Scalable Thin LED Light Sheet Platform

Lead Performer: Palo Alto Research Center Inc. (PARC) – Palo Alto, CA
Partner: InnoSys Inc.
DOE Total Funding: $1,309,660
Project Term: October 1, 2021 – December 31, 2025
Funding Type: Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT)

PROJECT OBJECTIVE

The Palo Alto Research Center Inc. (PARC) and InnoSys Inc. are partnering to develop a novel building lighting platform that could in the future enable integration of millions of semiconductor chips into electronics systems. Low-cost, large-area, thin, lightweight, bendable, attractive, diffuse, and customizable sheets composed of solid-state LEDs would be possible. The proposed platform could include distributed electronics (including sensors and integrated circuits) throughout the lighting system, so that smart algorithms can optimize energy savings and function.

Today, manufacturability is a critical barrier to realizing such systems for high-volume markets necessary for large-scale lighting energy savings impact. Current die sort and assembly methods are too expensive. PARC is developing a new scalable, low-cost manufacturing process based on microchip assembly printing to address this challenge. Massively parallel software-controlled directed electrostatic manipulation will assemble chips initially in solution as a chiplet ink, and then into ordered arrangements over large areas to form electronics.

PROJECT IMPACT

This project will address key manufacturing R&D challenges concerning the assembly and electrical integration of many LEDs into a system. PARC’s novel platform potentially enables U.S.-based manufacturing of customized building lighting systems and other new electronic systems for defense, energy, and industrial applications.

CONTACTS

DOE Technology Manager: Wyatt Merrill, [email protected]  
Lead Performer: Eugene Chow, PARC

Related Publications