Development of reliable technique for evaluating the properties of water vapor barriers

Abstract

A reliable technique for evaluating a barrier film, which is a key component used to encapsulate flexible organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), is required to reliably appraise the lifetimes of such devices. The water vapor transmission rates (WVTR) is commonly used as an indication for a barrier film. In this paper, the variables affecting WVTR measurements were investigated because the results of such evaluations typically vary widely even at a level of 10-3 g m-2 day-1 at 40 °C and 90% relative humidity (RH). The reference films used for comparative measurements were prepared to eliminate the influence of the differences between individual barrier films. The measurement procedures were carefully investigated by using three WVTR measurement systems, which are based on different principles and different detectors. Consistency between the systems in terms of the WVTR was achieved at a level of 10-5 g m-2 day-1 at 40 °C and 90%RH. These results prove the reliability of not only our evaluation but also of these three systems, provided the measurements are performed correctly. The lag time was also analyzed to determine those factors that can affect the measurement time. It was found that the time required for a system to reach the adsorption-desorption equilibrium state can affect the measurement time.