Organic light emitting diode lighting devices

Organic light emitting diode lighting device

This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/090,150 filed on August 19, 2008, and the entire disclosure of this application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) can utilize small organic molecules or polymers that generate light when transferred to their excited state by an external power source. Therefore, an OLED device can be referred to as a polymer light emitting diode (PLED) device or a small molecule organic light emitting diode (SMOLED) device depending on its active composition. Earlier OLEDs were generally based on relatively simple structures, in which a thin electroluminescent (EL) conjugated polymer layer was enclosed between a pair of electrodes. When a voltage is applied to the electrodes, the positive (anode) and negative (cathode) electrodes can provide hole and electron injection into the EL polymer, respectively. In the EL polymer layer, electrons and holes move toward each other in the applied electric field and form excitons. These excitons can be radiatively relaxed to the ground state by emitting a photon. Excitement. This process can be called electroluminescence. OLED devices are useful in, for example, displays, billboards, and lighting equipment.

OLED was first designed in the 1980s, for example, see CW Tang, SA Van Slyke, Organic electroluminescent diodes, Appl. Phys. Lett. 1987, 51, 913. Usually in Kraft et al.,<i>Angew. Chem. Int. Ed</i>., 1998, 37, 402-428 and Z., Li and H. Me<i>ng, Organic Light-Emitting Materials and Devices (Optical Science and Engineering Series), CRC Taylor &amp; Francis (September 12, 2006)</i>The recent development and application of OLED materials are described in. The disclosures of these references are all incorporated by reference.

The description herein includes, among others, embodiments of devices, objects, instruments, equipment, sets, systems, and the like, and methods of manufacturing and using them. More specifically, the various embodiments described herein generally relate to individual light emitting diode (LED) devices and lighting systems including LEDs. In particular, these embodiments relate to the use of organic light emitting diodes (OLED) in lighting.

In one aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED device includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; an active area including an organic material, wherein the active area is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode by at least one coupler; the at least one coupler is assembled State to electrically couple at least one of the anode or the cathode to a power source; and an encapsulation, which isolates the active area from an ambient environment.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided, which includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; and an active area including an organic material, wherein the active area is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode; at least A coupler configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode or the cathode to a power source; and an encapsulation that isolates the active area from an ambient environment, wherein the active area includes a plurality of vertical Stacked light-emitting layer. The light-emitting layers can be interleaved with a plurality of electrodes so that the light-emitting layers can be individually addressed and controlled.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided, which includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; and a second Anode; a second light-emitting layer; an electron transport layer; a second cathode; at least one coupler configured to be one of the first anode, the second anode, the first cathode, or the second cathode At least one is electrically coupled to a power source; and an encapsulation that isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes An organic material, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode.

In another aspect, a lighting kit with a pre-manufactured modular OLED device is provided. The OLED devices may include OLED devices with different colors, shapes or sizes. Each OLED device includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; Coupled to the anode and the cathode; at least one coupler configured to electrically couple the anode or the cathode to a power source; and an encapsulation that isolates the active area from an ambient environment .

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided, which includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; an active area including an organic material, wherein the active area is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode; and a capsule Sealing, which isolates the active area from an ambient environment; and a plurality of electrodes, wherein at least one of the plurality of electrodes is electrically isolated from the active area of the OLED device. The electrically isolated electrodes can be used to provide an electrical connection between the couplers, passing current from one OLED device to the next without activating the OLED device.

In another aspect, a lighting system is provided. The lighting system includes a plurality of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices, wherein each of the OLED devices includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; an active area, which includes an organic material, wherein the The active area is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode; at least one coupler configured to electrically couple the anode or at least one of the cathode to a power source; and an encapsulation that connects the active area with A surrounding environment is isolated.

In another aspect, a lighting system is provided. The lighting system includes a plurality of OLED devices and a plurality of couplers having concave or convex portions, and the concave or convex portions are oriented in the lateral direction to be connected to the edge of the OLED device. Each of the OLED devices includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; an active area including an organic material, wherein the active area is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode; and an encapsulation, It isolates the active area from a surrounding environment.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes a plurality of electrodes, and at least one of the electrodes is electrically isolated from the active area of the OLED device.

In another aspect, a coupler is provided. The coupler includes a concave portion or a convex portion, wherein the coupler is configured to provide at least one of electrical coupling or mechanical coupling of at least one OLED device to a stand or to another OLED device.

At least one advantage of at least one embodiment is that the OLED device is a "plug and play" device and can be easily placed in a system and/or replace an existing device. The encapsulation and the coupler allow the OLED device to become a standalone device.

At least another advantage of at least one embodiment is the large-area light-emitting source formed by the use of organic materials. The organic material provides ease of manufacture and tunable colors with desired visual effects.

Introduction

All references cited in this application are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

The use of organic materials in electroluminescent devices provides several desired properties, such as increased fluorescence of the device, lower threshold voltage, ease of handling of materials and components during device fabrication, use of spin-casting, and drop-down Casting and printing techniques are used in the ability to apply different layers to electroluminescent devices, the ability to make flexible electroluminescent devices, the ability to make low-weight electroluminescent devices, and the ability to make low-cost electroluminescent devices.

Generally speaking, an electroluminescent device can be an electrochemical device that converts electric current into electromagnetic radiation. In particular, OLEDs provide an effective way to generate light with low voltage and minimal radiant heat. These devices are currently found in many consumer electronic devices such as displays, billboards, and lighting equipment. As in (for example) 2007, edited by Li and Meng<i>Organic Light-Emitting Materials and Devices</i>As mentioned, OLEDs are generally known in this technology.

Plug-in OLED device of a lighting system

An example OLED device 100 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as part of a lighting system 10. The OLED device 100 may include a substrate 102, an anode 104, a cathode 106, and an active area 108. The active area 108 includes an organic material and is electrically coupled to the anode 104 and the cathode 106. The active area 108 is configured to emit, for example, a broadband emission spectrum having a full width at half maximum (FWHM) greater than about 50 nm. The OLED device 100 has a typical structure in which the anode is adjacent to the substrate and the cathode is located above the active area. An inverted structure in which the cathode is adjacent to the substrate and the anode is located above the active area can also be used.

The OLED device 100 may have a plurality of couplers 112 configured to couple the OLED device 100 to a holder 119 through the recess 113. The coupler 112 can be a mechanical coupler, or can also be used to electrically couple the anode 104 or the cathode 106 to a power source 114 through the frame 119. In one embodiment, the coupler 112 is used for both electrical coupling and mechanical coupling. The couplers can be fixed or detachably attached to the OLED device.

The OLED device 100 may also have an encapsulation 116 that isolates the active area 108 from an ambient environment. In particular, the encapsulation 116 prevents water vapor and oxygen from entering the enclosure 118 to interact with organic materials in the active area 108. With the help of the coupler 112 and the encapsulation 116, the OLED device 100 can be easily used as a stand-alone device or can be put into a lighting system to replace another device.

The coupler 112 may be configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode 104 or the cathode 106 with the power source 114 via the mount 119. The stand 119 can also be referred to as a "system substrate", which provides a frame on which the lighting system can be built. In addition to mechanical support, the stand 119 can also provide electrical paths for the OLED devices. The stand 119 can be flat or curved. The holder 119 may have flexibility, and the resulting lighting system may have flexibility in shape. The stand 119 may include one or more rails to which the OLED device is slidably coupled. The stand can be configured as free-standing, ceiling-mounted or wall-mounted. Since the OLED is a Lambertian emitter, the stand does not need to be designed to mix OLED light with various emission spectra.

Some of the couplers 112 can be configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode 104 or the cathode 106 to the power source 114 via a second OLED device 120. By selecting a plurality of OLED devices, a lighting system can be constructed with a desired color, pattern, area and brightness.

In addition to electrical coupling, the coupler 112 can also mechanically couple the OLED device with the holder 119 or with one or more OLED devices 120.

Substrate

Substrates are generally known in this technology. A description of various substrates can be found in, for example, Z., Li and H. Meng, Organic Light-Emitting Materials and Devices (Optical Science and Engineering Series). The substrate 102 of the OLED device 100 can be, for example, a solid substrate or a flexible substrate. The substrate may include, for example, an inorganic material or an organic material. The substrate may, for example, be made of glass, metal foil or plastic. The substrate can, for example, be flat or curved. The substrate can be, for example, a rigid, flexible or conformable substrate. The substrate may, for example, be a transparent, translucent or opaque substrate.

anode

Anodes are generally known in this technology. The anode 104 of the OLED device 100 may be transparent to the light emitted from the OLED device 100. The anode 104 may include, for example, indium tin oxide (ITO). ITO in the form of a thin layer (for example, about 100 nm thick) is substantially transparent to visible light. The substantially transparent layer desirably allows about 70% or more of one visible light transmission. ITO has a relatively high work function that facilitates the injection of holes into the active region 108. The ITO can be coated on a glass substrate or a plastic substrate.

cathode

Cathodes are generally known in this technology. The cathode 106 of the OLED device 100 may also be transparent. The cathode 106 may include, for example, a thin metal (such as aluminum or calcium) film or a non-metal conductive layer. The cathode 106 may include a layer that is a combination of an organic component and an inorganic component. The cathode 106 generally has a relatively low work function to help inject electrons into the active area 108. The cathode 106 may be at least 100-200 nm thick.

Area of action

The active area generally refers to the area where electrons and holes recombine to radiate photons. In the claimed embodiment, the active area includes an organic material, and the energy of the radiated photon can correspond to the energy level between the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy level and the highest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level of the organic material. Poor energy. Photons with lower energy/longer wavelength can be generated by higher energy photons through a fluorescence process or a phosphorescence process.

