Organic Electronics in a Nutshell

Abstract

The discovery of conductive polymers in the 1970s [1, 2]—rewarded with the Nobel prize in chemistry in the year 2000—and subsequent development of the first polymeric electronic devices in the 1980s [3, 4, 5] have marked the beginnings of a vast interdisciplinary research field referred to as organic electronics. Drawing from both polymeric and small-molecular semiconductors, organic thin-film transistors, solar cells, light-emitting diodes, photodetectors and sensors name just a few out of many applications that make use of the supreme chemical versatility and mechanical flexibility of the underlying “soft” molecular materials. Furthermore enabling low-temperature solution-based processing, printing and spray coating, organic electronics is set to complement the conventional silicon-based electronics in diverse ways—adding functionality and improving sustainability. This introductory chapter will provide a short review of the materials and device physics, as well as of new trends and challenges that emerged in the field over the past decade.