WORKSHOP: Technological Challenges for Flexible, Light-weight, Low-cost and Scalable Organic Electronics and Photonics being held in Arlington, VA

近年来，由于许多研究小组在世界范围内的活动，有机和聚合物电子学和光子学领域取得了巨大进展。在器件和应用领域以及基础化学、物理和材料科学问题方面都取得了进展。这一领域的影响也将影响到许多相邻的学科，如纳米技术，传感器和光子学。第一批商业产品是基于光电导膜，现在的业务年销售额在数十亿美元的范围内。发光二极管（LED）和基于发光二极管的显示器已经被引入市场，并且预测在未来十年中市场渗透率将大幅扩大。有机和聚合物LED的效率已经达到接近理论最大值的数字。基于薄膜晶体管的电路和系统在柔性衬底中结合了数百个器件已经被证明。这些集成水平对于诸如射频识别标签的应用是足够的。 晶体管也已成功地与显示元件如PDLC和电泳单元集成，并用作化学传感器。已经制造出量子效率超过70%的光电二极管，并且已经报道了功率转换效率超过3%的太阳能电池。随着材料设计的改进，太阳能电池的效率有望提高。在理解电荷传输和发光的物理学以及理解有机材料之间以及金属和有机物之间的界面方面取得了重大进展。在合成新化合物和改进重要材料的合成方法方面继续取得进展。另一个有很大增长的领域是使用新颖的低成本制造工艺，例如实现各种有机器件。尽管取得了令人印象深刻的进展，但显然需要做更多的研究。 研讨会的主要目标是帮助确定该领域的未来。这将通过让一系列专家就关键主题发表演讲以及鼓励所有参与者在一系列小组讨论中进行辩论和讨论来实现。研讨会的记录将是一套报告和小组领导人的讨论摘要。研讨会也将对研究生教育产生影响。许多大学开设有机半导体一般领域的课程，讲习班将有助于确定这一领域的方向，并为有机半导体领域的职业培训高技术工作者。

The field of organic and polymeric electronics and photonics has progressed enormously in recent years as a result of worldwide activity in numerous research groups. Advances have been made both in the fields of devices and applications as well as in the underlying chemistry, physics, and materials science issues. The impact of this field will also influence many adjacent disciplines such as nanotechnology, sensors, and photonics.The growth of the field has been impressive. The first commercial products were based on photo-conductive films, a business now with annual sales in the multi-billion dollar range. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) and displays based on light emitting diodes have been introduced to the market and a large expansion in market penetration has been forecast in the next decade. Efficiencies of organic and polymeric LEDs have reached figures close to theoretical maxima. Thin-film transistor based circuits and systems incorporating several hundred devices in flexible substrates have been demonstrated. These levels of integration are sufficient for application such as radio frequency identification tags. Transistors have also been successfully integrated with display elements such as PDLCs and electrophoretic cells and used as chemical sensors. Photodiodes have been fabricated with quantum efficiencies in excess of 70% and solar cells with power conversion efficiencies more than 3% have been reported. Solar cell efficiencies are expected to increase with improvements in materials design. There have been major strides made in understanding the physics of charge transport and luminescence and in understanding interfaces between organic materials and also between metals and organics. There continue to be advances made in the synthesis of new compounds and in improved synthetic procedures of important materials. Another area that has seen a lot of growth is the use of novel low-cost fabrication procedures such as in the realization of a variety of organic devices.Despite this impressive set of advances, it is clear that more research needs to be done. The chief objective of the workshop is to help define the future of the field. This will be done by having a series of experts give talks on key subjects and also by encouraging debate and discussion amongst all participants in a series of panels. The proceedings of the workshop will be a set of reports and discussion summaries by group leaders.The workshop will also have an impact on graduate education. A large number of universities offer courses in the general area of organic semiconductors, and the workshop will help define directions in this area as well as in retraining high technology workers for careers in the organic semiconductor field.