Polymer Light Emitting Diodes Powered via Paper-Mounted Electronics

—We have interfaced an array of polymer light emitting diodes (OLEDs) fabricated onto a glass substrate to a sheet of paper via a pressure sensitive conducting adhesive. By screen printing a series of capacitive touch pads and connecting tracks onto paper using a low-cost conductive graphite ink, we are able to drive individual pixels in the OLED array via CMOS-based electronics that are also attached to the paper. Three AA batteries are used to power the CMOS electronics, touch pads and the OLED array, with pixels in the array operating at a brightness of up to 210 cd/m2. The work highlights a practical interface between plastic- and paper-based electronics.