Conjugated polymers are a novel class of semiconducting materials which combine the electronic and optical properties of semiconductors and the processability of conventional polymers.1 Polymer optoelectronic devices, such as light emitting diodes ~LEDs!,2 photodetectors,3 solar cells,4 and field-effect transistors5 have already been demonstrated.
Currently spin-casting of polymers is a common processing technique for polymers which utilizes their solution processability property. However, there are many disadvantages associated with this simple technology such as solution wastage and lack of lateral patterning capability, which limits its
commercial applications in polymer electronic devices. To overcome these drawbacks we present the inkjet printing ~IJP! technology, a popular technology for desktop publishing, as an ideal method for printing polymer light-emitting diodes with high resolution. In this letter, we submit the first
successful demonstration of patterning the polymer electroluminescent.
devices using the IJP technology.
The remarkable advantages of the IJP technology over the conventional spin casting technique can be seen in Table I. The application of IJP to pattern the organics has been demonstrated by Wu et al., however they had to use a very
low concentration solution in order to use the existing IJP technology.6 The result was a poor film forming capability which renders it impractical for making high quality devices.
A dramatically different approach by using a buffer layer,prepared by the spin-casting technique, in conjunction with the inkjet printed layer has been demonstrated successfully at the University of California at Los Angeles ~UCLA! for the fabrication of high quality polymer electronic devices.7 This buffer layer, which could be the host conjugated polymer with typical thickness of 1000 Å, is the highlight of this IJP

technology that we present here. Figure 1 schematically shows a buffer layer used in the IJP technology. For purpose of comparison, the same IJP device without the buffer layer is also shown and the advantage of the buffer layer can be immediately seen.
This hybrid IJP technology can be easily used to fabricate high quality polymer multicolor electroluminescent~EL! display. The red–green–blue polymers, which are the basic elements for the multi-color display, can be easily patterned by using the IJP technology. In this case, the buffer
layer is the electron injection polymer which serves two purposes:
~a! it facilitates the electron injection and ~b! it seals the pin-holes. Alternatively, high quality polymer lightemitting logos can be realized when the IJP layer is the charge injection layer, such as a conducting polymer, and the buffer layer is the luminescent polymer. Thus the emissive
area is defined by the charge injection layer printed directly from the inkjet printer.8 In this letter, we demonstrate this concept of using the hybrid IJP technology by fabricating high quality polymer light-emitting logos ~PLELs!. This logo patterning is achieved by printing the conducting polymer, an aqueous solution of polyethylenedioxy thiophene ~PEDOT!, by an inkjet printer onto the highly conductive and transparent ITO electrode. Since the charge injection efficiency of the conducting polymer is much better than that of ITO, only the areas which are covered by the conducting polymer light up under the same operating voltage.7 For this research, the PLELs were fabricated in a sandwich structure with substrate size of 30 mm330 mm. Poly@2-methoxy-5-28-ethylhexyloxy!- 1,4-phenylene vinylene# ~MEH-PPV! was used as the active material ~or it is the buffer layer!, and ITO was the
anode and calcium was the cathode. The PEDOT solution was printed onto ITO by using a commercial available inkjet printer. The MEH-PPV films were prepared via spin-casting

TABLE I. Comparison of spin-casting and inkjet printing technologies

Characteristics Spin-casting Inkjet printing

Patterning capability No patterning capability Capable of patterning with
micrometer resolution
Large device area capability Sensitive to dust particles IJP is not sensitive to substrate
and substrate defects, and defects, and it is a better
not suitable for large area technology for the fabrication of
processing. large area device.

Efficiency of using material More than 99% of the Only less than 2% of the
polymer solution is wasted. material is wasted.

Multi-color display No multicolor patterning capability. Ideal for multicolor patterning
fabrication capability

at 2500 rpm from a 1% MEH-PPV solution, and the thickness of MEH-PPV films was determined to be around 1200 Å as obtained using an alpha-step profilometer. The typical PLEL fabrication process is shown in Fig. 2: the conducting polymer logo is printed onto a pre-cleaned glass/ITO substrate. A MEH-PPV layer is subsequently spincoated onto the patterned substrate, and the final fabrication process of a PLEL is the deposition of the cathode material.
The finished devices are encapsulated by epoxying the active device area with a cover glass.9 Figure 3 shows the brightness-voltage (L –V) curves of
devices with and without the PEDOT conducting polymer layer. It is obvious that the PEDOT layer dramatically enhances the device performance. For example, when the device is operated at 5 V, the ITO/PEDOT/MEH-PPV/Ca device has around 200 cd/m2 brightness, while the brightness from the ITO/MEH-PPV/Ca device was about three orders of magnitude smaller. This gives a contrast, defined as the brightness ratio of the bright/dark regions, of ;800. Figure 4~a! illustrates a polymer light-emitting UCLA logo. Since images from a personal computer can be printed directly to form the light-emitting logo, the application of
this technology is nearly unlimited. For instance, new and complicated emissive logos can be custom-built for a variety of purposes such as greeting cards or other novelty items.
Figure 4~b! shows a Valentine heart logo fabricated from the same technology. This image is generated by a computer and printed by the inkjet printer. To our knowledge, it is the first time that a logo generated directly from a computer has been transformed into a polymer electroluminescent image.
One can easily extend this concept of light-emitting logos to light-emitting image. However, one of the major concerns of applying this technology in achieving high quality light-emitting image is the gray scale. In Fig. 5~a!, we demonstrate a four-level gray scale generated from a computer
graphic program. This four-level gray scale is defined by the density of emissive dots, and Fig. 5~b! shows the brightness of each level of gray scale. This gray scale can be tuned nearly continuously by changing either the dot size or the density of the dots. Another advantage of this inkjet printing technology is the fabrication of micron size polymer light-emitting diodes without going through the regular patterning of anode and cathode. Usually, small size LEDs can
only be fabricated by crossing the cathode and anode fingers with the overlap area defining the pixel size. This unique patterning capability of the conducting polymer using the inkjet printer provides a convenient alternative for the generation of regular arrays of micron size polymer LEDs. Typical emissive dot sizes mentioned in this report ranged from 180 to 400 mm depending on the amount of conducting polymer ink sprayed from the nozzle. The dimensions of the
pixels produced by this technology are also a function of the nozzle size of the inkjet head and it can be reduced if the nozzle size is reduced. For displays a dot size in the 100 mm.

FIG. 1. A buffer layer used in the IJP technology.

brightness of each level of gray scale. This gray scale can be tuned nearly continuously by changing either the dot size or
the density of the dots. Another advantage of this inkjet printing technology is the fabrication of micron size polymer light-emitting diodes without going through the regular patterning of anode and cathode. Usually, small size LEDs can only be fabricated by crossing the cathode and anode fingers
with the overlap area defining the pixel size. This unique patterning capability of the conducting polymer using the inkjet printer provides a convenient alternative for the generation of regular arrays of micron size polymer LEDs. Typical emissive dot sizes mentioned in this report ranged from
180 to 400 mm depending on the amount of conducting polymer ink sprayed from the nozzle. The dimensions of the pixels produced by this technology are also a function of the nozzle size of the inkjet head and it can be reduced if the nozzle size is reduced. For displays a dot size in the 100 mm

FIG. 2. The polymer light-emitting logo fabrication process: ~a! preparation of the substrate; ~b! printing of the conducting polymer into desired pattern;
~c! deposition of the luminescent polymer and the cathode material.

FIG. 3. The brightness–voltage curves of the same device. The contrast– voltage curve is shown in the inset.

range is sufficiently small for monochromatic displays. In conclusion, we have demonstrated successfully the concept of applying the hybrid inkjet printing technology as an effective tool for the patterning of polymer electroluminescent devices. Polymer light-emitting logos, wherein the
emission area is defined by the area of the printed conducting polymer, have been demonstrated. A four-level gray scale has been achieved through the control of the density of dots printed. Finally, we have realized the use of inkjet printing technology to fabricate micron size LED arrays. This technology allows the fabrication of two-dimensional polymer electronic devices, such as multi-color display and transistors, with very high lateral resolution and high material utilization efficiency.

