Plastic electronics and optoelectronics

Semiconducting (conjugated) polymers are of considerable importance as the active materials in electronic and optical devices, including polymer-based light emitting diodes (LEDs), photodetectors, photovoltaic cells, sensors, field effect transistors and lasers. Because these semiconducting (and metallic) polymers can be processed from solution, the field of "plastic electronics" is moving toward device fabrication by printing technology. The author summarizes progress in device performance and progress toward large scale printing of such devices