Browsing the Real World using Organic Electronics, Si‐Chips, and a Human Touch

Abstract

Organic electronics have been developed according to an orthodox doctrine advocating "allprinted'', "all-organic'' and "ultra-low-cost'' primarily targeting various e-paper applications. In order to harvest from the great opportunities afforded with organic electronics potentially operating as communication and sensor outposts within existing and future complex communication infrastructures, high-quality computing and communication protocols must be integrated with the organic electronics. Here, we debate and scrutinize the twinning of the signal processing capability of traditional integrated silicon chips with organic electronics and sensors, and to use our body as a natural local network with our bare hand as the browser of the physical world. The resulting platform provides a body network, i.e. a personalized web, comprised of e-label sensors, bioelectronics and mobile devices that together make it possible to monitor and record both our ambience as well as health status parameters, supported by the ubiquitous mobile network and the resources of the "cloud".

Microstructural control suppresses thermal activation of electron transport at room temperature in polymer transistors

“…This behavior is common to all PThDPPThF4 samples analyzed, independently on chain length and molecular characteristics, as demonstrated in the Supplementary Information for samples of Mn = 11, 14 and 30 kg mol -1 (Supplementary Figure 6 and Supplemenatry Note 2). Further confirmation comes from measurements performed at lower scanning rates, using standard DSC and polarized optical microscopy and spectroscopy (see Supplementary Figures 5,[7][8][9] and Supplementary Note 3). 29,32 Optical Characterization of Aligned Films.…”

“…A vast library of high performance donor-acceptor copolymers has been developed in recent years, making solution processed conjugated polymers yet more appealing for large-area and flexible electronic applications. 4,8,9,10,11,12,13 Among them, materials with field-effect electron mobilities exceeding 1 cm 2 /Vs are no longer isolated examples, 13 demonstrating that n-type polymer field-effect transistors (FETs) are catching up their p-type counterparts. 12 Band-like transport in organic materials is now well established in the case of small molecules, both for single crystals 14,15,16,17 and more recently for thin films.…”

Organic electrochemical transistors

“…However, combining OECTs with silicon-based MOSFETs creates many promising opportunities, for example in providing internet connectivity in electronic label and skin patch applications. 135 A first step in demonstrating operational OECT circuits was taken in 2002 when OECTs were included as pixel drivers in an active-matrix addressed electrochromic display manufactured on paper. 82 Further development to improve the matrix display fill factor 136 and to achieve digital NAND and NOR gates, 137 based on similar PEDOT:PSS OECT configurations, were later on also reported.…”

The potential of paper-based diagnostics to meet the ASSURED criteria

“…Printed diodes, antennas and electrochromic displays have been combined to form an all-printed electronic tag for IoT applications. 202 Examples of integrated exible devices include a connected electrochemical sensing platform resulting from a collaboration between Acreo AB and Linköping University, 195,201,203 a device to track micronutrient deciencies, 204 and a disposable system to measure hydrogen peroxide and total cholesterol, which is compatible with a mobile application for read-out of results. 205 Paper-based solutions of co-fabricated microuidics, electronics and batteries 32 and electrochromic readout for electrochemical sensing with on-board power 111 have been showcased, as well as connected paper-based temperature 206 and gas 207 sensors implemented on RFID wireless platforms.…”