -75% and 60% -75% of at least one.

The device of at least one clause herein wherein fluorine atoms comprise a majority molar weight of the compound.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterning material comprises an organic-inorganic hybrid material.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterned coating has at least one nucleation site for depositing material.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterned coating is supplemented with a seed material that acts as nucleation sites for the deposited material.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the seed material comprises at least one of: nucleation Promoting Coating (NPC) materials, organic materials, polycyclic aromatic compounds, and materials comprising a nonmetallic element selected from at least one of oxygen (O), sulfur (S), nitrogen (N), and carbon (C).

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterned coating acts as an optical coating.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterned coating alters at least one of a property and a characteristic of EM radiation emitted by the device.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterned coating comprises a crystalline material.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterned coating is deposited as an amorphous material and crystallized after deposition.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited layer comprises a deposited material.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposition material comprises an element selected from at least one of: potassium (K), sodium (Na), lithium (Li), barium (Ba), cesium (Cs), ytterbium (Yb), silver (Ag), gold (Au), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), tin (Sn), and yttrium (Y).

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposition material comprises a pure metal.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposition material is selected from at least one of pure Ag and substantially pure Ag.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the substantially pure Ag has a purity of at least one of at least about 95%, 99%, 99.9%, 99.99%, 99.999%, and 99.9995%.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposition material is selected from at least one of pure Mg and substantially pure Mg.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the substantially pure Mg has a purity of at least one of at least about 95%, 99%, 99.9%, 99.99%, 99.999%, or 99.9995%.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited material comprises an alloy.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposition material comprises at least one of: ag-containing alloys, mg-containing alloys and AgMg-containing alloys.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the AgMg-containing alloy has an alloy composition in the range of 1:10 (Ag: mg) to about 10:1 by volume.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited material comprises at least one metal other than Ag.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited material comprises an alloy of Ag and at least one metal.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least one metal is selected from at least one of Mg and Yb.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the alloy is a binary alloy having a composition between about 5 vol% and 95 vol% Ag.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the alloy comprises a Yb: ag alloy having a composition between about 1:20-10:1 by volume.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited material comprises a Mg: yb alloy.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited material comprises an Ag-Mg-Yb alloy.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited layer comprises at least one additional element.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least one additional element is a nonmetallic element.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the nonmetallic element is selected from at least one of O, S, N and C.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the concentration of the nonmetallic element is not greater than at least one of about 1%, 0.1%, 0.01%, 0.001%, 0.0001%, 0.00001%, 0.000001%, and 0.0000001%.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited layer has a composition in which the combined amount of O and C is not greater than about 10%, 5%, 1%, 0.1%, 0.01%, 0.001%, 0.0001%, 0.00001%, 0.000001%, or 0.0000001%.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the nonmetallic element acts as a nucleation site for the deposited material on the NIC.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposition material and the underlying layer comprise a common metal.

The device of at least one clause herein, the deposited layer comprising a plurality of layers of the deposited material.

