# What are some metrics for OLEDs - organic light-emitting diodes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 7, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-metrics-for-oleds-organic-light-emitting-diodes/509177 "2009-09-07T18:15:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![the\_first\_supraliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f475e1/32.png) [@the\_first\_supraliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_first_supraliminal)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-metrics-for-oleds-organic-light-emitting-diodes/509177/1 "2009-09-07T18:15:06Z")
I’ve read a few articles about OLEDs but they all seem to be missing the key metrics. How efficient are they, lumens per watt. What percent as efficient as halogen or fluorescent? In what sorts of brightness are they available. Some regular LED products (like landscape lighting sticks) are sold with misleading packages just saying “bright LEDs” with no lumen rating, and they wouldn’t pass muster as nightlights, and could never replace standard low voltage Malibu lights. The article below shows a wall of these. Is it as bright as a sunny window? A window at dusk? A single bare 100w incandescent bulb? The picture is hard to interpret. [OLEDs, or organic light-emitting diodes,](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/07/technology/07bulb.html?hpw) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-metrics-for-oleds-organic-light-emitting-diodes/509177/2 "2009-09-07T19:13:55Z")
[This](http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/oled-organic-led-light-breakthrough-michigan-princeton.php) says an OLED breakthrough achieves 70 lm/W - previous record is 40 lm/W. I know some high brightness LEDs achieve over 100 lm/W. Incandescent is somewhere in the 15 lm/W range. Remember, that OLEDs are very new - commercial products are less than 5 years old. The future may bring very efficient, inexpensive emitters. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-metrics-for-oleds-organic-light-emitting-diodes/509177/3 "2009-09-09T11:17:28Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Remember, that OLEDs are very new - commercial products are less than 5 years old. The future may bring very efficient, inexpensive emitters. organic electroluminescence was first widely publicised 25 years ago, and first noticed ten years before that. The original OLED and pOLED patents are rapidly running out ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-metrics-for-oleds-organic-light-emitting-diodes/509177/4 "2009-09-09T13:44:37Z")
> [@scm1001](#): > > organic electroluminescence was first widely publicised 25 years ago, and first noticed ten years before that. The original OLED and pOLED patents are rapidly running out Like I said - commercial products. OLEDs have had a very long gestation. Their tendency to degrade in humidity has been a barrier to commercial success. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-metrics-for-oleds-organic-light-emitting-diodes/509177/5 "2009-09-10T00:46:09Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Like I said - commercial products. OLEDs have had a very long gestation. Their tendency to degrade in humidity has been a barrier to commercial success. true. but 20 years from discover to market is still a long time. Lasers and transistors were commercial within a few years of discovery ---
**Author:** ![\_cc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/e19b73/32.png) [@\_cc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_cc)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-metrics-for-oleds-organic-light-emitting-diodes/509177/6 "2009-09-10T05:08:09Z")
> [@scm1001](#): > > true. but 20 years from discover to market is still a long time. Lasers and transistors were commercial within a few years of discovery Technology that makes money progresses far faster than technology that does not.