Abstract: A light emitting device (e.g., organic light emitting diode (OLED)) and a method for manufacturing the OLED are described herein. Basically, the OLED includes a substrate, a first conductive electrode, at least one organic layer, a second conductive electrode, an encapsulant substrate and a microstructure. The microstructure has internal refractive index variations or internal or surface physical variations that function to perturb the propagation of internal waveguide modes within the OLED and as a result allows more light to be emitted from the OLED. Several different embodiments of the microstructure that can be incorporated within an OLED are described herein.

Abstract: A single mode optical waveguide which is lithographically formed and employs polymeric materials having low propagation loss. The optical waveguide has a substrate, a polymeric, buffer layer having an index of refraction nb disposed on a surface of the substrate, a patterned, light-transmissive core layer having an index of refraction nc disposed directly on a surface of the cladding layer, and an overcladding layer having an index of refraction no on a top surface of the core, side walls of the core, and exposed portions of the buffer layer, with nb<no<nc and &Dgr;n=nc−no.

Abstract: A single mode optical waveguide which is lithographically formed and employs polymeric materials having low propagation loss. The optical waveguide has a substrate, a polymeric, buffer layer having an index of refraction nb disposed on a surface of the substrate, a patterned, light-transmissive core layer having an index of refraction nc disposed directly on a surface of the cladding layer, and an overcladding layer having an index of refraction no on a top surface of the core, side walls of the core, and exposed portions of the buffer layer, with nb<no<nc and &Dgr;n=nc−no.

Abstract: Optical diffusing structures can be fabricated from photopolymerizable material by directing light through a transparent or translucent substrate and then through the photopolymerizable material for a period of time sufficient to photopolymerize only a portion of the material. The resultant structure can be utilized as a diffuser, a viewing screen, and in other applications, and can be combined with other light-directing structures such as arrays of tapered optical waveguides.

Abstract: Optical diffusing structures can be fabricated from photopolymerizable material by directing light through a transparent or translucent substrate and then through the photopolymerizable material for a period of time sufficient to photopolymerize only a portion of the material. The resultant structure can be utilized as a diffuser, a viewing screen, and in other applications, and can be combined with other light-directing structures such as arrays of tapered optical waveguides.

Abstract: Optical diffusing structures can be fabricated from photopolymerizable material by directing light through a transparent or translucent substrate and then through the photopolymerizable material for a period of time sufficient to photopolymerize only a portion of the material. The resultant structure can be utilized as a diffuser, a viewing screen, and in other applications, and can be combined with other light-directing structures such as arrays of tapered optical waveguides.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical device comprising: (a) a substrate; and (b) a plurality of units on the substrate. Each of the units comprises a plurality of tapered waveguides wherein: (i) each of the waveguides has a light input surface adjacent the substrate (a) and a light output surface distal from the light input surface and the light input surface area is greater than the light output surface area; (ii) each of the waveguides tapers from its light input surface to its light output surface at an angle; and (iii) at least one of the light input surface area or the light output surface area of at least one of the tapered waveguides is different than the corresponding surface area of the remaining tapered waveguides in the unit. Preferably, the optical device is a viewing film. The present viewing film has reduced or substantially eliminated intensity hot spots and interference patterns.