In July 2012 the COMEDD was established as an independent institute at Fraunhofer (previously it was a department at the Fraunhofer IPMS). In April 2013 they held the opening ceremony. Since then they announced several new OLED technologies which I'll update on below.
My COMEDD friends sent me this video you see above of the opening ceremony laser show. I wasn't sure whether I should publish it, but the choice of sound track convinced me to do so - especially Hans Zimmer's Pirates of The Caribbean bit, I love that music. So enjoy...
First up is the OLED "Illuminated rectiles and microstructures" technology that COMEDD developed together with POG (Prazisionsoptik Gera). Basically these are transparent optical devices with self-emitting figures, points or lines. This technology can be used in complex optical and opto-electronical systems in a range of applications (medical, laser, aerospace, telescopes, microscopes and even sports optics).
POG now offers several services based on this technology: from application consulting to design and assembly services to OLED samples. You can find more information in this brochure.
Two months ago COMEDD revealed that they are working towards direct-emission OLED microdisplays. COMEDD are collaborating with Von Ardenne Anlagentechnik on this technology, which will enable more efficient and cheaper microdisplays compared to COMEDD's current ones (which use color filters).
COMEDD are using Von Ardenne's flash-mask-transfer-lithography (FMTL) technology, which uses special transfer masks. Organic layers are locally deposited through the masks via thermal heat input and transferred to the microdisplay. This process needed a complete redesign to suit OLED deposition. You can read more about the technology in this brochure.
Last month COMEDD unveiled their latest technology - color tunable OLEDs. They vertical stacking of OLED emitters which can be controlled separately. This is the first time such an architecture is used (usually color-tunability comes from strips of RGB OLEDs - for example Verbatim's Velve which we reviewed here https://www.oled-info.com/verbatim-velve-oled-lighting-panel-hands-revi…). A vertical stack means that you do not need to pattern strips which has its advantages. You can read more these panels in this brochure.
Finally, they sent us this nice photo above showing several COMEDD-made OLED lighting panels - including flexible ones and that nice long (280x65 mm) structured (patterned) panel.
COMEDD currently offers several types of OLED panels and modules. The largest panels are the 280x65 mm strip and the 150x76 rectangle. Those panels can be regular, transparent or structured. They also offer all sorts of modules, including the Disco with its 24 segments and the cool leaf. You can see all those panels below. We reviewed the transparent and structured Tabola panels back in April 2012.
COMEDD recently installed a new cluster system made by SNU Precision in their production line for the processing of 8" wafers. This upgrade of the pilot line will be especially useful for research on OLED microdisplays in interactive data eyeglasses and future integrated OLED-on-Silicon opto-sensors.
The Fraunhofer COMEDD clean room consists of the following equipment:
* A pilot line for OLED fabrication of OLEDs (370 x 470 mm)
* Two 200 mm pilot lines for OLED integration on silicon substrates
* A research line for roll-to-roll (R2R) fabrication on flexible substrates
Tacky is the word that comes to mind.
I really like what COMEDD is doing in terms of R&D, but I really don't like the way they are marketing themselves.