Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 51 No. 3 (September 2014)
59Development and Mass-Production ofOLED Lighting Panels with High Luminance,Long Lifetime and High Efficiency
JUNICHI TANAKA*1

MITSURU MORIMOTO*2

TAKASHI KAWAI*1

FUJIO KAJIKAWA *3

TSUTOMU YOSHIDA *2

JOJI SUZUKI *4

OLED (organic light-emitting diode) lighting is expected to be new generation electricpower saving solid state lighting friendly to human beings and the environment, and has attained along lifetime superior to fluorescent lamps. Despite being in need of further improvement ofluminous efficacy, it is expected to become a light source that has features including thinness, lightweight, and eye-friendliness due to surface light emission, allowing for new lighting space design
to fulfill various needs.This paper describes its present development progress, issues and future
direction, focusing on efficiency improvement, and reports on the development of an OLED
lighting panel with high luminous efficacy (40 lm/W) and a long lifetime (40,000 hours) that has
attained a sufficient variety of products.

|1. Introduction
As the global environment has changed rapidly in recent years, there has been increasing
demand for the early creation of earth-friendly natural resource saving and energy saving methods
and the immediate establishment of a sustainable society. In the lighting field, conventional
lighting such as incandescent bulbs and fluorescent lamps are being replaced with LED lighting tosave energy.
OLED lighting is semiconductor lighting that utilizes a luminous principle similar to LED
lighting, and its features include energy saving from its high efficiency, long lifetime, high color
rendering properties that enable the faithful reproduction of actual colors and the non-existence ofultraviolet light resulting in non-aggressiveness toward the objects being illuminated.
OLED lighting has already been employed for special lighting devices at museums and otherfacilities1 because in addition to the advantages above, the features of OLED lighting also include
its eye-friendliness, the fact that it is a surface light emission diffusive light source that doesn’t
cause a local temperature increase, and it has a thin, lightweight design that enables installation
anywhere.
This paper describes the successful development of organic light emitting element and light
extraction technologies indispensable for further performance improvement, and lighting panelswith high luminance, long lifetime and high efficiency attained through the development.

|2. Development of OLED lighting panel for high luminance, longlifetime and high efficiency
2.1

P09 series high color temperature (4000 K) type

The P07 series, which was released in February 2013, is a white light (4000 K) panel with a
rated luminance of 3000 cd/m2, a luminous efficacy of 30 lm/W, an LT70 luminance life**1 of
12,000 hours and a higher color rendering index of Ra**2 90. Therefore the P07 series can be used
for a wide range of applications including museums and shops where color reproducibility*1

Engineering Department, Lumiotec Inc.

*2

Manager, Engineering Department, Lumiotec Inc.

*3

Group Manager, Engineering Department, Lumiotec Inc.

*4

Chief Engineer, Lumiotec Inc.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 51 No. 3 (September 2014)60

is important.
This time, we have developed the P09 series, which has a luminous efficacy as high as 40lm/W, in order to further improve power saving properties while maintaining the main opticalproperties required for lighting that the P07 series has attained. The improvement of the powersaving properties requires a reduction of the driving voltage or the enhancement of the luminance
per unit current (luminous flux). For the fulfillment of this requirement, the improvement ofluminous efficacy through the proper selection of luminous dopant and host materials, material
selection focusing on the transfer performance of the carrier such as electron/hole mobility, device
design focusing on the energy level such as the carrier injection barrier between neighboringorganic layers and optical design in consideration of the optical interference in an OLED element
are important2. The P09 series ensures high color rendering properties through the selection of alight emitting wavelength focusing on efficiency and through optimization of the strength ratios.
In addition, the P09 series has enhanced the luminance to 4000 cd/m2 through theimprovement of efficiency and carrier balance. At the same time, the LT70 at the initial luminanceof 3000 cd/m2 has improved significantly to 40,000 hours, which is comparable to other lightsources including LED. In this way, the P09 attains the top level of luminance as an OLED lighting
panel while maintaining practical performance.
**1 LT70 luminance life is the time period for which 70% or more of the initial luminance lasts.
**2 Ra is the symbol that represents the general color rendering index, which is the average of thequantified difference between how the test colors lit by the light source to be evaluated are seen andhow the reference light is seen. When the color reproducibility is higher, the Ra is closer to 100.

