Organic Light Emitting Diodes, or OLEDs, sounds like something new, but it has been in development for some time. Kodak began experimenting with the technology back in the 1980s to replace non-organic materials in photo conductors. But, the industry that produces OLEDs believes the technology is destined to play a big part in display development in the very near future. Analysts project OLEDs to be a $1 billion business by 2008.
Because OLEDs are self-luminescent—they glow when an electrical field is applied to them -- they don’t require a backlight or reflective light source. This allows them to be thinner, lighter, and more efficient than LCDs. The newest OLEDs benefit from a host of improvements in technology and manufacturing processes. The various formats include Flexible OLEDs (FOLED), Stacked, High-Resolution OLEDs (SOLED), and even Transparent OLEDs (TOLED).
Bram Roukema, senior product marketing manager at DuPont Displays, praises the quality of OLEDs versus LCDs. He points out that OLEDs in any size offer "better brightness and contrast, better response times, and more natural-looking video" than other flat panel technologies. OLED developers and manufacturers are hoping to get a slice of the $60 billion flat panel display market, but Roukema says costs must drop before OLEDs can push aside plasma and LCD. The OLED story isn’t just about money, however. It’s about a lighting revolution.
The newest OLEDs are skinnier than ever and are extremely flexible. In March, Universal Display Corporation (UDC) unveiled a display less than .7-mm thick, nimble enough to wrap around a golf ball, with 4,096 pixels and a resolution of 80 dpi. Ideas for the use of these FOLEDs include automobile dashboards, rollable displays, and incorporation into military uniforms. TOLEDs can be built right into window panels, such as automobile windshields, eyeglasses, and store windows.
While the use of OLEDs in full-sized computer monitors may be a year or more away, several cell phones and digital cameras featuring full-color, active-matrix OLEDs debuted this spring. LG’s 6000 camera phone and Kodak’s EasyShare LS633 digital camera are just two examples. Screen sizes are increasing quickly, too. Recently Samsung and Sony demonstrated AMOLED (Active Matrix OLED) display prototypes that measured 15-and 24-inches respectively. You just might find an OLED screen on your laptop soon.
Janice Mahon, VP of Technology Commercialization, says significant challenges remain. OLEDs are at least somewhat water-soluble, so finding the ideal sealant (or creating a new one) is a key issue. One promising option is a thin-film barrier coating called Barix. Made by Vitex Systems, Barix can be applied directly to the OLED surface, possibly replacing the second piece of plastic substrate used as a "lid."
Other issues with current OLED technology include uniformity of output across the entire screen, and accuracy of color. The most critical hurdle facing the adoption of OLEDs, though, is their longevity. Whereas LCDs generally have a life expectancy of around 100,000 hours, OLEDs begin to fade after 3,000-to-4,000 hours.
One big development in the advancement of OLED technology was the announcement by DuPont earlier this year of a brand name for OLED products: Olight. DuPont is building a network of partners, including UDC, to bring Olight products to market in the near future. With this sort of backing, it may not be long before OLEDs begin brightening up your life.
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