FraunhoFer research InstItutIon For organIcs, MaterIals and electronIc devIces coMedd
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photodetectors
Si CMOS chip
carrier PCB
OLED
OLED Photodiodes Encapsulation
CMOS Chip
Capillary with flowing transparentfluid and reflecting particles
Fraunhofer research Institution for
organics, Materials and electronic
devices coMedd
Maria-Reiche-Str. 2
01109 Dresden
Contact
Ines Schedwill
Phone +49 351 8823-238
Dr. Uwe Vogel
Phone +49 351 8823-282
www.comedd.fraunhofer.de
Smart optoelectronic micro-SenSorS by oleD-on-cmoS
Introduction
Since the advent of silicon-based micro-
electronics the combination of circuitry and
embedded sensors, especially photodetec-
tors has been evident (e.g., CMOS camera
chips). However, there is a specific area
that cannot be covered by this technology
inherently due to the silicon bandgap – ef-
ficient photoemission. That application is
so far reserved by the III-V semiconductor
industry and prevents monolithic integra-
tion of light-emitting optoelectronic devices
into silicon processes, which are by far
most-widely employed in microsystems
manufacturing. Light-emitting components,
as commonly used in optoelectronic
sensors, have to be added in a hybrid way,
which increases cost and reduces reliability.
Now, for the first time organic-light
emitting diodes (OLED) promise to cross
that barrier: By embedding highly efficient
OLED layers onto silicon CMOS backplanes
monolithically integrated optoelectronic
silicon devices incorporating optical excita-
tion may be envisaged (OLED-on-CMOS).
Those can be designed as highly-integrated
micro-scale optical illumination and recep-
tion units on a smart single chip (adding
on-chip signal processing capabilities), by
single elements (e.g., OLED-photodiode
combination), in segments or arrays.
Perspective
A totally new device generation of
OLED-based optoelectronics is foreseen. By
integrating such highly efficient and stable
light sources onto CMOS and into micro-
systems for the first time monolithically
integrated optoelectronic components /
micro-devices with embedded illumination
become reality. This is achieved by highly
integrated micro-scale optical transmission
1 OLED-on-CMOS sensor test chip
by IPMS.
2 Particle flow sensor setup.
3 Feedback demonstrator.
oledcmos-e
1 2 3
and receiver units on a single chip, as single
elements, in segments or arrays.
OLED allow improving the integration
density:
� Monolithic OLED integration reduces
number of system components, lower-
ing size, weight and costs of the system
� Highly-precise optical adjustment of
OLED emitter towards detector area
allows tuned beam steering
� Arbitrary shaped and patterned OLED-
on-CMOS light sources allow new
approaches in dimensional sensors,
being impossible with current sources
(LED, lamps,…)
� Wafer-level integration of beam-steering
micro-optics
Further exploitation opportunities of OLED-
on-CMOS opto sensor technology beyond
the scope of this project can be expected,
e.g., single-chip reflection light barriers,
optical sensors requiring embedded
illumination (slope sensors, stray light sen-
sors, wave front sensors, single-chip optical
heads for 3D shape detection by patterned
illumination,…), lab-on-chip modules with
embedded microfluidics, excitation and
sensors, optical finger-print sensors, chip-
to-chip communication and OLED-based
print-heads. That shows the broad market
potential of this new technology and
devices in several areas beside biomedicine
and biotechnology (including pharmacy),
such as mechanical engineering, telecom-
munication, or automotive.
development offer
� OLED-on-CMOS device integration
� R&D in OLED-based integrated
optoelectronics
� Electronics design (backplane (integrated
circuitry / ASIC), control, interface,…)
� System design (sensor electronics (e.g.,
controller, RF-ID,…), packaging, module)
� Product development and qualification
� Pilot-production (small to medium
volume fabrication)
references
Zoom: BMBF/ 16SV2283
ISEMO: BMBF/D 16SV3682
achievements
� Bidirectional prototype device
� Brightness: >1000 cd / m²
� OLED efficiency: >15 cd / A
� Display resolution: 320 × 240 pixels
(QVGA) monochrome
� Camera resolution:
160 × 120 photo diodes
� Active matrix diagonal size: ca. 0.6˝
applications
Particle flow sensor
� OLED stripes for fluid illumination and 8
photodiodes
� Light reflection depending on local fluid
velocity and particle density
� Analyzing photocurrents and correlation
functions, the fluid particle velocity can
be calculated
optical inspection
� Patterned illumination and detection of
pattern distortion
� Dimensional optical measuring of
surface topology
opto-coupler
� OLED as embedded light source for
integrated opto-couplers (e.g., in drivers,
controllers,…)
4 Display and camera
demonstrator.
5 OLED-on-CMOS sensor test chip
by IPMS.
6 Feedback demonstrator.
5 6
4