The active area may include a light-emitting layer. The active area may include multiple layers, for example, a combination of a p-type layer and an n-type layer. The p-type material and the n-type material can be combined with each other. The bonding may be ionic bonding or covalent bonding. The multiple layers of the active area can form a heterostructure therebetween.

The active area can be by conventional methods (including, for example, spin casting, drop casting, slot die coating, vapor deposition or sputtering, crystal growth, patterned etching, dip coating) or by printing technology ( Such as inkjet printing, offset printing, transfer process) or by spray application manufacturing.

organic material

The organic material in the active area 108 may include an electroluminescent polymer. The polymer can be a fluorescent emitter, a phosphorescent emitter, or a combination of a fluorescent emitter and a phosphorescent emitter. The polymer may comprise, for example, poly-phenylene vinylene or<i>Gather together</i>. These polymers are often engineered to replace side chains on the main chain to tune colors or improve the processing of these polymers.

Instead of a polymer emitter, a small molecule emitter including, for example, an organometallic chelate or a conjugated dendrimer can be used.

The organic material may be doped with phosphorescent materials.

Electrical coupling

The electrical coupling between the active area 108 and the anode 104 or the cathode 106 may be a direct contact coupling or an indirect coupling through multiple layers, as discussed in detail below.

power supply

The power source 114 may include a battery, an adapter, or may be part of a power grid. The OLED devices can be powered by an AC current or a DC current.

Coupler

The OLED device according to the claimed embodiment may include a coupler for coupling the OLED device with a stand or with one or more other OLED devices. The resulting OLED device is pre-fabricated in a modular style so that the OLED device can be a "plug and play" device. The OLED device can be easily "plugged in" to a system to reconfigure the color, appearance, brightness, or other properties of the system or to replace one of the existing OLED devices in the system. The coupler can provide mechanical coupling or electrical coupling. In addition, the coupler can provide a combination of electrical coupling and mechanical coupling.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the coupler 112 includes those couplers for coupling the OLED device 100 to a stand 119 and those that can be configured to couple to one or more other OLED devices. Wait for the coupler.

In one embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 2A, a coupler 200a may include a plurality of protrusions 202 configured to couple to a complementary recess 204 of a corresponding coupler 200b. The lateral dimension of the concave portion 204 roughly matches the distance between the convex portions 202. The recesses can be holes or slots in the OLED device. The protrusion 202 or the coupler 200b or both may be slightly flexible. This can be achieved, for example, by using plastic to make the couplers 200a and 200b. By inserting the convex portion 202 into the concave portion 204, a detachable but stable coupling can be realized. The interlocking mechanism is similar to LEGO^TMInterlocking mechanism for building blocks. The corresponding coupler 200b can be a part of a frame or a part of a second OLED device.

Conductive patterns and/or insulating patterns 203 can be arranged on the convex portion 202, and the conductive patterns and/or insulating patterns can be electrically coupled to the corresponding conductive regions (not shown) in the concave portion 204 to be in the couplers 200a, 200b. When joined together, an electrical connection is formed. The conductive areas can be electrically connected to at least one of the anode or the cathode or a power source. The conductive regions of the couplers can be configured to provide an electrical connection between the electrodes of the OLED device and a power source when the corresponding couplers are joined.

In one embodiment as illustrated in Figure 2B, a coupler 201a may include one or more protrusions 206 configured to couple to corresponding recesses 208 in a corresponding coupler 201b. Conductive patterns 209 may be disposed on the protruding portion 206, and the conductive patterns may be electrically coupled to corresponding conductive regions (not shown) in the concave portion 208 to form an electrical connection when the couplers 201a, 201b are joined together. Therefore, in addition to forming mechanical couplings, these couplers also act as electrical couplings.

In one embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 2C, the convex portion 210 and the concave portion 212 for coupling may be positioned laterally or on the edge of the OLED device 220 instead of being oriented perpendicular to the plane of the OLED device. In this case, the OLED devices can be coupled to each other or to a mount at the edge of the device. When the OLED devices are coupled to each other, the conductive area on the convex portion or the concave portion of the coupler can electrically connect the anode of the device to each other and the cathode of the device to each other. At least one of the OLED devices may be coupled to a power source through a stand. Other OLED devices can be coupled to the power supply through its connection to the OLED device chain. In this embodiment, the connected OLED devices will be jointly driven by the power supply.

FIG. 2C shows each OLED device as having two protrusions on two edges of the OLED device, and the remaining two edges have two recesses. Each edge may have a convex part or a concave part connected to the anode of the OLED device and a convex part or a concave part connected to the cathode of the OLED device. The protrusions and recesses of the OLED device can be designed to facilitate the simultaneous coupling of two adjacent edges of an OLED device to two other OLEDs, for example, to couple the OLED device into a step. This can be achieved, for example, by flexible projections. Although Figure 2C shows two protrusions or recesses on one edge, other configurations are also possible. For example, one of the four edges of a chip may include two protrusions, one connected to the anode of the OLED device and the other connected to the cathode of the OLED device. The remaining three sides may have anode recesses and cathode recesses. Can form a device network.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-2C, the couplers are attached to or part of the OLED devices. As discussed below, in certain other embodiments, couplers can be provided separately from the OLED devices and can be provided as part of a lighting kit to assemble the OLED devices into a lighting system.

FIG. 2D shows an example of the couplers 230, 232 provided separately from the OLED device 234. The couplers can be configured to detachably couple a plurality of OLED devices together in a lateral direction at the edge of the OLED device. The couplers can provide electrical coupling or mechanical coupling, as in coupler 230. In a preferred embodiment, some of the couplers can provide a combination of electrical coupling and mechanical coupling, such as in coupler 232. The electrical coupling is formed by creating a connection between the OLED device electrode 236 and one of the conductive paths 238 of the coupler.

In a lighting system or kit including a plurality of couplers and OLED devices, at least one coupler is configured to be electrically coupled to a power source. The coupler can be directly coupled to a power source or indirectly coupled to a power source through, for example, a frame, wire, or another OLED device. In some embodiments, the couplers include a plurality of conductive paths to supply various driving conditions to the OLED devices. In one example, the coupler may include four conductive paths. One conductive path can serve as an electrical connection to ground and the remaining three paths can deliver various driving conditions, such as various voltages V1, V2, and V3. The driving conditions can be selected to appropriately drive, for example, a red OLED device, a green OLED device, and a blue OLED device, respectively.

Figure 2E shows an OLED device 240 compatible with a coupler including multiple conductive paths. The OLED device 240 has a plurality of electrodes 242, 244, 246, 248. Two of the electrodes 246 and 248 are used to make contact with the anode of the OLED device and the cathodes 250 and 252 of the OLED device. The electrodes can, for example, be connected to the voltage V3 and the ground conductive path of the coupler. If the OLED device includes multiple emission regions or layers that can be powered by different driving conditions, additional electrodes can also be configured to help drive them.

In addition to the electrodes 246 and 248, the OLED device may also include additional electrodes 242 and 244 connected to the coupler but not to the active area of the OLED device. If required by the application, a large number of these additional electrodes can be provided. The electrodes can be used to create a low resistance electrical connection between the coupler to which the OLED device is coupled. The electrodes are electrically isolated from the active area of the OLED device and are not used to power the device. However, these electrodes can be used to supply power to other OLED devices that are connected via a coupler and require different driving conditions. This provides a new mechanism for powering the OLED array that requires one of multiple driving conditions. The OLED array can only be connected to each other through the coupler, and not directly connected to the power source.

Encapsulate

The OLED device may have been encapsulated in an encapsulation that protects the organic material of the OLED device from the surrounding environment. The resulting OLED device can therefore be an independent device that can be easily installed in a system that does not necessarily provide an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier.

The encapsulation may include a barrier layer, such as a single-layer or multi-layer barrier film, such as Barix. The covering method may include lamination, vapor deposition, or solution deposition. In addition, the encapsulation may include a sealant and a barrier structure, such as a barrier film or shell. The encapsulation may contain desiccant material.

An encapsulation 302 of an OLED device 300 is illustrated in FIG. 3. The encapsulation 302 includes a housing 304 that forms an enclosure 306 together with the substrate 308. A first sealant 310 is disposed between the housing 304 and the substrate 308, and forms an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier for the active area 312. The first sealant includes, for example, a metal-coated polyester resin or an epoxy resin-based adhesive, and the like.

The housing 304 may have a first conductive path 314 disposed in a first airtight seal 316 through the housing. The first conductive path 314 may be electrically coupled to the cathode 318.

The housing 304 may further have a second conductive path 320 passing through the housing 304 through a second airtight seal 324. The second conductive path 320 may be electrically coupled to the anode 322. In this case, the housing 304 may include a non-conductive material.

In another embodiment, the housing 304 may be conductive. For example, the housing 304 may include a metal (such as aluminum) or a conductive plastic. In this case, the first conductive path 314 is electrically isolated from the housing 304. Instead of using the second conductive path 320 through the housing 304, the anode 322 may be electrically coupled to the housing 304 through the first sealant 310 which is conductive in this case.

The conductive housing 304 can thus form a common anode with the adjacent OLED device.

shell

As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 400 has a shaped shape that allows the OLED device 402 and a plurality of adjacent OLED devices 406, 408 to be disposed on a curved surface 404 without causing significant interference between the housings of adjacent OLED devices.

