Etching Out Organic Displays
Using organic semiconductor materials instead of rigid silicon, it’s possible to make energy-efficient, lightweight, and flexible solar cells and computer displays. But making devices out of organic materials requires investing in completely new equipment, since organic materials are normally destroyed by the harsh chemicals necessary for conventional photolithography. Now Orthogonal, a company based in Ithaca, NY, is developing materials that will allow organic electronics to be manufactured on the equipment used to make silicon electronics. This should also make it possible to build more-complex organic components. [TechnologyReview.com, 27 Oct 2009]