OEM: Osram Year: 2010 Industry sector: OLED-Lighting

Part design:

Making its debut recently at the 2010 Light+Building trade fair in Frankfurt, the ORBEOS™ surface-emitting panel from Osram is one of the first OLED (organic light emitting diode) systems to be adapted for commercial sale in the form of a lamp. Its superior performance over traditional halogen lamps is due in no small part to our new Makrofol^® TP 228 film, which we have added to our extensive product port folio for lighting applications. The polycarbonate film, which we developed in cooperation with Osram, is bonded with the glass surface of the OLED system. As a light extraction layer just 100 μm thick, the film increases the light yield by between 40 and 60 percent by reducing the total light reflection in the OLED lamp. This effect is the result of a very fine texture embossed onto the film surface and ultrapure, acrylatebased light scattering additives in the film. Our film also maintains the consistency of the color impression, which ensures that it looks the same regardless of the angle from which it is viewed. It also increases the service life of the OLED system.

The octahedron-shaped surface-emitting panel has a round light-emitting surface with a diameter of 80 millimeters. Only 2.1 millimeters thick, it also weighs very little at 24 grams. It emits a warm, glare-free light containing no UV or infrared radiation and features an infinitely-adjustable dimming function. The individual panels can be assembled easily using spring contacts to form illuminated areas such as lit ceilings or illuminated partitions, creating lighting effects that are both atmospheric and functional. They are ideal for premium applications in museums, hotels, restaurants, offices, private rooms and shops, for example.

For the development of ORBEOS™, we provided Osram with comprehensive support through our customer services and a broad range of development and production know-how on films. For example, we performed a series of optical tests on the new film to investigate factors such as light scatter and light transmission. Osram was then able to build on these tests when performing measurements on the OLED system to determine the extraction efficiency and angle dependence of the color impression.

OLED light extraction films represent a special application for light diffusion films. The latter are one of our key areas of development because they also offer great potential in the production of LEDs and flexible displays, for example. We are currently working on film grades equipped with UV protection or an anti-dust protective coating or that can be produced in a range of colors. All our films for light applications can be printed, formed and back-injected as standard, which means they can be processed using film insert molding (FIM).