OLED – New Dimensions, New Challenges

Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Pohlmann, Head of Opto-Mechatronic Technology, Hella KGaA Hueck & Co., Rixbecker Str. 75, 59552 Lippstadt/Germany, Tel.: +49 (0) 2941-387794, wolfgang.pohlmann@hella.com

Dr. Matthias Ogonda, Opto-Mechatronic Technology, Hella KGaA Hueck & Co., Rixbecker Str. 75, 59552 Lippstadt/Germany, Tel.: +49 (0) 2941-381762, matthias.ogonda@hella.com

In organic light emitting devices (OLED) ultra-thin (thickness < 1µm) organic semiconducting layers emit diffuse, homogeneous and glare-free light. Due to its unique features as large-area light source OLEDs offer completely new styling possibilities and will therefore change the character of automotive lighting solutions. Recent significant progresses in improving the OLED performance and reliability enables their adoption in first lighting applications like rear light or interior light in near future. These progresses are on one hand related to the light source itself, e.g. new temperature-stable materials, on the other hand new system-integration methods for OLEDs, e.g. mechanical integration, electric connection and electronic driving solutions, were developed.

Today OLEDs are mainly deposited onto glass substrate. Their design is therefore limited to 2-dimensional shapes. Through the use of flexible substrate materials (metal foil, plastic, thin glass) the dimensionality can be increased to 2 ½ and thus the styling potential of this new innovative technology can fully utilized. But this increased dimension is accompanied by new challenges. For example it is necessary to build the flexible OLED to a 2 ½-dimensional, rigid OLED module. Such a technology is one of the fundamental requirements for a successful use of flexible OLEDs in a car.

This contribution will on one hand report on the latest results of the integration of 2-dimensional OLEDs into automotive lighting applications and on the other hand give a very early preview on the next technology step of this new light source.