FIG. 4. The polymer light-emitting logo patterned by the IJP technology,~a!
a UCLA logo and ~b! a Valentine heart logo.

FIG. 5. ~a! Four levels of gray scale of the polymer light-emitting logo created by inkjet printing technology. The brightness of these four regions is
defined by the density of dots. ~b! Brightness vs density of dots.

The authors are very grateful for the fruitful discussions with Dr. T. Shimoda and Y. Miyashita of Seiko-Epson Corporation.
The donation of an inkjet printer from Seiko-Epson to UCLA, the MEH-PPV obtained from Professor F. Wudl
of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department of UCLA, and the PEDOT obtained from J. T. Morrison of Bayer Corporation
are also acknowledged. This research is partially supported by a research grant from the School of Engineering
and Applied Science of UCLA and a grant from the Office of Naval Research

author:Jayesh Bharathan and Yang Yanga

The new OLET, which is 10 times more efficient than any other reported OLET, has a trilayer structure. Electrons from the green layer and holes from the blue layer move to the middle red layer, where excitons are formed and light is emitted. Image copyright: Nature Publishing Group.

(PhysOrg.com) — Already, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are becoming commercialized for light display applications due to their advantages such as low fabrication costs and large-area emission. But OLEDs also have intrinsic efficiency limitations due to their structure, which might limit their future development in terms of brightness. Now, a team of researchers has found that another organic semiconductor-based device, the organic light-emitting transistor (OLET), can dramatically increase the efficiency of OLEDs since OLETs have the structure of a transistor rather than a diode. In their recent study, the researchers have created OLETs that are 10 times more efficient than any previously reported OLET, as well as more than twice as efficient as an optimized OLED made with the same materials.

The researchers, Raffaella Capelli, et al., from the Institute for Nano structured Materials (ISMN) in Bologna, Italy, and the Polyera Corporation in Skokie, Illinois, USA, have published their results in a recent issue of Nature Materials.

As the researchers explain, OLED technology is by far the most developed of the two organic semiconductor-based devices. But the biggest drawback to using OLEDs for light display applications is that they intrinsically suffer from photon loss and exciton quenching. Both effects are a direct result of the structure of OLEDs: The close spatial proximity of the electrical contacts and the light-generation region causes some emitted photons to be absorbed, resulting in photon loss. Similarly, the largest quenching effect in OLEDs, called exciton-charge quenching, reduces the number of excitons, and occurs due to a spatial overlap of excitons and charges.

Because OLETs have a transistor-based structure, researchers have recently been looking for ways to suppress these deleterious effects inherent in the OLED architecture. So far, they have only managed to prevent one type of quenching called exciton-metal quenching, which was done by moving the light-emitting area further away from the electrodes. However, the other effects still remained, so that the best OLETs only achieved an efficiency of no more than 0.6%.

In the new study, the researchers designed an OLET that could avoid photon losses and the two types of quenching. In demonstrations, the new OLETs achieved efficiencies of 5%. In comparison, equivalent OLEDs had efficiencies of just 0.01%, while optimized OLEDs with the same emitting layer as the OLETs achieved efficiencies of 2.2%, with the difference being due to their diode structure. (Although 2.2% is the highest reported efficiency for OLEDs based on fluorescent emitters, researchers have recently reported OLEDs based on phosphorescent emitting material with an efficiency on the order of 20%.)

The researchers call their novel device a tri-layer field-effect OLET due to its three organic semiconducting layers: a top 15-nm-thick p-channel layer that transports holes, a 40-nm-thick middle layer that emits light (the “exciton formation zone”), and a bottom 7-nm-thick n-channel layer that transports electrons. In this set-up, electrons and holes move from their respective layers to the middle layer, where excitons are formed and light is emitted. The three semiconductor layers are positioned on a three-layer substrate of glass, indium tin oxide, and PMMA, and two gold electrodes on top complete the design.

The trilayer architecture offers several advantages. For one, the light-formation and light-emitting regions are located far enough away from the electrodes so that photon losses at the electrodes and exciton-metal quenching are prevented. Also, the light-emitting region is physically separated from the charge flows, which prevents exciton-charge quenching. For these reasons, the researchers describe the tri-layer OLET as a “contactless OLED,” where these deleterious effects are intrinsically prevented. In addition to these improvements, the researchers predict that the efficiency of the new OLET should be able to be increased even further with further adjustments, such as decreasing the operating voltage and carefully tuning every part of the structure.

“Despite the necessary technical improvements, we believe that our tri-layer OLETs represent a viable route to increase even further the device efficiency,” Capelli, a researcher at ISMN, told PhysOrg.com.

Overall, the scientists hope that the OLET represents a route toward developing practical organic light-emitting devices with unprecedented efficiency. The device could offer the potential for many applications, such as intense nanoscale light sources and optoelectronic systems.

“The OLET is a new light emission concept, providing planar light sources that can be easily integrated in substrates of different natures (silicon, glass, plastic, paper, etc.) using standard microelectronic techniques,” said Michele Muccini, a researcher at ISMN. “Our devices provide planar micrometer-size light sources that might enable organic photonic applications like integrated on-chip bio-sensing and high resolution display technology with embedded electronics. Moreover, a long term perspective for OLETs could be related to the realization of an electrically pumped organic laser.”

It was only a matter of time and some creative thinking until the EL decals move from T-Shirts to hats. The Equaliser Music Hat is a cute looking alternative to EL T-Shirts to use your music to visually spice up your hat this winter season.

Why only use static embroidery, print of weaving pattern to make a hat more colorful. Animated style elements a much more appealing and fitting into our technology penetrated lifestyle.

Simply attach the hat to the headphone socket of your iPod, smart phone or any MP3 player with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Equalizer Music Hat not only has the cool, animated sound bars but also features integrated headphones. No need to plug in your earbuds, just put on the hat and rock away.

2 x CR2032 Batteries are needed to make the EL sound bars move, no battery power is needed if you want to use this hat as cozy warm headphones without the animation.

[via: TechFresh]

ELECTROLUMINESCENT PANEL HAVING CONTROLLABLE TRANSPARENCY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to electroluminescent light emitting panels, and more specifically, to an electroluminescent light emitting panel that is transparent until illuminated.

Problem Electroluminescent (EL) panels are surface-area light sources wherein light is produced by exciting an electroluminescent material, typically by an electric field. Previously existing EL panels employ a suitable phosphor placed between two metallic sheet surfaces forming two electrode layers, only one of which may be transparent. An electrical current is applied to the electrode layers in order to excite the phosphor material to produce light.

Such electroluminescent panels are typically formed of elongate, flexible strips of laminated material that are adaptable for use in many different shapes and sizes.

Some of the reasons for using electroluminescent panels include the ability to provide sources of uniform light in various bright colors, and the ability to emit cool light without creating noticeable heat or substantial current drain. However, previous EL panels are not transparent, and therefore cannot transmit light nor function as windows.

Solution The present electroluminescent panel includes an illumination layer comprising light emitting polymers or other electroluminescent (EL) material that is transparent until energized by an electrical potential applied to the EL material to cause it to emit light. When the panel is appropriately energized, the panel emits light from the illumination layer. When emitting light, the illumination layer area becomes essentially non-light-transmissive.

The present invention includes the use of printed or deposited conductive inks such as copper, nickel, or platinum, which have high conductivity and high transparency in thin layers. The process for fabricating the present electroluminescent panels includes printing a palladium catalyst onto the surface, drying the catalyst for activation, followed by immersion of the coated substrate into a copper plating solution bath, rinsing and drying.

