Multimedia Gallery
Waterproof Plastic Circuitry
This is an example of waterproof plastic circuitry. Two plastic sheets--each one supporting a different device component--are laminated together to create these organic transistor arrays. The embedded circuits are unaffected by water and can be bent and folded without causing significant strains at the circuit level. [One of 14 related images. See Next Image.]
More about this Image
Once the target of solely experimental research, the electronic and photonic components that are crafted from organic chemicals now drive major markets. Uses for the scalable, light weight technologies range from the billion dollar photo-conductive film industry to the growing market for solid-state lighting, such as LEDs (light-emitting diodes).
Organic electronic and photonic applications that are still in development may have an even broader impact, serving as flexible electronics, biologically-compatible devices, solid-state lighting and chemical sensors, as well as devices yet to be conceived.
In January 2003, a National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored workshop took place in which experts from industry and universities came together to discuss the future of the field. Some of the highlights discussed by participants were new developments, changing directions in research and the needs facing investigators as they train the next generation of engineers.
For further information, see NSF Media Advisory PA/M 03-03. (Year of image: 2002)
Credit: Lynn Loo, University of Texas at Austin; Bell Laboratories; Lucent Technologies
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