Hybrid LED expands into new camera applications

Dan Rogers - 05 Feb 2010

A hybrid LED technology is making polymer materials robust enough to enter mobile phones and cameras.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research (ISC) in Germany developed the polymer-based, nanostructure-layered lighting devices for use in mobile devices and the harsh conditions of industrial inspection applications.

While OLED lighting and displays are suitable for indoor applications, their sensitivity to moisture and oxygen means that robust barrier films are needed to preserve functionality.

However, the hybrid diodes from Fraunhofer ISC, named Ormocers, can withstand the temperatures necessary to work in industrial inspection and to be soldered onto devices as part of a printed circuit - something current polymer devices cannot withstand.

The devices are already in use in mobile phone cameras, while second-generation materials are being tested and optimised for harsher applications.

Consumer electronics

Production of first-generation materials for camera phones is underway with German partner micro resist technology.

Michael Popall, developer of the Ormocer material at Fraunhofer ISC, says: 'They're producing several hundreds of kilograms of materials batch by batch, for use in classical devices for cameras.'

This amount could be used in 'several millions' of camera phone lenses.

Popall adds: 'For cellphones with a video camera and regular camera, it is very expensive to apply lenses separately for each function - it's better to produce as a single printed circuit, but the classic polymers don't stand up to the soldering process - these new materials do.

'Although they are more expensive, by using them in this production line companies drastically reduce the cost for the alignment and packaging, compared to lenses that have to be aligned separately.'

Second generation

Industrial applications are being prepared for the second generation of Ormocer now and will be in place within the next three years, says Popall.

He comments: 'We're testing materials for these new applications and licensing is ongoing.

'One application, for instance, is in ultra-flat cameras, which can be applied directly inside machines in factories. They could monitor the processing of food or goods, where you need materials stable against organic chemicals, water and abrasion.'

Fraunhofer will present prototypes of its second-generation materials in Tokyo this month, with much of its current collaboration happening in Asia, where inspection tools for manufacturing and mobile consumer electronics are major industries.

Popall notes: 'A lot of our current projects are with Japanese companies. A number of components for such devices are developed in Europe, but production moves to Asia, so a lot of our partners are there.'