Related Sections: Future Tech
OLED breakthrough: New electrode paves the way for flat light bulbs
OLED technology is great. The panels are extremely thin, drain less power than many other techs, and the screens can even be bendy. Every commercial OLED so far, though, has used indium tin oxide (ITO) as a transparent electrode, which has conductivity issues at low temperatures. But clever researchers at a host of places (Agfa and IMEC of Belgium, Holst Centre, Philips and TNO of the Netherlands) together created an OLED that uses a new transparent polymer called Orgacon, which has up to six times the conductivity of ITO. Even better, the new material is much cheaper to make.
The researchers created a prototype OLED lighting panel about the size of a 4.75-inch square. With the new material, you might be able to walk into a store and buy some flat, bendy light bulbs for a decent price by 2011.
Tech-On and OLED-Info, via Engadget
By dman at 11:37 AM ON 04/10/09
Wonder if this will make OLED TV's any cheaper though. The process for them is much more complicated than creating a single whit light.
By Old Man Dotes at 11:47 AM ON 04/10/09
Imagine buying a lamp with no bulb in the classic sense - the entire inside of the shade is the "bulb!"
By Al at 1:25 PM ON 04/10/09
Imagine having the entire ceiling of a room as an adjustable "light".
Who needs lamps?
By Mihos at 3:17 PM ON 04/10/09
OLED and FOLED stuff is so cool, I hope this stuff continues to progress.
By Default at 3:37 PM ON 04/10/09
hoo-wee, one step closer to having 3-D tv's and robot chauffeurs. magical lights without bulbs.
looking forward to seeing what sort of other imaginative uses we have for this.
By IsoTek at 12:15 PM ON 04/12/09
It will be nice when I can carry a viewscreen and light in my wallet and fold it without worry. Even better laminate credit cards with them and put a small battery in them with some other electronics and they can keep your account records on surface of the card without the need to insert it in the ATM all the time.
By Point Man at 9:32 PM ON 06/21/09
With OLED flat light bulbs, we don't need no stinky lamps!
on your cellphone!
Text DVICE to 72434
editor@dvice.com
Point Man:
With OLED flat light bulbs, we don't need no stinky lamps!...More »