Permeation rate measurements by electrical analysis of calcium corrosion

Highly sensitive permeation measurements are crucial for the characterization and development of polymeric substrates for flexible display applications. In particular, organic light-emitting devices require substrates with extremely low permeation rates for water and oxygen. Here we demonstrate a concept for measuring ultralow permeation rates. The amount of oxidative degradation in a thin Ca sensor is monitored by in situ resistance measurements. The benefits of this technique are demonstrated for polyester foils with single- and double-sided barrier coatings. A sensitivity limit is imposed by the quality of the encapsulation. The resulting base line contribution to the water vapor transmission rate of a glass reference is below 10(-6) g/m(2) day at accelerated test conditions. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.