Thin-film semiconductors—From exploration to application

This article reviews a grounding in thin-film science and technology, an interest in combining materials science with applied physics and electrical engineering, and the active pursuit of collaborations with experts in other disciplines. That basis has enabled participation in the beginnings of integrated-circuit technology, the invention of new solar cells, the understanding of hydrogenated amorphous silicon for solar cells and thin-film transistors, the development of the principles of flexible, conformable, and stretchable electronics, and the devising and demonstration of large-area electronic systems.