SBIR Phase II: Ultra Low Cost, p-i-n OLED Lamps for Specialty Lighting

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase-II project will analyze the limiting factors in performance and commercialization obtained through printed polymer organic light emitting diode (P-OLED) research and development as well as customer engagement. Utilizing this basis, a set of materials, device and process development tasks have been devised. These include continued lifetime improvements and development of an encapsulation process. During Phase-I, the impact of light-emitting layer morphology and cathode interactions on device performance was identified. This has allowed a prioritization of these issues for final development. Technical objectives include exceeding the commercialization threshold and achieving greater than 1000 hour product lifetimes with a flexible encapsulation process adaptable to small and large scale manufacture. This includes advanced light-emitting polymers (LEP) formulations, cathode development, and device structure optimization to meet performance milestones along with encapsulation adhesive, getter materials and lamination process trials and optimization. If successful the outcome of this project includes benefits for mobile electronic product designers and consumers using low cost and low energy manufacturing in the U.S. display and lighting industries. Furthermore, the science and engineering work compliments R&D efforts in related materials technologies. The proposed technology is uniquely attractive among OLED lighting technologies currently under development in that it allows for low manufacturing set-up and operating expenses, and therefore early commercial adoption. Because of this cost structure, which is radically different from conventional, high capital, glass-based OLED processing, there is a significant early commercialization opportunity in mobile backlighting products and other specialty lighting applications. In these product areas, the proposed technology's voltage, brightness, DC drive, and form factor makes it preferable to existing inorganic approaches. The low capital cost structure and dependence on advanced materials technology also provides opportunities for distributed manufacture in the U.S. away from the centralized Far East display manufacturing base. Outside of the organic display and lighting industries, this research would enhance the scientific understanding for other emerging printable and organic electronics technologies including organic photovoltaics, thin film transistors and memory, where low cost manufacturing of high-efficiency devices are paramount for commercial success.