9 8 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁Dr . ▁John ▁McG in ness ▁produced ▁the ▁first ▁device ▁incorpor ating ▁an ▁organ ic ▁sem icon duct or . ▁This ▁occurred ▁roughly ▁eight ▁years ▁before ▁the ▁next ▁such ▁device ▁was ▁created . ▁The ▁" mel an in ▁( poly ac ety len es ) ▁b ist able ▁switch " ▁currently ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ch ips ▁collection ▁of ▁the ▁Smith son ian ▁Institution . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁Sh ira ka wa ▁et ▁al . ▁reported ▁high ▁conduct ivity ▁in ▁ox id ized ▁and ▁i od ine - d oped ▁poly ac et yl ene . ▁They ▁received ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁Nobel ▁prize ▁in ▁Chem istry ▁for ▁" The ▁discovery ▁and ▁development ▁of ▁conduct ive ▁polym ers ". ▁Similarly , ▁highly ▁conduct ive ▁pol yp yr role ▁was ▁redis cover ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁ ▁R ig id - back bone ▁organ ic ▁sem icon duct ors ▁are ▁now ▁used ▁as ▁active ▁elements ▁in ▁opt oe lect ron ic ▁devices ▁such ▁as ▁organ ic ▁light - em itting ▁di odes ▁( O LED ), ▁organ ic ▁solar ▁cells , ▁organ ic ▁field - effect ▁trans ist ors ▁( OF ET ), ▁electro chem ical ▁trans ist ors ▁and ▁recently ▁in ▁b ios ens ing ▁applications . ▁ ▁Organ ic ▁sem icon duct ors ▁have ▁many ▁advantages , ▁such ▁as ▁easy ▁fabric ation , ▁mechanical ▁flex ibility , ▁and ▁low ▁cost