Molecular materials for micro-electronics

Molecular organic materials have had an illustrious past but the ability to deposit these as homogeneous thin films has rejuvenated the field and led to organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and the development of an increasing number of high-performance polymers for nonlinear and electronic applications. Whereas the use of organic materials in micro-electronics was restricted to photoresists for patterning purposes, polymeric materials are coming of age as metallic interconnects, flexible substrates, insulators, and semiconductors in all-plastic electronics. The focus of this topical review will be on organic light-emitting devices with a discussion of the most recent developments in electronic devices.