Programm Photovoltaik Ausgabe 2008 ... - Bundesamt für Energie BFE

Project Goals
NAPOLYDE industrials aim to develop new technologies and processes with full control over the
nanoscale for the mass production of new highly innovative products based on polymeric film
and coatings with controlled nanoscale features (thickness, porosity, roughness, surface structures
or inclusions such as nanoparticles) can provide systems with radically new chemical or
physical properties. Among them barrier, mechanical protection, super-hydrophobicity, antireflectivity,
conductivity are all the most industrially relevant. In addition, manipulation on the nanoscale of
polymer thin films is a route to the miniaturization of functional micro devices.
NAPOLYDE very much emphasizes the cost driven aspect for different types of components (large
and small devices) and all the derived scientific issues like coating thickness are mirrored and bound
to the severe requirements resulting from the enormous deposition speed (or very high throughput)
in order to reach acceptance in volume markets. According to a first estimate for high volume products
(e.g. coatings on steel) it can be said that under current production conditions (about 30 m/mn
web speed or 15 wafers/h) the deposition PVD/CVD or Sol GEL layer has to be well below 1µm to get
acceptance on the high volume market. The vision to reach the market with coatings under recent development
one should have in mind is the “factor 4” rule: half the thickness should reach twice the
quality of the “state of the art” coating. Concerning quality and thickness (at given production speed)
NAPOLYDE very much profits from nano-science.
Short description of the project
The overall objectives of NAPOLYDE are:
Two main industrial processes will be radically improved to get thin polymeric film on surfaces
(two ranges will be considered: 1 mm² & >>1m²), wet deposition processes (i.e.: sol-gel, sonochemistry
or self-assembly) and dry deposition processes (plasma CVD, sputtering etc) and to
provide nanolayering, nanoclustering and nanotexturing of organic thin films in mass production:
� Robust and scalable deposition technologies to master thin films characteristics (Thickness:
Large surfaces with homogeneous precise thickness and chemical and physical properties, Composition:
Inclusion of nano-particles inside films, film stochiometry and Surface geometry: to
benefit from the specific properties of nanotextured surfaces).
� Measurement instruments and design tools to control these high precision deposition technologies
at industrial scale (in-situ continuous characterization tools for thickness and composition,
simulation models…)
� Scale-up methodologies and know-how to support new technologies introduction inside industrial
process chains.
Concerning nanoscale precision three main ideas will be explored (nanolayering, nanoclustering and
nanotexturing) and the best solution (vs. costs, properties…) will be developed depending on the application.
Some first examples are mentioned below:
Multi Nano-layering Deposition of successive polymeric layer for combining different physical and
chemical properties. The main challenge here will be the uniformity of the layer in term of thickness
and composition, perfect control of each nanolayer uniformity and adhesion under mass
production conditions:
� PECVD (high density plasma, pulsed plasma or capacitive plasma): nanolayering of different organic
thin films (SiOxCyNz, CFx, CHx) coupled with some planarization techniques will be investigated.
� Wet: various combinations of crosslinked polymer and sol-gel matrix films will be deposited to
reach either property gradients (e.g., refractive index gradients) or combinations of properties,
such as enhanced optical (antireflective, IR, UV protection, etc.), sensing or anti-corrosion properties,
in combination with other properties, such as scratch resistance, superhydrophibicity, etc).
Nano-clustering: Dispersion/Incorporation in the polymeric and sol gel or plasma thin film(s) of
nanosized building blocks such as nanoparticles (clusters, colloids, nanotubes). The main aim is here
to reduce material density and improve the mechanical properties. Moreover embedded nanoparticles
can also present optical or electromagnetic and barrier properties. The incorporation of nanoclusters
for improved ionic conductivity PEO (polyethylene oxide) based solid polymer electrolytes will
also be analysed.
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