2.2

Low color temperature (3000 K) type - development of next high efficiency
panel -

Today we produce the P05 series warm white color panel with low color temperature (3000K), which has a luminous efficacy of 40 lm/W. For further efficiency improvement, we havedeveloped a new OLED element that has a light extraction structure and attained a luminous
efficacy of 60 lm/W.
As the fundamental OLED element structure, the light distribution was designed according to
the characteristics of warm white color and the light emitting material was reconsidered.
Specifically, a material with a broader light emitting spectrum was used for the improvement of theRa in order to attain favorable efficiency and color rendering property simultaneously. In addition,even higher efficiency was attained by newly developing a light extraction structure that canefficiently extract waveguide mode light (light confined in an organic thin film), which could not
be extracted by conventional optical films. The details of this light extraction structure aredescribed in the next chapter.
Table 1 compares the characteristics of the developed product and the P05 series. The
developed product has a practical performance of 60 lm/W at a luminance of 3000 cd/m2. However,even higher efficiency is required for energy saving, and market demand for even higher luminanceand longer lifetime is also increasing. Therefore we are working on the development of the nexthigh efficiency panel that will enable high luminance light emitting. This next high efficiency panel
will be released within fiscal 2014.
Table 1 Characteristics comparison ofcommercialized P05 series panel and developed product
Item

Unit

Luminance
Luminous efficacy
Current density
Voltage
CCT
Color rendering index: CRI

cd/mlm/W
2A/mVKRa2Warm white color type
Commercialized
Developed product*
P05 series panel
3000406029208.0
7.62800
2700
8084*Light emitting size: 30 mm x 40 mm
Some materials and technologies provided by UniversalPHOLED® of Universal DisplayCorporation

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 51 No. 3 (September 2014)
61|3. Further efficiency improvement of OLED lighting panels
through the enhancement of light extraction efficiency
3.1General description and principle of light extraction

For the attainment of more efficient white OLED lighting, the improvement of lightextraction efficiency is indispensable. Figure 1 shows the typical structure of an organic
electroluminescence element, and the waveguide and breakdown of the emitted light. The
refractive index of each layer is approximately 1.80 for the organic layer (Light emitting layer),1.90 for the transparent electrode (ITO**3) and 1.52 for the glass substrate. Because the refractive
indexes of the organic layer and the transparent electrode are high, there is a component [1] thatcannot come out from the transparent electrode to the glass substrate and is confined (waveguidemode: 53%), and another component [2] that cannot come out from the glass substrate to theatmosphere and is confined (substrate mode: 30%), based on the Snell law. As a result, light
extracted to the atmosphere is low at just under 17%.
One of the methods for the improvement of light extraction efficiency is to change thedirection of the waveguided light. For light contained in the transparent electrode, the waveguidedirection can be changed and then the light extraction efficiency can be improved by adding ahigh-refractive index structure or scattering layer between the transparent electrode and the glass
substrate. For light contained in the glass substrate, on the other hand, that can be done by adding
to the glass substrate surface a film with a structure or scattering layer.
In this way, it is important for the improvement of light extraction efficiency to change thedirection of waveguided light so that the angle of the light ray is changed from a critical angle (totalreflection angle) to an angle where the light can be emitted3.
**3 ITO is the abbreviation for indium tin oxide, which is indium oxide with tin added. ITO constitutes atransparent conductive film.

