cynora Presents New Flexible Prototype

cyFlex puts Karlsruhe-based high-tech firm cynora GmbH on the home stretch to flexible organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) for intelligent packaging solutions. The flexible new component integrates the low-cost emitters developed by cynora.

“This is definitely a key milestone on the path to light-emitting foils for packaging,” said Dr. Thomas Baumann, cynora’s CEO. The flexible device was developed as part of the cyFlex project in conjunction with InnovationLab in Heidelberg, Germany.

cynora unveiled its new flexible OLED prototype, demonstrating yet again the huge potential of OLED technology. One key aspect that sets organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) apart from conventional LEDs is that they are two-dimensional light sources. Additionally, they are extremely thin. This property makes them ideally suited for lighting systems and flat screen displays.

So far, however, OLEDs have only been used in rigid form in these application areas. cynora’s new prototype represents a major milestone in the development and use of flexible components, opening new application fields such as smart packaging, for instance.

“Many people owning a smartphone are already experiencing OLED technology. The diodes used for those displays, however, are absolutely rigid. The potential of flexible foil-like OLEDs has so far remained untapped,” said Dr. Baumann.

The new prototype offers a glimpse of what flexible light-emitting film layers will soon make possible.

“Further enhancement will in the near future enable the manufacturing of, for instance, beverage cans, smart packaging or posters that feature light-emitting film components,” Dr. Baumann predicted. In a further step, cynora will therefore tackle the integration of the wiring into the thin film layers.

The major part of cynora’s prototype is made from a liquid solution. Solution-based manufacturing is particularly suitable for mass production because it enables substrates to be coated with thin light-emitting elements quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively using printing processes.

“Using solution processing to produce components instead of conventional vapor deposition is a prerequisite for bringing production costs down to a level where flexible OLEDs are viable for mass-market applications,” explained Dr. Tobias Grab, the other cynora CEO. In addition, the cynora emitters used are based on readily available copper precursors which in itself further support the material’s suitability for mass production.

The prototype was developed as part of the cyFlex project. It won the 2012 SME Award of the Forum Organic Electronics Excellence Cluster initiated by InnovationLab GmbH in Heidelberg, Germany.