Semiconducting polymers are an unruly bunch, but University
of Michigan engineers have developed a new method for getting them in line that
could pave the way for cheaper, greener, "paint-on" plastic
electronics.
"This is for the first time a thin-layer, conducting,
highly aligned film for high-performance, paintable, directly writeable plastic
electronics," said Jinsang Kim, U-M professor of materials science and
engineering, who led the research published in Nature Materials.
Semiconductors are the key ingredient for computer
processors, solar cells and LED displays, but they are expensive. Inorganic
semiconductors like silicon require high temperatures in excess of 2,000
degrees Fahrenheit and costly vacuum systems for processing into electronics,
but organic and plastic semiconductors can be prepared on a basic lab bench.