Challenges of Flexible OLED Lighting

Mark TaylorEmerging Innovations Group

January 30, 2019

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US OLED Ecosystem Provides Unique Opportunity for US Made OLED Lighting Industry

Materials OLED Processing OEMs

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Automotive lighting: key to OLED lighting cost reduction

• Cost remains a dominant factor• Limited to demonstrations and high

end lighting resulting in low volumes• Efficiency is in the same range as

LED technology (>85 lm/W)• Reliability is within the range of

commercial need (>40K hr L70)

• Automobile companies are pulling OLED lighting technology into their new designs

• Solid value proposition: Initial estimates show a >25% cost reduction for tail light assemblies

• Strong interest in flexible OLEDs

General Lighting Automobile

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OLED value prop for automobile backlight• Reduction of depth compared to LED

– Up to 70% reduction in space– Up to 50% reduction is weight– Minimize part count and simpler

integration– Simpler body metal stamping

• Results in at least a 25% cost reduction to OEM for OLED Rear Combination Light (Industry expert estimate)

• Conformable multi-segmented lighting surface

– Branding opportunity – aesthetics– Dynamic lighting to communicate status– Communication of safety critical

information– Simpler integration of all tail light functions

leading to cost reduction

LED OLED

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General lighting value proposition: healthy lighting with superior aesthetics

• Easy integration• Low weight/lumen

• New design space• Surface integration

• Naturally segmented• No diffuser

• Closer to user• Easy to integrate• No heat sink

• Warm with high efficacy

• Naturally close to sunlight without compromising efficacy

• Better for your eyes• No impact on sleep

• Better for your eyes• Comfortable lighting

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Flexible glass OLED panels

• Flexibility creates new options for luminaires

• Excellent barrier against moisture and oxygen

• Smooth substrate surface for deposition of light extraction structure and electrodes

• Inert to moisture, ultraviolet• Available in 1 m widths and several

thicknesses

• Process handling requires bonding to rigid carrier until roll-to-roll or another technology is available

• Fragility of edges during processing reduces yield

• Light extraction technologies• Packaging to protect edges

Advantages Challenges

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Bonding/debonding

Edge healing and bond/debond technologies enable reliable flexible glass OLED panels

Edge healing

Rough edges w/ scores Mirror-like edges

After edge healing

• 6x improvement in edge strength• Reliable conformable panels with smart packaging

• Enabled using existing fab for flexible glass• High yield debonding process without adhesive or laser processing

100 µm Willow™

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How can the DoE help the OLED ecosystem?

• Continued funding for the OLEDWorks process lab• Packaging development for flexible OLED lighting panels• GATEWAY sites for OLED lighting• Standards development• Advanced OLED materials• Roll-To-Roll process elements

Dimmable Lifetime

Low Price

Efficacy

CRI

OLED

Dimmable Lifetime

Low Price

Efficacy

CRI