Masatoshi Matsuzaki, president, Konica Minolta Technology Center, said, "Having such unprecedented attractive features as flexible, thin, light weight, and sheet form, OLED lighting is considered one of the most promising new business opportunities for us in the future. We are delighted to collaborate with GE to accelerate the development and launching of this revolutionary new lighting technology."
Michael Idelchik, vice president, advanced technology programmes, GE Global Research, said, "The alliance of KM, a world leader in imaging products, and GE, a global leader in lighting products, represents an extraordinary opportunity to make the commercialisation of OLED lighting products a reality. Both companies have achieved significant advances in OLED technologies at the research and development stage. Now, we will pool our substantial resources and expertise to accelerate the development of this transformational technology."
OLEDs are thin, organic materials sandwiched between two electrodes, which illuminate when an electrical charge is applied. They are claimed to represent the next evolution in lighting products. Their widespread design capabilities will provide an entirely different way for people to light their homes or businesses. Moreover, OLEDs have the potential to deliver dramatically improved levels of efficiency and environmental performance, while achieving at least the same quality of illumination found in traditional products in the marketplace today, says a joint statement from the two companies.
On June 30, 2006, KM announced that it had successfully developed a white OLED with a world record power efficiency of 64 lumens per watt at 1,000 candela per square meter - a brightness which is appropriate for lighting applications. Prior to this development, KM developed its own efficient and long-life blue phosphorescent materials. Applying these material technologies, along with multi-layer design technology and innovative optical design technology, KM succeeded in developing an OLED having a practical light emission level of approximately 10,000 hours.
In addition to material technology and optical design technology, KM has been developing the ultra-high barrier film fabrication technology to enable high productivity. Coating technology nurtured through the development of photographic film and display materials also plays an important role in the development of highly productive OLEDs. Currently, research and development for its commercialisation is under way, continues the statement.
GE Consumer & Industrial vice president Michael Petras stated, "In a world demanding higher standards for energy efficiency and environmental performance, OLED lighting has the potential to become a major lighting source on both fronts. And because OLED lighting is soft and diffused, it will create some exciting application opportunities for designers and specifiers. The applications are numerous, ranging from ceiling lighting for office and residential applications to interior automotive and aircraft lighting to many speciality lighting applications such as task lighting, sign and various forms of interior retail lighting."
In the coming months, KM and GE will further accelerate research and development of OLED lighting by sharing technologies and knowledge. KM's technology centre will lead the research and development activities for KM. GE Global Research, GE's centralised research and development organisation, and GE's Consumer and Industrial business division will lead research and development for GE.
(Jim Evans)
