Plastic electronics - from organic lasers to the world's smallest television screen
Conjugated polymers are semiconducting materials that feature rich electrochemical properties. Depending on the molecular structure, the polymers can demonstrate excellent electrochemical stability and complex redox states. The semiconducting properties of the conjugated materials means that they can be used in place of silicon in electronic applications such as light emitting diodes (video displays and lighting), lasers, solar cells, transistors, sensors and charge storage (batteries, capacitors). The beauty of this new technology is that the devices are based on plastic, with the advantages of mechanical flexibility, lightweightness, cheap fabrication and low power consumption. From a recent report (2007 - IDTechEx), the global market for organic electronics is expected to rise from $1 billion to $50 billion within the next ten years and to $300 billion by 2017. Organic electronics are relatively new to the semiconductor industry, but the technology is set to revolutionise the way we live. How do these new types of materials function and what are the challenges that lie ahead for the organic electronics community? This lecture will deliver a brief overview of organic electronics, how they work and the sophistication involved in molecular design and function.
Conjugated polymers are semiconducting materials that feature rich electrochemical properties. Depending on the molecular structure, the polymers can demonstrate excellent electrochemical stability and complex redox states. The semiconducting properties of the conjugated materials means that they can be used in place of silicon in electronic applications such as light emitting diodes (video displays and lighting), lasers, solar cells, transistors, sensors and charge storage (batteries, capacitors). The beauty of this new technology is that the devices are based on plastic, with the advantages of mechanical flexibility, lightweightness, cheap fabrication and low power consumption. From a recent report (2007 - IDTechEx), the global market for organic electronics is expected to rise from $1 billion to $50 billion within the next ten years and to $300 billion by 2017. Organic electronics are relatively new to the semiconductor industry, but the technology is set to revolutionise the way we live. How do these new types of materials function and what are the challenges that lie ahead for the organic electronics community? This lecture will deliver a brief overview of organic electronics, how they work and the sophistication involved in molecular design and function.
