Phosphorescent | OLED-Info

Researchers develop 100% IQE radical-based OLED emission

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Jilin University discovered that radical-based OLEDs feature highly efficient emission - in fact they believe that this discovery could be an elegant solution to the problem of in-efficient OLED emission.

First-generation OLED emitters (fluorescent emitters) have a maximum internal quantum efficiency of 25% - as only a quarter of the electrons are in a singlet-state (that emit light) while 75% of the electrons are in a triplet-state. Current ways to achieve 100% IQE are either based on doping with heavy metals (phosphorescent emission) or either based on delayed fluorescence (TADF).

UDC reports disappointing Q3 2018 financial results

Universal Display reported its financial results for Q3 2018. Revenues increased 26% from last year, to reach $77.6 million (material sales increased 9% to $51.2 million). Net income was $22.8 million (up from $13.5 million in Q3 2017).

UDC PHOLED materials photo (2017)

UDC lowered its 2018 revenue guidance to $240-250 million. Even though the market has picked up in the quarter for its major customers (SDC and LGD), UDC's revenues and guidance disappointed investors.

DSCC: Samsung to begin pilot QD-OLED production in 2019

DSCC estimates that Samsung will begin pilot production of QD-OLEDs in 2019, with a capacity of 5,000 monthly 8.5-Gen substrates. If this is successful, Samsung will double the capacity in 2020 and add a further 30,000 yearly substrates in 2021 and again in 2022. Material revenues for Samsung's QD-OLED TVs will reach $56 million in 2022.

Material revenue forecast for QD-OLED TVs (DSCC, 2016-2022)

DSCC admits, though, that as Samsung faces several technical challenges before it could launch commercial QD-OLED TVs, its forecast could be way off - there's a good chance that SDC will cancel the project, or it could increase capacity at a much faster rate than DSCC estimates and even scale-up production to 10.5-Gen.

Universal Display reports its Q2 2018 financial results

Universal Display reported its financial results for Q2 2018 - with revenues of $56.1 million and a net profit of $10.8 million (without the impact of UDC's new accounting system, the revenues would have been $73.6 million and the net income $25.1 million).

UDC says that the first quarter was the bottom for material shipments for 2018, in Q2 materials sales improved and the company believes that the second half of 2018 will see more growth as it anticipates new OLED smartphones from leading brands - including Apple, Google, Samsung and more. UDC estimates that for 2019, the install base of OLED capacity by meters will increase by around 50% compared to 2017.

An interview with Cynora's CMO Dr. Andreas Haldi - talking about TADF, lifetime, color points and more

German TADF developer Cynora presented its latest blue TADF material in May 2018 - with a CIEy of 0.14, EQE of 20% and a lifetime of 20 hours LT97 at 700 nits. Cynora expects to have blue material in the mass production by 2020.

Dr. Andreas Haldi - Chief Marketing Officer Cynora

Cynora's Chief Marketing Offer, Dr. Andreas Haldi was kind enough to answer a few questions we had regarding TADF emitters, the differences between next-generation emitter technologies, lifetime, color points and more.

Visionox signs a long-term license agreement with Universal Display

China-based OLED producer Visionox signed a long-term licensing and material purchase agreements with Universal Display. UDC will supply its phosphorescent OLED materials to Visionox. UDC did not disclose the details or financial terms of these agreements. This follows the evaluation agreement signed by UDC and Visionox in February 2018.

Visionox is producing PMOLEDs, AMOLEDs and flexible AMOLEDs, and the company demonstrated some very impressive displays at SID Displayweek last month. Last month Visionox announced that it has started to produce flexible OLEDs at its new 6-Gen fab in Hebei.

Researchers increase OLED efficiency by over 15% by using ultra-stable film formation

Researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and TU-Dresden have demonstrated that ultra-stable film formation can be used to to improve the performance of OLED devices.

Ultra-stable film formation to improve OLEDs

The researchers grew (using evaporation) the organic materials as ultrastable glasses - a growth condition that allows for thermodynamically most stable amorphous solids. Testing four different phosphorescent emitters, the researchers show significant (over 15%) increases of efficiency and operational stability. The researchers also say that these growing conditions are expected to even be more useful for TADF materials.

Researchers develop a sub-electrode micro-lens array that can increase the light output in OLEDs by a factor of 3

Researchers from the University of Michigan developed a new method to cost-effectively extra more light out of OLED displays. To achieve that, the researchers used a Sub-Electrode Micro-Lens Array (SEMLA) placed between the bottom transparent ITO electrode and the glass substrate. Testing on green and white PHOLEDs, the researchers say the SEMLA enhanced light output by a factor of 2.8 (green) and 3.1 (white) compared to a similar device without the lens array.

OLED micro-lens array (Michigan)

The researcher say that such an array can be fully transparent and has no impact on the sharpness of the display. The hexagonal array of 10 μm lenses can be fabricated using conventional photolithography methods which are quite cost effective. Such a micro-lens array does not change the actual OLED production process.

Samsung researchers study the degradation of blue PHOLED materials, offer new design strategies for longer lasting blue emitters

Researchers from Samsung Electronics and the Ewha Womans University in Korea collaborated in a new study of the degradation in blue phosphorescence OLED materials. This study demonstrate the importance of controlling exciton-induced electron transfer, and more importantly provides strategies for the design of longer-lasting blue PHOLED materials.

Degradation study of blue PHOLED, exciton-inducted (Samsung/Ewha)

The researchers say that the study reveals the charge-neutral generation of polaron pairs (radical ion pairs) by electron transfer from the dopant to host excitons. According to the study, device lifetime correlates linearly with the rate constant for the annihilation of the radical ion pair.

UDC reports an excellent Q4 2017, but guidance for 2018 is lower than expected

Universal Display reported its financial results for Q4 2017. Revenues reached a record $115.9 million, up 55% from $74.6 million in Q4 2016. Revenues from material sales were $59.8 million (up 105% from $29.2 million in Q4 2016). Net income was $57.9 million (up from $23.1 million in Q4 2016).

UDC emitter and host materials photo

UDC concluded a very successful 2017. Revenues were $335.6 million (up 68% from $198.9 in 2016) and net income was $103.9 million (up from $48.1 million in 2016). Net income included a onetime charge of $11.5 million from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Net cash generated in 2017 was $133 million.