A Brief History Of OLED Technology

Going over the history of anything can be boring but the history of OLED technology is very boring — you’ve been warned!

The History Of OLED Technology

OLED technology has evolved rapidly, having arriving at its current state in less than fifty years. Electroluminescence in organic materials was first achieved in France when A. Bernanose and his co-workers applied a high-voltage alternating current (AC) field to crystalline thin films of acridine orange and quinacrine. AC-driven electroluminescent cells that used doped anthracene were later developed, but all of those materials could only offer limited light output.

More conductive organic materials became available later in the forms of polyacetylene, polypyrrole, and polyaniline “Blacks”. Iodine-doped oxidized polypyrrole were also used, and later, oxidized and iodine-doped polyacetylene were experimented with.

It was then discovered that some kinds of plastics could be altered into conductive materials, thus revolutionizing the approach to digital technology by offering a cheaper, more flexible, and smart alternative to expensive ceramic semiconductors.

It was not until Eastman Kodak scientists were experimenting with solar cells and noticed a blue glow that the a patent was granted for OLED technology.

The diode they invented improved efficiency and lessened the amount of voltage needed for operation. However, the Kodak technology involved small molecule technology, which necessitates an expensive production process. A hybrid light-emitting layer was later invented that consists of non-conductive polymers doped with light-emitting conductive polymers and has both mechanical and production advantages.

More research is necessary to bring the end product quality of OLED screens up to the quality of other LED technologies, but at the rate OLED technology has progressed, it will only be a matter of time.

That was a fun read, wasn’t it? OnlyOLED.co.uk is your guide to OLED Televisions.