a white LED could be demonstrated successfully on metal foil

The product is the result from a joint OLED project R2flex that was focused on the production of highly efficient organic devices on flexible substrates, manufactured in a roll-to-roll process technology. The project that successfully concluded recently, was funded by the led high bay light for Education and Research Germany (BMBF) with a total sum of about 11 million Euros over a period of 2.5 years.
The overall aim of the joint project R2Flex included the development of essential components for highly efficient OLED technology. The OLED should be processed in a roll-to-roll process technology on cost-effective substrates, especially on metal foil. This technological approach should help solve a main problem of the production of OLED: to be able to offer and use OLED for lighting and signage applications, low costs are essential. This key fact could not be achieved by the conventional technology approaches because of the high costs of the coating technologies and materials.
Fraunhofer COMEDD has improved its roll-to-roll research line, which consists of a vacuum system for the evaporation of organic materials. Furthermore, it includes a coating and lamination system, which can be used under nitrogen atmosphere, and an optical inspection system for defect control and processes monitoring on flexible foils. Within the R2Flex project the OLED technology of established processes could successfully be transferred from rigid substrates to roll-to-roll processes. Especially, the processes for patterning of substrates and encapsulation of the foils were developed. However, one of the most important key challenges of the investigations was the deposition technology of complex OLED structures. To achieve e.g. white OLED, many different layers with a layer thickness in the range of several nanometers have to be deposited precisely on top of each other. Performing this process within a roll-to-roll line was a complex task. Nevertheless, a white LED could be demonstrated successfully on metal foil.

As a result of the joint project led flood light a demonstrator in form of a gracile desk luminaire could be manufactured. Therefore, two flexible OLED on metal substrate have been used, which were produced at Fraunhofer COMEDD. The modules were serially connected via flexible contacting. The luminaire combines both straight and curved shapes. The curved shape of the head section of the luminaire impressively presents the flexibility of the OLED.