8. SOLID-STATE LIGHTING

 

Today, solid-state lighting (SSL) products fall short of performance requirements needed to meet the complex demands of the general illumination market.  The DOE, in collaboration with the Next Generation Lighting Industry Association (NGLIA), industry stakeholders, and other Federal Agencies, have developed and published a detailed understanding of many of the contributing “core” technologies that are thought to limit the attainment of the DOE’s goals for solid-state lighting (SSL), particularly with respect to light emitting diodes (LEDs) and organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs).  Subtopics a, b, and c are concerned with some of the highest priority research areas:  (1) increasing the external quantum efficiency of LEDs and OLEDs, (2) improving thermal management and increasing device performance of high brightness LEDs, and (3) improving device life-times for LEDs and OLEDs.  Due to the anticipated basic nature of proposed projects, the end product may be intellectual property that would be available for license to a third party or may support an existing business relationship with a manufacturing partner.  In such cases, the grant application should provide details about the potential IP relationship. 

 

Subtopic d is concerned with the application of solid-state lighting to photovoltaic (PV) devices (or other renewable resources) to yield off-grid SSL products or lighting products that are not powered by electricity supplied from the utility grid.  For this subtopic, grant applications must include:  (1) a detailed product development plan that results in the introduction of a commercially viable product at the conclusion of Phase III (not supported by the DOE or by the SBIR program); (2) a clear description of how the preliminary concept feasibility proven in Phase I will lead to a more advanced product developed during Phase II and ultimately, in commercialization during Phase III; and (3) a detailed energy conservation comparison that quantitatively illustrates exactly how the proposed product will offer an energy efficient alternative to a product currently serving the general illumination market (within the U.S. buildings sector or on relevant properties).  Preference will be given to commercialization plans that emphasize domestic manufacturing and/or use of domestic components and labor.  Applications that fail to address all of the above criteria will not be considered for award. 

 

Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics. 

 

 

a. External Quantum Efficiency Improvement for LEDs and OLEDs—Internal quantum efficiencies of both LEDs and OLEDs are increasing rapidly, to the point where out-coupling or External Quantum Efficiency (EQE) is thought to limit the near-term manufacture of practical devices with high device efficacies.  Grant applications are sought to explore and demonstrate novel, practical, and manufacturable methods to increase the EQE of selected materials systems.  The chosen system must already possess a demonstrated high Internal Quantum Efficiency (IQE), and the approach must seek to demonstrate a quantifiable increase in device efficiency.  This increase must be demonstrated without compromise to any fundamental characteristic of the subject materials system or device architecture, such as emissive spectrum or IQE.  Grant applications must:  (1) succinctly describe the envisioned EQE increase, (2) demonstrate a clear understanding of the subject challenge, (3) include a detailed plan showing exactly how proof-of-principle will be made during Phase I, and (4) present an approach that is fundamentally viable.  Grant applications that seek to simply evaluate and study the opportunity space associated with this area of research will not be considered for award, nor will grant applications concerned with photonic crystals or resonant cavities (which are examples of related work that previously has been explored).  Only new approaches, which build upon prior research or represent a totally new research direction, will be considered.      

 

Questions - contact Rick Orrison (Richard.orrison@hq.doe.gov)

 

 

b. Thermal Management for High Brightness LEDs—High brightness (HB) LEDs, which have demonstrated promise for general illumination applications, are limited by how much heat can be conducted away from the chip and the package.  Innovations in heat transfer strategies, or in the materials used for substrates or packaging, may provide chip and device designers an opportunity to create even more powerful devices, which operate at higher current levels without suffering catastrophic thermal failures.  These innovations may include materials or films with high thermal capacity or high thermal transport, or structures with higher temperature tolerance.  Grant applications must include:  (1) a clear and concise explanation of the proposed innovation, (2) a detailed quantitative estimate of the likely increase in device performance if proof-of-principle is demonstrated in Phase I.  Theoretical model predictions are acceptable as Phase I deliverables; however, grant applications concerned with the development of advanced thermal models are not of interest and will be declined.

