Organic light emitters gain longevity

17 Jun 2002

For much of the past decade, researchers have been promising to put thin films of light-emitting plastics and other organic materials on display: large, flexible, inexpensive, and efficient screens to be used for everything from lightweight backlights for computer displays to TVs that you can hang flat on the wall or roll up and put in your pocket. Yet, many of these promises have fallen flat as well. Organic lights have tended to burn out after just days or weeks of operation. Recently, however, researchers have been crafting films without as many burnout-causing defects and building devices with additional film layers to enhance light emission. As a result, the future prospects for their devices are beginning to shine. Results are reported in the most recent issue of Science.