RESEARCH PROJECTS
With the help of the funding from the excellence cluster competition, numerous future-oriented research projects are being implemented in the Forum Organic Electronics cluster, which will have a decisive impact on the progress of development of new technologies.
Project selection:
PRINTED ORGANIC CIRCUITS AND CHIPS (POLYTOS)
In this project, new materials, concepts, components, manufacturing processes and software for printed organic circuits with integrated sensors are to be developed for applications in the packaging sector. In the future, these systems could be used as printed "smart labels". "Smart labels" are intelligent and flexible transponders which, together with their antennas, are applied to a film and which can transmit information. Their main use is in the logistics and packaging sector.
Project partners:
BASF SE, Robert Bosch GmbH, Merck KGaA, Pepperl + Fuchs GmbH, SAP AG, PolyIC GmbH & Co. KG, TU Darmstadt, Heidelberg University, Hochschule Mannheim You can find detailed information on the project here. You can find the press release on this project here.
COMPLEMENTARY CIRCUIT TECHNOLOGY FOR PRINTED DISPLAYS (KOSADIS)
Printed circuit technology on flexible substrates allows flexible displays to be made in a cost-effective way, for example for use in packaging and coded price displays on shelves. The aim of this project is to develop materials and manufacturing processes and test prototype displays with integrated control circuits and line control for displays.
Project partners:
BASF SE, Tesa Scribos GmbH, TU Darmstadt, University of Stuttgart You can find detailed information on the project here. You can find the press release on this project here.
PRINTING PROCESS AND NANO STRUCTURING (NANOPEP)
Combining new organic materials with large-scale printing processes allows the manufacture of forward-looking products, such as transparent photovoltaic films or flexible light diodes. This project is aiming to revolutionize printing technology using innovative printing processes and functional materials with nano components. In a three-tiered approach, from laboratory scale through to the production environment, the partners are working together to optimize interplay between materials, applications and printing processes.
Project partners:
BASF SE, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, TU Darmstadt You can find detailed information on the project here. You can find the press release on this project here.
ORGANIC LIGHT DIODES (PRINT-OLED)
Large-scale printing and coating processes have the potential to significantly reduce the manufacturing costs for organic light diodes and to use flexible films as substrate carriers. The aim of this project is to investigate, by way of examples, whether emitter/matrix systems which have already been developed for evaporation processes can be transferred to printing processes.
Project partners:
BASF SE, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, TU Darmstadt You can find detailed information on the project here.
ORGANIC SENSOR SYSTEM APPLICATIONS (GLUCOSENS)
Components and circuits based on organic electronics allow sensors to be mass produced in a cost-effective way. This makes new applications possible, for example in medical technology. The use of organic electronics brings with it significant improvements in the production, recycling and performance of sensors. Neither precious nor heavy metals are needed for production. The aim of this project is to develop a measuring device for the continuous determination of the blood sugar level, which allows ongoing decisions on treatment, reliable warnings for hypo- and hyperglycemia and direct control of an insulin pump (artificial pancreas).
Project partners:
BASF SE, Freudenberg & Co., Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Heidelberg University You can find more information on this project here.
SOLAR2FUEL CO2-REDUCTION
The aim of this joint project is to work on a new kind of technology for the chemical conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into fuel or useful chemical products with the help of sunlight. This can help to achieve sustainable use of resources and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. In this, the focus is on the production of methanol, a climate-neutral fuel in combustion motors or fuel cells. It is not just the technological approach which is innovative using specially functionalized semiconductor nano particles as catalysts but also the goal of using industrial exhaust gas flows as a possible source of useful products.
Project partners:
BASF SE, EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, Heidelberg University, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) You can find detailed information on the project here. You can find the press information on this project here.
TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT FOR PRINTABLE THIN FILM PHOTOVOLTAICS (TEDD)
The CIS technology currently used in the manufacture of thin film photovoltaics is based on vacuum deposition processes. The intention is to further develop this technology towards complete printability in the course of the project. In terms of future prospects, a particular aim is tandem cells in which the usable IR portion of the sunlight spectrum is harvested by inorganic nano semiconductors and the visible part of the spectrum by the rapidly developing organic films. The project goals are efficient printed absorber films in laboratory quantities and the realization of liquid-processed inorganic/organic tandem solar cells.
Project partners:
Merck KGaA, Trumpf GmbH & Co. KG, Würth Solar GmbH & Co. KG, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW) You can find detailed information on this project here.