The concentration of catalyst, thickness of the catalyst film, and immersion time in the copper plating bath determine the thickness of the metal deposited.

In contrast to existing electroluminescent (EL) panels, EL panels fabricated in accordance with the presently described process are transparent in the absence of an applied electrical potential, which makes them amenable to a wide range of applications. These panels may be used in practically any application, indoors or outdoors, where windows or display panels are presently used. The presently described technology may also be applied to printing patterns of electrodes for printable batteries, fuel cells and solar cells.

Advantages of the technology are high conductivity and transparency at low cost with respect to conductive inks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1A is a diagram of an electroluminescent panel in accordance with the present invention, showing the panel in an unenergized state; Figure 1B is a diagram of the electroluminescent panel of Figure 1A, showing the panel in an energized state; and Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for fabricating an electroluminescent panel in accordance with the embodiment of Figures lA/1B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION U. S. Patent Application 09/815,078 filed March 22,2001, for an “Electroluminescent Multiple Segment Display Device”, discloses a system for fabricating an electroluminescent display device from materials including light emitting polymers (LEPs), the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. The present electroluminescent panel includes an illumination layer comprising light emitting polymers (LEPs) or other electroluminescent (EL) material that is transparent until energized by an electrical potential applied to the EL material to cause it to emit light. When the panel is appropriately energized, the panel emits light from the illumination layer, which may be patterned to allow certain areas of the panel to be illuminated.

When emitting light, the illumination layer area becomes essentially non- light-transmissive. The areas not patterned or coated with electroluminescent material (if any) remain transparent, regardless of the state of the illumination layer.

In an alternative, LEP particles may comprise OLEDs (organic light emitting devices), which includes organic and inorganic complexes, such as tris (8- hydroxyquinolato) aluminum; tetra (2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinolato) boron; lithium salt; 4,4′-bis (9-ethyl-3-carbazovinylene)-1, 1′-biphenyl ; 9,10-di [ (9-ethyl-3-carbazoyl)- vinylenyl)]-anthracene ; 4,4′-bis (diphenylvinylenyl) -biphenyl; 1, 4-bis (9-ethyl-3- carbazovinylene)-2-methoxy-5- (2-ethylhexyloxy) benzene; tris (benzoylacetonato) mono (phenanthroline) europium (III) ; tris (dibenzoylmethane) mono (phenanthroline) europium (III) ; tris (dibenzoylmethane) mono (5-aminophenanthroline) europium (III) ; tris (dinapthoylmethane) mono (phenanthroline) europium (III) ; tris (biphenoylmethane) mono (phenanthroline) europium (III) ; tris (dibenzoylmethane) mono (4,7-diphenyl phenanthroline) europium (III) ; tris (dibenzoylmethane) mono (4, 7-dimethyl- phenanthroline) europium (III) ; tris (dibenzoylmethane) mono (4, 7-dihydroxy- phenanthroline) europium (III) ; tris (dibenzoylmethane) mono (4, 7-dihydroxyloxy-phenanthroline) europium (III); lithium tetra (2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinolinato) boron; lithium tetra (8- hydroxyquinolinato) boron; 4,4′-bis (9-ethyl-3-carbazovinylene)-1, 1′-biphenyl ; bis (8- hydroxyquinolinato) zinc ; bis (2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinolinato) zinc ; Iridium (III) tris (2-phenylpyridine); tris (8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum ; and tris [1-phenyl-3- methyl-4- (2, 2-dimethylpropan-1-oyl)-pyrazolin-5-one]-terbium, many of which are commercially available from American Dye Source, Inc.

One of the configurations employed for present electroluminescent (EL) panels utilizes a transparent substrate upon which is printed in turn a transparent rear electrode, a transparent dielectric layer, an illuminating layer (for example, a light emitting polymer), a transparent front electrode, and a silver (or other electrically conductive material) front electrode lead.

The present invention includes the process of printing or depositing conductive inks by way of any suitable printing method including screen printing, hand printing, ink jetting, and electrolessly plating, wherein said conductive inks may include copper, nickel, or platinum, which have high conductivity and high transparency in thin layers. The process for fabricating the present electroluminescent panels includes printing or depositing a catalyst onto a substrate, drying the catalyst for activation, followed by immersion of the coated substrate into a copper plating solution bath, rinsing, and drying. The concentration of catalyst, thickness of the catalyst film, and immersion time in the appropriate metal plating bath determine the thickness of the metal deposited. It was observed that thin coatings of electrically conductive materials including copper and conductive polymers (for example, PDOT, polyaniline, polypyrrole, and the like) are transparent and may be used to form transparent electrodes in an electroluminescent stack, whereas thicker films may be used as front and rear electrode leads in the panels.

Figure lA is a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of an electroluminescent illumination panel 100 comprising a substrate 101, a rear electrode layer 102, a dielectric layer 103, an illumination layer 104, an electrically conductive layer 105, and a front outlining electrode lead (‘front electrode’) 106. As shown in Figure lA, in a non-energized state (i. e., when no power is applied), panel 100 is essentially transparent, and allows light to pass through the panel in both directions, as indicated by arrows 1 l0a and 110b. In an alternative embodiment, an electrically conductive layer 105, and a front outlining electrode lead (”front electrode’) 106 may be combined.

Figure 1B is a schematic illustration of electroluminescent illumination panel 100 when an electrical potential is applied across rear electrode 102 and conductive layer 105. In operation, an electrical potential is applied across electrodes 102 and 105 to cause illumination of panel 100. The applied voltage may be either AC or DC, depending on the type of material used in illumination layer 104. Voltage is applied to rear electrode 102 via lead 112, and to front electrode 105 via lead 113, which is electrically connected to front electrode by front outlining electrode 106. The electrical connections from the power source or controller (not shown) to leads 112/113 are shown as leads 112a/113a.

When the appropriate electrical power is applied to panel 100, illumination layer 104 emits light in both directions, as indicated by arrows 111. At the same time, incident light from either direction, shown by arrows 1 Oc and 11 Od, is reflected and/or absorbed by illumination layer 104 to effectively block the light from passing through panel 100, or through areas of the panel containing electroluminescent material, if the illumination layer has been patterned.

Figure 2 is a flow chart showing an exemplary sequence of steps for fabricating the electroluminescent panel shown in Figures lA/1B. Fabrication of the present panel 100 is best understood by viewing Figures lA/1B and Figure 2 in conjunction with one another.

At steps 205 through 220, rear electrode 102 is applied over a front surface of substrate 101. Substrate 101 is formed from a non-conductive transparent material, such as a polyester film, polycarbonate, or other transparent or translucent plastic material.

In an exemplary embodiment, rear electrode 102 is formed of a very thin layer of a conductive material, including metals such as copper, nickel, or platinum, or conductive polymers such as polypyrrole, poly (3,4- ethylenedioxythiophene) (PDOT), poly (3,4-propylenedioxythiophene) (PDOT), or polyphenyleneamineimine, etc. In one embodiment, rear electrode 102 may comprise a conductive polymer such as polypyrrole, poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PDOT), and polyphenyleneamineimine.

In an exemplary embodiment, rear electrode 102 has a thickness of between approximately 1 and 10 microns. The examples below illustrate several methods by which rear electrode 102 may be fabricated onto substrate 101.

Example 1. A 2% w/w catalyst solution of palladium acetate (PdAc) ink formulation was prepared by adding 2.6 grams of PdAc (Lot No. 8505047 obtained from APM, Inc. ) to 130.6 grams of phosphor binder (available as DuPont KKP415). The catalyst was hand printed (step 205) through a 158 mesh polyester screen using an 80 durometer squeegee onto polycarbonate.

The coated sheet was air dried at 285 °F for approximately 5 minutes (step 210). The sheet was immersed in the copper bath for 1 minute (step 215). The sheet was then rinsed and dried (step 220). The sheet resistance was measured with a Prostat CRS resistance system and found to be 2.38 ohms/square inch.

