Organic Transistors Light Path to Electronic Paper

Researchers from Stanford and the University of California have found a way to mass-produce organic transistors, bringing the odd innovation into the realm of commercial feasibility.

Organic transistors, made from polymers rather than simpler traditional components, have long held promise, but until recently, they had to be laboriously fabricated by hand, making practical applications expensive.

The researchers devised a method of printing patterns of transistors on surfaces like silicon wafers and flexible plastic. The method begins with placing electrodes on the surfaces of these materials wherever they want a transistor, then producing a stamp (with the desired pattern) out of a polymer ... Following that step, researchers coat the stamp with a crystal growth agent ... and a vapor of the organic crystal material causes the single crystals to grow. A transistor is formed when those crystals bridge with the electrodes.

The pros are that the transistors remained operational when bent, making the substrate and mass-production process an obvious candidate for so-called "e-paper" displays, among many other things.

The con is that if it won't fold, it's just not paper.

Researchers find new twist in bendy electronics [CNet]