Patent ID: 7074501

Claim:
An organic light emitting or photovoltaic device in which organic semi-conductors are encased in a barrier envelope, said envelope comprising a multilayer structure comprising: i) an organic self-supporting substrate layer having a thickness of 50 Î¼m to 5,000 Î¼m, and ii) a multilayer permeation barrier thereon, said barrier comprising: a) a first inorganic coating contacting a surface of said substrate layer, said inorganic coating being impermeable to gases, when formed as a continuous coating but exhibiting discontinuity-controlled permeability through inadvertent discontinuities in the inorganic coating, said first inorganic coating having a thickness of 45 nm to 350 nm, and b) a first organic coating contacting a surface of said first inorganic coating, said organic coating exhibiting diffusion controlled permeation of water vapor and oxygen.