recent report in the esteemed journal "Applied Physics Letters" (American Institute of Physics; http://journals.aip.org) said that researchers in the US incorporating a thin layer of salmon DNA into the structure of a conventional OLED makes it ten times more efficient and thirty times brighter than their conventional counterparts. (Applied Physics Letters 88 171109)

Steve Sechrist
Senior Analyst and Editor
of Projection Monthly &
Microdisplay Report

The team’s idea involves using the DNA as an electron-blocking layer. This improves the probability of electrons and holes recombining and emitting photons, which in turn enhances the device’s luminance.

"It turns out that DNA has nearly ideal energy levels that allow hole transport to proceed unimpeded while it prevents electrons being transported too quickly,"

Andrew Steckl from the University of Cincinnati told optics.org. "This gives both electrons and holes a greater opportunity to recombine and emit photons."

The report went on to say, the team tested a green- and blue-emitting BioLED against conventional OLEDs and found that the DNA electron-blocking layer improved the luminance in both cases. For a current density of 200 mA/cm2, the green BioLED achieved 15,000 cd/m2, whereas the baseline device reached just 4,500 cd/m2. The blue BioLED had a luminance of 1,500 cd/m2 at 200 mA/cm2, while the corresponding baseline device reached around 800 cd/m2.

Steckl and colleagues used DNA from Japan. "Salmon fishing is a very large industry in Hokkaido, Japan, some 200K tons per year," explained Steckl. "While the meat and eggs are edible, the male roe [sic] is normally a waste product but it is very rich in DNA."

We had to take a second look at this story before deciding to go with it. The fact that the report was written up in Applied Physics Letters, and features Dr. Steckl the 2006 recipient of the Rieveschl Award for Distinguished Scientific Research brings significant credibility.

While our call to Dr. Steckl’s office at U of C wasn’t returned in time to add details to the article, we do plan to follow-up in our monthly Mobile Display Report issue, post haste. In the mean time, Matt Brennesholtz, IM’s resident scientist (who claims no expertise in OLED physics) speculates that it’s the nature of the long chain molecule of DNA with its double helix structure that offers the properties desirable for an electron-blocking layer. He also added that this is not growing LEDs or even living material, so the moniker "Bio-LED" is probably not appropriate.

We’re also curious to learn just how the team discovered that DNA’s characteristics match those properties needed for electron blocking in OLED’s. But certainly one lesson not lost on the professor is that answers can come from the strangest places. If these results are correct, does that mean my next OLED cellphone display will have male salmon milt in it? Is it possible to impregnate a display? Can such an OLED display spawn? What would the little feller look like? We can keep going, but we better stop here before we get in trouble. –SS