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AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN


Audi is off ering OLED-based optional extras on some of its luxury vehicles


Duncan Clark explains why OLEDs are making an impact in the automotive industry


have struggled to live up to the hype. Here, we shed some light on the future of OLEDs and how they are making an impact in the automotive industry. In 1987, chemists at the Eastman Kodak


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Company, known today simply as Kodak, developed the fi rst practical OLED device. It was developed using a two-layer structure sandwiched between an indium tin oxide anode and an alloyed magnesium/silver cathode with light emission occurring in the middle of the organic layer. Little did we know that OLEDS would still be such a hot topic today, over 33 years later. Unlike traditional LEDs, the emissive


electroluminescent layer of OLEDs is a fi lm of organic compounds that emit light in response to an electric current. However, as with their traditional


OLEDs are being used in some of Audi’s rear lights


ince their initial discovery in the 1950s, use of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) in digital displays has become commonplace. Yet they


counterparts, the semiconductor material of OLEDs can be doped, fi ne tuning them for a variety of applications.


What’s more, because the organic layers of an OLED are thinner and lighter than the crystalline layer of LEDs, the conductive and emissive layers of OLEDs can be multi- layered. T is is extremely benefi cial in the automotive industry where lightweight materials are highly sought after.


For example, German car manufacturer


Audi now off ers high-end OLED-based optional extras on its latest vehicles. T e new Q5 luxury SUV off ers customers looking for the technological edge the chance to take advantage of special OLED rear lights called signatures. “T e rear lights turn into a kind of display on the outer shell, which will provide us with ample opportunities and prospects in terms of design, personalisation, communication and safety,” explains T omas Werner, OLED technology project manager at Audi. T e OLED lights aren’t purely a cosmetic feature, they also enhance safety. T ey are connected to sensors at the rear of the vehicle that will detect oncoming vehicles and shine at full brightness if they get too close. It is evident that OLEDs off er key


benefi ts compared with traditional LEDs, something manufacturers are increasingly trying to take advantage of. Firstly,


8 www.engineerlive.com


because they produce their own light rather than relying on a backlight, they have much larger fi elds of view than their traditional counterparts. Furthermore, unlike LEDs, they can create a state of true black when not emitting light. T is creates higher contrast displays and increased effi ciency since no power is used unnecessarily.


WHAT’S NEXT FOR OLEDS? Researchers are not stopping there though. Research is ongoing, continuing to push the boundaries of what is possible with OLED technology. For example, in a recent paper, Dr Franky So, chief technology offi cer at NextGen Nano, explored new blue OLEDs with a power effi ciency close to existing blue phosphorescent OLEDs, particularly at high brightness. T is research could facilitate the creation of devices with superior levels of luminosity, which use half the energy of current systems.


OLED technology has come a long way


in 33 years, from a novel idea to being commonplace. As researchers such as Nextgen Nano and manufacturers such as Audi continue to push the boundaries, who knows what the next 33 years might bring?


Duncan Clark is operations director of NextGen Nano. www.nextgen-nano.co.uk


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