An OLED lamp includes a substrate; a non-pixellated OLED formed on the substrate, the OLED including a first electrode formed on the substrate and extending from a first edge of the substrate toward a second opposite edge of the substrate, an OLED light emitting structure formed on top of the first electrode, leaving exposed a portion of the first electrode near the first edge of the substrate, and a second electrode formed over the OLED light emitting structure and extending to the second edge of the substrate; and an encapsulating cover located over the non-pixellated OLED, leaving exposed portions of the first electrode and the second electrode for making electrical contact to the lamp.
1. An OLED lamp, comprising:
a) a substrate;
b) a non-pixellated OLED formed on the substrate, the OLED including
i) a first electrode formed on the substrate and extending from a first edge of the substrate toward a second opposite edge of the substrate,
ii) an OLED light emitting structure formed on top of the first electrode, leaving exposed a portion of the first electrode near the first edge of the substrate, and
iii) a second electrode formed over the OLED light emitting structure and extending to the second edge of the substrate; wherein the first and second electrodes and OLED light emitting structure extend along the substrate in the direction of the first and second edges; and
c) an encapsulating cover located over the non-pixellated OLED, leaving exposed portions of the first electrode and the second electrode for making electrical contact to the lamp.
2. The OLED lamp claimed in claim 1 , wherein the substrate is rigid glass.
3. The OLED lamp claimed in claim 1 , wherein the substrate is flexible.
4. The OLED lamp claimed in claim 1 , wherein the encapsulating cover is a rigid cover.
5. The OLED lamp claimed in claim 1 , wherein the encapsulating cover is a coated layer.
6. The OLED lamp claimed in claim 1 , wherein the substrate is rectangular, the electrodes and the OLED light emitting layer extend to opposite edges of the substrate in a direction orthogonal to the first and second edges, and the encapsulating cover extends around the opposite edges.
7. The OLED lamp claimed in claim 1 , wherein the substrate, the electrodes and the encapsulating cover are transparent.
8. The OLED lamp claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a second non-pixellated OLED formed on an opposite side of the substrate and an encapsulating cover located over the second non-pixellated OLED.
9. The OLED lamp claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a reflective layer for directing light from one side of the substrate.
10. An OLED lamp, comprising:
a) a substrate;
b) a non-pixellated OLED formed on the substrate, the OLED including
i) a first electrode formed on the substrate and extending from a first edge of the substrate toward a second opposite edge of the substrate,
ii) an OLED light emitting structure formed on top of the first electrode, leaving exposed a portion of the first electrode near the first edge of the substrate,
iii) a second electrode formed over the OLED light emitting structure and extending to the second edge of the substrate,
iv) a second OLED light emitting structure formed on top of the second electrode and located over the first OLED light emitting structure, and
v) a third electrode formed over the second OLED light emitting structure and electrically connected to the first electrode; and
c) an encapsulating cover located over the non-pixellated OLED, leaving exposed portions of the first electrode and the second electrode for making electrical contact to the lamp.
11. The OLED lamp claimed in claim 10 , wherein the non-pixellated OLED further comprises:
vi) a third OLED light emitting structure formed on top of the third electrode and located over the second OLED light emitting structure; and
vii) a fourth electrode formed over the third OLED light emitting structure and electrically connected to the second electrode.
12. An OLED lamp, comprising:
a) a substrate;
b) a non-pixellated OLED formed on the substrate, the OLED including
i) a plurality of electrically connected first electrodes extending from a first edge of the substrate toward a second opposite edge of the substrate,
ii) a plurality of electrically connected second electrodes extending to the second edge of the substrate
iii) a plurality of stacked OLED light emitting structures located between respective pairs of first and second electrodes; and
c) an encapsulating cover located over the non-pixellated OLED, leaving exposed portions of a first electrode and a second electrode for making electrical contact to the lamp.
13. The OLED lamp claimed in claim 12 , wherein the orientations of the OLED light emitting structures in the stack alternate, whereby when the OLED lamp is driven with an AC power source, flicker is reduced.
14. A method of making an OLED lamp of claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
a) providing a substrate;
b) forming a first electrode on the substrate extending from a first edge of the substrate toward a second opposite edge of the substrate;
c) forming a non-pixellated OLED light emitting structure on top of the first electrode, leaving exposed a portion of the first electrode near the first edge of the substrate;
d) forming a second electrode over the OLED light emitting structure extending to the second edge of the substrate; wherein the first and second electrodes and OLED light emitting structure extend along the substrate in the direction of the first and second edges; and
e) locating an encapsulating cover over the first electrode, the OLED light emitting structure, and the second electrode, leaving exposed portions of the first electrode and the second electrode for making electrical contact to the lamp.