In one embodiment, the housing 400 has an inclined side wall 410 and a bottom wall 412, and an inclined angle α of the inclined side wall 410 is selected so that the OLED device 402 and a plurality of adjacent OLED devices 406, 408 are closely arranged on the curved surface. When 404 is mounted, the housings of adjacent OLED devices do not significantly interfere with each other. For example, when the inclination angle α is about 60°, two adjacent OLED devices 402 and 406 can be arranged on a curved surface 404. Under this curvature, the OLED devices 402 and 406 form an inward angle of about 120°. The adjacent side walls do not exert pressure on each other. In some embodiments, the inclination angle α is between about 30° and 90°.

The enclosure 414 formed between the housing 400 and the OLED device substrate 416 may be filled with an inert gas, such as argon, at a pressure higher than an atmospheric pressure. This further prevents oxygen and water vapor from entering the enclosure 414. For example, the pressure can be between about 1.05 times and 1.5 times the atmospheric pressure. The strength of the shell material and the active area material determines how high the pressure can be. In a preferred embodiment, the pressure is about 1.1 times the atmospheric pressure.

In the top plan view, the housing 400 has a shape configured to improve the fill factor (that is, the ratio between the light-emitting area and the total area of the OLED device). In the top plan view, the shape of the housing 400 can be a circle, an oval or a polygon. In an exemplary embodiment, in a top plan view as shown in FIG. 5, the housing may have a substantially hexagonal shape. Therefore, the OLED device 500 is configured to be adjacent to six other polygonal OLED devices to form a densely arranged matrix.

The housing 400 may be coated with a color or marked with a symbol indicating a luminous color of the active area.

In some embodiments, the housing may include transparent plastic to allow light to pass through. The shell can also be made of glass. The glass housing can be manufactured in a certain shape to improve the light output coupling.

Sealant in encapsulation

As shown in FIG. 6A, the OLED device 600 has a first sealant 602 configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier in the active area 604. The first sealant 602 is disposed between the housing 606 and a first side of the substrate 608. The OLED device 600 may further include a second sealant 610 disposed on a second side of the substrate 608 opposite to the first side. An edge portion 612 of the housing 606 can then be bent to form a "rolled edge" above the second sealant 610, thereby substantially closing an edge of the substrate 608. As illustrated in FIG. 6B, the edge portion 612 of the housing 606 is in contact with the second sealant 610, thereby forming a second seal that further prevents oxygen and water vapor from entering the enclosure.

A third sealant 614 may be further applied to seal a gap between the substrate 608 and the curved portion (the rolled edge) 616. The multiple seals improve the seal of the active area 604 and therefore increase its service life.

The encapsulation of these OLED devices can be implemented before or after the cutting of a large OLED substrate. In the case before cutting, the individual housings can be patterned corresponding to the individual active areas on the large OLED substrate, and then the individual housings can be sealed, and then the individual devices can be cut. In the case where the individual OLED areas have been cut from the OLED substrate, both the slices and the shells are patterned correspondingly and then sealed together.

Continuous action area and discrete action area

In the OLED device 700 illustrated in FIG. 7A, as viewed through the transparent substrate 701, the active area 702 forms a continuous area of a single light emitter. Unlike inorganic LEDs, which are usually point light sources, the OLED device 700 is a surface light source. The area of action can be extremely large, for example about one meter or more. The size can be limited by the manufacturing process. The active area has a lateral dimension greater than about 0.1 cm. Preferably, the active area has a lateral dimension greater than about 0.5 cm. The effective area is preferably greater than 25mm²One area.

In another embodiment shown in FIG. 7B, the OLED device 704 has an active area 706 including a plurality of discrete light emitters 706a, 706b, 706c, ..., thereby forming a plurality of pixels. The individual pixels can be driven together, for example, through a common anode and a common cathode, and thus illuminate together. Alternatively, the pixels can be driven individually through its own anode and cathode. In the latter case, multiple electrical paths and airtight seals may be required to pass through the housing and a controller may be used to individually or collectively control the pixels.

ll

The active area of the OLED device emits a relatively broadband spectrum. For example, as illustrated in Figure 8, individual OLED devices can be configured to emit in blue (B), green (G), or red (R).

The FWHM of the individual spectrum can be greater than 50 nm. Preferably, the FWHM is greater than about 100 nm, and in some cases may even be greater than about 200 nm. The broadband emission spectrum can be a spectrum selected from a white spectrum, a red spectrum, a green spectrum, a blue spectrum, a yellow spectrum, an orange spectrum, a cyan spectrum or a magenta spectrum. By appropriately mixing different OLED devices, the output spectrum 800 can be visually approximately white.

Broadband emission spectrum 800 corresponds to a color rendering index (CRI) higher than about 60 and preferably higher than about 80 or even higher than about 90. In a preferred embodiment, the broadband emission spectrum corresponds to about one hundred CRI.

Advantageously, the broadband spectra of individual OLED devices are mixed to form an output spectrum 800, which to the human eye is very close to natural white light. This is in contrast to conventional lighting systems that include inorganic LED devices, whose spectrum has, for example, a relatively narrow band of about 10 nm. Even when the CRI is high, the resulting mixed light may be non-naturally white.

The active area of the OLED device can be substantially transparent. The anode may include a transparent conductor, such as ITO. The cathode may include a metal or a metal alloy (e.g. aluminum-<i>copper</i>). In some embodiments, the cathode may also include a transparent conductor. When the transparent layer is mainly used, a plurality of OLED devices can be stacked vertically without blocking light emission from individual devices. In addition, an OLED device may include a plurality of vertically stacked transparent OLED chips. The vertically stacked transparent OLED chips are not independent devices because they may not have their own encapsulation, but may have their own substrates and electrodes. It can be controlled individually.

Floor

Early relatively simple devices were not particularly effective; they emitted fewer photons relative to the number of charges injected. With the evolution of OLED technology, a better understanding of the electrode/polymer interface has led to the development of new, more advanced and effective devices. In particular, forming a layer of hole injection and/or hole transport material between an electrode and the electroluminescent material can improve the efficiency of the device. Therefore, a hole injection layer (HIL) or a hole transport layer (HTL) is often used in OLED structures.

For example, in the U.S. Application No. 11/826,394 (Sulfonation of conducting polymers and OLED, photovoltaic, and ESD devices) filed on July 13, 2007, and the U.S. Application No. 11/496,024 filed on July 31, 2006 ( Latent Doping of Conducting Polymers), U.S. Application No. 12/113,058 (Solvent System for Conjugated Polymers) filed on April 30, 2008, U.S. Application No. 11/350,271 (Hole Injection) filed on February 9, 2006 Layer Compositions), U.S. Application No. 12/153,181 (Aryl-substituted conjugated polymers related applications) filed on May 14, 2008, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/960,851 (Organic Electrodes) filed on October 16, 2007 and Electronic Devices), U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/029,255 (Novel Compositions, Methods, and Polymers) filed on February 15, 2008, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/032,905 (Planarizing Agents) filed on February 29, 2008 and Devices) and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/043,654 (Hole Injection Layer Compositions and Photovoltaic Devices) filed on May 13, 2008, describing additional layers and material technologies related to organic electronic devices (including HIL technology and HTL technology) ), and these applications are all incorporated herein by reference.

More layers can be included in an OLED device to improve luminous efficiency. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 9, an OLED device 900 may include: an anode 902 including an ITO layer disposed on glass or polyethylene terephthalate (PET); and an electric hole Injection layer 904; an active layer 906; an electron transport layer 908 and a cathode 910. The cathode 910 may include Ca, Al, or Ba.

The active area 906 may include an electroluminescent polymer arranged as at least one emissive layer, which may be formed by a solution-based process (such as inkjet printing) or a vapor deposition process.

The hole injection layer 904 may include an intrinsic conductive polymer. For example, the hole injection layer 904 may include a substituted polythiophene, a stereoregular substituted polythiophene, or a stereoregular substituted poly-3-thiophene. At least one flattening agent may be included with the polythiophene. The planarizing agent may be selected from, for example, polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) or its derivatives. The planarizing agent helps planarize the interface between the layers, thereby promoting the transfer of holes across the interface. The planarizing agent can also help reduce optical absorption, thereby increasing light output efficiency.

The hole injection layer 904 can also be formed by a solution-based process or by a vapor deposition process. For example, the hole injection layer 904 can be formed by spin casting, drop casting, dip coating, spray coating, or by a printing method (for example, inkjet printing, offset printing, or by a transfer process). For example, in U.S. Patent No. 6,682,175 to Otsuka and in Hebner et al.<i>Applied Physics Letters</i>, 72, no. 5, February 2, 1998, pages 519-521 describe inkjet printing, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

It can be assumed that the hole injection layer 904 has a thickness of about 10 nm to about 50 μm, with a typical thickness ranging from about 50 nm to about 1 μm. In another embodiment, the thickness may be about 10 nm to about 500 nm, and more specifically, about 10 nm to about 100 nm.

Similarly, the electron transport layer 908 can be formed by a solution-based process or by a vapor deposition process.

It may also include other layers, such as an electron injection layer, a hole blocking layer, or an electron blocking layer. The resulting OLED device will include: an anode; a hole injection layer; a hole transport layer; an electron blocking layer; an active area, such as one or more light-emitting layers; a hole blocking layer; an electron transport layer; Electron injection layer and a cathode. The hole transport layer and the electron transport layer promote the transport of electrons and holes respectively into the active area, and the electron blocking layer and the hole blocking layer prevent electrons or holes from leaving the active area.

