SBIR Phase II: Flexible Printed OLED Displays

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是创造低成本、灵活的显示器，使智能对象能够更好地与其用户通信。研究人员估计，2017年连接到互联网的非计算机设备有200亿台，预计到2025年将增长到1250亿台。这些物联网设备已经在交通、医疗保健、工厂生产、公共安全、零售、农业、家庭和办公室的许多应用中使用。这些设备可以实现更好的资源分配、预测性维护、操作管理、工人培训、任务自动化、能源管理和安全；它们需要薄、低功耗、灵活或弯曲且易于阅读的显示器。近期的需求是自主交通，这将需要一种在车辆和骑手之间进行视觉交流的方法。该项目将开发有机发光二极管(OLED)显示器；仅这一初步的交通应用将有助于改善老年人和残疾人的移动性、交通安全和相关需求。从长远来看，该项目将能够以更少的处理浪费来制造更好的显示器。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目将开发卷到卷印刷无源矩阵(OLED)显示器。这些显示器建立在定义像素的图案化透明导电阳极上。到目前为止，工业上用来制造这种阳极的唯一方法是光刻，这是一种缓慢而昂贵的过程。这里开发的高分辨率可印刷阳极替代了现有材料和光刻工艺，为完全卷到卷印刷显示器奠定了基础。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is the creation of low-cost, flexible displays allowing smart objects to better communicate with their users. Researchers estimate that in 2017 there were 20 billion devices connected to the Internet that were not computers, estimated to grow to 125 billion by 2025. These Internet of Things devices are already used in many applications for transportation, health and wellness, factory production, public safety, retail, agriculture, homes, and offices. These devices can enable better resource allocation, predictive maintenance, operations management, worker training, task automation, energy management, and safety; they will require displays that are thin, low power, flexible or curved, and easy to read. A near-term need is autonomous transportation, which will need a method of visual communication between vehicle and rider. This project will develop organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays; just this initial transportation application will help improve mobility for the elderly and disabled, traffic safety, and related needs. In the longer term, this project will enable manufacturing of improved displays with reduced processing waste.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop roll-to-roll printed passive matrix (OLED) displays. These displays are built upon a patterned transparent conductive anode that defines the pixels. To date, the only method used in industry to create this anode is photolithography, a slow and expensive process. The high-resolution printable anode developed here replaces both the incumbent material and the lithographic process, laying the foundation for fully roll-to-roll printed displays.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.