Figure 1 Breakdown of emitting light from typical organic electroluminescence element

3.2

Simulation of light extraction

Figure 2 shows the calculation results of the relationship between the refractive indexes andlight intensity distribution. When there is no difference in the refractive indexes, the light spreads
concentrically. On the other hand, when there is a difference in the refractive indexes in the layers(the direction of progression is from a higher refractive index to a lower refractive index), the light
returns and does not enter the layer with the lower refractive index because total reflection occurs
at the boundary face. Figure 3 shows the simulation results of the installation of a scattering layer
between the transparent electrode and the glass substrate to allow light to enter the layer.
When there is no scattering layer between the transparent electrode and the glass substrate,
light with a critical angle or greater angle becomes returning light that is waveguided between thelight emitting layer and the ITO layer, which results in light that cannot come out to the glasssubstrate. On the other hand, when there is a scattering layer, the light angle changes in thescattering layer and the light can enter the glass substrate. The amount of light that can enter
increases by 20% to 30% depending on the structure of the scattering layer. Based on the results
above, we made a trial model of an OLED lighting panel using a light extraction substrate.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 51 No. 3 (September 2014)
62

Figure 2 Simulation results of relationship between refractive indexes and lightintensity distribution

Figure 3 Simulation results of relationship between existence of scattering andlight intensity distribution

3.3

Evaluation of trial model of light extraction substrate for the improvement ofefficiency

Figure 4 shows the structure of the light extraction substrate developed by Lumiotec Inc.
The light extraction substrate consists simply of the glass substrate, the high refractive index
scattering layer formed on it and the ITO layer laminated on them as a transparent conducting
layer. The requirements for the high refractive index scattering layer are as follows:
A refractive index that allows light generated by the light emitting layer to enter without
total reflection at the boundary face between the scattering layer and the ITO layer
A light scattering property that changes the direction of the entered light to an angle that
does not reflect on the glass boundary face (critical angle)
Surface flatness equivalent to the ITO layer formed directly on the glass substrate
For the realization of the above requirements, the light extraction substrate produced byLumiotec Inc. employs a two-layer structure and has a scattering layer on the glass substrate side.
In addition, a high refractive index layer (flattening layer) is formed on the ITO layer side in orderto maintain the flatness.
Figure 5 compares the refractive indexes of the flattening layer and the ITO layer. Light canbe taken in efficiently because the refractive index of the flattening layer is higher than that of theITO layer in a wide range of the entire region of visible light.
For the maximization of the light extraction efficiency, the structure can be optimized for thefurther improvement of efficiency by matching the OLED element design based on the lightMitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 51 No. 3 (September 2014)
63

distribution obtained by the simulation results shown in the preceding section. The combination ofthis light extraction substrate and an all-phosphorescent white OLED element obtained a luminous
efficacy exceeding 60 lm/W at a luminance of 3000 cd/m2. This result indicates that practicalluminance as a lighting device and practical energy saving property for the environment areattained.

Figure 4 Structure of light extraction
substrate

3.4

Figure 5 Refractive indexes of flattening layer
and ITO layer

Mass production of developed productFor the formation of the scattering and flattening layers on the light extraction substrate, anapplication method with high material utilization efficiency and past mass production results forlarge size substrates including liquid crystal panels are employed. Similarly to conventional panels,
this method forms transparent electrodes on the substrate on which the scattering and flattening
layers are formed. As a result, a light extraction substrate with a simple structure is realized while
keeping the cost low.
Lumiotec Inc. was able to efficiently proceed with the panel design by incorporating thesimulation technologies of the light extraction structure. In addition, we worked on the extension of
the light emitting area by reconsidering the design tolerance of the panel in the manufacturing
process and design rules. As a result, the light emitting area on a panel with external dimensions of145 mm x 145 mm could be increased by approximately 6% without the external dimensions beingchanged. The developed P09 series OLED lighting panel was exhibited at Lighting Japan 2014
(Figure 6) and gained a good reputation for the simultaneous attainment of practical luminance andlong lifetime. Table 2 compares the P09 series and the existing P07 series. The P09 series OLED
lighting panel will be released in mid fiscal 2014.
Table 2 Comparison of P09 series and existing P07
series (panel external dimensions: 145 x 145 mm)