Examples of materials used in these different layers include:

1) Hole injection layer: PEDOT (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)): PSS (poly-phenylene ethylene sulfonic acid), Plexcore OC, LG101 (hexaazatriphenylene sulfonic acid) Nitrile), MeO-TPD([1,1'-biphenyl]-4,4'-diamine, N4,N4'-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-N4,N4'-diphenyl- Benzidine): F4TCNQ (N4, N4'-diphenyl-benzidine);

2) Electron injection layer: Li (lithium), Ca (calcium), Ba (barium), LiF (lithium fluoride), CsCO3 (cesium carbonate), Ca (acac) (calcium acetone acetone), Li: BPhen (lithium :Difenphenanthroline (4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline)), Cs:BPhen (cesium: diphenylphenanthroline (4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline) Oxoline));

3) Hole transport layer: TPD, NPB (1,4-bis(1-naphthylphenylamino)biphenyl), TPD or other polymer forms of benzidine, PFO (poly(-oxadiazole)) ), TFB (poly(2,7-(9,9-di-n-octyl fluoride)-(1,4-phenylene-((4-second butylphenyl)imino))-1 ,4-phenylene))), PPV (poly(1,4-phenylene);

4) Electron transport layer: Alq3 (three-(8-quinolinyl) aluminum), lithium quinolate, OXD-7 (2,2'-(1,3-phenylene) bis[5-[4- (1,1-Dimethylethyl)phenyl))-1,3,4-oxadiazole), TAZ (3,5-bis(4-tertiary butylphenyl)-4-phenyl- Triazole);

5) Hole blocking layer: BCP (2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline), Bphen, OXD-7, TAZ;

6) Electron blocking layer: TCTA (4,4',4"-tris(carbazol-9-yl)-triphenylamine), Spiro-TAD (2,2',7,7'-tetra(n,n- Diphenylamino)-9,9'-spirobifu); and

7) Light-emitting layer:<i>Gather together</i>The small molecule film of the sage family, PPV family, co-deposition, such as Ir(ppy)3 (tris[2-(2-pyridine) in CBP (4,4'-bis(carbazol-9-yl)-biphenyl) Yl)phenyl-C,N]-iridium(III)).

Stacked light-emitting layer

In an embodiment shown in FIG. 10, an OLED device 1000 has an active area including a plurality of vertically stacked light-emitting layers 1006a, 1006b, and 1006c. At least two of the light-emitting layers are configured to emit light with different colors. The plurality of vertically stacked light-emitting layers 1006a, 1006b, 1006c can be staggered with substantially transparent non-light-emitting layers 1008a, 1008b, 1008c, 1008d.

The substantially transparent non-light emitting layers 1008b, 1008c may be electrodes used for one of the light emitting layers 1006b, so that a power supply 1020 that is different from the power supply 1030 used for the OLED device 1000 can be used to independently control the light emitting layer 1006b. Those skilled in the art will recognize that instead of using different power sources 1020, 1030, a single power source coupled to a controller can be used, and the controller individually addresses and controls the different light-emitting layers. In the configuration shown in FIG. 10, an electrical path can be configured from the anode 1002 to the cathode 1010, bypassing the electrodes 1008b, 1008c and the light-emitting layer 1006b.

The cathode 1010 can be disposed on a transparent substrate. The cathode 1010 and the anode 1002 can also be substantially transparent so that the OLED device 1000 is configured to emit light in both the cathode direction and the anode direction. A transparent material selected from a conductive oxide, a metal film, or an organic film can be used for the transparent cathode or anode.

In some embodiments, at least one of the anode 1002 or the cathode 1010 includes a reflective material, and the OLED device 1000 is configured as an edge-emitting OLED device. The light-reflecting layer (which may be a coated layer or a layer having a selected refractive index to induce a total internal reflection) may form a waveguide for the emitted light. The edge-emitting OLED device can use an opaque layer without blocking light in a stacked configuration.

The horizontal size of the active area as shown in the figure<i>d</i>Department is greater than about 0.5 cm. Therefore, the OLED device 1000 is advantageously a surface light source, unlike conventional inorganic LED devices that are usually point light sources. Horizontal size<i>d can be as large as possible</i>, But can be limited by the manufacturing process. usually,<i>d</i>Less than about 1 meter. Preferably,<i>d is less than</i>The charge is transported in the anode 1002 for a characteristic distance, for example, the distance that the charge can travel in the anode 1002. When the anode 1002 includes ITO,<i>d is preferably less than about</i>10cm.

Other stacked configurations of OLED devices are also possible. As illustrated in FIG. 11, an OLED device 1100 includes a substrate 1101, a first anode 1102, a HIL 1104, a first light-emitting layer 1106, a first cathode 1108, a second anode 1110, and a second light emitting layer. Layer 1112, an electron transport layer 1114 and a second cathode 1116. The first light-emitting layer 1106 is electrically coupled to the first anode 1102 and the first cathode 1108. The second light-emitting layer 1112 is electrically coupled to the second anode 1110 and the second cathode 1116. The first emitting layer and the second emitting layer 1106, 1112 can be electrically coupled in series to a single power source. Alternatively, the first emission layer and the second emission layer 1106, 1112 can be individually controlled and/or addressed.

An encapsulation 1118 can be used to isolate the first and second light-emitting layers 1106, 1112 from the surrounding environment. One or more couplers 1120 can be configured to electrically couple at least one of the first anode, the second anode, the first cathode, or the second cathode to a power source. Each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer 1106, 1112 includes an organic material and is configured to emit a broadband emission spectrum having a FWHM greater than about 50 nm. The first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer 1106, 1112 may have the same color or have different colors.

Optical output coupling

In addition to including the inclusion layer (such as HIL) to improve the luminous efficiency, the OLED device can have an improved luminous efficiency by engineering the optical device to improve the light output coupling efficiency. In certain embodiments, the OLED device includes a light coupling layer configured to improve light output coupling. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 12A, the OLED device 1200 has a substrate 1202 with a lens-shaped surface. As shown in FIG. 12B, the OLED device 1204 has a substrate 1206 with a patterned surface. The patterned surface forms a grating that improves light output coupling efficiency and directing ability. Alternatively, the light coupling layer may include a plurality of microlenses, a photonic crystal, a roughened transparent surface, or a low refractive index layer. The low refractive index layer may include, for example, an aerogel. The low refractive index layer can reduce internal reflections in the vertical emission configuration. A combination of optical output coupling technologies can be used. For example, the substrate may have a patterned surface, such as a grid etched in a glass substrate, which is used to refract the trapped light passing through the glass and enter a microlens layer.

In some embodiments, the light output coupling layer is also configured to convert the spectrum emitted by the active area into another spectrum having a longer wavelength. For example, the light coupling layer may include a phosphor layer or a quantum dot-based film. The phosphor layer or the quantum dot-based film can be configured to down-convert photons with higher energy to lower energy.

OLED lighting kit

The OLED structure illustrated in FIG. 1 and other basic OLED structures can be applied to a modular design of OLED devices for lighting. Specifically, a plurality of pre-manufactured modular OLED devices can be provided, and individual modular OLED devices can be selected and "inserted" into a system rack to form a configurable lighting system. By selecting an appropriate set of OLED devices to couple to the mount, the system can have desired optical properties, such as color.

Pre-manufactured OLED devices (such as the pre-manufactured OLED device illustrated in FIG. 1) can be provided in a lighting kit. The lighting kit can include at least two types of pre-manufactured modular OLED devices of different colors. Each OLED device includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; and an active area including an organic material.

In addition to different colors, OLED devices with different sizes (between 0.1 cm and 1 m) and different shapes (such as circles or polygons) can be provided. These OLED devices may already have couplers coupled to them, and are therefore "plug and play" devices.

The lighting kit may further include: a power supply; a stand for receiving at least one of the plurality of OLED devices; and a plurality of conductive couplers. The conductive couplers may already be attached to the OLED devices or they may be provided separately. Each of the plurality of conductive couplers has at least one conductive surface area and at least one insulating surface area at a predetermined position to electrically couple one of the OLED devices with another OLED device or with the frame .

The lighting kit may further include a homogenizer to reduce the odd appearance of an OLED array.

The lighting kit may further include instructional materials, including how to assemble and the components and technical specifications of the components, as described throughout the disclosure.

OLED device assembled from the lighting kit

A customer (such as a consumer electronic device manufacturer or a consumer) can choose a sub-group of OLED devices from the lighting kit, and assemble a lighting device or signage under the condition of appropriately selecting OLED devices with different colors and brightness equipment.

For example, a stacked OLED configuration is shown in FIG. 13, in which a plurality of OLED devices 1302, 1304, and 1306 are stacked vertically. One or more electrodes 1308 may be arranged on the side, and the individual OLEDs may, for example, have a transparent substrate in a glass-on-glass configuration. The stacked OLED structure increases the total light output per unit area, and can drive the individual OLED devices at a relatively low current, thereby increasing their service life.

Instead of using the glass-on-glass structure, light can be coupled out from the edge of the stack, for example, using gratings and waveguides.

Vertical coupling of stacked OLED devices

A method of vertically coupling an OLED device with another OLED device or with a stand is illustrated in FIG. 14A. The OLED device 1402 and the holder 1404 have pre-made vias 1406 in which the elongated conductor 1408 can be assembled. Depending on the substrate material of the OLED device 1402 or the holder 1404, the via 1406 can be etched or machined.

The elongated conductor 1408 has a patterned outer surface area, in which the insulating region 1410 and the conductive region are in the desired position so that when assembled into the via 1406, the correct electrical path and insulation can be formed between the vertical layers. The elongated conductor 1408 can be assembled into the via 1406 by "binding" or by threading. The elongated conductor 1408 can be flexible to accommodate a flexible system. The elongated conductor is configured to couple one of the OLED devices 1402 with the other of the OLED devices or with the stand 1404 both mechanically and electrically.

