NEW CONDUCTING POLYMERS FOR USE AS ACTIVE LAYERS IN LIGHT EMITTING DIODES

THE RECENT INVENTION OF CONDUCTING POLYMER LIGHT EMITTING DIODES (LEDS) EXPANDS THE POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS FOR CONDUCTING POLYMERS INTO THE AREA OF ACTIVE LIGHT SOURCES, WITH POSSIBLE SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGES OVER EXISTING GALLIUM ARSENIDE LED TECHNOLOGY. IN ORDER TO PRACTICALLY EXPLOIT THIS ALTERNATIVE, SOME REMAINING TECHNICAL BARRIERS MUST BE ADDRESSED. AMONG THESE ARE THE NEED FOR MATERIALS WITH HIGHER QUANTUM EFFICIENCY, IN ORDER TO BOOST DEVICE VISIBILITY IN BRIGHT SUNLIGHT. UNIAX PROPOSES TO SYNTHESIZE COPOLYMERS WHOSE STRUCTURE MIMICS THAT OF A PARTIALLY CONJUGATED (BUT THERMALLY UNSTABLE) PRECURSOR TO THE CONDUCTING POLYMER POLY (P-PHENYLENE VINYLENE). THE PROCURSOR HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE A QUANTUM EFFICIENCY ABOUT 20 TIMES THAT OF THE DAUGHTER FULLY CONJUGATED POLYMER POLYMER.