Ultrathin, highly flexible and stretchable PLEDs

We demonstrate ultrathin (2 µm thick) red and orange polymer light-emitting diodes with unprecedented mechanical properties in terms of their flexibility and ability to be stretched. The devices have a luminance greater than 100 cd m –2 , sufficient for a variety of optoelectronic applications including indoor displays. They can be operated as free-standing ultrathin films, allowing for crumpling during device operation. Furthermore, they may be applied to almost any surface whether rigid or elastomeric, and can withstand the associated mechanical deformation. They are shown to be extremely flexible, with radii of curvature under 10 µm, and stretch-compatible to 100% tensile strain. Such ultrathin light-emitting foils constitute an important step towards integration with malleable materials like textiles and artificial skin. Ultrathin sheets of polymer LEDs that emit light even when being crumpled or stretched have been realized. The 2-μm-thick devices emit red or orange light with a sufficiently high brightness for indoor applications, and they could prove useful for integration with textiles.