In the frame 1404 shown in FIG. 14A, two conductive layers 1412 and 1414 are included. When the elongated conductor 1408 is coupled to the holder 1404 and the OLED device 1402, the insulating region 1410 is in contact with the second conductive layer 1414. Therefore, an electrical connection is created between the first conductive layer 1412 and the OLED device 1402 through the elongated conductor 1408. By pre-arranging the positions of the insulating regions and the conductive layers, complex electrical connections can be created.

In another example shown in FIG. 14B, two elongated conductors are included, each of which has an insulating area at a different location. The positions can correspond to the depth of the two conductive layers. As shown in the figure, once two elongated conductors are coupled to the OLED device and the holder, the two electrodes of the OLED device can be coupled to the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, respectively.

In addition, in an embodiment shown in FIG. 14C, an integrated connector 1430 may be used. The integrated connector 1430 has a substantially "U" shape with two "arms" and similar to a stable shape. The insulating areas are arranged at different positions of the integrated connector 1430. Those familiar with this technology will realize that other shapes of connectors with more "arms" are also possible.

As shown in FIG. 14D, an exemplary OLED device 1440 has one or more contact pads 1442. The OLED device 1440 can be coupled to a stand or to another OLED device 1444 using an elongated conductor 1446 that can be "bound" through the contact pad 1442.

These modular OLED devices that are pre-manufactured and can already be packaged can be "inserted" or "placed" into a stand and arranged in a pattern. Advantageously, as a result of the modular design, the individual OLED devices can be selected from a lighting kit including devices with different color characteristics, sizes and shapes.

In one embodiment, the modular OLED devices are selected at a ratio based on their expected service life and placed on the rack. For example, the two-to-one ratio between the number of blue OLEDs and the number of red OLEDs can be predetermined based on the lifetime of blue OLEDs being about half of the lifetime of red OLEDs.

In one example, as compared with a red OLED device or a green OLED device, the lighting system includes more blue OLED devices (which generally have a shorter lifetime). For example, for each red OLED or green OLED, two (2) blue OLED devices may be included. If controlled by a controller, the two blue OLED devices can be activated alternately.

In a "low cost" method, all the OLED devices can be simply driven by the same voltage, and the blue OLEDs can be configured to have higher resistance and therefore lower current. This will also improve the service life of the blue OLED devices, and the increased number of the blue OLED devices compensates for the lower start-up energy level to achieve the desired luminosity and color characteristics.

During the wear/aging period of the lighting system, the OLED devices are therefore selected to effectively control the color and other optical characteristics.

An exemplary embodiment

FIG. 15 illustrates a known example of a pre-manufactured modular OLED device 1500. The geometric shapes and sizes are exaggerated for clarity and not drawn to scale. The OLED device 1500 has a lateral dimension of about 1 cm as shown in the figure, and has a hexagonal shape in a top plan view as shown in FIG. 5. When provided in a lighting kit, multiple OLED devices have different sizes, colors, and shapes. The glass substrate 1502 is about 1 mm thick. An ITO layer 1504 is disposed on the glass substrate 1502 as an anode, which is about 100 nm thick. A hole injection layer 1506 (including an intrinsically conductive polymer) is adjacent to the anode and is about 200 nm thick. The active area 1508 includes poly-phenylene vinylene and is about 300 nm thick.

An adjustment layer 1510 (which may be only a few angstroms thick) including LiF is disposed between the active area 1508 and the cathode 1512 to improve the coupling between the active area 1508 and the cathode 1512. The cathode 1512 includes an aluminum layer having a thickness of about 100 nm.

The above layers are enclosed in the shell 1514. The cathode 1512 is electrically coupled to a first coupler 1518 through an airtight seal 1516 on the housing 1514. In this embodiment, the housing 1514 is made of aluminum and is electrically coupled to the anode 1504. A second coupler 1520 is attached to the housing 1514 and is therefore electrically coupled to the anode 1504. The OLED device 1500 can therefore be easily inserted into a corresponding coupler (recess) on a stand or another OLED device.

In this known example in which the housing 1514 is made of aluminum, the housing 1514 is formed from a flat aluminum blank to have a thickness, composition, and toughness that allows single-stage or multi-stage stamping or stretching. The single-stage or multi-stage stamping Or stretch to produce a "disk" that adapts to the geometric configuration required to install the OLED devices. The configuration of the disk is similar to the OLED device 1500 in such a way that the mounted device stays on a lip 1523 formed into the side wall 1521 of the disk and having a uniform size around the circumference of the disk. This lip 1523 acts as a sealant/adhesive 1522 applied to the first surface to affect the air-tight encapsulation of the OLED device. The sidewall 1521 described should have a height that extends above the mounted OLED device not less than the thickness of the OLED substrate to one four (4) times the thickness of the OLED substrate.

For the installed and sealed OLED device, a continuous bead of a second encapsulant 1524 having the same composition as or a different composition from the first encapsulant 1522 is applied to the outer surface of the OLED device 1500 close to the edge of the device and completely Around the circumference of the OLED device 1500. After the second sealant 1524 is applied, the side wall 1521 is "rolled up" or "flattened" above the bead of the second sealant 1524 to form a "lock" 1526, thereby capturing the second sealant 1524 in the "lock" "1526, so as to keep the OLED layers in the "pan". A third sealant 1528 further seals the lock 1526. The goal of this configuration and material combination is to form a twisted path to resist the migration of water and oxygen into the enclosure of the OLED device.

As shown in the figure, the aluminum housing ("pan") 1514 is further modified to include one or two hermetically sealed electrical contacts 1518, 1520 on the bottom side of the housing 1514 so that the electrical power required by the OLED device can be delivered , Without jeopardizing these airtight seals. In the case where there is only one electrical contact, the contact can carry the positive charge (+) to the active area 1508, and the "disk" itself provides contact with other "disks" and finally reaches the power source The negative (-) path. Alternatively, the "disk" can be used as a common anode, and the contact 1518 can be coupled to the cathode 1512 through an airtight seal 1516, as shown in FIG. 15.

Further embodiment

Additional examples are provided in the US provisional application for priority 61/090,150 filed on August 19, 2009, which application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

In one aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED device includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; an active area including an organic material, wherein the active area is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode and is configured to emit a FWHM greater than about 50 nm A broadband emission spectrum; at least one coupler configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode or the cathode to a power source; and an encapsulation that isolates the active area from an ambient environment.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided, which includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; and an active area including an organic material, wherein the active area is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode and Configured to emit a broadband emission spectrum having a FWHM greater than about 50 nm; at least one coupler configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode or the cathode to a power source; and an encapsulation, which The active area is isolated from a surrounding environment, wherein the active area includes a plurality of vertically stacked light-emitting layers.

The active area may include a plurality of vertically stacked light-emitting layers. The light-emitting layers can be interleaved with a plurality of electrodes so that the light-emitting layers can be individually addressed and controlled.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided, which includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; and a second Anode; a second light-emitting layer; an electron transport layer; a second cathode; at least one coupler configured to be one of the first anode, the second anode, the first cathode, or the second cathode At least one is electrically coupled to a power source; and an encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes An organic material and configured to emit a broadband emission spectrum having a FWHM greater than about 50 nm, and wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective anodes and cathodes.

In another aspect, a kit with pre-manufactured modular OLED devices is provided. The OLED devices include at least two types of OLED devices of different colors. Each OLED device includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; and an active area, which includes an organic material, wherein the active area is electrically coupled To the anode and the cathode and configured to emit a broadband emission spectrum having a FWHM greater than about 50 nm; at least one coupler configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode or the cathode to a Power supply; and a encapsulation, which isolates the active area from a surrounding environment.

In another aspect, a method of manufacturing an OLED device is provided. The method includes: providing a substrate, an anode, a cathode, and an active area including an organic material and an outer shell, wherein the active area is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode and is configured to emit particles having a diameter greater than about 50 nm. A broadband emission spectrum of a FWHM; and assembling the substrate, the anode, the cathode, the active area, and the housing to form the OLED device.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided, which includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; an active area including an organic material, wherein the active area is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode; at least one Coupler; and an encapsulation, which isolates the active area from a surrounding environment.

In another aspect, a lighting system is provided. The lighting system includes a plurality of OLED devices, wherein each of the OLED devices includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; an active area including an organic material, wherein the active area is electrically coupled to the The anode and the cathode; at least one coupler configured to electrically couple the anode or the cathode to a power source; and an encapsulation that isolates the active area from an ambient environment.

At least one advantage of at least one embodiment is that the OLED device is a "plug and play" device and can be easily placed in a system and/or replace an existing device. The encapsulation and the coupler allow the OLED device to become a standalone device.

At least another advantage of at least one embodiment is the large-area light-emitting source formed by the use of organic materials. The organic material provides ease of manufacture and tunable colors with desired visual effects.

In at least some of these embodiments, an OLED device is provided. The OLED device includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; an active area including an organic material, wherein the active area is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode and is configured to emit a FWHM greater than about 50 nm A broadband emission spectrum; at least one coupler configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode or the cathode to a power source; and an encapsulation that isolates the active area from an ambient environment.

In one aspect, the OLED device coupler is configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode or the cathode to the power source via a mount.

In another aspect, the OLED device coupler is configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode or the cathode to the power source via a second OLED device.

In one aspect, the OLED device coupler can be configured to mechanically couple the OLED device with a stand or with a second OLED device.

In one aspect, the OLED device coupler includes a protruding portion configured to snap to a recessed portion on a holder or a second OLED device.

In another aspect, the OLED device coupler includes a protruding part for a holder or a second device to snap onto one of the recessed parts.

In one embodiment, the OLED device encapsulation includes: a housing, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier for the active area.

In another aspect, the OLED device encapsulation includes: an enclosure, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier for the active area , Wherein the housing includes a first conductive path disposed in a first airtight seal through the housing, and the first conductive path is electrically coupled to the cathode.

