The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS has launched the publicly funded SMut project, in collaboration with its partners Credoxys and SweepMe! to develop an innovative measurement system for precise thin-film characterisation. This system will enable experiments to be conducted under variable conditions, setting new standards in the characterisation of organic materials.
Thin films in organic electronics and gas sensors
Fraunhofer IPMS recently presented new chips and measurement adapters for characterising thin films of materials used in organic electronics and gas sensors. Building on this, the publicly funded project SMut has been launched, in which Fraunhofer IPMS and its partners Credoxys and SweepMe! are pooling their expertise to develop a novel measurement system.
This innovative system will comprise a base station and multiple sample carriers that can be loaded with research samples in a glovebox. This will enable various electrical and photoelectric experiments to be conducted under different gases, pressures and temperatures. “The sample carrier should be easy to handle in a glovebox, removable under protective gas and capable of long-term measurements over several weeks,” explains Dr Alexander Graf, project manager at Fraunhofer IPMS.
Thanks to SweepMe!’s software development, almost any measuring device and routine can now be configured intuitively. “This project’s software solution will enable an intuitive, out-of-the-box characterisation platform for the first time,” says Dr Axel Fischer, SweepMe! GmbH’s managing director, summarising the project goals.
New possibilities
Dr Jörn Vahland, a materials developer at Credoxys GmbH, is enthusiastic about the new possibilities that the measurement system will offer. “The effort we currently put into characterising our OLED materials is enormous. Long-term measurements under controlled atmosphere and temperature conditions are particularly challenging at present. This system will take thin-film characterisation to a whole new level. The reproducibility and measurement capabilities are sensational.”
The basic concept and the fundamental system design will be presented to interested visitors at the Fraunhofer IPMS booth at Analytica, which can be found in Hall A3#312. Individual appointments can be arranged in advance via the Fraunhofer IPMS website.
Funding for this project is provided by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and by public tax revenues in accordance with the budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament.