Lighting remains one of the least efficient forms of electricity used in the world today. As much as 20% of the world’s total electricity is used just to create light.
A typical incandescent lamp uses less than 10% of the energy it consumes to produce light. Compact fluorescent lamps perform better, but still waste 75% of the energy consumed.
Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs)
Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are based on organic semiconductors and consist of stacks of organic layers (~100nm in total thickness) which are connected by electrodes. The organic layers are inserted between a cathode and an anode. Next to conventional inorganic LEDs, OLEDs are considered the second solid state lighting technology for new flat, large area efficient lighting solutions for the future.
Potential uses for solid state light technology, although not completely defined, are expected to be broad, especially where power conservation is important such as cell phones, smart phones, hand-held movie devices and laptop computers. OLEDs, which can be made on a number of substrates including flexible materials, generate light up to 10 times more efficiently than conventional bulbs.