In one embodiment, the OLED device encapsulation includes: a housing, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier for the active area, The housing has a first conductive path in a first airtight seal through the housing, and wherein the first conductive path is electrically coupled to the cathode, and the housing further has a second conductive path through the housing Path, and wherein the second conductive path is electrically coupled to the anode.

In another aspect, the OLED device encapsulation includes: an enclosure, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier for the active area , Wherein the housing has a first conductive path in a first airtight seal through the housing, and wherein the first conductive path is electrically coupled to the cathode, and the housing further has a second conductive path through the housing A conductive path, wherein the second conductive path is electrically coupled to the anode, and wherein the second conductive path passes through a second airtight seal.

In another embodiment, the OLED device encapsulation includes: a housing, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier for the active area , Wherein the housing is electrically conductive, and wherein the first conductive path is electrically isolated from the housing, and further wherein the anode is electrically coupled to the housing.

In another aspect, the OLED device encapsulation includes: an enclosure, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier for the active area , Wherein the housing is conductive, and wherein the first conductive path is electrically isolated from the housing, and further wherein the anode is electrically coupled to the housing, wherein the conductive housing and the adjacent OLED device together form a common anode.

In another aspect, the OLED device encapsulation includes: a housing, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier for the active area , Wherein the housing is electrically conductive, and wherein the first conductive path is electrically isolated from the housing, and further wherein the anode is electrically coupled to the housing, wherein the housing has a configuration that allows the OLED device and a plurality of adjacent OLED devices to be disposed together A shaped shape on a curved surface without causing significant interference between the housings of adjacent OLED devices.

In another aspect, the OLED device encapsulation includes: an enclosure, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier for the active area , Wherein the housing is electrically conductive, and wherein the first conductive path is electrically isolated from the housing, and further wherein the anode is electrically coupled to the housing, wherein the housing has a configuration that allows the OLED device and a plurality of adjacent OLED devices to be disposed together A shaped shape on a curved surface that does not cause significant interference between the housings of adjacent OLED devices, wherein the housing has an inclined side wall and a bottom wall, and wherein an inclination angle of the inclined side wall is selected so that the OLED device and the plurality of When two adjacent OLED devices are closely arranged on a curved surface, the housings of adjacent OLED devices do not significantly interfere with each other.

In one aspect, the OLED device encapsulation includes a substantially polygonal housing that forms an enclosure with the substrate.

In another aspect, the OLED device encapsulation includes a substantially hexagonal shell that forms a enclosure with the substrate.

In one aspect, the OLED device encapsulation includes: a housing, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier in the active area, The enclosure is filled with an inert gas at a pressure equal to or higher than an atmospheric pressure.

In one aspect, the OLED device encapsulation includes: a housing, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier in the active area, The enclosure is filled with an inert gas at a pressure higher than an atmospheric pressure, wherein the pressure is between about 1.05 and 1.5 times the atmospheric pressure.

In one aspect, the OLED device encapsulation includes: a housing, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier in the active area, The enclosure is filled with an inert gas at a pressure higher than an atmospheric pressure, wherein the pressure is approximately 1.1 times the atmospheric pressure.

The encapsulation may include: a shell, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier in the active area, wherein the shell has a substantially six The polygonal shape allows the OLED device to be configured adjacent to six other polygonal OLED devices to form a matrix.

In one aspect, the OLED device encapsulation includes: a housing, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier for the active area, The shell is coated with a color or marked with a symbol indicating a luminous color of the active area.

In one aspect, the OLED device encapsulation includes: a housing, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier for the active area, The housing includes one or more of a metal, a conductive plastic, a non-conductive material, a transparent plastic, or a glass in a predetermined shape.

In one aspect, the OLED device encapsulation includes: a housing, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier for the active area, The shell is made of aluminum.

In one aspect, the OLED device encapsulation includes: a housing, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier in the active area, Wherein the first sealant is arranged between the housing and a first side of the substrate, the OLED device further includes a second sealant arranged on a second side of the substrate, and further wherein the housing is An edge portion substantially closes an edge of the substrate and is in contact with the second sealant.

In one aspect, the OLED device encapsulation includes: a housing, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier in the active area, wherein The first sealant is arranged between the housing and a first side of the substrate. The OLED device further includes: a second sealant arranged on a second side of the substrate, and further wherein the housing An edge portion substantially closes an edge of the substrate and is in contact with the second sealant; a third sealant is used to seal one of the edge portions of the housing and the second side of the substrate gap.

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device forms a continuous area of a single light emitter.

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device includes a plurality of light emitters.

In one aspect, the FWHM of the OLED device is greater than about 100 nm.

In one aspect, the OLED device is larger than about 200 nm.

In one aspect, the broadband emission spectrum of the OLED device is selected from a white spectrum, a red spectrum, a green spectrum, a blue spectrum, a yellow spectrum, an orange spectrum, a cyan spectrum or a magenta spectrum. One.

In one aspect, the broadband emission spectrum of the OLED device corresponds to a CRI higher than about 60.

In one aspect, the broadband emission spectrum of the OLED device corresponds to a CRI higher than about 80.

In one aspect, the broadband emission spectrum of the OLED device corresponds to a CRI higher than about 90.

In one aspect, the broadband emission spectrum of the OLED device corresponds to about one hundred CRI.

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device is substantially transparent.

In one aspect, the anode of the OLED device includes a transparent conductor.

In one aspect, the anode of the OLED device includes ITO.

In one aspect, the cathode of the OLED device includes a transparent conductor.

In one aspect, the cathode of the OLED device includes at least one of an organic material or an inorganic material.

In one aspect, the cathode of the OLED device includes one of aluminum or copper.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes at least one hole injection layer.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes at least one hole injection layer and at least one electron transport layer.

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device includes one of a fluorescent emitter or a phosphorescent emitter.

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device includes one of a polymer emitter or a small molecule emitter.

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device includes at least one emission layer, and the at least one emission layer is formed by one of a solution-based process or a vapor deposition process.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes at least one hole injection layer, wherein the at least one hole injection layer includes an intrinsic conductive polymer.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes at least one hole injection layer, wherein the at least one hole injection layer includes a substituted polythiophene, a stereoregular substituted polythiophene, a stereoregular substituted poly-3-thiophene, or One or more of the polythiophenes and at least one flattening agent are substituted by a stereoregular rule.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes at least one hole injection layer, wherein the at least one hole injection layer is formed by one of a solution-based process or a vapor deposition process.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes at least one electron transport layer, wherein the at least one electron transport layer is formed by one of a solution-based process or a vapor deposition process.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes a light coupling layer configured to improve light output coupling.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes a light coupling layer configured to improve light output coupling, wherein the light coupling layer has a lens-shaped surface.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes a light coupling layer configured to improve light output coupling, wherein the light coupling layer has a patterned surface that forms a grating.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes a light coupling layer configured to improve light output coupling, wherein the light coupling layer includes a plurality of microlenses.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes a light coupling layer configured to improve light output coupling, wherein the light coupling layer includes a phosphor layer.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes a light coupling layer configured to improve light output coupling, wherein the light coupling layer is also configured to convert the spectrum to another spectrum of longer wavelength.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes a light coupling layer configured to improve light output coupling, wherein the light coupling layer includes another light coupling layer configured to convert the spectrum to a longer wavelength based on Quantum dot film.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes a light coupling layer configured to improve light output coupling, wherein the light coupling layer includes a photonic lattice.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes a light coupling layer configured to improve light output coupling, wherein the light coupling layer has a roughened transparent surface.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes a light coupling layer configured to improve light output coupling, wherein the light coupling layer includes a low refractive index layer.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes a light coupling layer configured to improve light output coupling, wherein the light coupling layer includes a low refractive index layer composed of an aerogel.

In one aspect, the OLED device further includes one or more of a hole transport layer, an electron transport layer, a hole injection layer, an electron injection layer, a hole blocking layer, or an electron blocking layer .

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device has a lateral dimension greater than about 0.1 cm.

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device has a lateral dimension less than about 1 meter.

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device has a lateral dimension smaller than a characteristic distance of charge transport in the anode.

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device has a lateral dimension less than a characteristic distance of charge transport in the anode, and wherein the lateral dimension is less than about 10 cm.

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device has a lateral dimension of about 1 cm.

In another embodiment, an OLED device is provided. The OLED device includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; an active area including an organic material, wherein the active area is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode and is configured to emit a FWHM greater than about 50 nm A broadband emission spectrum; at least one coupler configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode or the cathode to a power source; and an encapsulation that isolates the active area from an ambient environment, wherein The active area includes a plurality of vertically stacked light-emitting layers.

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device includes a plurality of vertically stacked light-emitting layers, wherein at least two of the plurality of vertically stacked light-emitting layers are configured to emit light of different colors.

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device includes a plurality of vertically stacked light-emitting layers, wherein the vertically stacked light-emitting layers are staggered with substantially transparent non-light-emitting layers.

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device includes a plurality of vertically stacked light-emitting layers, wherein the plurality of vertically stacked light-emitting layers are staggered with substantially transparent non-light-emitting layers, and wherein the substantially transparent non-light-emitting layers include a first Three electrodes, wherein the third electrode is electrically addressed differently from the anode or the cathode.

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device includes a plurality of vertically stacked light-emitting layers, wherein the plurality of vertically stacked light-emitting layers are staggered with substantially transparent non-light-emitting layers forming a plurality of vertically stacked transparent OLED chips.

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device includes a plurality of vertically stacked light-emitting layers, wherein the substrate, the cathode, and the anode are substantially transparent so that the OLED device is configured to be both in the cathode direction and the anode direction. Emit light in the direction.