The device of at least one clause herein, the deposition material of a first layer of the plurality of layers being different from the deposition material of a second layer of the plurality of layers.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited layer comprises a multi-layer coating.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the multilayer coating is at least one of: yb/Ag, yb/Mg, ag, yb/Yb, yb/Ag/Mg and Yb/Mg/Ag.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited material comprises a material having a bond dissociation energy of not greater than about at least one of 300kJ/mol, 200kJ/mol, 165kJ/mol, 150kJ/mol, 100kJ/mol, 50kJ/mol, and 20 kJ/mol.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposition material comprises a metal having an electronegativity of not greater than at least one of about 1.4, 1.3, and 1.2.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited layer has a sheet resistance of not greater than about at least one of 10Ω/∈mΩ, 5Ω/∈mΩ, 0.5Ω/∈mΩ/∈m, 0.2Ω/∈m, and 0.1Ω/∈m.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited layer is disposed in a pattern defined by at least one region in which its encapsulating coating is substantially absent.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least one region separates the deposited layer into a plurality of discrete segments thereof.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least two discrete segments are electrically coupled.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterned coating has a boundary defined by patterned coating edges.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterned coating comprises at least one patterned coating transition region and a patterned coating non-transition portion.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least one patterned coating transition region transitions from a maximum thickness to a reduced thickness.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least one patterned coating transition region extends between the patterned coating non-transition portion and the patterned coating edge.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterned coating has an average film thickness in the non-transitional portion of the patterned coating in a range of at least one of about 1nm-100nm, 2nm-50nm, 3nm-30nm, 4nm-20nm, 5nm-15nm, 5nm-10nm, and 1nm-10 nm.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the thickness of the patterned coating in the non-transitional portion of the patterned coating is within at least one of about 95% and 90% of the average film thickness of the NIC.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the average film thickness is not greater than at least one of about 80nm, 60nm, 50nm, 40nm, 30nm, 20nm, 15nm, and 10nm.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the average film thickness exceeds at least one of about 3nm, 5nm, and 8 nm.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the average film thickness is not greater than about 10nm.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterned coating has a patterned coating thickness that decreases from a maximum value to a minimum value within the patterned coating transition region.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the maximum value is close to the boundary between the patterned coating transition region and the patterned coating non-transition portion.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the maximum value is a percentage of the average film thickness, the percentage being at least one of about 100%, 95%, and 90%.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the minimum value is near the patterned coating edge.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the minimum value is in the range of between about 0nm and 0.1 nm.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterned coating thickness has a profile that is at least one of sloped, tapered, and defined by a gradient.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the tapered profile follows at least one of a linear, nonlinear, parabolic, and exponential decay profile.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the non-transition width along the lateral axis of the patterned coating non-transition region exceeds the transition width along the axis of the patterned coating transition region.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the quotient of the non-transition width and the transition width is at least about: 5. 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 1,500, 5,000, 10,000, 50,000, or 100,000.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least one of the non-transitional width and the transitional width exceeds an average film thickness of the underlying layer.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least one of the non-transitional width and the transitional width exceeds an average film thickness of the patterned coating.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the average film thickness of the underlying layer exceeds the average film thickness of the patterned coating.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited layer has a boundary defined by a deposited layer edge.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited layer comprises at least one deposited layer transition region and a deposited layer non-transition portion.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least one deposited layer transition region transitions from a maximum thickness to a reduced thickness.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least one deposited layer transition region extends between the deposited layer non-transition portion and the deposited layer edge.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the average film thickness of the deposited layer in the non-transitional portion of the deposited layer is in a range of at least one of about 1nm-500nm, 5nm-200nm, 5nm-40nm, 10nm-30nm, and 10nm-100 nm.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the average film thickness exceeds at least one of about 10nm, 50nm, and 100 nm.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the average film thickness is substantially constant therebetween.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the average film thickness exceeds the average film thickness of the underlying layer.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the quotient of the average film thickness of the deposited layer and the average film thickness of the underlying layer is at least about at least one of 1.5, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the quotient is in a range of at least one of between about 0.1-10 and 0.2-40.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the average film thickness of the deposited layer exceeds the average film thickness of the patterned coating.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the quotient of the average film thickness of the deposited layer and the average film thickness of the patterned coating is at least about one of 1.5, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the quotient is in a range of at least one of between about 0.2-10 and 0.5-40.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposit non-transition width along the lateral axis of the deposit non-transition portion exceeds the patterned-coating non-transition width along the axis of the patterned-coating non-transition portion.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the quotient of the patterned coating non-transitional width and the deposited layer non-transitional width is between about at least one of 0.1-10, 0.2-5, 0.3-3, and 0.4-2.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the quotient of the deposited layer non-transitional width and the patterned coating non-transitional width is at least one of 1, 2, 3, and 4.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited layer non-transitional width exceeds the average film thickness of the deposited layer.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited layer non-transitional width is at least about at least one of 10, 50, 100, and 500 as a quotient of the average film thickness.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the quotient is not greater than about 100,000.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited layer has a deposited layer thickness that decreases from a maximum value to a minimum value in the deposited layer transition region.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the maximum value is close to a boundary between the deposited layer transition region and the deposited layer non-transition portion.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the maximum value is the average film thickness.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the minimum value is near the deposited layer edge.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the minimum value is the average film thickness.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the profile of the deposited layer thickness is at least one of oblique, tapered, and defined by a gradient.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited layer comprises a discontinuous layer in at least a portion of the deposited layer transition region.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the deposited layer overlaps the patterned coating in an overlapping portion.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the patterned coating overlaps the deposited layer in an overlapping portion.

