“I believe the reason why this review is highly cited is that it covers both the theoretical and experimental aspects of the subject.”

The paper is a review on the organic thin-film transistor. Research on this device has recently experienced a substantial growth, with many new teams getting involved. The first step when embarking on a new program consists of a bibliography of previous works and a review paper is very useful in that respect. I believe the reason why this review is highly cited is that it covers both the theoretical and experimental aspects of the subject. In particular, it points out what differentiates the organic transistor from its conventional silicon-based counterpart. It also brings out some issues that remain to be solved to improve the performance of the device, and the various applications that can be envisioned.

The purpose of a review paper is not to report on new results or new methodology. I think the usefulness of the paper is to emphasize several theoretical points that are important in analyzing the various processes involved in the operating mode of the organic transistor. In particular, the paper shows how a simple use of the models developed for conventional semiconductor physics may actually be misleading in analyzing data pertaining to organic devices, and brings alternative and more appropriate ways for that purpose.

Organic (often referred to as "plastic") electronics is an alternative to conventional electronics that could in the near future lead to the development of new ideas for new electronic devices. The leading concept in organic electronics is "low-cost." With plastic electronics, a new paradigm is emerging in which electronic circuits are produced through low-cost techniques, among which printing techniques are probably the most appealing. A representative example of this new technology is the radio-frequency tag, a small device that can be read remotely, and could be directly printed on various items. This could, for example, open the way to intelligent packaging; that is, packages that would be able to give an electronic circuit all the necessary information on what it contains.

My first work with organic thin-film transistors dates back to 1989. This was a few years after I joined Dr. Francis Garnier’s group at the CNRS Laboratoire des Matériaux Moléculaires in Thiais, France. Dr. Garnier was involved in an examination of the chemistry of conjugated polymers and oligomers. I was a graduate in semiconductor physics, so it can be said that the first transistor made of an organic material was the result of a tight collaboration between chemists and physicists. A few years later, I started developing the theory of the device, in particular models to account for the mechanisms of charge transport in organic semiconductors, which is a problem that has not received a satisfactory answer to date.

The development of organic-based electronic devices may have strong implications of how the industry for electronics is organized. Up to now, the exponential increase of the level of investments required to launch new fabrication lines has led the electronics industry to concentrate into a handful of highly specialized companies. Also, the fabrication of new devices can only be envisioned if high volumes are produced. Low-cost and, in particular, printable organic electronics may change that drastically. Now, the involvement of small and medium-sized enterprises would become possible, because plastic electronic products could be fabricated in relatively short runs, and even be customized to the needs of low-volume applications.