| The equipment is used to fabricate “organic” optoelectronic devices in an inert atmosphere with precise control. The devices are typically composed of a number of different organic layers (with thickness of about 100 nm or thicker) and often metal electrodes. Each layer needs precise thickness control through thermal and/or solution deposition. Hence, the equipment is composed of vacuum/thermal evaporators and solution coating capability within gloveboxes with low levels of oxygen and moisture. Devices include light-emitting diodes (OLEDs, now used for high-end TVs, mobile displays and lighting), solar cells, light-emitting transistors (OLETs), field-effect transistors (OFETs), photodetectors (OPDs) and lasers.
Hence, the proposed facility consists of three main components:
(A) An integrated spin-coater system: The box will enable storage of air sensitive materials and solution processing of materials under an inert atmosphere. The spin-coater will allow for manual and programmable multi-step coating of thin layers of materials onto substrates using easily changed chucks. The spin-coater will be compatible with common processing solvents and designed to be easily cleaned with preferably a drain connection for large amounts of materials.
(B) Integrated thin film deposition system for light-emitting application: The system consists of integrated glove box, and thermal evaporator for organic semiconductors. It offers capabilities of co-deposition of both organics and metals without breaking the vacuum. The proposed system is optimised for application to OLEDs, OLETs and organic injection lasers.
(C) Integrated thin film deposition for light-absorption application: The system consists of an integrated glove box and a thermal evaporator for organic semiconductors. It offers capabilities of co-deposition of both organics and metals without breaking the vacuum. The proposed system is initially optimised for photovoltaics, photodiodes and metal depositions.
The equipment will support on-going interdisciplinary programs and applications for new funding, where precise control over organic and metal depositions with fast turnover and without cross-contamination in device fabrication are critical for research programs in testing and obtaining reliable device physics of new frontier materials, supporting training for postgraduate students and post-doctoral staff, and providing opportunities for technology commercialisation. Research staff and students across chemistry, physics, and chemical engineering, working in the area of organic optoelectronics including organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic light-emitting transistors, lasers, solar cells, and photodetectors, will be using the facility including ANFF-Q’s clients.
To address and overcome the long-lasting issue of the old MBraun system, one of the key features of the new system is that the new equipment must contain combinations of different organic and metals heating sources in each evaporator. This will not only solve the fatal cross-contamination problem but also allow for significantly improve device fabrication capability as the two evaporators now can be simultaneously and independently operated for different applications, providing the needs of CIs’ ongoing programs involving fabrication of light-emitting and light-absorption devices.
To provide high capability in supporting future device fabrication for the CIs and other UQ users, as well as ANFF-Q’s clients, each evaporator chamber in separate gloveboxes of the new system will have up to 8 swappable heating sources, including different combinations of low and high temperature sources in each evaporator without compromising its chamber volume so that achieving the required vacuum level (typically around 1 x 10-6 mbar) for thermal deposition will be attained within 30 minutes to enable fast turnaround and greater flexibility for users.
Furthermore, to enable solution processed layers to be produced under an inert environment, the glovebox system will also contain a separate chemical box with an integrated spin-coater for solution processing. The three gloveboxes will be connected allowing transfer of components between the different processing stages under an inert atmosphere.
The gas purification systems of the gloveboxes will be designed to avoid possible solvents/vapours contamination between boxes. For solvent regenerator (to remove solvent in the spin-coater glovebox), the system must have a solvent sensor to detect and monitor the levels of volatile organic compounds in the system to in time re-activate the absorbers.
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