Starting in the late 1990's I designed, programmed and facilitated the installation of lighting control systems for high-end residential clients, working alongside architects and lighting designers to create beautiful lighting for their homes. And because of that experience, when OLED solid-state lighting emerged around 15 years ago, I realized that it represented everything lighting should be: efficient, elegant, and human-centric...

A few years ago while looking for OLED lighting fixtures for a personal project, I was surprised to find almost nothing available. And then, a few months ago I looked again as some lighting fixtures in the bus needed replacing, and there were even fewer options available. Out of desperation, a search for flicker free LED dimmers also turned up almost no options, at which point I started asking, "why is OLED lighting becoming harder to find, not easier?"

After much research, it became clear there were many factors, but perhaps the biggest is the industry has relied on vacuum deposition methods borrowed from display manufacturing. Therefore, OLED lighting panels have been expensive to produce, making it difficult for OLED to compete with LED.

However, solution-processed slot-die coating offers a better path forward: over 90% material utilization versus roughly 10% for vacuum deposition, without rare-earth phosphors.

What started as a desire to fulfill a personal need has turned into a new venture. If you work in OLED materials, solution-process manufacturing, or architectural lighting, let's talk.

 

A few reasons OLED lighting is a compelling alternative to LED:

 

Health & Comfort

  • Flicker-free - reduces eye strain, headaches, and visual stress
  • Soft, diffuse light quality without harsh glare
  • Cool to the touch - heat dissipated over a larger area

Design & Installation

  • No diffusers needed - the entire panel surface emits light
  • Simpler housing and mounting systems
  • No heat sinks required - enables ultra-slim form factors
  • Flexible form factors possible (depending on substrate)
  • Potential for transparent/semi-transparent applications

Supply Chain

  • Reduced dependency on rare-earth and critical minerals
  • Eliminates reliance on existing LED supply chains