Corning and OLEDWorks signed a collaborative agreement to develop flexible and conformable OLED lighting solutions using Corning's flexible Willow Glass as an integrated substrate and barrier.
Corning's Willow Glass will not just enable the panels to be flexible - the glass also integrates Corning's light extraction technology that will (according to OLEDWorks) enable them to double the light output from the panels.
OLEDWorks, established in July 2010 by former Kodak OLED business experts, is the only US-based OLED lighting producer. The company developed a proprietary low-cost production process. In 2013 the company successfully completed its Series A fund raising, and the company received three DoE grants (see here, here and here) to further develop is OLED technology. In July 2014, Acuity Brands unveiled new applications for its Marker OLED luminaire, which uses Amber OLED panels made by OLEDWorks.
Corning first unveiled the flexible Willow glass at SID 2012. 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. In September 2013 we discussed Corning's glass technology for the OLED market with two company executives.