Example 2. Polycarbonate sheets were subjected to application of the above catalyst by airbrush and electro-deposition of copper as a rear electrode lead 112. The light output of a 15 square inch circle in the design was found to be 27.1 Cd/m2 when a 160 V, 400 Hz square wave signal was applied.

Example 3. The catalyst solution prepared above was printed by hand onto polycarbonate through a 260-mesh screen. In this case a 2-minute exposure in the copper bath yielded a smooth copper film without blisters.

The resistance of this sheet was found to be 2. 18 ohms/square inch.

Example 4. The same catalyst solution prepared above was hand printed through a 390-mesh screen. In this case, immersion in the copper bath for 45 seconds resulted in a uniform copper coating that was optically transparent. The conductivity was found to be 3.66 ohms/square.

As the above examples illustrate, screen-printing of palladium catalyst in an appropriate binder system may be used to initiate electroless plating of metals in areas where electrode patterns and leads are required in EL devices.

It is to be noted that rear electrode layer 102, as well as each of the layers 103-106 that are successively applied in fabricating panel 100, may be applied by any appropriate method, including an ink jet process, a stencil, flat coating, brushing, rolling, spraying, and the like.

Rear electrode layer 102 may cover the entire substrate 101, but this layer 102 typically covers only the illumination area (the area covered by LEP layer 104, described below). Rear electrode lead 112 may be screen printed onto substrate 101, or may be fabricated as an interconnect tab extending beyond the substrate to facilitate connection to a power source or controller.

At step 225, transparent or translucent dielectric layer 103 is applied over rear electrode layer 102. In an exemplary embodiment, dielectric layer 103 comprises a high dielectric constant material, such as a transparent or semi-transparent insulative polymer (for example, polystyrene, polyethylene poly (methyl methacrylate), polyvinylbutyral, polydimethyl siloxane, Teflon or polychloroprene, cyanoethylcellulose, and the like) in which may be dispersed a high dielectric constant insulating inorganic material such as silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, barium titanate, titanium oxide, or strontium titanate. In an exemplary embodiment, dielectric layer 103 may have a thickness of between approximately 0. 1 micron and 100 microns. It is preferable also to have the refractive indices of the inorganic filler and the insulating polymer to be as close as possible for improved transmission of light. It is also feasible to employ a binder for the phosphor layer that has a high dielectric constant, such as cyanoethylcellulose, and eliminate the dielectric layer completely.

In accordance with one embodiment, dielectric layer 102 has substantially the same shape as the illumination area, but extends approximately 1/16″to 1/8″beyond the illumination area. Alternatively, dielectric layer 102 may cover substantially all of substrate 101.

At step 230, an electroluminescent material is applied over dielectric layer 210 to form illumination layer 104. Illumination layer 104 is formulated in accordance with the process described above with respect to Figures lA, 1B, and 2. The size of the illumination area covered by layer 104 may be any Yoshimasa A. Ono,”Electroluminescent Displays”World Scientific, New Jersey, 1995, p. 11. suitable size, with a preferred range from approximately 1 sq. inch to 100 sq. inches. In an exemplary embodiment of the present system, illumination layer 104 comprises light emitting polymers such as such as poly (p-phenylene vinylene) or poly [2-methoxy-5- (2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1, 4-phenylenevinylene].

In an alternative, LEP particles comprise OLEDs (organic light emitting devices) such as Tris (8-hydroxyquinolato) aluminum, Tetra (2-methyl-8- hydroxyquinolato) boron, and lithium salt. Other suitable light emitting polymers and OLEDs may be employed as provided hereinabove. Light emitting polymers and OLEDs operate off low voltage and are adaptable to being applied in thin layers.

At step 235, translucent or transparent conductive layer 105 is printed over LEP layer 104, extending about 1/16″tol/8″beyond LEP area 104. The distance beyond the Illumination layer to which conductive layer 105 extends is a function of the size of the panel. Accordingly, the extension of conductive layer 105 beyond Illumination area 104 may advantageously be between approximately 2 percent and 10 percent of the width of Illumination layer 104. In an exemplary embodiment, conductive layer 105 comprises indium tin oxide (ITO) particles in the form of a screen printable ink such as DuPont 7160.

In an alternative embodiment, conductive layer may also be formed by the electroless process described above with respect to step 505. Due to the transparent nature of thin electroless coatings, and their relatively high conductivity of <4 ohms/square inch as compared to printed ITO (indium tin oxide) layers having a conductivity of 200 to 1000 ohms/square inch, an electrolessly plated electrode may be used as a replacement for EL device layers previously formed from ITO. In a further alternative embodiment, conductive layer is non-metallic, and comprises a conductive polymer, such as polypyrrole, poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PDOT), poly (3,4- propylenedioxythiophene) (PDOT), or polyphenyleneamineimine. In an exemplary embodiment, an ITO conductive layer 105 may have a thickness of between approximately 2xi04 inches and 5xl04 inches.

At step 240, a front outlining electrode layer (FOEL) 106, comprising a conductive material such as silver or carbon, is applied onto the outer perimeter of conductive layer 105 to transport energy thereto. Front electrode 106 is typically 1/16″to 1/8″wide strip, or approximately 2 percent to 20 percent of the width of conductive layer 105, depending on the current drawn by panel 100 and the length of the panel from the controller or power source.

For example, front electrode 106 may be approximately 1/8″wide for a 50″ wire run from the controller.

Electrode lead 113 may be screen printed onto FOEL 106, or may be fabricated as an interconnect tab extending beyond FOEL to facilitate connection to a power source or controller. In one embodiment, front outlining electrode layer 106 contacts substantially the entire outer perimeter of conductive layer 105 and does not overlap rear electrode 102.

In one embodiment, front electrode 106 contacts only about 25% of outer perimeter of conductive layer 105. Front electrode may be fabricated to contact any amount of the outer perimeter of conductive layer 105 from about 25% to about 100%. Front outlining electrode 106 may, for example, comprise silver particles that form a screen printable ink such as DuPont 7145.

In an alternative embodiment, front outlining electrode 106 is non- metallic and is translucent or transparent, and comprises a conductive polymer, such as polypyrrole, poly (3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene) (PDOT), poly (3,4 propylenedioxythiophene) (PDOT), or polyphenyleneamineimine.

Fabricating front and rear electrodes 106/102 with polymers such as the aforementioned compounds would make panel 100 more flexible, as well as more durable and corrosion resistant. In an exemplary embodiment, a silver front outlining electrode layer 106 has a thickness of between approximately 8×1 Clinches and 1. 1×10-3 inches.

Source: www.wipo.int

ELECTROLUMINESCENT PANEL HAVING CONTROLLABLE TRANSPARENCY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to electroluminescent light emitting panels, and more specifically, to an electroluminescent light emitting panel that is transparent until illuminated.

Problem Electroluminescent (EL) panels are surface-area light sources wherein light is produced by exciting an electroluminescent material, typically by an electric field. Previously existing EL panels employ a suitable phosphor placed between two metallic sheet surfaces forming two electrode layers, only one of which may be transparent. An electrical current is applied to the electrode layers in order to excite the phosphor material to produce light.

Such electroluminescent panels are typically formed of elongate, flexible strips of laminated material that are adaptable for use in many different shapes and sizes.

Some of the reasons for using electroluminescent panels include the ability to provide sources of uniform light in various bright colors, and the ability to emit cool light without creating noticeable heat or substantial current drain. However, previous EL panels are not transparent, and therefore cannot transmit light nor function as windows.

Solution The present electroluminescent panel includes an illumination layer comprising light emitting polymers or other electroluminescent (EL) material that is transparent until energized by an electrical potential applied to the EL material to cause it to emit light. When the panel is appropriately energized, the panel emits light from the illumination layer. When emitting light, the illumination layer area becomes essentially non-light-transmissive.

