German project aims to build OLED lighting supply chain

Dan Rogers - 14 Jan 2010

A €14.7 million project is bringing together developers in the OLED supply chain to make production-ready lighting and signage devices.

The Special organic Light (So-Light) project is being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) to develop materials, designs and manufacturing technologies for OLED lighting.

Partners in the German consortium include OLED developer Novaled, research institute Fraunhofer IPMS and deposition equipment manufacturer Aixtron.

Michael Heuken, VP of corporate R&D at Aixtron, suggests the project could establish a supply chain for OLED lighting and special signage users by the time it closes in Q4 2012.

He states: 'The aim is to clarify all the open issues for OLED manufacturers in the project, in order to go into pilot production.

'This consortium could form the food chain for OLED product supply, from materials supply, device design and processing to end users.'

One So-Light partner - Ledon OLED Lighting - was set up in late 2009 as a joint venture (JV) between lighting company Zumtobel Group in Austria and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft to integrate OLED panels with fixtures to make modules. The JV is based close to Fraunhofer IPMS's Centre for Organic Materials and Electronic Devices Dresden (COMEDD) and is due to deliver its first commercial OLED modules in 2010.

Markets

The consortium has targeted lighting and signage as the two applications closest to market for OLED technology, as opposed to applications such as displays.

OLED lighting offers more pleasant illumination for aeroplanes, buildings and vehicles, and can also be used as a backlight for screens.

So-Light will focus on three areas: novel materials, improved optical systems and process technologies for small molecule-based OLEDs.

Heuken comments: 'There are several scientific questions, from the materials you use, to the layer technique, passivation and device design.'

Aixtron's Organic Vapour Phase Deposition (OVPD) technology will be tailored for the lighting and signage devices developed by other partners in the consortium.

Heuken notes: 'We are looking at cost reductions and improving device performance. The process will be optimised to satisfy the customer needs and prepare to put the technology into pilot production more quickly.'

As well as establishing a supply chain for OLED lighting and signage devices, So-Light will also produce demonstrator devices for some targeted applications, including automotive or architectural lighting and backlights for large displays.

Once completed, the 11 members of the consortium would be able to capitalise on the IP they had developed in So-Light.

Supply chain

Aixtron, which has recently sold an OVPD system to partner Fraunhofer, believes the project could lead to further orders, both from lighting and signage companies and elsewhere.

While the OVPD system will be tailored to lighting and signage production for So-Light, companies supplying organic solar cells, organic electronics and carbon nanostructures could all use the technology.

However, the ideal for So-Light is that the collaboration proves the function of each member of the OLED supply chain. Heuken believes that orders could immediately follow once the chain is established.

He says: 'The goal of So-Light is to create the entire channel for this technology, so that companies can use this chain when the project is completed.'