Process for Making a Metal Containiner Layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019006611-A1
Application number	US-201615774639-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 10, 2016
Priority date	Nov 10, 2015
Publication date	Jan 3, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Process for preparing a metal containing layer, the process comprising (i) at least one step of co-vaporization, at a pressure which is lower than 10−2 Pa, of a) at least one first metal selected from Li, Na, K, Rb and Cs and b) at least one second metal selected Mg, Zn, Hg, Cd and Te from a metal alloy provided in a first vaporization source which is heated to a temperature between 100° C. and 600° C., and (ii) at least one subsequent step of deposition of the first metal on a surface having a temperature which is below the temperature of the first vaporization source, wherein in step (i), the alloy is provided at least partly in form of a homogeneous phase comprising the first metal and the second metal, electronic devices comprising such materials and process for preparing the same.

First claim

1 . Process for preparing a metal containing layer, the process comprising
(i) at least one step of co-vaporization, at a pressure which is lower than 10 −2 Pa, of
a) at least one first metal selected from Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs and
b) at least one second metal selected Mg, Zn, Hg, Cd, and Te
from a metal alloy provided in a first vaporization source which is heated to a temperature between 100° C. and 600° C., and (ii) at least one subsequent step of deposition of the first metal on a surface having a temperature which is below the temperature of the first vaporization source, wherein in step (i), the alloy is provided at least partly in form of a homogeneous phase comprising the first metal and the second metal.

2 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein step (i) further comprises co-vaporization, at a pressure which is lower than 10 −2 Pa, of at least one substantially covalent matrix compound from a substantially covalent matrix material provided in a second vaporization source, wherein the second vaporization source is heated to a temperature between 100° C. and 600° C.; and
wherein, in step (ii), the at least one substantially covalent matrix compound is co-deposited on the surface having a temperature which is below the temperature of the first vaporization source and below the temperature of the second vaporization source.

3 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein, in step (ii), the second metal is co-deposited with the first metal and, if present, with the substantially covalent matrix compound on the surface.

4 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the first vaporization source is lower than the melting point of the metal alloy.

5 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the metal alloy has the melting point which is higher than any of the first metal and/or the second metal.

6 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the total amount of the first metal is less than 95 weight %, with respect to the total amount of the first and the second metal in the alloy.

7 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein with respect to total amount of the first metal and of the second metal in the alloy, the total amount of the first metal is at least 0.01 weight %.

8 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the first metal is sodium and/or the second metal is zinc.

9 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the first metal is lithium and/or the second metal is magnesium.

10 . Process according to claim 2 , wherein the substantially covalent matrix compound is an organic matrix compound.

11 . Process for preparing an electronic device comprising at least two distinct layers sandwiched between a first electrode and a second electrode and, optionally, other parts of the device arranged outside the space between the electrodes, wherein at least one of the distinct layers comprises
(a) at least one first metal selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs, and, optionally, (ba) at least one second metal selected from the group consisting of Mg, Zn, Hg, Cd, and Te, and/or (bb) at least one substantially covalent matrix compound, the process comprising the steps:
(i) providing subsequently the first electrode and, if present in the device, the layers arranged between the first electrode and the layer comprising the first metal,
(ii) providing the layer containing the first metal by the process according to claim 1 , and
(iii) providing, if present in the device, the remaining layers between the layer comprising the first metal and the second electrode, the second electrode, and, if present, any other parts of the device arranged outside the space between the electrodes.

12 . An electronic device comprising at least two distinct layers sandwiched between a first electrode and a second electrode and, optionally, other parts of the device arranged outside the space between the electrodes, wherein at least one of the distinct layers comprises
(a) at least one first metal selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs, (b) at least one second metal selected from the group consisting of Mg, Zn, Hg, Cd, and Te, and, optionally, (c) at least one substantially covalent matrix compound, obtainable by a process comprising the steps (i) providing subsequently the first electrode and, if present in the device, the layers arranged between the first electrode and the layer comprising the first metal, (ii) providing the layer containing the first metal by the process according to claim 3 , and (iii) providing, if present in the device, the remaining layers between the layer comprising the first metal and the second electrode, and, if present, any other parts of the device arranged outside the space between the electrodes.

13 . A metal containing layer containing at least one first metal selected from Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs, at least one second metal selected from Mg, Zn, Cd, Hg, and Te and, optionally, at least one substantially covalent matrix compound,
the layer substantially free of components which are more volatile than the most volatile component selected from (i) the first metal comprised in the layer, (ii) the second metal comprised in the layer and (iii) the substantially covalent matrix compound comprised in the layer, wherein the layer is obtained by the process according to claim 3 .

14 . The metal containing layer according to claim 13 , wherein with respect to overall weight of the layer, the total amount of the first metal in the layer is at least 0.01 weight %.

15 . The metal containing layer according to claim 13 , wherein the layer is metallic, and the content of the second metal in the layer is at least 80 weight %.

16 . Use of a metal alloy, the alloy comprising at least one homogeneous phase comprising at least one first metal selected from Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs and at least one second metal selected from Mg, Zn, Cd, Hg, and Te, for preparation of a layer containing the first metal and/or for preparation of an electronic device comprising the layer containing the first metal.

17 . An electronic device comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and, arranged between the first and the second electrode, at least one layer comprising a substantially covalent matrix compound, wherein the device comprises at least one layer comprising
(i) lithium and magnesium in substantially elemental form and, (ii) optionally, at least one substantially covalent matrix compound.

18 . The electronic device according to claim 18 , selected from an organic electroluminescent device and organic photovoltaic device.

19 . The organic electroluminescent device according to claim 18 , wherein the layer comprising lithium and magnesium in substantially elemental form is an electron injection layer, an electron transport layer, or a charge generating layer.

20 . Use of an alloy comprising lithium and magnesium for preparation of an electronic device according to claim 17 .

Assignees

• Novaled Gmbh

Inventors

• Kalisz Tomas
• Cardinali Francois
• Ganier Jerome
• Gölfert Uwe
• Jankus Vygintas
• Rothe Carsten
• Schulze Benjamin
• Willmann Steffen

Classifications

• Y02E10/549

  Organic PV cells · CPC title

• C22C24/00

  Alloys based on an alkali or an alkaline earth metal · CPC title

• C23C14/14

  Metallic material, boron or silicon · CPC title

• H01L51/002

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L51/5092

  Electricity · mapped topic