2. Introduction
Plastic is considered as an insulator, a material that
doesn't conduct electricity very well.
In fact prior to the 1970s, all synthetic polymers were
considered as electrical insulators.
In 1978, a landmark paper described treating
polyacetylene with halogens, and in doing so
increased its electrical conductivity to almost the
level of a poor metal
This opens the gateway of plastic electronics
3. Disadvantages of Conventional
Semiconductors
Manufacturing silicon requires
High temperatures (400-1400°C).
High vacuum environments.
Very clean environments.
This increases the cost of production.
Conventional electronic devices are rigid
4. Advantages of Plastic Electronics
Can be manufactured easily under ordinary
conditions.
More compatible with manufacturing
processes that use other plastics.
Renowned for their excellent mechanical
properties, such as strength and flexibility.
Cheap and light, useful features for biomedical
and other portable applications.
6. The Chemistry behind …
Conventional plastic is a lousy conductor
Loose molecular bonds, which make the
material so flexible, make it more difficult for
the electrons to travel through it.
But arranging polymer molecules into long,
straight rods lets electrons flow freely,
approximating the conductivity of traditional
materials like silicon or copper.
8. Mobility Features
mobility of a typical conducting plastic used to
be around 0.1 cm2 / volts
Recently, a new class of polymers (pentacene)
has been found in which the mobility has been
pushed up to 3 cm2/volts.
Scientists working on pentacene estimate a
number close to 50 cm2/volts as the limit of
achievable mobility for this special polymer
9. Constructional Details
Dielectric layers are made from conventional,
electrically insulating polymers.
Conjugated polymers are used for the semi-
conducting components.
Electrodes & interconnects are fabricated
from highly doped conducting polymers.
11. Applications of Plastic Electronics
PolyLED
Plastic Transistors
Plastic Solar Cells
Plastic LASERs
12. Polymer Light-Emitting Diode
PolyLED
Light is transmitted in all directions with the
same intensity
Consume much less power than today's
devices.
High contrast and brightness to make a high-
quality display that can be read easily in both
bright and dark environments
Don't break when dropped
17. Plastic Solar Cells
At the heart of all photovoltaic devices are two
separate layers of materials,
one with an abundance of electrons ;"negative
pole," :- poly(3-hexylthiophene), or P3HT
one with an abundance of electron holes
"positive pole.“:- Cadmium Selenide (CdSe)
18.
19. Plastic LASERs
The Future of Lasers is Plastic
. Lightweight "plastic lasers" would be cheaper,
easier and safer to make than semiconductor lasers.
produce all the colors rainbow
shaped easily into films, rings, microscopic discs or
any desired shape for various uses,
plastics act as their own cavities, not only emitting
laser light but containing and focusing it.
20.
21. Conclusion:
In conclusion, while many obstacles still remain in
the development of plastic electronic devices, the
applications of these devices are not just science-
fiction.
There is little doubt that, 'plastic electronics' will
become part of our lives within the next decade.
Chemists will be vital members of the
interdisciplinary teams that do this work.
Within the next decade, we will see plastic electronic
devices giving intelligence to objects around us and
significantly changing our lifestyle, just like the
invention of plastics did in the twentieth century