Flexible OLED light source

• US 7,663,312 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Munisamy Anandan
• Original Assignee: Munisamy Anandan
• Inventors: Anandan, Munisamy
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimeshkumar D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hollweg, Thomas A
• Application Number:
  US11/491,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20080018244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 313504-506, 313/512, 313/498, 313/511, 428/458, 428/473.5, 428688-690
• US Class Current: 313/511
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3026 Top emission
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8423 Metallic sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31681 Next to polyester, polyamide or polyimide [e.g., alkyd, glue, or nylon, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31721 Of polyimide

Abstract

A flexible organic light emitting light source employing a flexible substrate that comprises a thin ployimide layer sandwiched by two metallic layers of which one metallic layer whose surface not in contact with polyimide layer contains OLED device that is coated with pore-free conformal barrier coating of inorganic oxide through Atomic Layer Epitaxy process and the barrier coating being completely encapsulated by a UV cured thick hard coat. The flexible device is sealed with a flexible plastic cover and the bottom external surface of metallic layer is integrated with a lamp drive circuit.

Claims

1. A flexible OLED light source comprising:

a thin polyimide layer sandwiched between two metallic layers with one of the metallic layers whose surface, not contacting the said polyimide layer, containing an OLED device further comprising an OLED stack of thin film layers and the other metallic layer whose surface, not contacting the said polyimide layer, facing the ambient air;

said polyimide layer having a thickness in the range of 12 microns to 25 microns;

said metallic layers having thickness in the range of 10 microns to 50 microns;

said OLED device being coated with a conformal and pore-free dielectric barrier layer for preventing the permeation of moisture and oxygen in to the said OLED device;

said barrier layer together with the said OLED device being encapsulated with a thick inorganic-organic hard coat layer for serving as physical protection to the said light source;

said metallic layers providing additional metallic barrier for preventing moisture and oxygen in to the said device;

said metallic layer, facing the ambient air, additionally providing electrical connection to the cathode of the said OLED device;

said polyimide layer, metallic layers, OLED device, barrier layers and hard coat layers, being sealed to a transparent plastic cover for physical protection;

said polyimide layer, metallic layers, OLED device, barrier layers and hard coat layers, in combination inside the said plastic cover, functioning as a flexible OLED light source when the said OLED device is electrically driven with an electrical drive voltage.