The present invention includes the use of printed or deposited conductive inks such as copper, nickel, or platinum, which have high conductivity and high transparency in thin layers. The process for fabricating the present electroluminescent panels includes printing a palladium catalyst onto the surface, drying the catalyst for activation, followed by immersion of the coated substrate into a copper plating solution bath, rinsing and drying.

The concentration of catalyst, thickness of the catalyst film, and immersion time in the copper plating bath determine the thickness of the metal deposited.

In contrast to existing electroluminescent (EL) panels, EL panels fabricated in accordance with the presently described process are transparent in the absence of an applied electrical potential, which makes them amenable to a wide range of applications. These panels may be used in practically any application, indoors or outdoors, where windows or display panels are presently used. The presently described technology may also be applied to printing patterns of electrodes for printable batteries, fuel cells and solar cells.

Advantages of the technology are high conductivity and transparency at low cost with respect to conductive inks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1A is a diagram of an electroluminescent panel in accordance with the present invention, showing the panel in an unenergized state; Figure 1B is a diagram of the electroluminescent panel of Figure 1A, showing the panel in an energized state; and Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for fabricating an electroluminescent panel in accordance with the embodiment of Figures lA/1B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION U. S. Patent Application 09/815,078 filed March 22,2001, for an “Electroluminescent Multiple Segment Display Device”, discloses a system for fabricating an electroluminescent display device from materials including light emitting polymers (LEPs), the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. The present electroluminescent panel includes an illumination layer comprising light emitting polymers (LEPs) or other electroluminescent (EL) material that is transparent until energized by an electrical potential applied to the EL material to cause it to emit light. When the panel is appropriately energized, the panel emits light from the illumination layer, which may be patterned to allow certain areas of the panel to be illuminated.

When emitting light, the illumination layer area becomes essentially non- light-transmissive. The areas not patterned or coated with electroluminescent material (if any) remain transparent, regardless of the state of the illumination layer.

In an alternative, LEP particles may comprise OLEDs (organic light emitting devices), which includes organic and inorganic complexes, such as tris (8- hydroxyquinolato) aluminum; tetra (2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinolato) boron; lithium salt; 4,4′-bis (9-ethyl-3-carbazovinylene)-1, 1′-biphenyl ; 9,10-di [ (9-ethyl-3-carbazoyl)- vinylenyl)]-anthracene ; 4,4′-bis (diphenylvinylenyl) -biphenyl; 1, 4-bis (9-ethyl-3- carbazovinylene)-2-methoxy-5- (2-ethylhexyloxy) benzene; tris (benzoylacetonato) mono (phenanthroline) europium (III) ; tris (dibenzoylmethane) mono (phenanthroline) europium (III) ; tris (dibenzoylmethane) mono (5-aminophenanthroline) europium (III) ; tris (dinapthoylmethane) mono (phenanthroline) europium (III) ; tris (biphenoylmethane) mono (phenanthroline) europium (III) ; tris (dibenzoylmethane) mono (4,7-diphenyl phenanthroline) europium (III) ; tris (dibenzoylmethane) mono (4, 7-dimethyl- phenanthroline) europium (III) ; tris (dibenzoylmethane) mono (4, 7-dihydroxy- phenanthroline) europium (III) ; tris (dibenzoylmethane) mono (4, 7-dihydroxyloxy-phenanthroline) europium (III); lithium tetra (2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinolinato) boron; lithium tetra (8- hydroxyquinolinato) boron; 4,4′-bis (9-ethyl-3-carbazovinylene)-1, 1′-biphenyl ; bis (8- hydroxyquinolinato) zinc ; bis (2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinolinato) zinc ; Iridium (III) tris (2-phenylpyridine); tris (8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum ; and tris [1-phenyl-3- methyl-4- (2, 2-dimethylpropan-1-oyl)-pyrazolin-5-one]-terbium, many of which are commercially available from American Dye Source, Inc.

One of the configurations employed for present electroluminescent (EL) panels utilizes a transparent substrate upon which is printed in turn a transparent rear electrode, a transparent dielectric layer, an illuminating layer (for example, a light emitting polymer), a transparent front electrode, and a silver (or other electrically conductive material) front electrode lead.

The present invention includes the process of printing or depositing conductive inks by way of any suitable printing method including screen printing, hand printing, ink jetting, and electrolessly plating, wherein said conductive inks may include copper, nickel, or platinum, which have high conductivity and high transparency in thin layers. The process for fabricating the present electroluminescent panels includes printing or depositing a catalyst onto a substrate, drying the catalyst for activation, followed by immersion of the coated substrate into a copper plating solution bath, rinsing, and drying. The concentration of catalyst, thickness of the catalyst film, and immersion time in the appropriate metal plating bath determine the thickness of the metal deposited. It was observed that thin coatings of electrically conductive materials including copper and conductive polymers (for example, PDOT, polyaniline, polypyrrole, and the like) are transparent and may be used to form transparent electrodes in an electroluminescent stack, whereas thicker films may be used as front and rear electrode leads in the panels.

Figure lA is a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of an electroluminescent illumination panel 100 comprising a substrate 101, a rear electrode layer 102, a dielectric layer 103, an illumination layer 104, an electrically conductive layer 105, and a front outlining electrode lead (‘front electrode’) 106. As shown in Figure lA, in a non-energized state (i. e., when no power is applied), panel 100 is essentially transparent, and allows light to pass through the panel in both directions, as indicated by arrows 1 l0a and 110b. In an alternative embodiment, an electrically conductive layer 105, and a front outlining electrode lead (”front electrode’) 106 may be combined.

Figure 1B is a schematic illustration of electroluminescent illumination panel 100 when an electrical potential is applied across rear electrode 102 and conductive layer 105. In operation, an electrical potential is applied across electrodes 102 and 105 to cause illumination of panel 100. The applied voltage may be either AC or DC, depending on the type of material used in illumination layer 104. Voltage is applied to rear electrode 102 via lead 112, and to front electrode 105 via lead 113, which is electrically connected to front electrode by front outlining electrode 106. The electrical connections from the power source or controller (not shown) to leads 112/113 are shown as leads 112a/113a.

When the appropriate electrical power is applied to panel 100, illumination layer 104 emits light in both directions, as indicated by arrows 111. At the same time, incident light from either direction, shown by arrows 1 Oc and 11 Od, is reflected and/or absorbed by illumination layer 104 to effectively block the light from passing through panel 100, or through areas of the panel containing electroluminescent material, if the illumination layer has been patterned.

Figure 2 is a flow chart showing an exemplary sequence of steps for fabricating the electroluminescent panel shown in Figures lA/1B. Fabrication of the present panel 100 is best understood by viewing Figures lA/1B and Figure 2 in conjunction with one another.

At steps 205 through 220, rear electrode 102 is applied over a front surface of substrate 101. Substrate 101 is formed from a non-conductive transparent material, such as a polyester film, polycarbonate, or other transparent or translucent plastic material.

In an exemplary embodiment, rear electrode 102 is formed of a very thin layer of a conductive material, including metals such as copper, nickel, or platinum, or conductive polymers such as polypyrrole, poly (3,4- ethylenedioxythiophene) (PDOT), poly (3,4-propylenedioxythiophene) (PDOT), or polyphenyleneamineimine, etc. In one embodiment, rear electrode 102 may comprise a conductive polymer such as polypyrrole, poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PDOT), and polyphenyleneamineimine.

In an exemplary embodiment, rear electrode 102 has a thickness of between approximately 1 and 10 microns. The examples below illustrate several methods by which rear electrode 102 may be fabricated onto substrate 101.

Example 1. A 2% w/w catalyst solution of palladium acetate (PdAc) ink formulation was prepared by adding 2.6 grams of PdAc (Lot No. 8505047 obtained from APM, Inc. ) to 130.6 grams of phosphor binder (available as DuPont KKP415). The catalyst was hand printed (step 205) through a 158 mesh polyester screen using an 80 durometer squeegee onto polycarbonate.