The device of at least one clause herein, further comprising at least one particle structure disposed on the exposed layer surface of the underlying layer.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the underlying layer is the patterned coating.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least one particle structure comprises a particulate material.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the particulate material is the same as the deposited material.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least two of the particulate material, the deposited material, and the material comprising the underlying layer comprise a common metal.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the particulate material comprises an element selected from at least one of: potassium (K), sodium (Na), lithium (Li), barium (Ba), cesium (Cs), ytterbium (Yb), silver (Ag), gold (Au), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), tin (Sn), and yttrium (Y).

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the particulate material comprises a pure metal.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the particulate material is selected from at least one of pure Ag and substantially pure Ag.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the particulate material is selected from at least one of pure Mg and substantially pure Mg.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the particulate material comprises an alloy.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the particulate material comprises at least one of: ag-containing alloys, mg-containing alloys and AgMg-containing alloys.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the particulate material comprises at least one metal other than Ag.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the particulate material comprises an alloy of Ag and at least one metal.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the particulate material comprises a Mg: yb alloy.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the particulate material comprises an Ag-Mg-Yb alloy.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least one particle structure comprises at least one additional element.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least one particle structure has a composition in which the combined amount of O and C is not greater than about 10%, 5%, 1%, 0.1%, 0.01%, 0.001%, 0.0001%, 0.00001%, 0.000001%, or 0.0000001%.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least one particle is disposed at an interface between the patterned coating and at least one cover layer in the device.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least one particle is in physical contact with the exposed layer surface of the patterned coating.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least one particle structure affects at least one optical property of the device.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least one optical property is controlled by selecting at least one property of the at least one particle structure selected from at least one of: feature size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, and composition.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least one property of the at least one particle structure is controlled by selecting at least one of: at least one characteristic of the patterned material, an average film thickness of the patterned coating, at least one non-uniformity in the patterned coating, and a deposition environment of the patterned coating, the deposition environment selected from at least one of temperature, pressure, duration, deposition rate, and deposition process.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein at least one property of the at least one particle structure is controlled by selecting at least one of: at least one characteristic of the particulate material, a degree to which the patterned coating is exposed to the deposition of the particulate material, a thickness of the discontinuous layer, and a deposition environment of the particulate material, the deposition environment selected from at least one of temperature, pressure, duration, deposition rate, and deposition process.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least one particle structure is disconnected from each other.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least one particle structure forms a discontinuous layer.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the discontinuous layer is disposed in a pattern defined by at least one region in which the at least one particle structure is substantially absent.

The device according to at least one clause herein, wherein the characteristics of the discontinuous layer are determined by evaluation according to at least one criterion selected from at least one of: feature size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, configuration, surface coverage, deposition distribution, dispersity, presence of aggregation, and extent of such aggregation.

The device according to at least one clause herein, wherein the evaluating is performed by determining at least one attribute of the discontinuous layer by applying an imaging technique selected from at least one of: electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the evaluation is performed within a range defined by at least one observation window.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the at least one viewing window is located at least one of a perimeter, an interior location, and grid coordinates of the lateral orientation.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the viewing window corresponds to a field of view of an applied imaging technique.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the viewing window corresponds to a magnification level selected from at least one of 2.00 μιη, 1.00 μιη, 500nm, and 200 nm.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the evaluating incorporates at least one of: manual counting, curve fitting, polygon fitting, shape fitting, and estimation techniques.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the evaluating incorporates manipulation of at least one selected from: average, median, mode, maximum, minimum, probability, statistics, and data calculations.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the characteristic dimension is determined by at least one of a mass, a volume, a diameter, a perimeter, a major axis, and a minor axis of the at least one particle structure.

