DuPont Teijin Films enters Flex-o-Fab EU Programme

DTF was this month officially welcomed as a Partner to a new European Research Consortium. The Consortium has been assembled for a Project which aims to demonstrate pilot scale fabrication of flexible OLED lamps. The Project, named “Flex-o-Fab” is funded through the EU’s Framework Programme and brings together Partners from Industry and Not-for-Profit Organisations. (www.flexofab.eu)

An OLED lamp, based on organic materials, is similar in principle to the familiar LED light, but offers even greater potential in cost and efficiency. While early versions are fabricated on glass substrates and therefore have a flat, rigid sheet form, future models will be built on flexible substrates. The role of DTF will be to develop a polyester film which will provide several key properties as the flexible substrate of the OLED structure.

Thermo-mechanical performance, surface quality and light manipulation will be improved and the optimum balance integrated into the film, to provide a stable and suitable substrate during fabrication as well as contributing to enhanced levels of emitted light from the final OLED assembly.

The practical work will benefit greatly through synergy with other related EU Projects in which DTF is also involved. Flex-o-Fab aims to have a proof-of-concept pilot line operational by September 2015, with the opportunity to scale-up thereafter. However, although the project focuses on OLED lighting, benefits to other related areas will emerge. For example a key target in the Project is the development of an universal substrate using DTF polyester film, which will be equally valuable to organic photovoltaic (OPV) and flexible electronic applications.