Organic semiconductor (OS) materials have gained in last two decades big interest as new materials for electronic applications due to their several advantages over the conventional semiconductors. They are offering the potential for low fabrication cost, easy processing and flexibility. Organic electronics (OE) is based on the combination of new materials and cost-effective, large area production processes that open up new fields of application. Thin, light-weight, flexible and environmentally friendly electronics – that’s what OEs aims to deliver. It also enables a wide range of electrical components that can be produced and directly integrated in low cost reel-to-reel processes. Intelligent packaging, organic light emitting diodes (OLED), lighting, low cost radio frequency identification devices (RFID), transponders, roll able displays, flexible solar cells, disposable diagnostic devices or games, flexible touchscreens, and printed batteries are just a few examples of promising fields of application for OEs based on new large scale process able electrically conductive and semiconducting materials. European Commission in their Strategic Research Agenda has grouped them into five clusters. These clusters are Organic Photovoltaic, Flexible Displays, Lighting (including both OLED and electroluminescent products), Electronics and Components (including RFID, memories, batteries and other components) and Integrated Smart Systems.
OS materials can be split into three material classes – small molecules, amorphous polymers and semi-crystalline polymers. The charge transport properties largely depend on the deposition conditions like solvents, deposition technique, concentration, interfaces and so on. The charge carrier mobility of OS has improved dramatically in recent years, already matching amorphous silicon (a-Si), and is expected to approach or match polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) in coming years.