Figure 6 P09 series OLED
lighting panel(panel external dimensions:145 x 145 mm)

Item

Unit

CCT
Luminance
Total luminous
flux
Luminous efficacy
CRI
Life-time(LT70, 3000 cd/m2)

K
cd/㎡

Performance
P07 series
P09 series(Existing model) (New model*)
4000
4000
3000
4000lm140

200lm/W
Ra30
904085h12000

40000* The product is available in the near future.

|4. Application examples of OLED lighting panel
As the performance of OLED lighting panels has steadily improved, panel development has
tended to focus on characteristics such as color rendering property and therefore there are anincreasing number of application examples that utilize the features of organic electroluminescence
as a thin diffusive surface light source.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 51 No. 3 (September 2014)64

Current domestic application examples include employment for museums based on features
such as the high color rendering property, low heat generation and no harmful ultraviolet or
infrared ray emissions. Figure 7 shows an example of use for lighting of a national treasure display
at the Tokyo National Museum. Figure 8 shows an example of use in ceiling light devices in a
meeting room for lighting the entire room. In this case, sufficient illumination can be ensured only
by OLED lighting. Figure 9 shows an example of use in pendant light devices for a restaurant.
OLED lighting is attracting attention in the design industry as lighting that is different fromexisting forms. Among the many lighting devices produced, an example of use in an innovative,commercialized desk light product is shown in Figure 10.

Figure 7 Lighting for display case in museum(Tokyo National Museum, National Institutes for Cultural Heritage)

Figure 8 Main lighting for meeting room (Nissin Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.)

Figure 9 Pendant light used in restaurant(Yonezawagyu Sankairyouri Yoshitei)

Figure 10 Desk light(design office Feel Lab)

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 51 No. 3 (September 2014)65

At the present moment, OLED lighting is commercialized mainly in a relatively limited
number of applications including lighting for museums and design lighting devices. However, its
usage is expected to expand to a wide range of surface lighting including general lighting
applications through performance improvement and cost reduction in the future.
In addition, an increasing number of trial products that utilize features unique to organic
electroluminescence have been produced, including a lighting device that uses an ITO transparent
electrode instead of a typical metal electrode using an aluminum film, and then realizes atransparent appearance when not in use, as well as flexible lighting equipment that uses a resin orvery thin glass substrate on which an organic electroluminescence element is formed. It is expectedthat OLED lighting can create new value by producing unprecedented lighting, despite variouschallenges.

|5. Conclusion
Lumiotec Inc. has attained top-class high performance in OLED lighting with the P09 series,featuring a luminance of 4000 cd/m2 (equivalent to a fluorescent lamp) and the long lifetime of
40,000 hours (equivalent to LED lighting) through the steady development of OLED element andmass production technologies. The company is now working on the further improvement of OLED
device performance while developing a flexible panel using super thin glass substrates and a highluminous quantity large panel with dimensions of 300 mm x 300 mm intended for use as main
lighting equipment, in order to further utilize the features of OLED lighting panels, which arelightweight and thin. In addition, cost reduction is also an important issue for entry to the generallighting market, and therefore research on the next panel structure and production facilities suitable
for mass production has been begun. We would be happy if we could contribute to theimprovement of the global environment by spreading OLED lighting panels, which are known asfront runners alongside LED lighting.

References
1.
2.
3.

“Development of OLED Lighting Panel with World-class Practical Performance” Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries Technical Review Vol. 49 No. 4 (2012)
Suzuki, J. et al., Organic Lighting Panels, The Journal of The Institute of Image Information andTelevision Engineers Vol.67 No.12 (2013) pp.1042-1047
Editor; Tsutsui, T. et al., Organic Electroluminescence Handbook, (2004) pp.203-228