A National Thin-Film Cluster Facility for Advanced Functional Materials

Completed

Renewable Energy Sources(Solar Energy, Photovoltaics)
Not Energy Related

Basic and strategic applied research

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Physics)
PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Metallurgy and Materials)

Not Cross-cutting

Dr hjs Snaith
Oxford Physics
University of Oxford

Standard

EPSRC

26 August 2015

27 May 2022

81 months

£460,998

Energy

South East

NC : ICT

Dr hjs Snaith, Oxford Physics, University of Oxford

Professor D C Bradley, Department of Physics (the Blackett Laboratory), Imperial College London
Professor Sir R Friend, Physics, University of Cambridge
Professor C Grovenor, Materials, University of Oxford
Dr LM Herz, Oxford Physics, University of Oxford
Dr MB Johnston, Oxford Physics, University of Oxford
Professor J Kim, Engineering Science, University of Oxford
Professor P Radaelli, Oxford Physics, University of Oxford
Professor M Riede, Oxford Physics, University of Oxford
Professor J Walls, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University
Professor IA Walmsley, Oxford Physics, University of Oxford
Dr AAR Watt, Materials, University of Oxford

We propose to establish a cutting-edge cluster facility for thin-film deposition of Advanced Functional Materials to be located at the University of Oxford and run as a National Research Facility. This facility will enable multilayer structures of advanced functional materials to be fabricated through a range of deposition processes under vacuum with unprecedented control and versatility. The material systems to be deposited include organic, hybrid (perovskite), metal oxide and metal-chalcogenide semiconductors, organic and metal oxide dielectrics, transparent conducting metal oxides and metals. The Thin-Film Cluster Facility will provide a powerful new combinatorial approach to multi-layer functional material and device design that substantially differs from what can currently be achieved with the number of smaller, isolated deposition chambers that exist in many different locations throughout the UK. Crucially, it comprises central handler units that serve to pass thin-film coated substrates under vacuum between deposition chambers dedicated to different materials and processes. This cluster tool approach will avoid material contamination by atmosphere on transition between chambers, meaning that genuine multi-layer deposition (without degraded interfaces) will be achieved. In addition, the separation of different material families and processes into different deposition chambers avoids contamination that typically occurs when multiple materials are present in the same deposition chamber. The facility will hence act as a high-throughput thin-film deposition tool with ultimate accuracy in multi-layer deposition and device construction for a broad range of materials and applications. It will be complementary (and synergetic) to existing solution-processed techniques in which the UK is already very strong, and fill a strategic gap in the UK's research & development portfolio. The facility will be unique world-wide and place the UK at the center of the development of next-generation materials and devices for applications in energy, photonics and electronics. The facility will act as an epicenter for novel thin film development within the UK, enhancing the coherent research effort funded by EPSRC. Existing links between academia and industry will be strengthened and new links made as this industrially relevant capability delivers new materials and devices with novel functionality to a growing technology industry

08/06/15