The coated sheet was air dried at 285 °F for approximately 5 minutes (step 210). The sheet was immersed in the copper bath for 1 minute (step 215). The sheet was then rinsed and dried (step 220). The sheet resistance was measured with a Prostat CRS resistance system and found to be 2.38 ohms/square inch.

Example 2. Polycarbonate sheets were subjected to application of the above catalyst by airbrush and electro-deposition of copper as a rear electrode lead 112. The light output of a 15 square inch circle in the design was found to be 27.1 Cd/m2 when a 160 V, 400 Hz square wave signal was applied.

Example 3. The catalyst solution prepared above was printed by hand onto polycarbonate through a 260-mesh screen. In this case a 2-minute exposure in the copper bath yielded a smooth copper film without blisters.

The resistance of this sheet was found to be 2. 18 ohms/square inch.

Example 4. The same catalyst solution prepared above was hand printed through a 390-mesh screen. In this case, immersion in the copper bath for 45 seconds resulted in a uniform copper coating that was optically transparent. The conductivity was found to be 3.66 ohms/square.

As the above examples illustrate, screen-printing of palladium catalyst in an appropriate binder system may be used to initiate electroless plating of metals in areas where electrode patterns and leads are required in EL devices.

It is to be noted that rear electrode layer 102, as well as each of the layers 103-106 that are successively applied in fabricating panel 100, may be applied by any appropriate method, including an ink jet process, a stencil, flat coating, brushing, rolling, spraying, and the like.

Rear electrode layer 102 may cover the entire substrate 101, but this layer 102 typically covers only the illumination area (the area covered by LEP layer 104, described below). Rear electrode lead 112 may be screen printed onto substrate 101, or may be fabricated as an interconnect tab extending beyond the substrate to facilitate connection to a power source or controller.

At step 225, transparent or translucent dielectric layer 103 is applied over rear electrode layer 102. In an exemplary embodiment, dielectric layer 103 comprises a high dielectric constant material, such as a transparent or semi-transparent insulative polymer (for example, polystyrene, polyethylene poly (methyl methacrylate), polyvinylbutyral, polydimethyl siloxane, Teflon or polychloroprene, cyanoethylcellulose, and the like) in which may be dispersed a high dielectric constant insulating inorganic material such as silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, barium titanate, titanium oxide, or strontium titanate. In an exemplary embodiment, dielectric layer 103 may have a thickness of between approximately 0. 1 micron and 100 microns. It is preferable also to have the refractive indices of the inorganic filler and the insulating polymer to be as close as possible for improved transmission of light. It is also feasible to employ a binder for the phosphor layer that has a high dielectric constant, such as cyanoethylcellulose, and eliminate the dielectric layer completely.

In accordance with one embodiment, dielectric layer 102 has substantially the same shape as the illumination area, but extends approximately 1/16″to 1/8″beyond the illumination area. Alternatively, dielectric layer 102 may cover substantially all of substrate 101.

At step 230, an electroluminescent material is applied over dielectric layer 210 to form illumination layer 104. Illumination layer 104 is formulated in accordance with the process described above with respect to Figures lA, 1B, and 2. The size of the illumination area covered by layer 104 may be any Yoshimasa A. Ono,”Electroluminescent Displays”World Scientific, New Jersey, 1995, p. 11. suitable size, with a preferred range from approximately 1 sq. inch to 100 sq. inches. In an exemplary embodiment of the present system, illumination layer 104 comprises light emitting polymers such as such as poly (p-phenylene vinylene) or poly [2-methoxy-5- (2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1, 4-phenylenevinylene].

In an alternative, LEP particles comprise OLEDs (organic light emitting devices) such as Tris (8-hydroxyquinolato) aluminum, Tetra (2-methyl-8- hydroxyquinolato) boron, and lithium salt. Other suitable light emitting polymers and OLEDs may be employed as provided hereinabove. Light emitting polymers and OLEDs operate off low voltage and are adaptable to being applied in thin layers.

At step 235, translucent or transparent conductive layer 105 is printed over LEP layer 104, extending about 1/16″tol/8″beyond LEP area 104. The distance beyond the Illumination layer to which conductive layer 105 extends is a function of the size of the panel. Accordingly, the extension of conductive layer 105 beyond Illumination area 104 may advantageously be between approximately 2 percent and 10 percent of the width of Illumination layer 104. In an exemplary embodiment, conductive layer 105 comprises indium tin oxide (ITO) particles in the form of a screen printable ink such as DuPont 7160.

In an alternative embodiment, conductive layer may also be formed by the electroless process described above with respect to step 505. Due to the transparent nature of thin electroless coatings, and their relatively high conductivity of <4 ohms/square inch as compared to printed ITO (indium tin oxide) layers having a conductivity of 200 to 1000 ohms/square inch, an electrolessly plated electrode may be used as a replacement for EL device layers previously formed from ITO. In a further alternative embodiment, conductive layer is non-metallic, and comprises a conductive polymer, such as polypyrrole, poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PDOT), poly (3,4- propylenedioxythiophene) (PDOT), or polyphenyleneamineimine. In an exemplary embodiment, an ITO conductive layer 105 may have a thickness of between approximately 2xi04 inches and 5xl04 inches.

At step 240, a front outlining electrode layer (FOEL) 106, comprising a conductive material such as silver or carbon, is applied onto the outer perimeter of conductive layer 105 to transport energy thereto. Front electrode 106 is typically 1/16″to 1/8″wide strip, or approximately 2 percent to 20 percent of the width of conductive layer 105, depending on the current drawn by panel 100 and the length of the panel from the controller or power source.

For example, front electrode 106 may be approximately 1/8″wide for a 50″ wire run from the controller.

Electrode lead 113 may be screen printed onto FOEL 106, or may be fabricated as an interconnect tab extending beyond FOEL to facilitate connection to a power source or controller. In one embodiment, front outlining electrode layer 106 contacts substantially the entire outer perimeter of conductive layer 105 and does not overlap rear electrode 102.

In one embodiment, front electrode 106 contacts only about 25% of outer perimeter of conductive layer 105. Front electrode may be fabricated to contact any amount of the outer perimeter of conductive layer 105 from about 25% to about 100%. Front outlining electrode 106 may, for example, comprise silver particles that form a screen printable ink such as DuPont 7145.

In an alternative embodiment, front outlining electrode 106 is non- metallic and is translucent or transparent, and comprises a conductive polymer, such as polypyrrole, poly (3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene) (PDOT), poly (3,4 propylenedioxythiophene) (PDOT), or polyphenyleneamineimine.

Fabricating front and rear electrodes 106/102 with polymers such as the aforementioned compounds would make panel 100 more flexible, as well as more durable and corrosion resistant. In an exemplary embodiment, a silver front outlining electrode layer 106 has a thickness of between approximately 8×1 Clinches and 1. 1×10-3 inches.

Source: www.wipo.int

a 22m long electroluminescent wall that marks the entrance to the First and Concorde Galleries lounges in the new Heathrow Terminal 5. ‘All the Time in the World’ extends the conventional notion of a world clock, which commonly concentrates on capital cities in different time zones, by linking real time to places with exciting and romantic associations like far-away places, exotic wonders and forgotten cultures.

Following this logic ‘All the Time in the World’ not only connects the different capitals of the world, but it also celebrates less apparent places including:
• Natural wonders: Grand Canyon, Victoria Falls, Great Barrier Reef

• The highest mountains: Mount Whitney, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro, Everest, Fuji

• Forgotten wonders: Tenochititlan, Abu Simbel, Taj Mahal, Ankor Wat

• Museums: Guggenheim, Louvre, Hermitage, Mori Museum

• Modern wonders: Panama Canal, Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House

Design and development

For ‘All the Time in the World’ we developed a new typology of electroluminescent display, called ‘Firefly’, which relies on a custom-designed segmented typeface (patent pending.)