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device includes a plurality of vertically stacked light-emitting layers, wherein at least one of the anode or the cathode is transparently selected from a conductive oxide, a metal film, or an organic film. Material composition.

In one aspect, the active area of the OLED device includes a plurality of vertically stacked light-emitting layers, wherein at least one of the anode or the cathode includes a reflective material, and wherein the OLED device is configured as an edge-emitting OLED.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of about 50nm one FWHM, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of one FWHM of about 50nm, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode, wherein the at least one coupler It is configured to electrically couple at least one of the first anode, the second anode, the first cathode, or the second cathode to a power source via a frame.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of one FWHM of approximately 50 nm, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode, and wherein the at least one is coupled The device is configured to electrically couple at least one of the first anode, the second anode, the first cathode, or the second cathode to a power source via a second OLED device.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of one FWHM of about 50 nm, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode, and wherein the at least one is coupled The device is configured to also mechanically couple the OLED device with a stand or with a second OLED device.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of one FWHM of approximately 50 nm, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode, and wherein the at least one is coupled The device includes a protruding part configured to snap onto a recessed part on a stand or a second OLED device.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of one FWHM of approximately 50 nm, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode, and wherein the at least one is coupled The device includes a protruding part for a frame seat or a second device to be latched to one of the recessed parts.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of one FWHM of about 50nm, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode, and wherein the encapsulation includes : An outer shell, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier in the active area.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of one FWHM of about 50nm, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode, and wherein the encapsulation includes : An enclosure, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier in the active area, wherein the enclosure has a first One of the first conductive paths in the airtight seal, and wherein the first conductive path is electrically coupled to the cathode.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of one FWHM of about 50nm, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode, and wherein the encapsulation includes :A shell, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier in the active area, wherein the shell has a first gas through the shell A first conductive path in the hermetic seal, and wherein the first conductive path is electrically coupled to the cathode, wherein the housing further has a second conductive path through the housing, and wherein the second conductive path is electrically coupled To the anode.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of one FWHM of about 50nm, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode, and wherein the encapsulation includes :A shell, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier in the active area, wherein the shell has a first gas through the shell A first conductive path in the hermetic seal, and wherein the first conductive path is electrically coupled to the cathode, wherein the housing further has a second conductive path through the housing, and wherein the second conductive path is electrically coupled To the anode, the second conductive path passes through a second airtight seal.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of one FWHM of about 50nm, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode, and wherein the encapsulation includes : An enclosure, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier in the active area, wherein the enclosure is conductive, and wherein the first conductive The path is electrically isolated from the housing, and further wherein the anode is electrically coupled to the housing.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of one FWHM of about 50nm, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode, and wherein the encapsulation includes : An enclosure, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier in the active area, wherein the enclosure is conductive, and wherein the first conductive The path is electrically isolated from the housing, and further wherein the anode is electrically coupled to the housing, wherein the conductive housing and the adjacent OLED device together form a common anode.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of one FWHM of about 50nm, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode, and wherein the encapsulation includes : An enclosure, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier in the active area, wherein the enclosure is conductive, and wherein the first conductive The path is electrically isolated from the housing, and further wherein the anode is electrically coupled to the housing, wherein the housing has features that allow the OLED device and a plurality of adjacent OLED devices to be arranged on a curved surface without causing interference between the housings of adjacent OLED devices Significantly interfere with one of the forming shapes.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of one FWHM of about 50nm, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode, and wherein the encapsulation includes : An enclosure, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier in the active area, wherein the enclosure is conductive, and wherein the first conductive The path is electrically isolated from the housing, and further wherein the anode is electrically coupled to the housing, wherein the housing has features that allow the OLED device and a plurality of adjacent OLED devices to be arranged on a curved surface without causing interference between the housings of adjacent OLED devices Significantly interferes with a shaping shape, in which the housing has an inclined side wall and a bottom wall, and wherein an inclination angle of the inclined side wall is selected so that when the OLED device and a plurality of adjacent OLED devices are closely arranged on a curved surface, The enclosures of adjacent OLED devices do not significantly interfere with each other.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of one FWHM of about 50nm, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode, and wherein the encapsulation includes Together with the base plate, a substantially hexagonal shell of an enclosure is formed.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of one FWHM of about 50nm, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode, and wherein the encapsulation includes : An enclosure, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, which is configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier in the action area, wherein the enclosure is at a pressure higher than an atmospheric pressure A pressure is filled with an inert gas.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of about 50nm one FWHM, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode, wherein the encapsulation includes: An enclosure, which forms an enclosure together with the substrate; and a first sealant, configured to form an oxygen barrier and a water vapor barrier in the active area, wherein the enclosure has a substantially hexagonal shape for the OLED The device is configured to be adjacent to six other polygonal OLED devices to form a matrix.

In another aspect, an OLED device is provided. The OLED includes: a substrate; a first anode; a hole injection layer adjacent to the first anode; a first light-emitting layer; a first cathode; a second anode; a second light-emitting layer; 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 source; and a Encapsulation, which isolates the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer from an ambient environment, wherein each of the first light-emitting layer or the second light-emitting layer includes an organic material and is configured to emit more than A broadband emission spectrum of about 50nm one FWHM, wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are electrically coupled to their respective first anode and first cathode, and second anode and second cathode, and wherein the first light-emitting layer The layer and the second light-emitting layer are independently activated.

In one aspect, a kit with pre-manufactured modular OLED devices is provided, wherein the OLED devices include at least two types of OLED devices of different colors, and each OLED device includes: a substrate; an anode A cathode and an active area, which includes an organic material, wherein the active area is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode and is configured to emit a broadband emission spectrum having a FWHM greater than about 50 nm; at least one coupler It is configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode or the cathode to a power source; and an encapsulation that isolates the active area from an ambient environment.

In one aspect, the set further includes a holder for receiving at least some of the plurality of OLED devices, wherein the holder is configured to electrically couple the power source and at least one of the plurality of OLED devices some.

In one aspect, the set further includes a plurality of conductive couplers, wherein each of the plurality of conductive couplers has at least one conductive surface area and at least one insulating surface area at a predetermined position to be such One of the OLED devices is electrically coupled with another OLED device or with a stand.

In one aspect, the kit is provided, wherein at least one of the plurality of OLED devices has one or more vias for receiving an elongated conductor.

In one aspect, the kit is provided, wherein at least one of the plurality of OLED devices has one or more vias for receiving an elongated conductor, and wherein the elongated conductor has flexibility. In one aspect, the set is provided, wherein at least one of the plurality of OLED devices has one or more vias for receiving an elongated conductor, and wherein the elongated conductor is configured to also One of the other OLED devices is mechanically coupled with the other of the OLED devices or with a stand.

In one aspect, the set further includes an elongated conductor, wherein at least one of the plurality of OLED devices has one or more vias for receiving the elongated conductor, and wherein the elongated conductor is configured It can also mechanically couple one of the OLED devices with the other of the OLED devices or with a stand.

In one aspect, the set further includes a flexible elongated conductor, wherein at least one of the plurality of OLED devices has one or more vias for receiving the flexible elongated conductor.

In one aspect, the kit further includes a stand, wherein at least one of the plurality of OLED devices is configured to be coupled to the stand.

In one aspect, the kit further includes a stand and a power supply, wherein at least one of the plurality of OLED devices is configured to be mechanically coupled to the stand and electrically coupled to the power supply through the stand .

In another embodiment, a method of manufacturing an OLED device is described. The steps include: providing a substrate, an anode, a cathode, and an active area including an organic material and a housing, wherein the active area is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode and is configured to emit a half diameter greater than about 50 nm A wide-band emission spectrum of high full-width (FWHM); and assembling the substrate, the anode, the cathode, the active area, and the housing to form the OLED device.

In one aspect, the method is provided, wherein the assembling includes: disposing the housing above the substrate; and sealing the housing to the substrate using a first sealant, thereby isolating the active area from an ambient environment One is encapsulated.

In one aspect, the method is provided, wherein the assembling includes: sealing the housing to the substrate with a first sealant, thereby forming an enclosure that isolates the active area from an ambient environment, wherein the sealing system It is carried out in an inert gas at a pressure equal to or higher than a surrounding atmospheric pressure.

In one aspect, the method is provided, wherein the assembling includes sealing the housing to the substrate using a first sealant to form an enclosure that isolates the active area from an ambient environment, wherein the sealing includes The sealing is performed in an inert gas at a pressure equal to or higher than a surrounding atmospheric pressure, and wherein the pressure is between about 1.0 and 1.5 times the surrounding atmospheric pressure.

In one aspect, the method is provided, wherein the assembling includes sealing the housing to the substrate using a first sealant to form an enclosure that isolates the active area from an ambient environment, wherein the sealing is A pressure higher than an ambient atmospheric pressure is performed in an inert gas, wherein the substrate is an uncut substrate, and the method further includes cutting the substrate after sealing the housing to the substrate.

In one aspect, the method is provided, wherein the assembling includes sealing the housing to the substrate using a first sealant to form an enclosure that isolates the active area from an ambient environment, wherein the sealing is A pressure equal to or higher than an ambient atmospheric pressure is performed in an inert gas, and wherein the sealing includes sealing the housing to a first side of the substrate, the method further includes: disposing a second sealant on The substrate is on a second side opposite to a first side in contact with the first sealant; and an edge portion of the housing is bent around the second sealant.

