ORGANIC LIGHT EMITTING DIODE LIGHTING DEVICES

• US 20100045175A1
• Filed: 08/18/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plextronics Incorporated (Rhodia Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Plexotronics Incorporated
• Inventors: MATHAI, Mathew, Thompson, Glenn, Storch, Mark, Hammond, Troy
• Granted Patent: US 8,414,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/504
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/005 of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/00 Planar light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/15 Organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/80 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/805 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/84 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/841 Self-supporting sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/18 Tiled displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/32 Stacked devices having two or more layers, each emitting at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/80 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/82 Interconnections, e.g. terminals H10K59/131, H10K59/179 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/871 Self-supporting sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8722 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants

Abstract

An organic light emitting diode (OLED) device includes a substrate, an anode, a cathode, an active region including an organic material, wherein the active region is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode, at least one coupler configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode or the cathode to a power supply, and an encapsulation that isolates the active region from an ambient environment. A lighting system can be made including a plurality of OLED devices. A lighting system can be assembled using the OLED devices from a kit. The OLED devices may be polymer light emitting diode (PLED) devices or small molecule light emitting diode (SMOLED) devices. The OLED devices can use regio-regular poly-thiophene.

Claims

1. An organic light emitting diode (OLED) device, comprising:

a substrate;

an anode;

a cathode;

an active region comprising an organic material, wherein the active region is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode;

at least one coupler configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode or the cathode to a power supply; and

an encapsulation that isolates the active region from an ambient environment.

2. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the coupler is configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode or the cathode with the power supply via a mount or via a second OLED device.

3. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the coupler is configured to mechanically couple the OLED device with a mount or with a second OLED device.

4. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the coupler is configured for both electrical and mechanical coupling the OLED device with another OLED device or a mount.

5. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the coupler comprises at least one of a protrusion or an indentation and is configured to be coupled with a mount or second device comprising at least one complementary indentation or protrusion.

6. The OLED device of claim 5, wherein the at least one of a protrusion or an indentation is oriented in a lateral direction and located on one or more edges of the OLED device.

7. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the active region is a continuous region forming a single light emitter.

8. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the active region comprises a plurality of light emitters.

9. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the active region is configured to emit a broadband emission spectrum with a full width half max (FWHM) larger than about 50 nm.

10. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the active region is configured to emit a broadband emission spectrum with a full width half max (FWHM) larger than about 100 nm.

11. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the active region is configured to emit one of a white, a red, a green, a blue, a yellow, a orange, a cyan, or a magenta spectrum.

12. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein active region has an emission spectrum that corresponds to a color rendering index (CRI) higher than about 80.

13. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the cathode comprises a combination of an organic material and an inorganic material.

14. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the active region comprises at least one of a fluorescent emitter, or a phosphorescent emitter.

15. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the active region comprises at least one of a polymer emitter, or a small molecule emitter.

16. The OLED device of claim 1, further comprising at least one hole injection layer, wherein the at least one hole injection layer comprises an inherently conductive polymer.

17. The OLED device of claim 1, further comprising at least one hole injection layer, wherein the at least one hole injection layer comprises one or more of a substituted poly-thiophene, a regio-regular substituted poly-thiophene, regio-regular substituted poly-3-thiophene, or a regio-regular substituted poly-thiophene.

18. The OLED device of claim 17, further comprising at least one planarizing agent.

19. The OLED device of claim 1, further comprising a light coupling layer configured to improve light out-coupling.

20. The OLED device of claim 1, further comprising a light coupling layer configured to improve light out-coupling, wherein the light coupling layer is also configured to convert an output spectrum of the OLED to another spectrum of longer wavelength.

21. The OLED device of claim 1, further comprising one or more of a hole transporting layer, an electron transporting layer, a hole injecting layer, an electron injecting layer, a hole blocking layer, or an electron blocking layer.

22. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the active region has a lateral dimension larger than about 0.5 centimeter.

23. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the active region has a lateral dimension smaller than about 1 meter.

24. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the active region comprises a plurality of vertically-stacked light emitting layers.

25. The OLED device of claim 24, wherein at least two of the plurality of vertically-stacked light emitting layers are configured to emit light of different colors.

26. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the substrate, the cathode, and the anode are substantially transparent such that the OLED device is configured to emit light in both the cathode and the anode directions.

27. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the anode or the cathode comprises a reflective material, and wherein the OLED device is configured to be an edge emitting OLED.

28. An organic light emitting diode (OLED) device, comprising:

a substrate;

a first anode;

a hole injection layer adjacent the first anode;

a first light emitting layer;

a first cathode;

a second anode;

a second light emitting layer;

an electron transport layer;

a second cathode;

at least one coupler configured to electrically couple at least one of the first anode, the second anode, the first cathode, or the second cathode to a power supply; and

an encapsulation that isolates the first and second light emitting layers from an ambient environment,

wherein each of the first or second light emitting layers comprises an organic material and

wherein the first and second light emitting layers are electrically coupled to their respective first and second anodes and cathodes.

29. The OLED device of claim 28, wherein the first and second light emitting layers are activated independently.

30. A kit comprising a plurality of pre-manufactured modular organic light emitting diode (OLED) devices, each OLED device comprising:

a substrate;

an anode;

a cathode; and

an active region comprising an organic material, wherein the active region is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode;

at least one coupler configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode or the cathode to a power supply; and

an encapsulation that isolates the active region from an ambient environment.

31. The kit of claim 30, wherein the plurality of OLED devices include at least two types of OLED devices of different color, size, or shape.

