Consortium Works to Improve Airtight Bonding in OLED Lighting

The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) is working as part of a consortium to improve airtight bonding in OLED lighting for aerospace and defense applications.
 
CPI is working on the project with lead partner Oxford Lasers Limited, alongside Glass Technology Services Ltd, Coherent Scotland Limited, Heriot Watt University, Gooch & Housego Limited, and Leonardo MW Limited.
 
The UltraWELD project, which has been part-funded by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, will develop photonic-based processes for highly dissimilar material joining – a common technique used in the manufacturing of complex electro-optics. Existing technology to join dissimilar materials is mainly focused upon adhesive bonding.
 
While adhesive bonding is highly flexible and low-cost, it cannot provide truly hermetic bonds, which leads to reduced performance or optical damage.
 
However, using its in-house facilities and expertise across the manufacturing and testing of OLED devices, CPI will support the development of a laser prototype machine that will produce robust repeatable welds and deliver associated process monitoring and post-process inspection.
 
Using high repetition rate ultrafast lasers to achieve high precision laser welding in confined glass-metal interfaces, the 30-month project will also explore secondary benefits, such as airtight sealing for vacuum insulated glazing including toughened safety glass on metal for lightweight vehicle windows, hermetic sealing of microfluidic devices and glass window bonding to silicon PV panels to protect against moisture.
 
“UltraWELD provides CPI an excellent opportunity to prove the manufacture of flexible glass OLEDs,” said Dr. Sam Chan, CPI senior scientist and UltraWELD project manager. “Working with the project consortium enables laser hermetic sealing of OLEDs, a perfect protection against moisture which can be used for all pptoelectronics devices and can enhance their lifetime.”
 
Oxford Lasers Limited will both coordinate the program and build a laser prototype machine to demonstrate new developments based on advanced ultrafast laser micro-joining of highly dissimilar materials.