How indigo pigment can be used in electronics
Silicon still represents the most important material for the production of semiconductor elements such as transistors, diodes or solar cells. For a number of years, however, an interesting alternative has been available: certain hydrocarbons that also exhibit semiconductor properties are now the new standard in OLED displays of mobile phones and television sets. Moreover, these "organic" semiconductors, as these hydrocarbons are also called, can also be used for solar cells or transistors. Their big disadvantage is their lack of stability: atmospheric oxygen quickly destroys these elements, which is why they need to be packaged in an airtight cover. A research team led by the physicist Serdar Sarıçiftçi from the Johannes Kepler University Linz has now achieved a breakthrough in solving this problem. In a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, the team managed to produce semiconductors related to the indigo pigment which is not only stable when exposed...