G8 Initiative: Ink-jet Printed Single-Crystal Organic Photovoltaics

University Of Kentucky Research Foundation, Lexington KY

Investigators

Abstract

This multinational research project will explore manufacturing issues for the production of low-cost electronic devices, focusing primarily on solar cells for power generation. At a fundamental level, the researchers will intensively screen current generation materials under the rigorous conditions necessary for low-cost, high-speed device fabrication using printing methods. Data from these initial investigations will feed into the materials design part of this project, to optimize molecular structure specifically for use in inkjet printing. Throughout the process, in-depth studies of the materials in high-quality crystals will yield the intrinsic electronic properties of the compounds prepared, which will be used as a benchmark for the electronic properties found in printed devices; the ultimate goal is to develop a materials set that performs just as well when formed under high-speed manufacturing processes as it does in careful slow-film-growth laboratory experiments. The new material sets will be used to create solar cells, solid-state lighting panels and flat-panel displays using low-cost inkjet printing instead of traditional (and expensive) photolithography techniques. The results of this project will be immensely useful to the manufacture of low-cost, flexible electronics, and industrial collaborations to this end are part of the project. Ultra-low-cost solar cells in particular will do much to alleviate many of the energy supply issues faced worldwide. Furthermore, this project will exploit chemical feedstocks derived from plant-based sources, rather than petroleum sources, to help harness the Nation's impressive agricultural infrastructure to solving renewable power generation issues. It is hoped that these reduced cost solar panels, which inherently offer a much more rapid return on investment, will enhance the market's adoption of renewable energy technologies.