| AVS 60th International Symposium and Exhibition | |
| Nanometer-scale Science and Technology | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session NS+EM+EN-TuM |
| Session: | Nanoscale Transport and Devices |
| Presenter: | T. Someya, The University of Tokyo, Japan |
| Authors: | T. Someya, The University of Tokyo, Japan M. Kaltenbrunner, The University of Tokyo, Japan S. Bauer, Johannes Kepler University, Austria T. Sekitani, The University of Tokyo, Japan |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
We have successfully manufactured ultraflexible organic thin-film transistors and photovoltaic cells on ultrathin plastic film with the thickness as small as 1.2 μm. These novel organic devices are much lighter than bird's feathers. First, we have demonstrated polymer based photovoltaic devices on plastic foil substrates of 1.2 μm thick, with equal power conversion efficiency to their glass-based counterparts. They can reversibly withstand extreme mechanical deformation and have unprecedented solar cell specific weight. Instead of a single bend, we were able to form a random network of folds within the device area. We have also manufactured organic transistors on ultrathin plastic films in order to achieve sharp bending radius less than 50 μm. Bending cycle experiments will be presented to show the mechanical durability. Moreover, the issues and the future prospect of flexible organic devices such as thin-film transistors, photovoltaic cells, and memories will be addressed. Furthermore, ultraflexible and stretchable electronic systems have been exploited for biomedical applications such as medical catheters and implantable devices.