Enhanced Light Outcoupling in WOLEDs

Lighting consumes approximately 22% of the total electricity generated in the U.S. Therefore, new high-efficiency solid-state light sources, such as light emitting diodes (LEDS) and organic LEDs (OLEDs), can help reduce the ever increasing demand for energy. An OLED is potentially an inexpensive diffuse source that could compete directly with, and offer a `green¿ alternative to, conventional incandescent light sources. However, improvements in the overall efficiency of these devices will be required before they become commercially viable products and attain expected goals in terms of cost ($3 per 1000 lumens) and performance (150 lumens per watt). This project will utilize novel outcoupling enhancement features in OLED architectures to enable highly efficient, organic, solid-state, lighting sources to replace short-lifetime 12 lm/W incandescent sources. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: OLEDs are bright, colorful lambertian emitters with excellent power efficiency at low voltages. By replacing incandescent light sources, they could reduce overall energy consumption in the U.S.