Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2019-2020).

OTI Lumionics Inc. is a Toronto-based Organic light emitting diode (OLED) manufacturer for novel lighting solutions. OTI has developed breakthrough proprietary technologies to reduce the marginal cost of OLED production, the capital cost of OLED production equipment, and increase performance metrics of OLED devices. They are currently in the process of drastically ramping up their OLED production capacity by moving to an in-line OLED production system, which utilizes a continuous OLED manufacturing process as opposed to a batch-to-batch process. In order to ensure a successful transition to a continuous manufacturing process, it is critical for OTI to gain a deeper understanding of the structure-property relationship between molecular design and thermal and deposition characteristics. Specifically, OTI is interested in understanding the 1) thermal stability and 2) film forming properties of thick films deposited using physical vapour deposition (PVD) for molecules which are uniquely suited for use with OTI's proprietary technologies. This Project will give OTI Lumionics Inc. insights into the choice of molecule derivatives for the development of continuous evaporation manufacturing. This program will provide a unique training program for students that includes valuable skills in specialized molecular engineering, in depth material characterization, and advanced manufacturing skills. Research and development of organic electronics is a field that is currently blossoming in Canada and worldwide. The application knowledge gained from this NSERC CRD research program will not only be beneficial for industry in Ontario, but for all of Canada.