Major growth in the image sensor market is largely as a result of the expansion of digital imaging into cameras, whether stand-alone or integrated within smart cellular phones or automotive vehicles. Applications in biomedicine, education, environmental monitoring, optical communications, pharmaceutics and machine vision are also driving the development of imaging technologies. Organic photodiodes (OPDs) are now being investigated for existing imaging technologies, as their properties make them interesting candidates for these applications. OPDs offer cheaper processing methods, devices that are light, flexible and compatible with large (or small) areas, and the ability to tune the photophysical and optoelectronic properties − both at a material and device level. Although the concept of OPDs has been around for some time, it is only relatively recently that significant progress has been made, with their performance now reaching the point that they are beginning to rival their inorganic counterparts in a number of performance criteria including the linear dynamic range, detectivity, and color selectivity. This review covers the progress made in the OPD field, describing their development as well as the challenges and opportunities.

Organic Photodiodes: The Future of Full Color Detection and Image Sensing

Research progress on polymer–inorganic thermoelectric nanocomposite materials

Intrinsic nonuniformity in the polycrystalline-silicon backplane transistors of active matrix organic light-emitting diode displays severely limits display size. Organic semiconductors might provide an alternative, but their mobility remains too low to be useful in the conventional thin-film transistor design. Here we demonstrate an organic channel light-emitting transistor operating at low voltage, with low power dissipation, and high aperture ratio, in the three primary colors. The high level of performance is enabled by a single-wall carbon nanotube network source electrode that permits integration of the drive transistor and the light emitter into an efficient single stacked device. The performance demonstrated is comparable to that of polycrystalline-silicon backplane transistor-driven display pixels.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/332/6029/570.full.pdf

Low-Voltage, Low-Power, Organic Light-Emitting Transistors for Active Matrix Displays

This critical review discusses specific chemical and physicochemical requirements which must be met for organic compounds to be considered as promising materials for applications in organic electronics. Although emphasis is put on molecules and macromolecules suitable for fabrication of field effect transistors (FETs), a large fraction of the discussed compounds can also be applied in other organic or hybrid (organic–inorganic) electronic devices such as photodiodes, light emitting diodes, photovoltaic cells, etc. It should be of interest to chemists, physicists, material scientists and electrical engineers working in the domain of organic electronics (423 references).

Electroactive materials for organic electronics: preparation strategies, structural aspects and characterization techniques

Light emitting field effect transistors based on molecular and polymeric organic semiconductors are multifunctional devices that integrate light emission with the current modulating function of a transistor. The planar geometry of organic light emitting field effect transistors (OLEFETs) offers direct access to the light emission region, providing a unique experimental configuration to investigate fundamental optical and electronic properties in organic semiconductors. OLEFETs show great potential for technological applications such as active matrix full color electroluminescent displays. In this Feature Article we review advances in OLEFETs since their first demonstration in 2003 and we highlight exciting challenges associated with their future development.

Organic Light Emitting Field Effect Transistors: Advances and Perspectives†

Schottky gate static induction transistor using copper phthalocyanine films

Device characteristics of lateral and vertical type organic field effect transistors

Organic static induction transistor for display devices

We have fabricated organic static induction transistors (SITs) using copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) films. The organic SITs have a layered structure of Au (drain)/CuPc/Al (gate)/CuPc/Au (source)/glass. The electrical characteristics of SITs show that the source-drain current is controlled by the bias voltage applied to the Al gate electrode and a typical SIT operation with unsaturated current characteristics is examined. Furthermore, excellent characteristics such as low voltage and high speed operation as organic transistors are obtained by choosing an appropriate thickness for each layer.

Masaaki Iizuka

Papers

Schottky gate static induction transistor using copper phthalocyanine films

Device characteristics of lateral and vertical type organic field effect transistors

Organic static induction transistor for display devices

Device Characteristics of Organic Static Induction Transistor Using Copper Phthalocyanine Films and Al Gate Electrode

Fabrication and device characterization of organic light emitting transistors