Kodak: New OLED material increases performance, life span

Kodak has renewed its interest in organic light emitting diode (OLED) development after announcing a new material, EK-GD403, which is able to provide low-power, full-color displays that have longer lifespans than current OLEDs.

Green dopants are responsible for controlling color output and efficiency, and Kodak claims its newest green dopant can extend the lifespan of all component colors used in OLEDs.

"In addition to display screens, Kodak’s new green dopant can be used to boost the efficiency of solid-state lighting applications, and reinforces Kodak’s environmental stewardship by enabling future devices with lower power consumption and longer lives," Kodak OLED Systems CTO and V.P. Dr. James Buntaine said in a statement published by Kodak.

Using other OLED technology developed by Kodak, researchers hope EK-GD403 will offer as much as 65,000 hours of lifetime.

Analysts have long anticipated OLED technology will eventually replace LCDs for computer monitors and TVs over the next decade, though several different problems stand in the way at the moment.

Aside from a higher price tag than other technologies, OLEDs have a certain notoriety of having short life spans, with blue component LEDs having high failure rates at just 3,000 to 5,000 hours of use.  The green and red LEDs are better, with lifespans ranging from 10,000 up to 40,000 hours.

The benefits, however, are far superior, as the technology offers higher contrast, extremely fast response time, thinner design, and 180-degree viewing angles for both TVs and monitors.