LEDs are transforming the Lighting Industry faster than any other lighting technology since the introduction of the first incandescent bulb. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that LED lighting will grow from 6% of the installed base in the U.S. in 2015 to >85% by 2030. Much of this growth will be driven by increased energy efficiency, but LEDs offer plenty of other benefits. They have changed how we perceive, use, and interact with light. For example, moving from an analog to a digital architecture allows for the integration of sensors and controls that will add value by creating smart, connected lighting solutions. LED light sources can also take on alternative form factors beyond the traditional bulb. To that end, we believe that Printed Electronics offer opportunities for creating revolutionary lighting products. This talk will consider the challenges of printing high quality light sources, including what can and cannot be printed. For example, printed conductive traces offer a low-cost alternative to conventional etched Cu circuit boards, but industrialization of this approach requires the establishment of high-volume printing methods and a clear understanding about their inherent limitations.

BIO: Dr. Adam Scotch is an R&D Manager for lighting company OSRAM, at the Corporate Innovation labs in Beverly, MA. He leads a team of scientists and engineers that work on new technologies and processes to enhance the performance and function of LED devices for Solid State Lighting. Specifically, his team focused for many years on research, development, and design for manufacturing of flexible light sources that incorporate printed electronics and hybrid flexible circuits. At “Light and Building” in March 2014, OSRAM launched the first generation of a flexible light source based on this technology.

Dr. Scotch received his B.S. and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA. He was a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Ceramics Division in Gaithersburg, MD. He is a past chair of the New England Section of the American Ceramic Society and past organizer of the “LEDs and Photovoltaics” Symposium at the Electronic Materials and Applications Conference. Dr. Scotch holds 15 U.S. Patents.