We've just got word from LG Chem that the company now plans to start mass producing the world's first flexible OLED lighting panels in July 2013 (and also high-efficiency 80 lm/W rigid panels). This is exciting news and if LG Chem will indeed go through with this plan it will be an important milestone for OLED lighting. Those OLED panels will be 200 x 50 mm in size and will feature 45 lm/W and a color temperature of 4,000K.
LG's flexible panels are only 0.33 mm thick and weigh under 8 grams - which not only allows new design possibilities but is also useful for energy saving for applications sensitive to weight (electric cars, airplanes, submarines, etc).
LG Chem is using a hybrid structure (a combination of phosphorescent + fluorescent emitters). The substrate is thin glass while the protective layer is metal. LG says they developed their own flexible encapsulation technology, called Face Seal.
LG Chem's flexible panels are similar in structure and in light extraction to their "standard" (glass based rigid) panels, and so the company expects that all advances in efficiency (and other features) will be available in their flexible panels soon after introducing them for the rigid ones. As we now know the company expects to start mass producing 80 lm/W panels in July 2013 as well, we can expect 80 lm/W flexible panels probably a few months after that...
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Earlier today we reported about Konica Minolta's new flexible OLED panels to be unveiled next month (these panels look very similar to LG Chem's panels, by the way, but with a wider bezel). Seems like 2013 is going to be the flexible OLED lighting year...
