Plastic Electronics

Plastic electronics or organic electronics is a branch of electronics that deals with

conductive polymers, or plastics. It is called 'organic' electronics because the molecules in
the polymer are carbon-based, like the molecules of living things. This is as opposed to
traditional electronics which relies on inorganic conductors such as copper or silicon.

Historically, the semiconductor industry has relied on flat, two-dimensional chips upon
which to grow and etch the thin films of material that become electronic circuits for
computers and other electronic devices. But as thin as those chips might seem, they are
quite beefy in comparison to these plastic chips. Printed electronics may make
innovations like these possible, and affordable, in the not so distant future. The
technology has enormous potential for a number of industries, including consumer
products and electronics, the military, and of course, communications.

Thin Film Electronics (TFE) plays a

leading role in the emerging field of
large-area polymer electronics, and a
pioneer in the use of polymers as the
active material in electronic memory
devices. Such devices may be
hybrid, using silicon control circuits,
or all-polymer systems, using thin
film transistor (TFT) technology.
The interest in using polymers arises in particular from two distinguishing properties.
Firstly, polymers are ‘solution process-able’. Secondly, polymers are a designer material
whose properties can be tailored to the application. This gives polymers a decisive
advantage over silicon with respect to adapting capabilities and minimizing processing
costs in future applications. Polymers can be applied to almost any surface, whether
flexible or rigid, facing only practical restrictions regarding size of the active area. (In
contrast, silicon is rigid and brittle, and still restricted by a maximum wafer diameter of
12 inches.) Ultra-thin layers of polymers can be stacked like sheets of paper or rolled up.
Surface patterning of polymers does not require factory
environment, but simple printers, stamping or even reel-
to-reel production techniques similar to those used for
printing on paper can be used.

Silicon, currently the dominant electronic material, is

deeply entrenched in the industry and companies with
vast financial and technical resources seek to protect
their silicon-based position and investment. More than
ever, it remains a conviction that polymer is the future
electronic material, particularly in memory applications.