The Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP has announced they will be showcasing for the first their flexible adjustable-colour OLEDS at the forthecoming ISAL 2017 in Darmstadt, Germany from September 25-27, 2017.
In 2015, scientists of the Fraunhofer FEP were - for the first time - successful in processing adjustable-colour OLEDs on rigid substrates. This enabled the range of application suitable for OLED lighting to increase - two such examples:
- the adoption of OLED lighting into vehicle interiors where the lighting levels should be controllable through the day and night to suit
- employment as ambient or accent illumination, such as for lighting in museums and exhibitions, where the adjustability of colour from just a single lighting component can present the works exhibited in different colours of light
OLED have unique characteristics like bendabilty, segmentation, transparency, and near unlimited range of shapes, that facilitate diverse new design opportunities by virtue of them being an efficient area lighting source fabricated on flexible substrates.
In just over two years the Fraunhofer FEP can now offer OLED lighting systems featuring an adjustable colour range integrated on flexible substrates. These OLED modules are able to switch the emitted colour between two different colour temperatures.
In this way, a yellow-blue bi-colour emission system can not only be switched between the pure emission colours of yellow and blue, but white light can also be generated through simultaneous activation of both colours.
The integration of adjustable-colour OLEDs on flexible substrates brings their adoption on curved surfaces in vehicle interiors such as roofs and curved fixtures closer to actual commercialisation.
In the meanwhile, the range of choice for substrates has also been broadened. Flexible OLEDs can be fabricated on metal and plastic films just as they can be on ultra-thin glass.
With their unique characteristics like bendabilty, segmentation, transparency, and their nearly unlimited range of shapes, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) facilitate diverse new design opportunities by virtue of their being efficient areal lighting sources fabricated on flexible substrates.
"I am looking forward to being able to personally discuss with conference visitors the astonishing opportunities of flexible OLEDs right on site. Our technological know-how and the features of our fab facility allow us not only to discuss the wishes of interested visitors, but also produce OLED samples afterwards."
Claudia Keibler, Head of the Sheet-to-Sheet Organic Technology department at Fraunhofer FEP