S. Korea develops highly efficient OLED light source

SEOUL, May 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has developed a highly efficient organic
light emitting diode (OLED) light source that can replace widely used
incandescent bulbs, a state-run electronic laboratory said Wednesday.

The new light source can attain 70 lumens per watt, which is more than four times
the efficiency of regular light bulbs that account for roughly 50 percent of the
world's lighting market, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research
Institute (ETRI) said.
"The white-light based bulb, which took three years to make, is as
technologically advanced as those made in Europe, Japan and the United States,
and effectively reduces the technological gap that existed in this field," a
researcher said.
He claimed that with the latest development, South Korea has in effect nullified
the five year gap and will be able to compete evenly with other countries in the
development of a commercial light source based on OLED technology.
OLED can emit light from flat surfaces, has high energy efficiency that can help
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and are more eco-friendly since they do not use
mercury in the manufacturing process like incandescent and fluorescent bulbs.
They have longer operating lives, although they may cost more to produce.
"There are currently no commercial OLEDs in production, but they are expected to
make an appearance in late 2010 with full scale production to begin around 2015
when they may start to replace conventional light sources," the expert said.
OLED have similar light qualities to ordinary light bulbs and will likely be used
as in-door light at homes, shops, and factories. Light emitting diodes that are
already in the market are more suitable for outdoor light use because they are
more powerful.
ETRI said that the latest development is important because South Korea can now
position itself to grab a part of huge global lighting market.
The Daejeon-based laboratory said because the infrastructure of OLED lights and
OLED displays are the same, it may be easy for local companies to secure a
sizable share of the future lighting market down the road. South Korea is
currently the largest producer of OLED displays in the world.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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