Controlling electricity and light for novel devices
During the last 50 years or so, an important field within electronics has emerged called photonics – exploiting the movement of photons. Fibre optic communications, barcode scanners and laser surgery are among its numerous applications. Recently, many advances have been made in the field of organic electronics and photonics. Organic refers to the fact that the materials are carbon-based, in contrast to traditional electronics and photonics that rely on materials such as silicon. Many flexible, light-weight and low-cost devices are in the commercialisation pipeline and promise to play a significant role in systems for energy, security, health and more. However, in order to meet future product demands, novel multifunctional materials are required. A large European consortium initiated the EU-funded ONE-P project to develop the missing materials for new or enhanced electron transport and conversion of photons into electrons and vice versa. To date, 66 deliverables have been produced resulting in 160 scientific articles. The most promising semiconductor, dielectric and electrode materials have so far been developed and combined for use in novel devices. These were extensively characterised and scaled up by industrial partners. Processing will be further optimised as project work continues. The consortium developed and characterised a new generation of light emitters with huge potential in devices with high brightness. In addition, scientists are now pursuing materials to be used in so-called smart (responsive) surfaces as well as in memory devices and sensors. Several multifunctional devices have been studied including transistors and photovoltaic cells. Inkjet printing of organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) was optimised through careful study for device performance and yield. ONE-P expects to strengthen the European position in the field of organic electronics and photonics by developing critical multifunctional materials and their process technology.