 

Questions - contact Rick Orrison (Richard.orrison@hq.doe.gov)

 

 

c. Lifetime Issues for LEDs and OLEDs—High brightness LEDs and OLEDs intended for SSL have limited lifetimes, particularly when operated at the high current densities required for general illumination applications.  The technical reasons for the limited lifetimes are very different for LEDs and OLEDs.  For HB phosphor conversion LEDs, thermal issues and phosphor degradation are the predominant mechanisms for device failure.  For OLEDs, issues associated with contaminants and defects are thought to cause early failures.  Grant applications are sought to develop technology that will significantly and positively impact device lifetimes.  Approaches of interest include the development of unique materials, device designs, or any other method for achieving significant improvements to practical device lifetimes.  Also of interest is the development of advanced theoretical knowledge or computational models that could be used by other researchers to develop devices with improved performance.  Grant applications must:  (1) identify specific mechanisms that will result in desired device lifetime improvements without compromising efficacy or other performance metrics, and (2) include detailed lifetime estimates.   

 

Questions - contact Rick Orrison (Richard.orrison@hq.doe.gov)

 

 

d. Off-grid SSL Products—The unique, low voltage power requirements of LED devices would be an ideal match to leading photovoltaic (PV) devices that have exhibited similar advancements in market penetration and use.  These two emerging technologies can be combined to create useful products that do not use electric power supplied by the US electric grid.  The combination represents an ideal way to conserve power or to provide lighting service where grid power is not available, too costly to deliver, or of questionable reliability.  Illumination devices that are not of sufficient efficiency to be considered for routine use in US buildings may serve DOE’s energy conservation goals by providing service that is completely removed from the grid.  While many useful products have already been introduced (i.e., architectural and walkway lighting), there is ample room for new, imaginative product ideas that remove loads from the grid by shifting power requirements to a renewable source.  Therefore, grant applications are sought to develop novel products that use a combination of SSL and PV, wind, batteries, or other novel method of energy storage.  Areas of interest include architectural façade lighting, remote outdoor lighting, signs, marine applications, security illumination, emergency or portable lighting, or any other niche application that takes advantage of the unique properties of any or all of these emerging technologies.  Grant applications must:  (1) demonstrate that proposed devices will be cost competitive with the designs they replace, and (2) provide a favorable life cycle cost comparison.

 

Questions - contact Rick Orrison (Richard.orrison@hq.doe.gov)

 

References:

 

1.      Hong, E, et al, U.S. Lighting Market Characterization, Volume II:  Energy Efficient Lighting Technology Options, 2005, Navigant Consulting, Inc., Washington, DC (Full text available at: http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/info/documents/pdfs/ee_lightingvolII.pdf) 

 

2.      D.A. Steigerwald, J.C. Bhat, D. Collins, R.M. Fletcher and M.O. Holcomb, "Illumination With Solid State Lighting Technology", IEEE Journal Selected Topics In Quantum Electronics, Vol. 8 (2), p. 310 (2002).

 

3.      Craine, S. and Halliday, D., “White LEDs for Lighting Remote Communities in Developing Countries,” Solid State Lighting and Displays:  Proceedings of SPIE, 4445:39-48, December 2001.  (For ordering information and to view abstracts, see:  http://spie.org/x1636.xml?search_text=4445&category=ProceedingsVolumes)

 

4.      Solid-State Lighting R&D Multi-Year Program Plan FY’08-FY’13, 2007, Navigant Consulting, Inc., Washington, DC. (Full text available at:  http://www.netl.doe.gov/ssl/publications/publications-techroadmaps.htm)

 

5.      Schubert, E. F., Light Emitting Diodes, Cambridge University Press, 2003.  (ISBN: 0-521-82330-7)  

 

6.      Zukauskas, A., et al., Introduction to Solid State Lighting, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2002.  (ISBN: 0-471-21574-0)

 

7.      Kafafi, et al, Organic Electroluminescence, Taylor & Francis Group. 2005, (ISBN-10 0-8194-5859-7).