(Invited) Innovations in Organic Printed Optoelectronics

Printed organic electronics, a technology based on organic semiconductors that can be processed into thin films using vacuum processing or conventional printing and coating techniques, has been the subject of active research and development over the past decades. A range of solid-state devices, including organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), photodiodes, sensors, and solar cells, have been demonstrated with this new class of materials. However, despite a steady progress in performance, many challenges remain and further scientific and technological advances are required before this emerging technology can unleash its full potential. In this talk, we will review recent advances in materials, devices, and processing for organic printed optoelectronics. In a first part, we will review the electronic properties of organic semiconductors with an emphasis on their differences with conventional inorganic semiconductors and oxides. We will discuss progress in various device platforms, including organic light-emitting diodes, organic solar cells, photodetectors, sensors, and organic field-effect transistors. New materials, unconventional device architectures and new processing techniques illustrate the versatility of organic photonics and electronics, and the potential of this field to lead to disruptive innovations. We will show that recent progress in device performance, stability, and packaging are likely to accelerate the deployment of these technologies. Strategies to reduce the overall environmental impact of the new products enabled by this emerging technology during their life-cycle will also be presented. Finally, we will discuss how organic semiconductors can be used to design devices with a performance level that exceeds that of inorganic device platforms.  The talk is intended for scientists and engineers who want to learn the state-of-the-art in organic semiconductors for optoelectronics and energy. It is also intended for innovators, investors and industry analysts who want to understand the evolutionary trends of the emerging markets associated with organic printed optoelectronics.