15. The method claimed in claim 14 , wherein the substrate is carried on a conveyor through a succession of stations where the fist electrode, the OLED light emitting structure, the second electrode, and the encapsulating cover are applied in succession to the substrate.
16. The method claimed in claim 15 , wherein the first and second electrodes and the OLED light emitting structure are formed by vapor deposition and the encapsulating cover is formed by coating.
17. The method claimed in claim 15 , wherein the substrate is a continuous web that is passed through a succession of stations where the first electrode, the OLED light emitting structure, the second electrode, and the encapsulating cover are applied in succession to the substrate.
18. The method claimed in claim 17 , wherein the first and second electrodes and the OLED light emitting structure are formed by vapor deposition and the encapsulating cover is formed by coating.
19. The method claimed in claim 14 , further comprising the steps of:
d1) forming a second OLED light emitting structure on top of the second electrode and located over the first OLED light emitting structure; and
d2) forming a third electrode over the second OLED light emitting structure and electrically connected to the first electrode.
20. The method claimed in claim 19 , further comprising the steps of:
d3) forming a third OLED light emitting structure on top of the third electrode and located over the second OLED light emitting structure; and
d4) forming a fourth electrode formed over the third OLED light emitting structure and electrically connected to the second electrode.
21. The method claimed in claim 14 , wherein the substrate is rigid glass.
22. The method claimed in claim 14 , wherein the substrate is flexible.
23. The method claimed in claim 14 , wherein the encapsulating cover is a rigid cover.
24. The method claimed in claim 14 , wherein the encapsulating cover is a coated layer.
25. The method claimed in claim 14 , wherein the substrate is rectangular, the electrodes and the OLED light emitting layer extend to opposite edges of the substrate in a direction orthogonal to the first and second edges, and the encapsulating cover extends around the opposite edges.
26. The method claimed in claim 14 , wherein the substrate, the electrodes and the encapsulating cover are transparent.
27. The method claimed in claim 14 , further comprising the step of forming a second non-pixellated OLED on an opposite side of the substrate and locating an encapsulating cover over the second non-pixellated OLED.
28. The method claimed in claim 14 , further comprising the step of providing a reflective layer for directing light from one side of the substrate.
29. The method claimed in claim 14 , wherein the substrate is a web, and further comprising the steps of forming a plurality of OLED lamps in succession on the web, and separating individual OLED lamps from the web.
30. The method claimed in claim 29 , wherein the first electrode, the OLED light emitting structure, and the second electrode are deposited continuously over the substrate by a linear source.
31. The method claimed in claim 29 , wherein the encapsulating cover is coated.
32. The method claimed in claim 29 , wherein the formation of the first and second electrodes and light emitting structure is periodically interrupted to form two-dimensional rectangles of deposited material that can be cut into separate lamps.
33. The method claimed in claim 32 , wherein the encapsulating cover is formed as a continuous coating along a longitudinal direction of the web.
34. A method of making an OLED lamp of claim 12 , comprising the steps of:
a) providing a substrate;
b) forming a non-pixellated OLED on the substrate, the OLED including:
i) a plurality of electrically connected first electrodes extending from a first edge of the substrate toward a second opposite edge of the substrate,
ii) a plurality of electrically connected second electrodes extending to the second edge of the substrate,
iii) a plurality of stacked OLED light emitting structures located between respective pairs of first and second electrodes; and
c) locating an encapsulating cover over the non-pixellated OLED, leaving exposed portions of a first electrode and a second electrode for making electrical contact to the lamp.
35. The method claimed in claim 34 , wherein the substrate is a web, and further comprising the steps of forming a plurality of OLED lamps in succession on the web.
36. The method claimed in claim 35 , further comprising the step of separating individual OLED lamps from the web.
37. The method claimed in claim 35 , further comprising the step of perforating the web between the OLED lamps.
38. The method claimed in claim 34 , wherein the first electrode, the OLED light emitting structure, and the second electrode are deposited continuously over the substrate by a linear source.
39. The method claimed in claim 34 , wherein the encapsulating cover is coated.
40. The method claimed in claim 35 , wherein the formation of the first and second electrodes and light emitting structure is periodically interrupted to form two-dimensional rectangles of deposited material that can be cut into separate lamps.
41. The method claimed in claim 35 , wherein the encapsulating cover is formed as a continuous coating along a longitudinal direction of the web.