Hybrid Polymer - LED White Light Sources

Widegap Technology, LLC (WITECH) proposes to develop a hybrid polymer/LED white lamp which utilizes a blue (450 nm) nitride-based light emitting diode (LED) in combination with a luminescent conjugated polymer to produce white light. The resulting lamp will provide a robust, compact, highly efficient alternative to conventional light sources, promising a significant-- improvement in efficiency compared to tungsten and compact fluorescent lighting schemes. Efficient, solid-state nitride-based LED/conjugated polymer lamps will be ideally suited for critical remote and mobile lighting applications such as interior lighting for military vehicles and naval vessels where power conservation, robustness, and low heat (infrared) output are essential. During Phase I we will demonstrate techniques for the growth and fabrication of large-area, high output blue LEDs, and show proof of concept by combining the large-area LED with a conjugated polymer to produce white light. The achievement of the Phase I goals will facilitate the Phase II development of optimized very high brightness LED/conjugated polymer white liqht sources.