Abstract: A cost effective manufacturing process encapsulates a light emitting polymer (LEP) device between two flexible sheet materials, where one sheet may act as the substrate for the LEP device and the other sheet may act as a cover for the LEP device, and at least one of the sheets is transparent. Both encapsulating sheets and, as required, an adhesive system binding the sheets together provide sufficient environmental barriers with low moisture vapor transmission rates (MVTR) and oxygen transmission rates (OTR). The encapsulating sheets may, for example, be laminated together, sandwiching the LEP device in a vacuum, or oxygen/moisture free, and inert gas environment. Prior to encapsulation the LEP device may be heated and placed in a vacuum to remove moisture, air and residual solvents.

Abstract: A cost effective manufacturing process encapsulates a light emitting polymer (LEP) device between two flexible sheet materials, where one sheet may act as the substrate for the LEP device and the other sheet may act as a cover for the LEP device, and at least one of the sheets is transparent. Both encapsulating sheets and, as required, an adhesive system binding the sheets together provide sufficient environmental barriers with low moisture vapor transmission rates (MVTR) and oxygen transmission rates (OTR). The encapsulating sheets may, for example, be laminated together, sandwiching the LEP device in a vacuum, or oxygen/moisture free, and inert gas environment. Prior to encapsulation the LEP device may be heated and placed in a vacuum to remove moisture, air and residual solvents.

Abstract: Electroluminescent lamp designs and methods of fabricating electroluminescent lamps. Lamp designs provide laminar style lamps that include an electrically conductive layer with one or more openings therethrough separated by conductive elements. The openings preferably have a minimum edge to edge distance of less than about 0.005 inches and the conductive elements have a width of less than about 0.002 inches. Lamp designs also include "iso-planar" lamps that contain an electrically conductive layer with one or more channels separating the layer into two or more electrically conductive elements and an electroluminescent material disposed between the electrically conductive elements. The laminar style lamps and iso-planar lamps may be fabricated using printing techniques and the iso-planar lamps may also be fabricated using etching techniques. Both printed laminar and iso-planar lamps may be permanently reshaped using sheet forming techniques such as vacuum-forming or drape-forming.