OLED Encapsulation: introduction and market status - Page 16

COMEDD published an interesting article detailing their current R2R research line. The vacuum deposition and fabrication of small-molecule OLEDs is made in the RC 300-MB roll-to-roll vacuum coater (supplied by Von Ardenne Anlagentechnik). This machine is capable of processing metal and plastic substrates (300 mm width). The article also details the encapsulation, inspection and defect-detection processes.

COMEDD (Center for Organic Materials and Electronic Devices) is now an independent Fraunhofer institute (it was established as a department in at the Fraunhofer IPMS originally). COMEDD's aim is to carry out customer R&D and pilot fabrication of vacuum-processed organic materials applications.

Corning's major announcement at SID was the new Willow glass product. This is an ultra-slim (50 um and 100 um) flexible glass that can support backplanes and color filters in both LCD and OLED panels. Willow glass can withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees Celsius, and can be used in roll-to-roll production processes.

Corning says that in the near future Willow glass can be used to produce rigid OLEDs panels in processes that need flexible glass (such as roll-to-roll), and in the long term it may also lead to actual flexible panels based on glass. Glass have several advantages over plastics, mainly that it's a better barrier and it can result in better displays in terms of resolution, backplane speeds, etc. However the major disadvantage is that it can be shattered, unlike plastic-based displays.

My first meeting at SID was with Universal Display's Janice Mahon. UDC had some pretty interesting updates for us at SID, and some nice exhibits in the booth as well - only OLED lighting panels, but quite interesting ones. This post will be rather long...

Update: Here's the complete list of OLED related posts and notes from SID 2012

So, SID 2012 is now over. Personally it was a very good show, even though I hear from many exhibitors that it was slow compared to past years. There were a lot of companies showing OLED displays, lighting panels and related products, and it seems that OLEDs are starting to become mainstream. I do plan to post in-depth posts with interesting details of my talks with various OLED companies, but in the meantime, here's my own "best of SID" list.

OLEDNet posted an article with some new details about LG's upcoming 3.5-Gen flexible OLED line in LG's Paju plant (E2), Korea. According to the report, LG contracted Jusung Engineering and Avaco to supply the equipment. Both companies will supply encapsulation equipment. The deals are worth 11.4 billion Won (about $10 million) for Jusung and 7.6 billion Won ($6.7 million) for Avaco.

OLEDNet says that total cost for this new line (which is actually an extension of the existing pilot line) is worth 200 billion Won ($176 million).

Beneq announced that RusNano, the Russian investment fund, has invested €25 million in the company. Beneq is a supplier of production and research equipment for advanced thin film coatings - including dedicated coating equipment for barriers and transparent conductive oxide (TCO) for the OLED display and lighting industries.

Beneq will open a new activity center in Russia where they will further develop specific applications and equipment for the needs of customers in Russia and the CIS.

Samsung is getting ready to release flexible OLEDs soon, and have announced that these displays will be branded as YOUM displays. Today the OLED association released some interesting information regarding Samsung's flexible OLED manufacturing program. According to this report, products that use these displays will be introduced in Q4 2012, while mass production will begin as early as next month.

Back in May 2011 Samsung announced a joint venture with Japan's Ube Kosan to develop and produce polyimide resin - to be used as substrates for their flexible displays in a $18 million investment. Now we hear that the curing equipment for the hardened polyimide will be provided by Korea's Tera Semicon.

The Holst Centre and Solvay report advances in flexible OLED lighting panels. They present a bendable 69 cm² OLED panel that features 30 lm/W efficiency at 1000 cd/m²:

The Holst Centre and imec announced a new high-resolution flexible OLED displays research program. This new program builds on the existing research fields such Organic and Oxide Transistors and Flexible OLED lighting. The new program aims to develop an economically scalable route to flexible AMOLED mass production, facing challenges such as high resolution, low power consumption, large area, outdoor readability, flexibility and light weight.

The partners will develop a mechanically flexible encapsulation film and TFT backplane, a printed high-efficiency OLED, new materials and processes that will allow cheaper production at better quality and driver design. They will also develop a new manufacturing equipment such as fine patterning equipment for backplanes and tools for integrated roll-to-roll manufacturing. This new program follows up on the FLAME project. Above you can see a prototype Polymer-Vision made flexible OLED made together with imec and the Holst Center.

OSRAM is one of the leading companies developing (and marketing) OLED lighting. Dr. Ulrich Eisele, head of OSRAM's OLED unit, was kind enough to answer a few questions we had for him regarding OSRAM's OLED program:

Q: You recently presented a new flexible OLED that features 32 lm/W. Can you us some more information on this panel?

A: The outstanding feature of the flexible OLED shown is that the production is based on well-tried OSRAM OLED processes. The production line is located in Regensburg (Bavaria), so we can benefit from our local expertise.