Apart form its incredible thinness (less than a millimetre), our display boosts high aesthetic impact and an extreme versatility in the characters displayed (up to five different fonts can be shown in our arrangement). This modular approach also allowed us to animate the letters as if they were hand written onto the display, a feature that was at the very origin of our research.

The resulting display has unique properties: it doesn’t cast light and disturbing shadow on it’s surrounding, it can be curved, and is extremely competitive compared to other display technologies such as LED if only text is required. Based on a vectorial design, its advantages are all the more noticeable in large scale (like ‘All the Time in the World’) or very small. The technique is transferable to other emerging technology such as OLED, PLED or E-paper. This is the first time that a display system of this kind has been implemented worldwide.

One of the early inspirations for the display is looking at the way technology, and in particular display technologies, seems to systematically strive for the full-colour, full size, full resolution. This approach tends in the best case to create an increasing uniformity among the design of the displays, while most of the time leading to over-specified, under-efficient solutions. This can be seen clearly with the hundreds of power hungry plasma screens used to display simple textual information in airports for instance. To challenge this status quo, we wanted to show how beautiful, unique and efficient a simple text display can be. Another inspiration for us was early electronic display elements such as nixie tubes. There is a kind of magic that operates in those displays, a strong physicality of matter and light, a character that makes them stand out in front of more advanced techniques. Here, with the ‘Firefly’ elements, we tried to bring these sensual qualities into the equation, resulting in a display system at the crossroads of high and low tech. High tech in its use of emerging printed electronic technologies and yet being manually silk screen printed and being restricted to text, letters and ciphers ‘All the Time in the World’ still manages to convey a definite low-tech feel.

If you are still seek 2011 Christmas gifts for your family ,your friends or your classmate, then have a look this luminous Sound activated EL T-shirt; If you are a dance fans, then this Electroluminescent sound activated T-shirt will be propitious to you;

Get the original lighten disco experience with EL Equalizer T Shirts. These nifty Flashing T-Shirts combine an Electro Luminescence Graphic Equaliser display with fresh new designs. The graphic equaliser responds to the music around you, jumping in time to your beats. Whether you choose the old-school TQ Original or the laid back TQ Hemp Leaf; these shirts light up your night for the world to see.

Electroluminescent sound activated T-shirt Technical Details:

1. It uses Spooky EL flat panel lighting technology

2. 4 x AAA Batteries (Not Included, The Cheek)

3. 3 Sizes: Small, Medium & Large

T-Qualizer is great, it’s Far Better (and Bolder) than the old one colour Equaliser tshirts you see in clubs, adorning fluffy cyber types.

This is more…Retro in its styling, more active (see the little gif below) and a darn sight better value than those found in a certain Camden Town Cyber Shop.

I know, it doesn’t have the label on it from the dog place, and that is true. For some folks that label matters more than the fact the clothes are worn by Clones. T-Qualizer is what it is. A BIG Sound Activated Flashing Equalizer Type Panel that is Stiched to a Reasonably Decent, Round Neck t-shirt.

The tqualizer is made in China and to get the price so low, they have probably skimped on a few details (like they do) but it works, and works well.

The Battery case / electronics is a Bright plastic lump (that looks like there are bits missing, (like buttons that have been removed and put in to your latest cheapo MP3 player) that sits hidden away inside the tshirt, snug in it’s own little pocket. Who cares what that looks like? It holds the batteries and electronic magic is all.

The Wire goes from the box through a cleverly stitched tube that runs through the inside of the shirt, to the back of the panel. Just by your left nipple (ok, my left nipple). I think the stiching is clever, cos I can’t stich.

“It’s Keenly priced, Not too Fashionable and Black goes with anything.” And lets face it, your only going out clubbing in it, you’ll get off your face, take off the t-qualizer because your sweating like a rapist, put it down somewhere and then promptly lose it.

Finally please note that be washed in the Washing Machine. That would be very bad. So does have potential to become quite stinky. You must wash by hand only(Because it’s Electric, and you don’t wash electricity if you know whats good for you)

Equalizer Shirt Sexy Girl SULS-TS47

Equalizer Shirt Sexy Girl SULS-TS47 description:
I think this Equalizer shirt fit girl,buy it and go to pub in this T-shirt,you must received all boy’s attraction.
this Equalizer Shirt use Electroluminescence technology,they can constitute his-and-hers clothes.if a girl choose this T-shirt,I think she will choose a bright color.it is just a templet.
EL flash T-shirt color:
any colour for customer’s option.
Main colors are black and pink,other colors such as white,green, red,blue
EL flash T-shirt Material:
100% cotton,180g/square meter.
Size of Equalizer Shirt:
XS, S,M,L,XL,XXL,XXXL ( standard European size).
Equalizer Shirt Style:
men,women,children,long sleeves,short sleeves,round neck and V –neck.
EL flash T-shirt Packing：
1pcs/pvc bag,50pcs/carton
Carton size: 68X44X27cm
G.W:17.5KG/carton
Accessories:
1. el panel : in the front or back of the t-shirt.
2.electrical source:4 or 2 AAA batteries （DC6V）
3. Battery compartment: neatly placed into an inside pocket with protective cloth tube .
EL flash T-shirt Washing introductions:
1. Dry Clean or Hand wash
2. remove the EL panel and battery compartment before washing.
Application:
Products promotion ,election , festive gatherings,night cubs,discos,bars, dancing parties ,pastime occasions etc.

EL SAFETY VEST-SULS ELSV-06

Electroluminescent technology to brightness:
Type:high visibility vests,lighted safety vest.

EL safety vest description:
We Ues Electroluminescent technology with colorful, flashing, and oattractive features for EL safety vest, the EL sheet panel with safety warning label or”police’ in the safety vest and safety jacket.it making staff  of EL safety vest more safety,EL safety vest is highly praised by people who doing dangerous work around the world .

EL safety vest Features:

1. Clothes Material: mesh fabrics or oxford cloth;
2.PVC reflectance: 350 degrees;
3. Safety: compliance with EN471 standard;
4.EL Brightness: 80CD/M2;
5. power saving, rechargeable lithium battery, can work for 30 hours;
6. with waterproof function;
7. ultrathin ,weight is about 300G ,no wire design, very soft and durable;
8. light is soft and pure, no ultraviolet radiation, no heat, no radiation, no pollution ;
9. High brightness, high penetrability, night vision is very far away;
10. soft, Flexibility;
11 No heat, avoided each kind of problem from heat assemble;
12. Energy conservation: Its efficiency is high and  97% electrical energy transforms into the energy of light, low heat energy loss;
13.shockproof: Each square meter may withstand the pressures as high as 10 metric tons;
◇ Applicable people: police, traffic police, road maintenance , car, motorcycle and bicycle drivers and so on;

EL safety Vest Electrical source:
4 pcs AAA batteries
EL safety Vest Durative working time: 3000hrs
EL safety Vest Twinkling mode: thin cool light. Logo flash can be seen in
far way, good for safety .
with el panel blinking and the logo on  panel
can be customer design.

Packing:
1pcs/polybag 50pcs/CTN/58X38X41CM NW/GW:11.5/12.5KGS

SULS ELectroluminescent Wire (EL wire)FAQ and Technical Information

1/ What to do if ELectroluminescent wire doesn’t light up?

A) Check if power, driver and EL Wire connected correctly.

B) Check the end of EL Wire.

C) Cut 1 cm of wire off from the end to prevent the electrodes from connecting.

2/ Can the EL wires be used outdoors? Will the color fade?

A) Yes, they can.

B) The red and orange color may fade after one years.

3/ Does the material of Electro luminescent Wire pollute the environment?

A) No, it doesn’t.Main ingredients: copper wire, plastic

4/ Result of improper handling of wire such as pulling or bending too hard

A) Disconnection of light, black spots, or risk of shock.

