Integration of organic FETs with organic photodiodes for a large area, flexible, and lightweight sheet image scanners

A large-area, flexible, and lightweight sheet image scanner has been successfully manufactured on a plastic film by integrating high-quality organic transistors and organic photodetectors. The effective sensing area of the integrated device is 5×5 cm²; the resolution, 36 dots per inch (dpi); and the total number of sensor cells, 5184. The pentacene transistors with top contact geometry have a channel length of 18 μm and mobility of 0.7 cm²/Vs. Organic photodetectors composed of copper phthalocyanine and 3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylic-diimide distinguish between black and white parts on paper based on the difference in their reflectivity. Since this new area-type image-capturing device does not require any optics or mechanical scanning devices, the present sheet image scanners are mechanically flexible, lightweight, shock resistant, and potentially inexpensive to manufacture; therefore, they are suitable for human-friendly mobile electronics.