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GE Reaches OLED Milestone

Posted by timothy on from the lightsource-lust dept.

swordboy writes "General Electric recently announced the largest and most efficient OLED panel ever created. The 24 inch square panel emits 1200 lumens with a power consumption of about 80 watts - on par with today's incandescent bulbs. This represents the first fruit from the NIST project with ECD Ovonics. The ultimate goal is a cheap, flexible display and lighting technology that can function with an efficiency of 100 lumens per watt. This would make great wallpaper." (And, I hope, a great backlight for laptops.)

4 of 220 comments (clear)

  1. You are NOT insightful by putaro · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Well, if there were no market and no clamor it would be called basic research. Often people can't figure out the use for things until after they exist. For example, lasers - when lasers were invented nobody had a good idea of what they would be used for. Today, they're ubiquitous. Likewise, regular LEDs. At one point HP was trying to decide whether they should continue research on LEDs. Marketing said "no - you'll never be able to have them compete with little lightbulbs" Bill Hewlett said "Go do it" and made a huge market for HP


    However, in this case, the uses are obvious - back lights for LCD screens come to mind immediately. Replacements for basic lightbulbs as well. LEDs are currently produced as little specks. In order to replace a high wattage bulb you have to team a number of them together. This is expensive. This process would turn out SHEETS of light emitting material. Also, efficiency. Current lightbulbs (and the prototype panel) produce about 15 lumens per watt - they expect to push the technology to 100 lumens per watt. This, coupled with longevity and a low cost to manufacture will drive existing lightbulbs and compact flourescents off the market. There are gaps that exist that the technology is filling

  2. Re:Needs efficiency AND durability by Veramocor · · Score: 5, Insightful


    "But hey, at least its organic."

    So is botulism toxin and dioxin and PCB's. Just because something is organic doesn't make it good.

    --
    Veramocor
  3. Re:Hot wallpaper... and a bit bright by jobbegea · · Score: 5, Insightful

    but 75000 lumens would seem to be a bit overdoing it for a 8'x8' room.

    --

    Net sa best, mar it koe minder
  4. Re:A howling environmentalist by HFShadow · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think a more apt analogy would be them announcing "a new quantum computer on par with todays 486".

    Its not the fact that they are matching old technology, its that the new technlogy is getting mature enough to start competing.