Novaled has announced it is named in the prestigious 2012 Global Cleantech 100 list, produced by Cleantech Group, a leading research firm focused on global cleantech innovation. The list is unique in the sector and highlights the top private companies that represent the most innovative and promising ideas in cleantech technology and are most likely to make the most significant market impact in the next 5-10 years. The listing and the additional award recognize Novaled’s innovative approach to clean technology and energy efficiency by developing technologies and materials that enhance the performance of OLEDs.

Sumitomo Chemical has joined Holst Centre's shared research program on Printed Organic Lighting and Signage. The move will speed efforts to develop manufacturing processes for low-cost, flexible organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). As a leading supplier of materials for polymer OLEDs, Sumitomo Chemical's involvement in the Holst Centre eco-system will extend the program's investigation of multi-layer solution processes for high-efficiency OLEDs.

Developing these solution-based processes is a key goal for Holst Centre's Printed Organic Lighting and Signage program. Sumitomo Chemical’s participation will give program members access to high-end OLED materials, particularly for the active (light-emitting) layers. At the same time, Sumitomo Chemical will be able to draw on the program's vast expertise to optimise its materials for low-cost production and flexible substrates.

Universal Display Corp. and Duksan Hi-Metal Co. Ltd - a Korea-based manufacturer of electronic materials for OLEDs - announced that the companies have entered into a master services agreement to enhance Universal Display's local presence and expansion in Korea. As the first initiative under the agreement, Duksan will provide manufacturing services for one of Universal Display's host products for certain Korean customers. Universal Display and Duksan will also explore additional areas for collaboration to better serve and support the needs of the growing Korean OLED industry.

After three years of intensive research in the field of new solution-processible materials for OLEDs (Organic Light-Emitting Diodes),Merck and ten other partners from industry and academia have successfully concluded the “New materials for OLEDs from solutions” (NEMO) project co-funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The overall project budget was € 29 million, and consortium leader was Merck.

The scope of the project focused on the development of novel soluble processible light-emitting materials, charge transport materials, through to new adhesives for reliable encapsulation of each OLED component. In addition, physical tests were performed on the materials and on the OLED components in order to gain more in-depth knowledge for future material developments.

Merck OLED Clearnroom

Rolic Technologies Ltd and Holst Centre have announced their research partnership on protective moisture barriers for flexible electronics applications such as OLED and OPV. Rolic will play a crucial role in developing materials that will allow a fast road into the commercialisation of new advanced flexible barriers. Rolic will focus on the development of the organic materials and coatings for the barrier stack and for light out-coupling solutions.

OLED lighting device showing black spots (left) and black-spot free thanks to thin-film protective barrier

Novaled has recently entered into a licensing and purchase agreement with Samsung Mobile Display (SMD). As part of the agreement, SMD has committed to purchase dopant materials used in the transport layers of its AM-OLED display modules from Novaled for several years. In addition, Novaled will provide its proprietary PIN OLED technology to SMD for use in the production of SMD’s AM-OLED display modules.

Since 2005, Samsung has cooperated with Novaled in the field of technologies and materials for advanced OLED products. Novaled’s latest agreement with SMD extends the use of Novaled’s high-performance OLED materials and proprietary PIN OLED technology to SMD’s next generation of mobile AM-OLED devices.

Novaled has developed several doping and transport materials that can be used in OLEDs to further enhance the advantanges of Novaled’s PIN OLED technology. As a result, these OLEDs have very low driving voltage and high substrate compatibility, while maintaining high power efficiency and long lifetime.

Panasonic Corp. has recently announced the company plans to release two new white OLED lighting panels and modules a daylight white operating at a colour temperature of 5000K and natural white operating at a temperature of 4000K. Panasonic will continue to offer its currently available OLED panels and modules, these operate at a colour temperature of 3000K.

The OLED lighting panels are approximately 2 mm thick OLED lighting panel and have been available since the end of July 2012, and produced by Panasonic Idemitsu OLED Lighting Co Ltd (PIOL) – a joint venture between Panasonic and Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. During August Eco Solutions (a Panasonic company) will release the easy-to-install OLED lighting module with a built-in control circuit.

Universal Display Corp. and Fujifilm Corp. have announced that Fujifilm has sold to Universal Display their entire worldwide patent portfolio of more than 1,200 OLED patents and patent applications of Fujifilm for $105 million.

Fujifilm has conducted R&D in the OLED field for more than 10 years and as a result developed many promising new OLED technologies in materials as well as devices using such materials, and is supported by a significant patent portfolio covering such technologies.

As a leading company in the OLED industry with advanced technologies and an equally large patent position in the OLED field, Universal Display is expanding its business for OLED materials and the licensing of its patented OLED technologies through this acquisition.

Fujifilm and Universal Display have been exploring possible strategic relationships between the two companies, and have agreed to the sale and purchase of Fujifilm's OLED patent portfolio in connection with a strategic relationship beneficial to both companies.

former department COMEDD (Centre for Organic Materials and Electronic Devices Dresden) of the Fraunhofer IPMS has now reached the pre-stage to an independent institute of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (the largest European society for applied research and development).

Prof Karl Leo said, “This foundation shows the excellent acceptance in the field of organic electronic which we have obtained during the last years. Fraunhofer COMEDD is a central part of Europe´s leading cluster for organic electronic, Organic Electronics Saxony (OES), with more than 1.000 employees. The foundation is an important milestone to move forward in research and development in the field of organic electronics. For instance we see a large demand for OLED microdisplays at the moment pointing out a new world of applications. Additionally the new institution opens new perspectives for a strategic development of new business fields, which we are preparing now intensely.”

www.comedd.fraunhofer.de

Japan Display Inc. agreed on the research and development policies of the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronic Research (OPERA) of Kyushu University and has decided to join its project.

Kyushu University has launched OPERA to promote research into the subject of “Challenges for superior OLED devices and innovative materials for the devices”, headed by Professor Chihaya Adachi. The project has been supported by Japan’s Funding Program for World-Leading Innovative R&D on Science and Technology (FIRST Program) since 2010.

At present there are twelve private enterprises, one public research institution and eleven universities participating in this project and promote comprehensive research into OLED technologies, from basic research to application and development, including design and synthesis of new luminescent materials, device fabrication and elementary technology for display panel production processing.

www.j-display.com www.cstf.kyushu-u.ac.jp/~adachilab/opera/index_e.html