FOLED: Flexible OLED

We always envisaged LED's for indicator lamps, though scientists extended the scope of LEDs for lighting with visible, ultraviolet and infrared waves of very high brightness. Many of us might not even imagined further reach of LED's till this day, when we heard about the introduction of an organic light emitting diode (OLED) which is an emissive electroluminescent layer, a film of organic compounds that emit light in response to an electric current. As the technology always kept us run with advanced models, almost all of us expected another excitement soon, and here we have a great news that may poke out all our imaginations along with usage- the introduction of new flexible organic light emitting diode (FOLED).

A flexible organic light emitting diode (FOLED) is an advanced OLED, which is being incorporated with a flexible plastic substrate on which the electroluminescent organic semiconductor is wedged to make the device able to be bent or rolled when still in operation. In effect, an FOLED is a "rollable display". As these devices are very durable and light weighted, they can be used in mobile phones and PDAs which can stand breakage, a major ground for return or repair. With the discovery of thinner and lighter FOLED, we can expect the introduction of lighter and smaller cell phones, portable computers, wall-mounted televisions and other such products. To add joy to those who like to be dressed well, these foldable OLED displays can be sewn into fabrics for "smart" clothing, such as outdoor survival clothing with an integrated computer chip, cell phone, GPS receiver and OLED display sewn into it.

As the product is still under research and development at  Universal Display Corporation, the FOLEDs are experimented to be manufactured on a variety of substrates. Flexible organic light emitting diodes built on optically-clear plastic films and thin bendable metallic foils are currently under development. These displays are made to bend, flex and adjust to many surfaces. This indicate on the possibility that FOLEDs may be found affixed to curved on surfaces such as helmet face shields, shirtsleeve cuffs and automotive instrument panels.

The flexibility of FOLEDs can be an added advantage for the much talked Universal Communication Device, which is  under development with Universal Display Corporation. Now, the devices under design with this technology are cell phones that conforms to the shape of our hand or a portable DVD player that has a curved surface to make better viewing experience. Cost-effective processing is another significant factor that makes the FOLED technology to have prospects for high-throughput. The anticipated roll-to-roll processing (R2R) of FOLEDs in the future provide the ground for their truly low-cost mass production.  

The first commercial product in FOLED was launched by Sony in May 2010.  LG.Philips LCD declared the development of a 4-inch full-colour flexible active matrix (AM) OLED in the same month,  in cooperation with Universal Display Corporation (UDC), which holds the original patents for phosphorescent OLED (PH OLED) technology. The 4-inch full-color flexible AM OLED display of LG.Philips LCD characterises 320×240 QVGA resolution. It is waited to reproduce 16.77 million colours at a time. The world largest flexible Amoled with an WVGA 800x480 pixel resolution is showcased by Samsung.