The device of at least one clause herein, wherein the dispersity is determined by:

wherein:

n is the number of particles in the sample region,

S _i is the (area) size of the ith particle,

Is the numerical average of the particle (area) size; and is also provided with

Is the average value of the (area) dimensions of the particle (area) dimensions.

Accordingly, the specification and examples disclosed therein are to be considered exemplary only, with the true scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following numbered claims.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device having a plurality of layers deposited on a substrate and extending in at least one lateral direction defined by a lateral axis thereof, the semiconductor device comprising:

at least one particulate structure, the at least one particulate structure comprising a particulate material;

the at least one particle structure is disposed on the exposed layer surface of the underlying layer; and is also provided with

The particulate material is contacted with a contact material selected from at least one of:

seed material,

Co-depositing a dielectric material, and

at least one patterning material.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one particle structure is disposed in a discontinuous layer on the underlying layer.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the at least one particle structure in at least a central portion of the discontinuous layer has a common characteristic selected from at least one of: size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, material, degree of aggregation, and other properties.

4. A device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the discontinuous layer is provided on a patterned coating comprising the at least one patterned material.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the discontinuous layer extends substantially across the entire lateral extent of the patterned coating.

6. The device of claim 4 or 5, wherein the patterned coating has at least one nucleation site for the particulate material.

7. The device of any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the patterned coating is supplemented with a seed material that acts as nucleation sites for the particulate material.

8. The device of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the particulate material comprises at least one of: silver, ytterbium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, lithium, barium, cesium, gold, copper, aluminum, zinc, cadmium, tin, yttrium, alloys of any combination of any of the foregoing, and any combination of any of the foregoing.

9. The device of any of claims 1-8, wherein the underlying layer is selected from at least one of: electron transport layer, electron injection layer, metal, alloy, metal oxide, and any combination of any of the foregoing.

10. The device of any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising at least one overlayer deposited on the at least one particle structure and the underlying layer.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one overlayer comprises at least one of:

a capping layer (CPL); and

a cover layer selected from at least one of: an outcoupling layer, a CPL, a thin film encapsulation layer, a polarizing layer, lithium fluoride, an air gap, and any combination of any of the foregoing.

12. The device of claim 10 or 11, wherein the at least one upper cladding layer has a refractive index that exceeds the refractive index of the underlying layer.

13. The device of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the at least one particle structure is disposed in a laterally oriented first portion of the device.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the first portion corresponds to at least a portion of a signal transmission region.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the device is adapted to accept at least one EM signal passing through the signal transmissive region for exchange with at least one display lower component.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the at least one display lower component comprises at least one of: a receiver adapted to receive; and an emitter adapted to emit the at least one EM signal through the signal transmissive region at a non-zero angle to the underlying layer.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the transmitter transmits a first EM signal and the receiver detects a second EM signal that is a reflection of the first EM signal.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the exchange of the first EM signal and the second EM signal provides biometric authentication of a user.

19. The device of any of claims 15 to 18, wherein the device forms a display panel of a user equipment, the display panel surrounding the display lower part.

20. The device of any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein the laterally oriented second portion of the device is substantially free of the at least one particle structure.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the device is an optoelectronic device and the second portion corresponds to at least one emission region thereof for emitting the at least one EM signal passing through the signal transmission region at a non-zero angle to the underlying layer.

22. A device according to any one of claims 13 to 21, wherein the device is an optoelectronic device and the first portion corresponds to at least one emission region thereof.

23. The device of claim 21 or 22, further comprising at least one semiconductive layer disposed on one of its layers, wherein:

each emission region includes a first electrode and a second electrode;

the first electrode is disposed between the substrate and the at least one semiconductive layer, and

the at least one semiconductive layer is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

24. The device of any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein the seed material is deposited as at least one seed in a template layer on the underlying layer and is adapted to promote coalescence of the particulate material therearound to form the at least one particulate structure.

