2011-2014

Project title: Metrology for the manufacturing of thin films (3M EUR - EMRP project)

Partners: NPL, PTB, VSL, CEA, LNE, BAM, CMI, Aalto, INMETRO, Imperial College London, Fraunhofer Institute (ISSB), Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, Solar Print, PANalytical, Total SA

Main goals: To underpin the commercial viability of new high-tech thin film optoelectronic technologies, including light emitting diodes, solar cells, phase changing memories and barrier layers, by developing new, and optimising existing, metrology to control consistency and uniformity of production and improve product performance. To establish a pan-European metrology capability with the goal of providing validated and/or traceable metrology for:

• thin film materials properties
• composition and structure
• controlling large area homogeneity and consistency of properties

NPL staff working on the project:
Fernando Castro
William Kylberg
Paul Brewer

2011-2014

Project Title: Scalable, low-cost organic photovoltaic devices (£2.4M - TSB project)

Partners: NPL, Pilkington, Solvay Interox, RK PrintCoat Instruments, Flex Ink, Imperial College London, University of Bath

Summary: This project focuses on three key challenges for the translation of organic solar cell lab-scale efficiencies into, low cost, scalable photovoltaic device technologies. Specifically, the three aims of this project are: (i) development of indium and PEDOT -free transparent conducting electrodes which are compatible with high device-module efficiencies and cost effective scale up and (ii) development of new synthetic methods for the scale-up of high-performance organic semiconductors and (iii) the implementation of these materials into OPV modules fabricated employing processing methodologies compatible with high through put, low cost manufacture.

NPL staff working on the project:
Fernando Castro
William Kylberg
Deb Roy
Rasmus Havelund
Andres Muniz-Piniella
Alex Cuenat

2011-2014

Project Title: Advanced metrology for enhanced lifetime of organic diodes (£470k - NMO project)

Summary: This project will develop a unique exposure-testing chamber coupled with a suite of advanced measurement techniques that will allow the elucidation of the principle modes and mechanisms of degradation in organic diodes. It will also develop representative protocols for accelerated testing specifically tailored for organic diodes

NPL staff working on the project:
Fernando Castro

2010-2012

Project Title: Advanced Metrology for Novel Photovoltaic Technologies (£480k NMO project)

Summary: This project will build upon existing world-class measurement facilities at NPL by developing novel techniques to establish a new multidisciplinary integrated metrology capability for excitonic solar cells which will include nanoscale materials characterisation, electrical and optoelectronic metrology and nanoscale surface and interface analysis. The focus is on the development of measurement methods to allow correlation of nano- and microscale morphology to OPV and DSSC device performance.

NPL staff working on the project:
Fernando Castro
William Kylberg
Andy Wain

>br />For more information, please contact: Fernando Castro