Flexible lighting devices

• US 8,710,518 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Display Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Display Corporation
• Inventors: Mandlik, Prashant, Levermore, Peter, Pang, Huiqing, Krall, Emory, Paynter, Jason, Ma, Ruiqing
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Zandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATTON, PAUL E
• Application Number:
  US13/469,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20120286302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 257/40, 257/E51.018, 257/88, 257/59, 257/100, 257/72, 257/E29.119
• US Class Current: 257/88
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1201 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/40 Thermal treatment, e.g. annealing in the presence of a solvent vapour
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/80 using temporary substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 Flexible substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A first device and methods for manufacturing the first device are provided. The first device may comprise a flexible substrate and at least one organic light emitting device (OLED) disposed over the flexible substrate. The first device may have a flexural rigidity between 10⁻¹ Nm and 10⁻⁶ Nm, and the ratio of the critical strain energy release rate to the material density factor for the first device may be greater than 0.05 J m/Kg.

Claims

1. A first device, comprising:

a flexible substrate; and

at least one organic light emitting device (OLED) disposed over the flexible substrate;

wherein the first device has a flexural rigidity between 10<sup>−

1</sup> Nm and 10<sup>−

6</sup> Nm;

wherein the ratio of the critical strain energy release rate to the material density factor for the first device is greater than 0.05 J m/Kg; and

wherein the first device is configured to have each of axial, bending and torsional degrees of freedom.

2. The first device of claim 1, wherein the substrate can tolerate a strain of at least 0.5% without breaking.

3. The first device of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is attached to a fixture via one or more points of attachment, and wherein there exists a line drawn through the geometric center of the device such that all points of attachment to the fixture fall on the same side of the line.

4. The first device of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises any one of:

a plastic material having a thickness between 30 μ

m and 5 mm;

a fabric material having a thickness between 30 μ

m and 1.6 mm;

a metal material having a thickness between 14 μ

m and 300 μ

m;

a paper material having a thickness between 30 μ

m and 1.6 mm;

aluminum sheet having a thickness between 30 μ

m and 300 μ

m;

stainless sheet steel having a thickness between 20 μ

m and 150 μ

m;

copper sheet having a thickness between 25 μ

m and 250 μ

m;

polyethylene sheet having a thickness between 200 μ

m and 2 mm;

polyethylene terephthalate sheet having a thickness between 55 μ

m and 1 mm; and

polyethylene naphthalate sheet having a thickness between 50 μ

m and 0.72 mm.

5. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device further comprises a barrier layer that encapsulates each of the OLEDs disposed on the substrate, and comprising a less than 10 micron thick mixture of polymeric material and non-polymeric material.

6. The first device of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more OLEDs comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and an organic electro-luminescent material disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

7. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device has a global dimension-to-thickness ratio greater than 10.

8. The first device of claim 1,

wherein the OLED comprises a first electrode and a second electrode;

wherein the first electrode is disposed closer to the substrate than the second electrode; and

wherein the first electrode is in direct contact with the surface of the substrate.

9. The first device of claim 1,

wherein the OLED comprises a first electrode and a second electrode;

wherein the first electrode is disposed closer to the substrate than the second electrode; and

wherein at least one layer is present between the first electrode of the OLED and the surface of the substrate.

10. The first device of claim 9, wherein the first device comprises an insulator disposed between the first electrode of the OLED and the substrate;

the insulator comprising one of;

a polymer, an inorganic dielectric, and a mixture of a polymer and an inorganic dielectric.

11. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is configured to not have shear degree of freedom.

12. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is configured to deform non-linearly under an applied load.

13. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is configured to flutter.

14. The first device of claim 13 a fixture, and wherein the flexible substrate is coupled to the fixture.

15. The first device of claim 13, wherein the first device has a ratio of the (hanging length)⁴ to flexural rigidity (a⁴/D) of at least 0.02 cm⁴/dynes.cm.

16. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is configured such that

17. A device, comprising:

a substrate;

one or more OLEDs disposed over the substrate,

wherein each OLED comprises;

a first electrode;

a second electrode; and

an electro-luminescent material disposed between the first and second electrodes;

an encapsulation layer disposed over at least a part of the one or more OLEDs; and

a lamination layer comprises a spray coating that is sprayed over the encapsulation layer and the one or more OLED.

18. A first device, comprising:

a flexible substrate; and

at least one organic light emitting device (OLED) disposed over the flexible substrate;

wherein the first device has a flexural rigidity between 10<sup>−

1</sup> Nm and 10<sup>−

6</sup> Nm;

wherein the ratio of the critical strain energy release rate to the material density factor for the first device is greater than 0.05 J m/Kg; and

wherein the first device is configured not to have shear degree freedom.

19. A first device, comprising:

a flexible substrate; and

at least one organic light emitting device (OLED) disposed over the flexible substrate;

wherein the first device has a flexural rigidity between 10<sup>−

1</sup> Nm and 10<sup>−

6</sup> Nm;

wherein the ratio of the critical strain energy release rate to the material density factor for the first device is greater than 0.05 J m/Kg; and

wherein the first device is configured to deform non-linearly under an applied load.

20. A first device, comprising:

a flexible substrate; and

at least one organic light emitting device (OLED) disposed over the flexible substrate;

wherein the first device has a flexural rigidity between 10<sup>−

1</sup> Nm and 10<sup>−

6</sup> Nm;

wherein the ratio of the critical strain energy release rate to the material density factor for the first device is greater than 0.05 J m/Kg; and

wherein the first device has a ratio of the (hanging length)⁴ to flexural rigidity (a⁴/D) of at least 0.02 cm⁴/dynes.cm.

21. A first device, comprising:

a flexible substrate; and

at least one organic light emitting device (OLED) disposed over the flexible substrate;

wherein the first device has a flexural rigidity between 10<sup>−

1</sup> Nm and 10<sup>−

6</sup> Nm;

wherein the ratio of the critical strain energy release rate to the material density factor for the first device is greater than 0.05 J m/Kg; and

wherein the first device is configured such that