Curved OLED Outcoupling Component for High Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional OLEDs face challenges in achieving high outcoupling efficiency without resulting in bulky and low-brightness luminaire designs, as existing solutions require large, bulky outcoupling components to achieve 100% efficiency, which are not suitable for practical lighting applications.
Innovation Solution
A curved outcoupling component with an inner radius and outer radius ratio greater than its refractive index, allowing for up to 100% outcoupling efficiency while maintaining a compact and lightweight design, by ensuring that all light-emitting elements are within a certain distance from the center of curvature and using index-matched materials to minimize total internal reflection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional outcoupling components are used to achieve high outcoupling efficiency, then outcoupling efficiency is improved, but the luminaire becomes bulky and loses brightness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spherical curvature to the outcoupling component, where the organic light-emitting layer is positioned on a spherical surface with radius R. This curved geometry transforms the light extraction pattern, enabling high outcoupling efficiency without requiring a bulky structure. The spherical configuration optimizes the optical path for light emission while maintaining a compact form factor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the outcoupling component by defining a specific radius ratio condition (R-r > (n-1)r) and positioning the light-emitting layer at an optimized distance from the spherical surface. These parameter adjustments enable the system to achieve high outcoupling efficiency while maintaining a compact size, resolving the contradiction between efficiency and bulkiness.
2Volume of moving object
If the outcoupling component is made compact, then the luminaire size is reduced, but outcoupling efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical geometry of the outcoupling component enables compact design while maintaining high outcoupling efficiency. The curved surface optimizes light extraction by controlling the optical paths, allowing the luminaire to be compact without sacrificing productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
By optimizing geometric parameters (radius R, layer distance r) and their relationships (R-r > (n-1)r), the patent achieves high outcoupling efficiency in a compact configuration. The parameter optimization ensures that light extraction efficiency is maximized within a reduced volume.
3Volume of moving object
If the light-emitting layer is positioned closer to the spherical surface, then the luminaire becomes more compact, but total internal reflection increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the distance parameter r between the light-emitting layer and the spherical surface, establishing the condition R-r > (n-1)r. This parameter optimization balances compactness with light extraction efficiency, minimizing total internal reflection losses while maintaining a compact luminaire design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables up to 100% outcoupling efficiency with a more compact and brighter luminaire, suitable for general lighting applications, while maintaining a high aperture ratio and reducing material costs.
Implementation Method 1
A curved outcoupling component with an inner radius and outer radius ratio greater than its refractive index, allowing for up to 100% outcoupling efficiency
Implementation Method 2
using index-matched materials to minimize total internal reflection
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Devices and components are provided that include a curved outcoupling component and an OLED, where the outcoupling component provides up to 100% outcoupling of light emitted by the OLED into air. The outcoupling component has an outer radius R and includes a material with a refractive index n. The OLED is in optical communication with the outcoupling component and disposed such that each emissive element of the OLED is within a distance r measured from the center of curvature of the surface at the outer radius R, such that R - r > (n - 1)r.