25. The device of any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein the seed material is selected from at least one of: ytterbium, silver, metals, materials having high wetting properties relative to the particulate material, nucleation promoting coating materials, organic materials, polycyclic aromatic compounds, and materials comprising a nonmetallic element selected from at least one of oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon, and any combination of any of the foregoing.

26. The device of any one of claims 1 to 25, wherein the co-deposited dielectric material is co-deposited with the particulate material and is adapted to promote formation of the particulate material and the co-deposited dielectric material to form the at least one particulate structure.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the co-deposited dielectric material is selected from at least one of: organic materials, semiconductors, organic semiconductors, and any combination of any of the foregoing.

28. The device of claim 26 or 27, wherein a ratio of the particulate material to the co-deposited dielectric material is between at least one of about 50:1-5:1, 30:1-5:1, and 20:1-10:1.

29. The device of any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein a ratio of the particulate material to the co-deposited dielectric material is at least one of about 50:1, 45:1, 40:1, 35:1, 30:1, 25:1, 20:1, 19:1, 15:1, 12.5:1, 10:1, 7.5:1, and 5:1.

30. The device of any of claims 26 to 29, wherein the co-deposited dielectric material has an initial adhesion probability for deposition of the particulate material of less than 1.

31. The device of any one of claims 1 to 30, wherein the at least one patterning material is deposited on the underlying layer to promote formation of the particulate material into the at least one particulate structure.

32. The device of any one of claims 1 to 31, wherein the at least one particle structure is disposed on an exposed layer surface of a patterned coating comprising the at least one patterning material.

33. The device of any one of claims 1 to 32, wherein the at least one particle structure is surrounded by a patterned coating comprising the at least one patterned material.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein the at least one particle structure is disposed on an interface between the underlying layer and the patterned coating.

35. The device of any one of claims 1 to 34, wherein the at least one patterning material has an initial adhesion probability for deposition of the particulate material thereon of at least one of:

not more than 0.3, and

less than the initial adhesion probability of the material comprising the underlying layer to the deposition of the particulate material thereon.

36. The device of any one of claims 1 to 35, wherein the at least one patterning material has an initial adhesion probability for deposition of the particulate material of at least one of no greater than 0.9, 0.3, 0.2, 0.15, 0.1, 0.08, 0.05, 0.03, 0.02, 0.01, 0.008, 0.005, 0.003, 0.001, 0.0008, 0.0005, 0.0003, and 0.0001.

37. The device of any one of claim 1 to 36, wherein the at least one patterning material has a composition of about 0.15-0.0001, 0.1-0.0003, 0.08-0.0005, 0.08-0.0008, 0.05-0.001, 0.03-0.0001, 0.03-0.0003, 0.03-0.0005, 0.03-0.0008, 0.03-0.001, 0.03-0.005, 0.03-0.008, 0.03-0.01, 0.02-0.0001, 0.02-0.0003, 0.02-0.0005, 0.02-0.0008, 0.02-0.001, 0.02-0.005, 0.02-0.008, 0.02-0.01 0.01-0.0001, 0.01-0.0003, 0.01-0.0005, 0.01-0.0008, 0.01-0.001, 0.01-0.005, 0.01-0.008, 0.008-0.0001, 0.008-0.0003, 0.008-0.0005, 0.008-0.0008, 0.008-0.001, 0.008-0.005, 0.005-0.0001, 0.005-0.0003, 0.005-0.0005, 0.005-0.0008, and 0.005-0.001.

38. The device of any one of claims 1-37, wherein the at least one patterning material has a surface energy of no greater than about at least one of 24 dynes/cm, 22 dynes/cm, 20 dynes/cm, 18 dynes/cm, 16 dynes/cm, 15 dynes/cm, 13 dynes/cm, 12 dynes/cm, and 11 dynes/cm.

39. The device of any one of claims 1 to 38, wherein the at least one patterning material has a surface energy of at least about 6 dynes/cm, 7 dynes/cm, and 8 dynes/cm.

40. The device of any one of claims 1 to 39, wherein the at least one patterning material has a surface energy of at least one of between about 10 dynes/cm-20 dynes/cm and 13 dynes/cm-19 dynes/cm.

