OLED optically coupled to curved substrate

• US 9,496,522 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Display Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Display Corporation
• Inventors: Burrows, Paul E., Ma, Ruiqing, McGraw, Gregory, Pang, Huiqing
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/106,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20150171374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/065 multi-branched, e.g. a chandelier
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/00 Planar light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/15 Organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/856 comprising reflective means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/858 comprising refractive means, e.g. lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 Flexible substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

Devices and components are provided that include a curved outcoupling component and an OLED, where the outcoupling component provides up to 100% outcoupling of light emitted by the OLED into air. The outcoupling component has an outer radius R and includes a material with a refractive index n. The OLED is in optical communication with the outcoupling component and disposed such that each emissive element of the OLED is within a distance r measured from the center of curvature of the surface at the outer radius R, such that R−r>(n−1)r.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an OLED; and

a curved outcoupling component comprising a material having an index of refraction n that is equal to or higher than that of a substrate of the OLED, the curved outcoupling component having a curved outer surface with radius R and an inner surface with which the OLED is optically coupled, wherein all emissive elements of the OLED are within a distance r of the center of curvature of the outer surface of the curved outcoupling component, and wherein

R−

r>

(n−

1)r.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one surface of the curved outcoupling component is reflective.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein a surface at an inner radius of the inner surface is substantially parallel to a surface at an outer radius of the curved outer surface.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the curved outcoupling component comprises a plurality of outcoupling structures, each structure s having a corresponding index of refraction n_s, inner dimension r_s, and outer radius R_s, wherein R_s−

r_s>

(n_s−

l)r_s independently for each structure.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the plurality of outcoupling structures are provided by a plurality of micro-wells, each micro-well corresponding to one of the outcoupling structures.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a substantially planar surface disposed along the inner surface.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of substantially planar surfaces disposed within a region located at the inner surface.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the curved outcoupling component is substantially toroidal.

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising a reflective surface disposed above the curved outcoupling component.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the OLED is a flexible OLED disposed on a surface of the curved outcoupling component at the inner surface.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the curved outcoupling component is transparent to light emitted by the OLED.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein n>

1.7.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein at least 98% of light emitted by the OLED is outcoupled by the curved outcoupling component.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising an optical coupling layer disposed at least partially between the OLED and the curved outcoupling component.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the optical coupling layer has an index of refraction not less than the index of refraction of the curved outcoupling component.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the OLED is disposed on a surface of the curved outcoupling component at the inner radius r.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein r and R are not constant across the curved outcoupling component.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein n is equal to or higher than 1.65.

19. A method of fabricating a light-emitting device, the method comprising:

obtaining a curved outcoupling component comprising a material having an index of refraction n that is equal to or higher than that of a substrate of an OLED, the curved outcoupling component having a curved outer surface with outer radius R; and

placing the OLED in optical communication with the curved outcoupling component;

wherein all emissive elements of the OLED are disposed within a distance r of the center of curvature of the outer surface of the curved outcoupling component, wherein R−

r>

(n−

1)r.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein placing the OLED in optical communication with the curved outcoupling component comprises depositing the OLED on an inner surface of the outcoupling component located at the radius r.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising obtaining a flexible OLED, wherein placing the OLED in optical communication with the curved outcoupling component comprises attaching the flexible OLED to the curved outcoupling component.