Universal Display Corp. announced the release of a novel single-layer encapsulation technology for plastic substrate systems and thin-film devices, including rigid and flexible OLED displays and lighting panels. The product was unveiled at the Society of Vacuum Coaters Technology Conference, which was held April 16 to 21 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago on the Riverwalk. Details of the technology were outlined in a paper titled “Technical Gap Analysis of Vacuum Coated Materials for Flexible OLED Display and Lighting Applications,” delivered by Dr. Ruiqing Ma, department manager of flexible OLED displays at Universal Display. Developed in collaboration with research partner Princeton University, the single-layer hybrid organic-inorganic layer approach was demonstrated successfully as an encapsulant for flexible and rigid OLED devices. Its encapsulation layer provides a permeation barrier to protect thin-film devices from environmental conditions such as moisture and oxygen, a quality that is critical for the long-term performance of OLED display and lighting products. The encapsulation technology was supported in part by National Science Foundation, US Department of Defense and US Department of Energy SBIR contracts. To demonstrate the technology’s effectiveness for flexible OLED display prototype, the company has worked with the US Army Research Laboratory and the Flexible Display Center at Arizona State University. Universal Display provides high-performance, energy-efficient phosphorescent OLED technology and materials. For more information, visit: www.universaldisplay.com