41. The device of any one of claims 1 to 40, wherein the at least one patterning material has a refractive index of not greater than about at least one of 1.55, 1.5, 1.45, 1.43, 1.4, 1.39, 1.37, 1.35, 1.32, and 1.3 for electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength of 550 nm.

42. The device of any one of claims 1 to 41, wherein the at least one patterned material has an extinction coefficient of no greater than about 0.01 for electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of at least one of about 600nm, 500nm, 460nm, 420nm, and 410 nm.

43. The device of any one of claims 1 to 42, wherein the at least one patterning material has an extinction coefficient of at least one of about 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5 for electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength shorter than at least one of about 400nm, 390nm, 380nm, and 370 nm.

44. The device of any one of claims 1 to 43, wherein the at least one patterning material has a glass transition temperature of at least one of not greater than about 300 ℃, 150 ℃, 130 ℃, 30 ℃, 0 ℃, 30 ℃ and 50 ℃.

45. The device of any one of claims 1 to 44, wherein the at least one patterning material has a sublimation temperature of at least one of between about 100 ℃ -320 ℃, 120 ℃ -300 ℃, 140 ℃ -280 ℃ and 150 ℃ -250 ℃.

46. The device of any of claims 1-45, wherein the patterning material comprises at least one of fluorine atoms and silicon atoms.

47. The device of any one of claims 1 to 46, wherein the patterning material comprises fluorine and carbon.

48. The device of claim 47, wherein the atomic ratio of fluorine to carbon is at least one of about 1, 1.5, and 2.

49. The device of any one of claims 1 to 48, wherein the patterning material comprises an oligomer.

50. The device of any one of claims 1 to 49, wherein the patterning material comprises a compound having a molecular structure comprising a backbone and at least one functional group bonded thereto.

51. The device of claim 50, wherein the compound comprises at least one of: siloxane groups, silsesquioxane groups, aryl groups, heteroaryl groups, fluoroalkyl groups, hydrocarbon groups, phosphazene groups, fluoropolymers, and metal complexes.

52. The device of claim 50 or 51, wherein the molecular weight of the compound is no greater than about at least one of 5,000g/mol, 4,500g/mol, 4,000g/mol, 3,800g/mol, and 3,500 g/mol.

53. The device of claim 52, wherein the molecular weight is at least about 1,500g/mol, 1,700g/mol, 2,000g/mol, 2,200g/mol, and 2,500g/mol.

54. The device of claim 52 or 53, wherein the molecular weight is at least one of about 1,500g/mol-5,000g/mol, 1,500g/mol-4,500g/mol, 1,700g/mol-4,500g/mol, 2,000g/mol-4,000g/mol, 2,200g/mol-4,000g/mol, and 2,500g/mol-3,800 g/mol.

55. The device of any one of claims 50-54, wherein the percentage of molar weight of the compound attributable to the presence of fluorine atoms is between about 40% -90%, 45% -85%, 50% -80%, 55% -75% and 60% -75% of at least one.

56. The device of any one of claims 50 to 55, wherein fluorine atoms comprise a majority of the molar weight of the compound.

57. The device of any one of claims 1 to 56, wherein the at least one patterning material comprises an organic-inorganic hybrid material.

58. The device of any of claims 1-57, wherein the at least one patterning material comprises a first patterning material having a first initial adhesion probability and a second patterning material having a second initial adhesion probability that exceeds the first initial adhesion probability.

59. The device of claim 58, wherein the second patterning material comprises at least one of: nucleation promoting coating material, electron transport layer material, liq, lithium fluoride, organic material, polyaromatic compound, material comprising a nonmetallic element selected from at least one of oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon, and any combination of any of the foregoing.

60. The device of claim 58 or 59, wherein the first patterning material is a nucleation inhibiting coating material.

61. The device of any one of claims 1 to 60, wherein the at least one patterned material has a first surface energy that is no greater than a second surface energy of the particulate material.

