OLED aimed at the lighting field, the protagonist (two): luminous efficiency quickly catch up with white LED

OLED will become a pillar industry in the field of organic electronics

The reason why there are many other companies involved in the industry, the reason is not only the potential market size. Organic electronic technology based on organic materials is expected to be applied in the field of lighting.

OLED lighting and OLED display technology has many in common. With the organic transistor and organic thin film solar cells also exist in the relationship between each other. As long as the progress of an area, it is expected to promote the use of other effects. So it is easier to convert from other uses. OSRAM Semiconductors semiconductor (OSRAM Opto GmbH) has been decided in July 2007, after the simple matrix OLED panel development sector as a whole into the lighting business. Germany Novaled AG and other manufacturers use the business model is the development of materials and components to provide the structure of the production of different uses of the company note 3. In the past, mainly in the display business, and in recent years, lighting and solar cell business prospects for the development of more and more bright. In particular, the lighting business has now become as important as the monitor "(Novaled CEO Gildas Sorin).

Note 3 (HELiatek) Novaled provides component technology to Plastic in the TFT Logic, the solar cell business, in the use of organic display services. The two companies are the same investment company.

Focus on the application of organic materials, at the expense of the company's fate has been the first to launch Konica Minolta advertising. In March 2007 the company and GE cooperate in OLED lighting business, in addition to outside sales channels, organic material technology and optical system technology we have accumulated in the photo related business in the large scope "(Konica Minolta chairman and advanced materials technology research institute, komamura long and good). Specific use: photo sensitive material experience can be used for the development of luminescent materials in the lens; optical system technology can be used for light output purposes; capable of producing up to 15 layers of multilayer film technology can be used for roll to roll (Roll-to-roll) manufacturing technology.

For Konica Minolta, "talent and experience to be able to bring together the company have been withdrawn from the photo business is OLED lighting business" (the company director and director to promote the business of LA Wan Xiang).

Japan's leading development base

Konica Minolta's ambitions are also reflected in the number of patent applications. In the patent on OLED lighting, the number of applications in Japan accounted for nearly of the world, significantly ahead of the United States and other countries (Figure 5). One of the reasons is that the number of applications for Konica Minolta. In particular, blue phosphorescent material related patents, the number of applications for Konica Minolta accounted for nearly 4 of the overall 3/4

Figure 5 Japanese manufacturers in the development of the leading figure for the Cintelliq company to achieve the purpose of the OLED lighting patent investigation results. According to the application of the division, Japan was 56%, significantly higher than the United States ranked in the top second, far ahead (a). In this figure, the number of patent applications from 1994 to 2006 was obtained through a literature survey after 2003. Divided by different organizations, Konica Minolta group for 176, ranked in the first (B). About 3/4 patents related to blue phosphorescent materials. (b) the number of applications for OLED lighting (including back light) patents organized by 2003 to 2007 (top 10 companies) and key areas. Due to the number of Japanese patent application in accordance with the organization does not contain the data after the second quarter of 2007, therefore, in fact, the number of applications for Japanese companies may be more.

Note 4) before the merger with Konica Minolta Konica inside 1999, has already begun research and development of OLED lighting. At that time, although the mainstream OLED element material is fluorescent material with high stability, but the company decided that you want to use for lighting purposes, low efficiency of fluorescent material, so start, phosphorescent materials especially blue phosphorescent materials will be developed as the key failed to make progress.

Phosphor = from experience, it is to point to be illuminated by the ultraviolet ray and so on after the light of the material that is glowing in the light of time is longer. Shorter time is called fluorescence. In recent years, the definition is defined as the light emitted by a pair of electrons from a "three" state to a lower level. If the application of ultraviolet and current energy to the material, the electronic will to the higher level shift, but the state can be divided into: will tend to offset the "spin singlet state", the three item status and trend of uncertainty. The probability of the existence of these two states of the ratio of 1 to 3, due to the fluorescent material can only be in the singlet state of the state, and thus the maximum quantum efficiency is only 25%.

Matsushita Electric also began to develop OLED lighting, in 2001 through a joint study with the Yamagata University, to achieve the highest at the time, the luminous efficiency of 15lm/W.

It can be said, OLED lighting technology is the first Japanese companies to start. However, this does not guarantee that Japan will still be able to lead in the future. The reason is that the European and American manufacturers have begun to work with the government to promote the development of OLED lighting, and continue to achieve results note 5). Technology competition between manufacturers and regions is increasing, which also accelerates the development of OLED lighting.

Note 5) development projects, there are 7 in Europe, the United States has more than 10 projects are advancing. Most of the funding of government agencies is the scale of hundreds of millions to 3 billion yen in the next 3 years, Germany OP