Eric Mayes - commercial director, Cambridge Display Technology (CDT)

Sara Ver-Bruggen - 29 Jan 2010

Eric Mayes, commercial director at Cambridge Display Technology (CDT), discusses plans for a follow-up initiative to develop processes for pilot production of low-cost polymer OLED lighting. The project will exploit technology within The Organic Polymeric Light Emitting Semiconductor Surfaces (TOPLESS) - an R&D collaboration between CDT, Zumtobel subsidiary Thorn Lighting and Durham University.

 

The three-year UK government-funded TOPLESS project completes at the end of February 2010 - how will the work carry on?

An option is to seek funding through the Technology Strategy Board, which is running a couple of competitions under the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills' Plastic Electronics Strategy [up to €8.8 million will be made available for funding projects]. These will not open before May though. We'll also likely use tools available at PETEC. Neither CDT or Thorn Lighting has the equipment or facilities for making panels.

By developing this process separately - outside the main business of the partners - we are reducing the risk of investment.

 

What dimensions will the panels be?

Probably 6in sq. Quite a lot of light can be achieved with this size.

 

What type of processes would you look to deploy at PETEC?

Printing and large area coating techniques. With polymer OLED materials it is possible to reduce the number of layers in the device, simplifying the process used to make panels. Three active layers are probably achievable, compared with small molecule OLED lighting structures which can include six or more or active layers.

 

Can you tell us about the results you anticipate from the work within TOPLESS?

We'll be publishing the official results at the end of Q1 so I can't say anything before then.

 

Are you on track to achieve the goals initially set for the project?

Our devices will be able to achieve 10 lm/W. This is without outcoupling. The addition of an outcoupling film could boost efficiencies to 20 lm/W or more.

 

Will the follow-up project to TOPLESS include new partners?

Yes, actually we'll have a couple of additional partners. These will be industrial companies based in the UK. I can't say more than that for now.

 

Can you indicate when the market might be able to order some sample/pilot made polymer OLED panels based on the TOPLESS team's efforts?

Not until after the next phase project - 2012 probably.

 

What business model might you and the other project partners establish in anticipation of supplying commercial polymer OLED lighting? We are already seeing new ventures setting up with the aim of manufacturing panels and luminaires based this technology [examples include Lumiotec in Japan and Ledon OLED Lighting in Germany] among the sections of the industry working with small molecule materials. Can we anticipate a new venture from CDT/Sumitomo and its partners in future with the aim of producing polymer OLED panels?

These strategies and developments are interesting to watch and there will probably be more as the industry progresses. But I can't tell you yet what our plan is here.