62. The device of any one of claims 1 to 61, wherein the at least one particle imparts an optical response to electromagnetic radiation incident thereon, the optical response being selected from a change in a property of the device, the property being at least one of absorption, scattering, resonance, crystallization, refractive index, and extinction coefficient of the radiation.

63. The device of claim 62, wherein the change in absorption is selected from the group consisting of an increase, decrease, peak intensity, and shift in wavelength thereof.

64. The device of claim 62 or 63, wherein the optical response affects a wavelength range of the radiation selected from at least one of: visible spectrum, infrared (IR) spectrum, near Infrared (NIR) spectrum, ultraviolet (UV) spectrum, UVA spectrum, UVB spectrum, sub-ranges thereof, and any combination of any of the foregoing.

65. The device of any one of claims 62 to 64, wherein the optical response is affected by a characteristic of the at least one particle selected from at least one of: the at least one particle structure has a characteristic size, length, width, diameter, height, size distribution, shape, surface coverage, configuration, deposition density, dispersity, material, degree of aggregation, and other properties.

66. The device of claim 65, wherein the at least one particle structure has a feature size of no greater than about 200 nm.

67. The device of claim 65 or 66, wherein the at least one particle structure has a characteristic diameter of at least one of between about 1nm-200nm, 1nm-160nm, 1nm-100nm, 1nm-50nm, and 1nm-30 nm.

68. The device of any one of claims 65 to 67, wherein the at least one particle structure comprises at least one first particle structure having a first characteristic size range and at least one second particle structure having a second characteristic size range.

69. The device of claim 68, wherein the first range is selected from at least one of about 1nm-49nm, 10nm-40nm, 5nm-30nm, 10nm-30nm, 15nm-35nm, 20nm-35nm, and 25nm-35nm, and the second range is selected from at least one of: at least 50nm, and at least one of about 50nm-250nm, 50nm-200nm, 60nm-150nm, 60nm-100nm, and 60nm-90 nm.

70. The device of any one of claims 62 to 69, wherein the optical response is affected by layer properties of a layer proximate the at least one particle structure.

71. The device of claim 70, wherein the layer characteristics comprise at least one of: material, layer thickness, refractive index, deposition environment selected from at least one of temperature, pressure, duration, deposition rate, and processes thereof, and any combination of any of the foregoing.

72. The device of any one of claims 62 to 71, wherein the radiation engages the device along an optical path in at least a first direction, the first direction being at a non-zero angle to a plane of the underlying layer.

73. The device of any one of claims 62-72, wherein the radiation is at least one of: emitted by the device, incident on the device, and at least partially transmitted through the device.

74. A method for controllably selecting the formation of at least one granular structure on an underlying layer during the fabrication of a semiconductor device having a plurality of layers, the method comprising the acts of:

depositing at least one layer, including the underlying layer; and

exposing the exposed layer surface of the underlying layer to a flux of particulate material such that the particulate material is in contact with a contact material selected from at least one of:

seed material,

Co-depositing a dielectric material, and

at least one patterning material;

wherein the particulate material coalesces to provide the at least one particulate structure on the underlying layer.

75. The method according to claim 74, further comprising the act of covering said at least one particle structure and said underlying layer with at least one overlayer.

76. The method of claim 74 or 75, wherein the act of exposing is preceded by an act of restricting the formation of the at least one particle structure to a laterally oriented first portion of the device.

77. The method of claim 76, wherein the act of restricting comprises an act of restricting the exposure of the flux to the first portion.

78. The method of claim 76 or 77, wherein the act of confining comprises an act of seeding the seed material in a template layer on the underlying layer in the first portion.

79. The method of any one of claims 76 to 78, wherein the act of restricting comprises an act of applying the at least one patterning material in a patterned coating onto the underlying layer in the first portion.

80. The method of any of claims 74-79, wherein the act of applying includes inserting a shadow mask between the at least one patterning material and the underlying layer while applying the at least one patterning material.

81. The method of any one of claims 74 to 80, wherein the exposing comprises co-depositing the particulate material with the co-deposited dielectric material.

82. The method of any of claims 74-81, wherein the exposing act comprises at least one of: open mask deposition and maskless deposition.