Flexible transistors and printable photosensors are not new. However, EU-funded researchers integrated the two to develop what they tout as a first in flexible printed electronics: a low-cost, conformable and lightweight image sensor printed on plastic.
Within IPPIA (Inkjet-printed organic photodetectors for imaging applications), researchers developed the basic building blocks of a promising technology. They designed a photosensor element – a light-detecting pixel – that can be produced entirely using inkjet printing techniques. Arranging many such pixels in arrays allows building an entire large-area digital imager.
Further details: Cheap, flexible printed cameras from organic materials