Public Abstract

DE-SC0018486: Dual Function OLED Transparent Electrode and Light Extraction Layer

Award Status: Inactive

Institution: Solution Deposition Systems, Inc., Goleta, CA
UEI: N/A
DUNS: 078292841

Most Recent Award Date: 10/11/2018
Number of Support Periods: 1
PM: Walker, Brian

Current Budget Period: 04/09/2018 - 01/09/2019
Current Project Period: 04/09/2018 - 01/09/2019
PI: Richardson, Jacob

Supplement Budget Period: N/A

Public Abstract

Dual Function OLED Transparent Electrode and Light Extraction Layer—Solution Deposition Systems, Inc., 6780 Cortona Dr STE 150, Goleta, CA 93117-3022 Jacob Richardson, Principal Investigator, jake@solutiondepositionsystems.com Jacob Richardson, Business Official, jake@solutiondepositionsystems.com Amount: $150,000 Organic light emitting diode (OLED) based lighting technology currently suffers from low light extraction efficiency and high production cost. The Department of Energy’s Solid State Lighting Program under the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy has set aggressive targets for improved efficiency and cost reduction for OLEDs which will require new materials and manufacturing technologies. Two specific areas of interest for the Solid State Lighting program, and the associated research and manufacturing communities, are: 1) new scalable technologies that efficiently extract light that would otherwise be lost to guided or surface plasmon modes, and 2) new lower cost, high performance technologies to replace physical vapor deposited indium tin oxide transparent conductive electrodes. This project aims to develop a dual function transparent electrode and light extraction enhancement layer for OLED based solid state lighting. The layer will simplify and lower the cost of OLED manufacturing by combining light extraction and transparent electrode functionality, typically requiring two separate material layers, into a single layer. The dual function layer will be based on ZnO and will be deposited using a green chemistry, aqueous solution deposition process. Compared to physical vapor deposition of indium tin oxide, solution deposited ZnO will provide lower raw material, capital equipment, and operating costs. The light extraction functionality in the layer will be enabled by the creation of nano/micro scale porosity within the ZnO crystals. Depending on their size, density, and other characteristics, the pores may be used to vary the effective refractive index and or act as light scattering centers in the ZnO layer, both of which can be used to enhance light extraction. In Phase I of the project, there will be four major tasks/objectives to demonstrate technical feasibility: modelling/simulation to identify target materials properties and device structures and predict their performance, develop processes for achieving target properties in the ZnO layer, develop a OLED structure and scalable fabrication process incorporating the ZnO layer, and demonstrate an OLED incorporating the ZnO layer with at least 2.5 times greater light extraction than a reference OLED design using indium tin oxide. Solid state lighting technologies like OLEDs have massive potential to reduce energy consumption due to higher efficiency than older lighting technologies. Despite the increased adoption of inorganic LED lighting in recent years, the energy saving potential of solid state lighting still remains largely untapped. The low glare, low brightness, and large area surface illumination characteristics of OLED lighting make it more attractive than LED lighting in certain applications. The successful development of the proposed technology will accelerate the commercialization and adoption of OLED lighting by increasing efficiency and lowering costs. As a result, greater energy savings from solid state lighting will be realized.

Dual Function OLED Transparent Electrode and Light Extraction Layer—Solution Deposition Systems, Inc., 6780 Cortona Dr STE 150, Goleta, CA 93117-3022

Jacob Richardson, Principal Investigator, jake@solutiondepositionsystems.com

Jacob Richardson, Business Official, jake@solutiondepositionsystems.com

Amount: $150,000

Organic light emitting diode (OLED) based lighting technology currently suffers from low light extraction efficiency and high production cost. The Department of Energy’s Solid State Lighting Program under the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy has set aggressive targets for improved efficiency and cost reduction for OLEDs which will require new materials and manufacturing technologies. Two specific areas of interest for the Solid State Lighting program, and the associated research and manufacturing communities, are: 1) new scalable technologies that efficiently extract light that would otherwise be lost to guided or surface plasmon modes, and 2) new lower cost, high performance technologies to replace physical vapor deposited indium tin oxide transparent conductive electrodes. This project aims to develop a dual function transparent electrode and light extraction enhancement layer for OLED based solid state lighting. The layer will simplify and lower the cost of OLED manufacturing by combining light extraction and transparent electrode functionality, typically requiring two separate material layers, into a single layer. The dual function layer will be based on ZnO and will be deposited using a green chemistry, aqueous solution deposition process. Compared to physical vapor deposition of indium tin oxide, solution deposited ZnO will provide lower raw material, capital equipment, and operating costs. The light extraction functionality in the layer will be enabled by the creation of nano/micro scale porosity within the ZnO crystals. Depending on their size, density, and other characteristics, the pores may be used to vary the effective refractive index and or act as light scattering centers in the ZnO layer, both of which can be used to enhance light extraction. In Phase I of the project, there will be four major tasks/objectives to demonstrate technical feasibility: modelling/simulation to identify target materials properties and device structures and predict their performance, develop processes for achieving target properties in the ZnO layer, develop a OLED structure and scalable fabrication process incorporating the ZnO layer, and demonstrate an OLED incorporating the ZnO layer with at least

2.5 times greater light extraction than a reference OLED design using indium tin oxide. Solid state lighting technologies like OLEDs have massive potential to reduce energy consumption due to higher efficiency than older lighting technologies. Despite the increased adoption of inorganic LED lighting in recent years, the energy saving potential of solid state lighting still remains largely untapped. The low glare, low brightness, and large area surface illumination characteristics of OLED lighting make it more attractive than LED lighting in certain applications. The successful development of the proposed technology will accelerate the commercialization and adoption of OLED lighting by increasing efficiency and lowering costs. As a result, greater energy savings from solid state lighting will be realized.