Lighting the Future
Solid-State Lighting Capabilities at PNNL
Solid-state lighting using organic light emitting diodes (OLED) is one of the most promising new lighting technologies to emerge in many years. OLEDs have the potential to completely transform the way we provide lighting to homes and buildings while at the same time reducing energy consumption. Imagine distributed lighting provided by windows lighting up at night or illuminated walls!
OLED based solid-state lighting involves direct light emission from a semiconductor material rather than conventional thermal sources (i.e., the light bulb). Organic light-emitting molecules have the potential to be applied as a coating or thin film. With the promise of changing the way we think about lighting, OLED technology could, by the year 2020, reduce the electricity used for lighting by as much as 50 percent.
Taking the Lead
Solid-state lighting, by virtue of its energy savings potential, is a major focus area for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is well positioned by virtue of its research emphasis on OLED technology to lead solid-state lighting research. PNNL is expert in materials design and synthesis, thin film deposition, and modeling and testing of molecular structures and light-emitting devices. PNNL also has unique, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. PNNL also has close relationships with several regional universities and significant partnerships and connections with companies focused on next-generation lighting. As a result, PNNL has established paths for demonstration and commercialization necessary to move OLED technology into the market place when it matures.
Conquering Technology Challenges
Several significant technology barriers must be conquered to achieve market-ready OLEDs for general lighting. While no fundamental roadblocks exist, significant research into the design and synthesis of a vast array of novel high performance materials is required. The major obstacle to application of OLED technology for general lighting is the lack of high performance materials including charge transport small molecules and polymers, and singlet and triplet emitters with the right emission spectrum.
Applying PNNL Capabilities
PNNL is a leader within the national laboratory system in the development of OLED technology with an outstanding research team and unique state-of-the-art laboratory facilities that integrate expertise in OLED design, fabrication and measurement; electro-optic materials; thin film deposition; theory and modeling; organic molecular design and synthesis; and flexible web-coating methods to perform innovative OLED research. PNNL's advanced deposition facilities are unique and distinguish us from other research organizations. We have the capability to conduct small- to large-scale experiments. For OLED research, PNNL has major capabilities in the following:
- Thin film deposition-organic vacuum deposition, large-area coating, continuous web-based processes, and encapsulation. PNNL's new 1,000-square-foot deposition and testing facility for vacuum deposited, small molecule OLEDs complements our existing coating facility for inorganic thin films (up to 1.5 meter substrates) and roll-to-roll vacuum processing capability (7-inch web at up to 300 meters/minute line speed).
- Combinatorial coatings-improved transparent conductive oxides.
- Systematic organic synthesis understanding structure-property relationships in organic semiconductors.
- Molecular modeling.
- Characterization-the state-of-the-art surface and nanoscale analytical facility in PNNL's Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory enables surface scientists to design, develop, and demonstrate how different materials behave at their interfaces.
In addition, PNNL researchers are expert in advanced characterization, intelligent lighting control, design, and device packaging and engineering simulation.