Analysis of the future development trend of OLED lighting

Organic light emitting diode (OLED) in 2009 was only $500 million market size, but the next few years have continued to attract investors to invest in the development of, really intriguing. In fact, OLED is a development boom, part of the reason is available in the mobile phone screen, such as Samsung (Samsung) Galaxy series of products into the mobile phone screen; fueling OLED camp closed in 2011 climbed to $3 billion, and reached 6 billion in 2012.

The development of OLED lighting is growing. Because OLED lighting has the flat light, and does not hurt the eyes of the advantage, and thus attract panels, materials and equipment industry have been put into development, and actively research and development of new materials, equipment and process solutions, overcome material degradation and development of large size challenges, and carve up the lighting market huge business opportunities.

Organic light emitting diode (OLED) in 2009 was only $500 million market size, but the next few years have continued to attract investors to invest in the development of, really intriguing. In fact, OLED is a development boom, part of the reason is available in the mobile phone screen, such as Samsung (Samsung) Galaxy series of products into the mobile phone screen; fueling OLED camp closed in 2011 climbed to $3 billion, and $6 billion in 2012.

In addition to mobile phone screen, OLED lighting is also another promising application, although the current OLED lighting accounts for only a small part of the overall output, bring new revenue opportunities. But the huge potential lighting market is expected to OLED? LED performance / cost advantage to OLED lighting time by LED solid-state lighting to improve the traditional way of lighting industry has been a lot of attention, which also led to OLED in the future how to cut the lighting market questioned, most people think that OLED will direct and LED competition, means that OLED must overcome the current LED compared with great efficiency and the gap.

At present, LED light-emitting efficiency of 110 lumens per watt (lm/W), and commercial OLED products up to 60lm/W; as for the cost, LED cost is about $5 / thousand lumens (KLM), OLED /klm is about $350, which shows two kinds of technology in the development of lighting applications still have a significant the gap. As a result, OLED technology is necessary to use its light is not dazzling, the size of the lamp can be large and flat unique advantages, in order to successfully seize the lighting market place.

Compared with the standard LED and other light sources are needed to cover the shading light, may cause loss of vision problems, OLED light source without shielding can provide illumination is another lighting is still in the process of development in the future; moreover, OLED can use many different types of combinations of materials and structures, have the opportunity to jump in the light performance.

At present, OLED manufacturers have been through increasing the driving current to increase efficiency, but at the cost of component life will be shorter; at the same time, the structure of OLED series stacked to improve the luminous efficiency, such as two different structures in the deposition process are stacked together, with the same current drive will produce almost two times more light. As a result, the relevant industry can also choose a lower current drive stacked OLED panel, can produce the same luminosity and increase reliability, overcome the impact of high current due to the impact of OLED life.

Although there is potential for development of OLED lighting, but if it is regarded as a direct competitor in the lighting market LED, performance and cost differences may make OLED out in the foreseeable future. However, in the OLED lighting technology and lighting design a progress under the condition of two kinds of solid-state lighting technology is necessary to exist at the same time, with the OLED whether to compete with LED, or Never mind is not better, because the application is not exactly the same as the two lock. Considering the technical differences between cost and luminous efficiency, it will be a great achievement if OLED reaches the same level as LED.

In general, commercial LED products are 20 to 25 years to ensure the life of OLED is only 5 to 10 years, the main reason is this some materials in OLED faster than other materials, the color will change, it is unacceptable in some industrial or automotive applications on it.

Material cost / barrier design OLED key breakthrough OLED material erosion is because the organic material layer of oxygen and moisture are sensitive to be used into the barrier layer (PermeationBarrier) coating and careful protection, the elastic design of the OLED panel will form a serious challenge, the manufacturer is very difficult to do cost-effective, and take into account transparent, flexible, and penetrate the barrier layer in the manufacturing process of high temperature resistant. At present, commercial lighting OLED 100% glass substrate thin film layer, and placed on a glass plate, as a physical protective layer and water / oxygen barrier layer (Figure 1), however, even with these elements, OLED or organic materials dissolve in a high temperature environment, the acceleration of pressure test in the above vehicle regulation temperature 85 C will cause problems.

On the other hand, it is difficult for manufacturers with traditional lighting background to use OLED professional technology to make lighting equipment, so the OLED industry should also put forward countermeasures to overcome the business and technical challenges in lighting. Especially now the OLED panel and the traditional lighting equipment manufacturers lack of coordination within a short period of time, OLED will be difficult to penetrate the lighting market, the future possible solution is the production of lighting equipment by their OLED panel manufacturers, technology driven business, rather than take the traditional marketing strategy.

But another challenge is how to reduce OLED manufacturing spending, from the commercial OLED panel cost items can be found in three major problems. First, OLED manufacturing yield is very low, manufacturers in the high yield process does not have enough ability to control, technology or experience; second, the construction of the OLED production line is very expensive, third is the high cost of materials and equipment, OLED production line of high cost because it is the main emerging technology, so there is no standard equipment.

Since each OLED trial production line should be built for several months, the equipment manufacturer will also have to share the cost. Although the manufacturer claims to OLED ultra thin layer, high cost can be offset by complex molecular materials, but most analysts think that only half right, because of the material cost and manufacturing and light emitting panel within the material, most used in the production of material is deposited in the reactor wall or the no deposition of waste material.

In any case, OLED lighting has a certain application advantages, and manufacturing technology in the future there are many opportunities for improvement.