Light + Building is the world’s leading trade fair for architecture and technology, which is being held from April 11-16, 2010. Lightfair International (LFI), the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference, will be held from May 12-14, 2010, in Las Vegas.
GE will display OLEDs in a number of configurations at both shows, including fixture prototypes that help to demonstrate the expected competitive advantages of GE’s approach to OLEDs: flexibility and an ultra-thin form factor.
OLEDs are thin, organic materials sandwiched between two electrodes, which illuminate when an electrical charge is applied. In addition to widespread design capabilities, OLEDs have the potential to deliver dramatically improved levels of efficiency and environmental performance, while achieving the high quality of illumination found in traditional light-emitting diode (LED) systems.
Researchers and product development teams from GE Lighting in Cleveland in partnership with Konica Minolta Holdings, Konica Minolta Technology Center, (collectively KM) and GE’s Global Research Center in Niskayuna, New York, have been working together on OLED technology since 2007. GE’s technology partnership with KM, a world leader in imaging products, has enabled GE engineers to tap into KM’s thin-film technology, which plays an important role in the development of highly productive OLEDs. KM was the first company to develop proprietary blue phosphorescent materials. In 2006, KM combined this material with multi-layer film design and innovative optical design technologies to successfully develop white OLEDs.
GE Appliances & Lighting (GEAL), created by General Electric, makes home appliances including refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, and ovens under such brands as Café, Monogram, Profile, and GE.