B) Black spots in the glowing wire.

5/EL wire working condition

AC 90V-150V 1000-4000HZ

6/ EL wire Driver Working condition

DC3V,6V,9V,12V,18V,24V,AC110V,220V

7/ What to do if EL wire driver does not work?

A) Check if power, EL wire driver and EL Wire are properly connected.

B) The EL wire Driver should make a buzzing noise.

C) If the EL wire driver stops working after a use, let it rest for 3-5 minutes before using again.

D) The EL wire driver becomes hot if not properly connected with the wire. Unplug the driver.

8/ Why is there buzzing noise from drivers?

The brightness is based on frequency. So there is a buzzing noise when in high frequency.

9/ Relations between the Capacity of Driver and EL Wire.

A) The capacity of drivers should be compatible with the length of EL Wire. Or it could cause damage to wire and driver.

B) when larger capacity driver is used for shorter wire, the wire would be brighter but wire’s life time would be shortened.

10/ Warning

A) Be careful! Do not turn on driver if it is not connected to EL Wire.

B) Do not bend the connected part of wire

11/ Is it true that the thicker the wire, the brighter?

It appears to be true due to the volume of the wire. In fact the brightness is weakened because of the thicker plastic coating.

12/ Color and the brightness.

It is brighter for transparent and yellow color.

13/ Life time.

8000 hours indoors, 5000 hours outdoors. 2000 hours in wet environment or in high frequency.

14/ How does our Wire save electricity?

Our EL Wire cost 0.3 Watt per meter, 0.4 Watt per meter with driver.

15/ How to attach our EL Wire to a surface or an object?

You could use glue for plastics, groove, cable ties or clips.

16/ How long does your EL Wire work?

Our current drivers can work with 100 meters. We can manufacture 1000 meters.

18/ Is your EL Wire safe?

The electric current is 6mA/meter and does not result heat. And its material is none-toxic and none-hazardous.

19/ Are your EL Wires Waterproof?

Yes. The ends and connecting areas of wires must be properly sealed with waterproof glue.

20/ Are your EL Wire colorful?

Yes.

21/ Can you rotate the colors?

Yes. You can connect wires of different colors and use driver for multiple wires.

22/ Can your EL Wire connect with A/C Power directly?

No.

23/ why the EL wire can emitting light?

Electric field excitated the Fluorescence powder luminescence.

24/ The difference between driver and adapter.

Adapter is used to connect Output Power and driver (DC 12V, DC 3V).

25/ Can wires of different color, different diameters be connected?

Yes.

26/ How many colors are available for your EL Wires?

We are able to manufacture any colors you desire.

27/ How many kinks of drivers do you have?

We have 15 kinds of standard (popular) drivers and 35 items none-popular drivers.

28/ Life time of batteries for drivers.

Average of 30 hours for two batteries (AA, 3V) for 1 meter wire. Use12v
(8AA,5#) for 10Meter,it can work 50 hours, for 60 meter, it can work for 5 hours .

29/Effect difference between EL Wire and other products

	Neon Lamp/CRT	Lamp wire	Led	EL Wire	Fiber
Light Mode	Linearity	Spot	Spot	Linearity	Spot
Color	Red Blue Green	Red Yellow	Combined	All color	Combined
Hot radiancy	Stronger	Strong	Feebleness	No	No
Voltage	AC 10000V	DC 110-220V	DC 3V	DC3V-AC220V	DC3V
Cost power/M	15-40W	15W	1-2W	0.3W
Life time	3000 hours	3000 hours	10000 hours	3000-5000 hours	10000 hours
Lightness	Strong	Strong	Strong	Feebleness	Feebleness
Diameter	2-8mm	8mm	8mm	1-8mm	0.5-10mm
Length	0.1-2M	1-20M	1-20M	0.01-100M	0.01-5M
Match power	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Injurant	Hg, Glass	Glass, Plastic	Plastic	Plastic	Plastic
Bend angle	No	More 90	More 90	More 15	More 120
Seeing effect	Thunder-and-lightning	Thunder-and-lightning	Thunder-and-lightning	Fresh and vivid	Fresh and vivid
Apply fields	Tall building outdoor	Short building outdoor	Tall building outdoor, decorate indoor	Short building outdoor and indoor, decorate virescence	decorate indoor
Install/ maintenance	Complex	Simple	Complex	Simple	Simple

30.if I have a product design,SULS can or not provide EL customise Solutions.
No problem.Start up ligh source is a professional manufacture of ELectroluminescence product,SULS can offer OEM,ODM prudcts accourding to customers different requirement.our Engineer will work closely with you.

31.what is the pull your wire can bear ?

For Dia 2.0MM it can bear less than 1 kg pull.

32.what is guideline to evaluate the technology of your EL wire ?

Brightness(CD/M2），Life(hour)，work condition(voltage, frequency)

Standard Test：90V，200HZ，life for 5000 hours，brightness 2- 10CD/m²

110V，400HZ，life for3000 hours，brightness 5 – 30CD/m²

130V,1000HZ， life for 1000 hours，brightness 10-70 CD/m²

180V, 4000HZ , life for 1000 hours，brightness 15-110 CD/m²

33.When start to research EL wire ?

U.SA. start to research in 1960 ,and Israel start industrialization in 1995.

China start to research in 1975 by Chinese Academy of Science, and be industrialization in 2000 .

34．When is the origin electric luminescence technology start?

In 1930, U.S.A. start the mutuality technology research，In 1958 Chinese Academy of Science begin to research.S.U.L.S was engaged in electric luminescence research in 2000

35．How many area of EL panel display be equal to 1M EL wire ?

SULS EL wire 1M About 15CM2.

36．Common units of luminescence parts of an apparatus?

A）luminous flux lumen/watt Lm lumen

B）illumination Lumen/M Lux (to a certainty distance object reflect, mainly use in spot lamp-house )

C）Brightness Cd/m² Cd（unit area intension ，mainly for side lamp-house）

37．Familiar illumination contrast

light 30,000-100,000 Lux

office illuminance 400 Lux

starlight 0.00005 Lux

38． Familiar luminous flux contrast

Energy saving 70 Lm

LED lamp 40 Lm

EL wire 28 Lm

39． Familiar brightness contrast

TV screen 300 Cd/m²

High bright EL wire 150 Cd/m²

General EL wire 90 Cd/m²

Photoluminescent Pigment 3 Cd/m² original brightness

40．Can EL wire be make to super thin plane luminescence?

If design with reason, it can be make double sides super thin luminescence board.

41.what is the difference between SULS EL wire and common EL wrie?

SULS EL wire, the intensity is the three times of common EL wire, life can relatively prolong 25%. others is the same.

42．DC3V battery with external electric source jack working claim:

Battery can not work together with external transformer ,otherwise no

charge battery will blast.

43. Why the different diameter of the EL wire ,its color is variety?

Different diameter of EL wire , its color has a range variety. mainly because plastic dyestuff bright and thinness or thickness reflect that lead to. in addition different driver in different working condition ,also can cause color variety.

44.EL wire use situation suggest:

Indoor, dress, toys, advertisement suggest use Diameter S0.8-2.0MM.wire.

Outdoor low construction (under 3 floors), suggest use Diameter 2.0MM-5.0MM wire.

Outdoor high construction (under 8 floors) ,suggest use neon net lamp, it can increase light area so can improve invisible distance.

47．If the EL panel and EL wire will heat when they work？

EL products should do not heat when they work, but if find it become hot ,pls shut the power supply immediately.。

48．What the difference between ELpanel and ELwire？

Both are the same in theory，just the panel need book for order，high cost，can not change the pattern.the wire is low cost ,the user can make any pattern by theirself.。

49．How to calculate the price of EL wire ？

ELwire semi-manufactured goods is sold by Meter,Driver is separate sold by each PC.EL wire finished product is sold by set, it already include driver.