Verbatim announces a new OLED module that can be used to quickly and easily make OLED lighting schemes. Each module include a single rectangular (123x123 mm) Velve OLED panel. The module includes control electronics on the back. The whole assembly measures 146.4 x 133.3 x 8.7 mm and weights 192 grams. The modules are dimmable and consume 2.6W from a 24V DC power source. They feature both DMX512 and DALI interfaces.

Verbatim are also offering the Velve OLED lighting sample kits costing ¥90,000 in Japan ($1,050). The Velve OLED lighting panels are made together by Mitsubishi and Pioneer, and are the world's first color-tunable OLED lighting panels. The panels 31 lm/W efficiency and 8,000 hours of lifetime. The typical CRI is 80.

DuPont announced that it has signed a OLED production technology licensing agreement with a leading Asian AMOLED maker. This technology will be used to make large size OLED TV panels. We don't have any financial details on this agreement, but a leading asian AMOLED maker probably means Samsung, LG or Sony. In fact Bloomberg claims that the company is probably Samsung (which makes sense).

DuPont 4.3-inch printed OLED prototype

DuPont's nozzle-printing (or "spray-printing") technology uses a continuous stream of ink (unlike the droplets used in regular inkjet printing) to deposit OLED materials. This is a very fast process - DuPont says it can print a 50" TV in under 2 minutes, but the display isn't optimized in the sub-pixel level and is so less efficient than in other patterning technologies. But the faster throughput can lead to cheaper displays - in fact DuPont claims that this technology may make an OLED TV cheaper than an LCD TV.

Panasonic Electric Works (PEW) announced that they will provide next-generation lighting (LEDs and OLEDs) to be used in a new exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto, Japan (MOMAK). The exhibition ( "Takeshi Kitamura: Master of Contemporary Weaving") will be illuminated by ten OLED modules and thirty LED lighting fixtures.

This is a pilot project - the purpose of which is to verify the future potential of OLED lighting in museums. According to Panasonic, museum exhibitions require high color-rendering and low UV and IR rays (which can damage artwork). PEW says they expect next generation lighting to be adopted in museums as the main form of illumination.

Prof. Daisuke Yokoyama from the Yamagata University in Japan published an interesting research paper about molecular orientation in small-molecule OLEDs. Daisuke says that orienting the molecules horizontally has two positive effects: the light outcoupling efficiency is increased (by around 50% compared to randomly oriented emitters) and the charge transport between molecules becomes more efficient (which can lead to a lower driving voltage).

Daisuke tells us that some materials in commercial OLEDs are already horizontally oriented - but not all. He claims that most phosphorescent emitters are not horizontally oriented yet. If so, we can expect good performance increases once these materials are oriented.

Nippon Electric Glass developed a new glass that dramatically reduces glare - from around 8% light reflection in normal glass to only 0.5%. They call it the "invisible glass" - which obviously could be very useful in mobile devices and TVs. NEG used an anti-reflection film on each of the front and back sides of the glass substrate.

Last week we reported that AUO plans to unveil a new 4" flexible OLED prototype, and today we have a photo and some details of this new panel. It turns out that this bottom-emitting panel is only 0.3mm thick, and it offers a resolution of 240x320. It can be bent with a curvature radius of 10mm.

To create this display, AUO formed a resin substrate on a glass substrate and formed the driver elements and OLED elements on it. Then, the glass substrate and the resin substrate were separated. The driver is based on amorphous IGZO (InGaZnO) TFTs, formed in a vacuum process.

If you happen to be in Birmingham, UK on November 9th you can attend Polymetronics' OLED talk at the NEC (at 10am UK time), as part of the UK Plastic Electronics show 2011. The talk is titled "OLEDs: Everything That You Need To Know, and they will present the following subjects:

• OLED device - electronic driver combination
• Electronic control for optimizing OLEDs
• New technology optical feedback sensing
• Limitations of conventional LED drivers
• Aging result on OLEDs
• PWM colour shifting effect on OLEDs

Sony announced that it will restructure its TV division into three units: LCD TVs, outsourcing and next-generation TVs. Sony may sell its 50% stake in its S-LCD joint-venture with Samsung.

LG 31-inch OLED prototype

Obviously we hope that the next-generation TV units will focus on OLEDs. There are some reports that Sony is already in talks with LG Display for OLED panel supply. LG aims to build a 55" OLED TV pilot plant in 2012 and a $2.8 billion mass production plant in 2014 (this depends on consumer reaction). LG says that their initial capacity will be tens of thousands of 55" units per months, which may not be enough for Sony. Of course if Sony strikes a deal with LG they may accelerate the mass production plans.