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About This Technology

Most materials that have electrical or electronic properties are metals or inorganic compounds such as copper, silver, gold, doped silicon, or indium tin oxide (tin-doped indium oxide). This Technology Map focuses on organic electronic materials: carbon-based chemicals and polymers that exhibit electrical conductivity, semiconductivity, electroluminescence, or photovoltaic properties. Examples of organic electronic materials include light-emitting small molecules and polymers, organic semiconductors, and conductive polymers.

Although organic electronic materials offer distinct performance advantages in many applications, much of the interest in these materials is due to a more mundane attribute: their potential for use in low-cost, high-volume manufacturing processes. Organic electronic materials may play a key role in reducing production costs for flat-panel televisions, flexible displays, RFID tags, and other electronic devices. In addition, these materials offer design flexibility because of their compatibility with flexible and rigid substrates.

This technology has the potential for widespread application and could lead to ubiquitous, inexpensive—even disposable—electronic devices. Industry players include both large, diversified powerhouses of the materials and consumer-electronics industries and start-ups that focus on a single technology application. Current commercial products include OLED displays, capacitors, electroluminescent lamps, and static-control coatings. Emerging end uses include solar cells, lighting, flexible displays, and printed RFID tags.