OLED electronic fiber technology that can be washed and used has been developed. It is expected to be applied to displays and electronic medicine that can be worn outdoors, maintaining high luminous efficiency even on rainy or hot sunny days.

Fiber-based wearable OLED technology is actively being researched for various applications such as displays, fashion, and healthcare. However, its low light efficiency and sensitivity to high temperatures and strong UV rays, as well as vulnerability to moisture and inability to be washed, have been significant obstacles to practical use.

To achieve high-performance and reliable fiber-based wearable OLEDs, the research team developed multifunctional encapsulation technology. Firstly, they created a light extraction substrate to effectively extract light emitted by OLED components. They achieved a super-hydrophobic surface by coating a water-repellent layer on a rough surface obtained through ion beam treatment, ensuring excellent uniformity and easy power control.

The performance of this multifunctional encapsulation technology met the high-performance vapor transmission rate (10-6 g/m-2/day) required for general OLED panels and achieved a UV transmission rate of less than 3%. Additionally, when evaluating the characteristics and lifespan of the developed fiber-based OLED comprehensively, the luminous efficiency increased by more than 73%, and the lifespan increased by over four times.

Co-first author Professor Jeon Yong-min and Dr. Lee Tae-yoon stated, "We have secured the performance and reliability of fiber-based wearable OLEDs at a level suitable for commercialization," and "Since it is a fundamental technology applicable to various organic devices, it is expected to be utilized in various fields such as fiber-based organic electronic medicine, organic solar cells, and organic optical sensors.“

This research achievement, conducted with the support of the Basic Research Program led by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning and the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, was published in the prestigious materials science journal 'Advanced Functional Materials' (IF: 19.924) on December 29, 2023.

Textile-based OLED structure incorporating multifunctional encapsulation.

[Reference] Jeon, Yongmin, et al. "Highly Efficient and Reliable Organic Light–Emitting Diodes Enabled by a Multifunctional Hazy Substrate for Extreme Environments." Advanced Functional Materials (2023): 2310268.

[Main Author] Yongmin Jeon (Gachon University), Tae-Yun Lee(Seoul University), Heonsu Jeon (Seoul University), Jeong Hyun Kwon (Chungbuk University)

* Contact : yongmin@gachon.ac.kr