P‐179: Optics of Curved OLEDs

Abstract

Although flexible OLEDs are often used in curved formats and their optics would differ from planar OLEDs, their impacts on OLED emission characteristics are not carefully studied before. Here we investigate optics of curved OLEDs by both optical simulation and experiments and reveal their implications to real flexible OLED applications. We demonstrate light extraction efficiency can be substantially enhanced, or emission profile and viewing angles can be varied, with curved OLEDs in some formats. This may be of use for some special lighting and display applications.

P‐20: Image Distortion and Image Correction of Curved OLED Displays

“…In our previous study [1], we showed that in a curved OLED, because the tangential plane of the emitting point, PA, is not parallel to the tangential plane on the light exit surface, PB (between the substrate/superstrate and the air as illustrated in Figure. 2), the initial emission angle, θ1, would not equal to the incident angle, θ2, on PB and hence the effective critical angle, θc,eff (i.e., escape cone), seen by the original emitter would differ from the critical angle, θc, in the planar structure. In spherical convex or cylindrical convex structures as in Figure. 2, θc,eff would be larger than θc, possibly resulting in significant enhancement in light out-coupling with appropriate designs (i.e., >90% substrate-to-air extraction efficiency).…”

Optical performance characterization of curved OLED light sources

“…A cylindrical shape is the first order, and a spherical shape is the second order of the curvatures. Each of them can be the outer or inner surface light emission source 18 . Planar and cylindrically curved LSs are partially and schematically shown in Figure 3.…”