32. The kit of claim 30, further comprising a mount configured to receive at least one of the plurality of OLED devices, wherein the mount is configured to electrically couple the power supply and the at least one of the plurality of OLED devices.

33. The kit of claim 30, wherein at least one of the plurality of OLED devices has one or more via holes configured to receive an elongated conductor.

34. The kit of claim 30, wherein at least one of the plurality of OLED devices has one or more via holes configured to receive an elongated conductor, and wherein the elongated conductor is flexible.

35. The kit of claim 30, wherein at least one of the plurality of OLED devices has one or more via holes configured to receive an elongated conductor, and wherein the elongated conductor is configured to also mechanically couple one of the OLED devices with another one of the plurality of OLED devices or with a mount.

36. A lighting system comprising a plurality of organic light emitting diode (OLED) devices, wherein each of the plurality of OLED devices comprises:

a substrate;

an anode;

a cathode;

an active region comprising an organic material, wherein the active region is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode;

at least one coupler configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode or the cathode to a power supply; and

an encapsulation that isolates the active region from an ambient environment.

37. The lighting system of claim 36, further comprising a mount, wherein at least one of the plurality of OLED devices is removably coupled to the mount or to one or more other OLED devices through their respective couplers.

38. The lighting system of claim 36, wherein at least two of the plurality of OLED devices have different colors, and wherein the plurality of OLED devices are selected or activated such that the lighting system emits light of desired color characteristics.

39. The lighting system of claim 36, further comprising:

a mount; and

at least one elongated conductor configured to couple at least one of the plurality of OLED devices to the mount or to another OLED device.

40. The lighting system of claim 36, further comprising:

a mount; and

at least one elongated conductor configured to couple at least one of the plurality of OLED devices to the mount,

wherein the elongated conductor has a patterned surface including insulating and conductive regions.

41. The lighting system of claim 36, further comprising:

a mount including a plurality of conductive layers; and

a plurality elongated conductors configured to couple at least one of the plurality of OLED devices to the mount,

wherein at least one of the plurality of elongated conductors has a patterned surface including insulating and conductive regions, and wherein said conductive regions are configured to electrically connect to at least one of the plurality of conductive layers.

42. The lighting system of claim 36, further comprising:

a mount including a plurality of conductive layers; and

an elongated conductor configured to couple at least one of the plurality of OLED devices to the mount, wherein the elongated conductor has at least two arms, and wherein each of the at least two arms has at least one conductive region at a location corresponding to a location of at least one conductive layer.

43. The lighting system of claim 36, further comprising:

a mount including a plurality of conductive layers; and

an elongated conductor configured to couple at least one of the plurality of OLED devices to the mount, wherein the elongated conductor is substantially U-shaped.

44. An OLED device comprising multiple electrodes, wherein at least one of the multiple electrodes is electrically isolated from an active region of the OLED device.

45. The OLED device of claim 44, wherein the electrically isolated electrode is configured to provide an electrical connection between at least two couplers or OLED devices, between a power supply and at least one coupler or OLED device, or between at least one OLED device and at least one coupler.

46. A coupler comprising indentations or protrusions, wherein the coupler is configured to provide at least one of an electrical or mechanical coupling for at least one OLED device to a mount or to another OLED device.

47. The coupler of claim 46, wherein the indentations or protrusions are oriented in a lateral direction and are configured to couple to one or more edges of the OLED device.

48. The coupler of claim 46, wherein the coupler comprises multiple conductive paths configured to supply different drive conditions to one or more OLED devices.

49. A lighting system comprising a plurality of organic light emitting diode (OLED) devices and a plurality of couplers that have indentations or protrusions oriented in the lateral direction to connect to one or more edges of the plurality of OLED devices, wherein each of the plurality of OLED devices comprises:

a substrate;

an anode;

a cathode;

an active region comprising an organic material, wherein the active region is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode; and

an encapsulation that isolates the active region from an ambient environment.

50. The lighting system of claim 49, wherein at least one of the plurality of couplers is configured to electrically couple at least one of the plurality of OLED devices to another OLED device, and at least one of the plurality of OLED devices to a power supply.

51. The lighting system of claim 49, wherein at least one of the plurality of couplers is configured to mechanically couple at least one of the plurality of OLED devices to another OLED device.

52. The lighting system of claim 49, wherein at least one of the plurality of couplers is configured to mechanically and electrically couple an OLED device to another OLED device or to a power supply.

53. The lighting system of claim 49, wherein the couplers are configured to be removably coupled to the OLED devices.

54. The lighting system of claim 49, wherein the couplers have slots or indentations configured to receive at least one OLED device.

55. The lighting system of claim 49, wherein the couplers have protrusions configured to fit into slots or indentations in an OLED device.

56. The lighting system of claim 49, wherein at least one of the plurality of couplers comprises multiple conductive paths.

57. The lighting system of claim 56, wherein the multiple conductive paths are configured to supply different drive conditions to the OLED devices.

58. The lighting system of claim 56, wherein at least one of the plurality of OLED devices comprises at least one electrode that is configured to electrically connect with at least one of the multiple conductive paths selected to provide a desired drive condition to the at least one OLED device.

59. The lighting system of claim 56, wherein at least one of the plurality of OLED devices comprises multiple electrodes, and wherein at least one of the multiple electrodes is configured to electrically connect with at least one of the multiple conductive paths, and wherein at least one other electrode is electrically isolated from the active region of the OLED device and is configured to provide an electrical connection between at least one conductive path of the coupler and at least one conductive path of another coupler or power supply.