57
Novel
Light Extraction Enhancements for OLED Lighting--Universal
Display Corporation,
Dr. Michael Lu, Principal
Investigator,
Ms.
Janice K. Mahon, Business Official,
DOE
Grant No. DE-FG02-03ER83812
Amount:
$100,000
Because general lighting is responsible for more than
20% of the energy consumption in the U.S., new broadband white-lighting sources
are sought that offer significant gains in power efficiency and color quality,
with less environmental impact than traditional incandescent and fluorescent
lights. Highly-efficient,
phosphorescent organic light-emitting devices (PHOLEDs) are a candidate
technology, but significant engineering challenges remain in order to make
significant inroads into general illumination.
Currently, low-cost polymer micro lens arrays, fabricated in a simple
rapid-molding process, can be attached to most OLED glass substrates after they
have been produced. Based on this
technique, this project will demonstrate and develop a novel outcoupling scheme
to enhance the light extraction efficiency of a white-emitting organic
light-emitting device (OLED). In
Phase I, significantly improved light extraction from a white-emitting PHOLED
light source will be demonstrated using an attached flattened lens array.
The devices will be characterized, and optical modeling will be performed
to assist in the optimization of lens configuration.
Finally, the economic feasibility of transferring this approach to a
plastic substrate will be demonstrated.
Commercial
Applications and Other Benefits as described by awardee:
An energy-efficient, long-lived,
solid-state white organic light-emitting device (OLED) should find application
in diffuse lighting applications for the commercial, residential, and industrial
sectors. Based on novel features
that include its thin, lightweight form, this product also should find used in
novel architectural, automotive, and wearable electronic applications.