In one aspect, the method is provided, wherein the assembling includes sealing the housing to the substrate using a first sealant to form an enclosure that isolates the active area from an ambient environment, wherein the sealing is A pressure equal to or higher than an ambient atmospheric pressure is performed in an inert gas, and wherein the sealing includes sealing the housing to a first side of the substrate, the method further includes: disposing a second sealant on On a second side of the substrate opposite to a first side in contact with the first sealant; and bending an edge portion of the casing around the second sealant; and sealing the edge portion of the casing A gap with the OLED chip.

In another embodiment, an OLED device is provided. The OLED device includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; an active area, which includes an organic material, wherein the active area is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode; at least one coupler; and an encapsulation The active area is isolated from a surrounding environment.

In a further embodiment, the coupler is configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode or the cathode to a power source.

In one aspect, an OLED device is provided, which includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; an active area including an organic material, wherein the active area is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode; at least one coupling And an encapsulation that isolates the active area from an ambient environment, wherein the coupler is configured to mechanically couple the OLED device with a stand or with one or more other OLED devices.

In one aspect, an OLED device is provided, which includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; an active area including an organic material, wherein the active area is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode; at least one coupling Device; and an encapsulation, which isolates the active area from an ambient environment, wherein the coupler is configured to couple the OLED device and an object both electrically and mechanically.

In another embodiment, a lighting system is provided, which includes a plurality of OLED devices, wherein each of the OLED devices includes: a substrate; an anode; a cathode; an active area, which includes an organic material , Wherein the active area is electrically coupled to the anode and the cathode; at least one coupler is configured to electrically couple at least one of the anode or the cathode to a power source; and an encapsulation, which functions The area is isolated from a surrounding environment.

In one aspect, the lighting system further includes a stand, wherein at least some of the plurality of OLED devices are detachably coupled to the stand through their respective couplers.

In one aspect, the lighting system is provided, wherein at least some of the plurality of OLED devices have different colors, and wherein the plurality of OLED devices are selected so that the lighting system emits light with desired color characteristics.

In one aspect, the lighting system further includes: a stand; and an elongated conductor for coupling at least some of the plurality of OLED devices to the stand.

In one aspect, the lighting system further includes: a stand; and an elongated conductor for coupling at least some of the plurality of OLED devices to the stand, wherein the elongated conductor has an insulating area and One of the conductive areas has a patterned surface.

In one aspect, the lighting system further includes: a holder including a plurality of conductive layers; and a plurality of elongated conductors for coupling at least some of the plurality of OLED devices to the holder, wherein At least some of the plurality of elongated conductor insulation regions are located at positions corresponding to the plurality of conductive layers.

In one aspect, the lighting system further includes: a holder including a plurality of conductive layers; and an elongated conductor for coupling at least some of the plurality of OLED devices to the holder, wherein the The elongated conductor has at least two arms, and each of the at least two arms has an insulating area at a position corresponding to the plurality of conductive layers.

In one aspect, the lighting system further includes: a holder including a plurality of conductive layers; and an elongated conductor for coupling at least some of the plurality of OLED devices to the holder, wherein the The elongated guide system is roughly U-shaped.

The figures provided herein are exemplary embodiments.

<p>10. . . Lighting system</p><p>100. . . OLED device</p><p>102. . . Substrate</p><p>104. . . anode</p><p>106. . . cathode</p><p>108. . . Area of action</p><p>112. . . Coupler</p><p>113. . . Recessed part</p><p>114. . . power supply</p><p>116. . . Encapsulate</p><p>118. . . Enclosure</p><p>119. . . Stand</p><p>120. . . Second OLED device</p><p>200a. . . Coupler</p><p>200b. . . Coupler</p><p>201a. . . Coupler</p><p>201b. . . Coupler</p><p>202. . . Bulge</p><p>203. . . Conductive pattern and/or insulating pattern</p><p>204. . . Recessed part</p><p>206. . . Bulge</p><p>208. . . Recessed part</p><p>209. . . Conductive pattern</p><p>210. . . Bulge</p><p>212. . . Recessed part</p><p>220. . . OLED device</p><p>230. . . Coupler</p><p>232. . . Coupler</p><p>234. . . OLED device</p><p>236. . . OLED device electrode</p><p>238. . . Conductive path</p><p>240. . . OLED device</p><p>242. . . electrode</p><p>244. . . electrode</p><p>246. . . electrode</p><p>248. . . electrode</p><p>250. . . OLED device anode</p><p>252. . . OLED device cathode</p><p>300. . . OLED device</p><p>302. . . Encapsulate</p><p>304. . . shell</p><p>306. . . Enclosure</p><p>308. . . Substrate</p><p>310. . . First sealant</p><p>312. . . Area of action</p><p>314. . . A first conductive path</p><p>316. . . The first airtight seal</p><p>318. . . cathode</p><p>320. . . Second conductive path</p><p>322. . . anode</p><p>324. . . Second airtight seal</p><p>400. . . shell</p><p>402. . . OLED device</p><p>404. . . Curved surface</p><p>406. . . OLED device</p><p>408. . . OLED device</p><p>410. . . Sloping sidewall</p><p>412. . . Bottom wall</p><p>414. . . Enclosure</p><p>416. . . OLED device substrate</p><p>500. . . OLED device</p><p>600. . . OLED device</p><p>602. . . First sealant</p><p>604. . . Area of action</p><p>606. . . shell</p><p>608. . . Substrate</p><p>610. . . Second sealant</p><p>612. . . Marginal part</p><p>614. . . Third sealant</p><p>616. . . Curved part</p><p>700. . . OLED device</p><p>701. . . Transparent substrate</p><p>702. . . Area of action</p><p>704. . . OLED device</p><p>706. . . Area of action</p><p>706a. . . Light emitter</p><p>706b. . . Light emitter</p><p>706c. . . Light emitter</p><p>800. . . Output spectrum</p><p>900. . . OLED device</p><p>902. . . anode</p><p>904. . . Hole injection layer</p><p>906. . . Active layer</p><p>908. . . Electron transport layer</p><p>910. . . cathode</p><p>1000. . . OLED device</p><p>1002. . . anode</p><p>1006a. . . Vertically stacked light-emitting layer</p><p>1006b. . . Vertically stacked light-emitting layer</p><p>1006c. . . Vertically stacked light-emitting layer</p><p>1008a. . . Roughly transparent non-luminous layer</p><p>1008b. . . Roughly transparent non-luminous layer</p><p>1008c. . . Roughly transparent non-luminescent layer</p><p>1008d. . . Roughly transparent non-luminous layer</p><p>1010. . . cathode</p><p>1020. . . power supply</p><p>1030. . . power supply</p><p>1100. . . OLED device</p><p>1101. . . Substrate</p><p>1102. . . First anode</p><p>1104. . . HIL</p><p>1106. . . First luminescent layer</p><p>1108. . . First cathode</p><p>1110. . . Second anode</p><p>1112. . . Second luminescent layer</p><p>1114. . . Electron transport layer</p><p>1116. . . Second cathode</p><p>1118. . . Encapsulate</p><p>1120. . . Coupler</p><p>1200. . . OLED device</p><p>1202. . . Substrate</p><p>1204. . . OLED device</p><p>1206. . . Substrate</p><p>1302. . . OLED device</p><p>1304. . . OLED device</p><p>1306. . . OLED device</p><p>1308. . . electrode</p><p>1402. . . OLED device</p><p>1404. . . Stand</p><p>1406. . . Pre-made vias</p><p>1408. . . Slim conductor</p><p>1410. . . Insulated area</p><p>1412. . . Conductive layer</p><p>1414. . . Conductive layer</p><p>1430. . . Integrated connector</p><p>1440. . . OLED device</p><p>1442. . . Contact pad</p><p>1444. . . Another OLED device</p><p>1446. . . Slim conductor</p><p>1500. . . Pre-manufactured modular OLED device</p><p>1502. . . glass substrate</p><p>1504. . . ITO layer</p><p>1506. . . Hole injection layer</p><p>1508. . . Area of action</p><p>1510. . . Adjustment layer</p><p>1512. . . cathode</p><p>1514. . . shell</p><p>1516. . . Hermetic seal</p><p>1518. . . First coupler</p><p>1520. . . Second coupler</p><p>1521. . . Sidewall</p><p>1522. . . Sealant/Adhesive</p><p>1523. . . Lips</p><p>1524. . . Second sealant</p><p>1526. . . Lock</p><p>1528. . . Third sealant</p>

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary OLED device implemented in a lighting system;

Figures 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D are perspective views of exemplary OLED device couplers;

Figure 2E is a perspective view of an exemplary OLED device compatible with the coupler shown in 2D;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary OLED device packaged in an encapsulation;

4 is a cross-sectional view of a plurality of exemplary packaged OLED devices closely arranged on a curved surface;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a plurality of exemplary hexagonal OLED devices closely arranged in a matrix;

6A and 6B are cross-sectional views of an exemplary OLED device that is further sealed;

Figure 7A is a perspective view of an exemplary OLED device with a single continuous active area;

FIG. 7B is a perspective view of an exemplary OLED device having one of a plurality of active areas;

Figure 8 illustrates exemplary emission spectra of individual OLED devices and their mixed output spectra;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary OLED device having multiple layers to help improve luminous efficiency;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary OLED device with multiple active layers;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an example of a structure of a vertically stacked OLED device;

12A and 12B are cross-sectional views of an exemplary OLED device having a light output coupling layer to improve light output efficiency;

Figure 13 is a perspective view of an example of a stacked OLED device assembled from a lighting kit with a pre-manufactured modular OLED device;

14A-14C are cross-sectional views of exemplary elongated conductors used to form a stacked OLED device;

14D is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of elongated conductors to couple a plurality of exemplary OLED devices; and

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of an example of a pre-manufactured modular OLED device.