Polymer semiconductor development

Progress in the design and fabrication of high-quality optical microresonators is closely related to the development of novel optical materials and technologies. The key material systems used for microresonator fabrication include silica, silica on silicon, silicon, silicon on insulator, silicon nitride and oxynitride, polymers, semiconductors such as GaAs, InP, GalnAsP, GaN, etc, and crystalline materials such as lithium niobate and calcium fluoride. Table 2 smnmarises the optical characteristics of these materials (see Eldada, 2000, 2001 Hillmer, 2003 Poulsen, 2003 for more detail). 

The diverse properties of organic molecular materials, of which the polymers are amongst the primary ones, will, without doubt, be intensively developed in the future. Photosensitive polymer semiconductors with pre-given properties and a broad spectrum of application will be created for various optoelectronic devices. 

The success of polymer semiconductors in the marketplace, however, depends critically on the ability of these materials to sustain their electrical performance under operation - unstable devices are of little practical use. In this chapter we will describe known issues in the stability of polymer TFTs and point out some of the challenges that must be addressed in the future development of these materials. 

There are a number of areas in which polymer semiconductors need to be further developed in order to map more fully the range of potential applications in electronics, optoelectronics and photonics. 

The final section of this paper considers several emerging opportunities for the further development of polymer semiconductors. In particular, the focus here is on processing/physical structure aspects that impinge on electronic properties. 

This paper has presented an overview of some of the emerging trends in polymer semiconductors and devices. It is an extremely rapidly developing field of activity in which many industrial and academic groups are active. Commercial manufacture of LEDs for displays now looks feasible and products are widely anticipated in the next year or so. Other devices are rapidly progressing to a similar level of development. There is, however, still a... 

Molecular recognition has influenced sensor development, first with alkali ions and later with more complex host-guest interactions. New materials likely to have an important impact in the future are conducting polymers, semiconductor nanoparticles, and fluorescent and colorimetric reporter molecules. 

Thin film organic polymer semiconductors are an attractive option for the development of cost-effective photovoltaic devices. They are uniquely suited to low-cost mass production and provide potential flexibility via property engineering. However, materials with better physical and photovoltaic properties than those currently available are needed. This will require a far better understanding of the structure and transport properties of these materials. 

Development of Polymer Semiconductors for Field-Effect Transistor Devices in Displays... 

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