Etching, Cutting, Polishing and Imprint
| Equipment: | Institution: | Description: |
|---|---|---|
| Multronic Diaplain 6300 | Heriot-Watt University | Cut and Polish Samples of PMMA. including the edges of LSC layers. |
| EVG nanoimprint system | University of St Andrews | Fabricate structures at the nanometer scale in a reproducible manner, |
| Emitech K1050X RF Plasma Asher Unit | University of St Andrews | Clean substrates by removing organic compounds. Alter the workfunction of some materials and make them hydrophilic. |
| Reactive Ion Etching Plasma System | University of the West of Scotland | Reactive ion etching of films. |
| Laser Wafer Cutter | University of the West of Scotland | Precision laser dicing and sawing. |
Gloveboxes
| Equipment: | Institution: | Description: |
|---|---|---|
| Glove Box | University of Edinburgh | Preparation of materials in a controlled atmosphere. |
| Mbraun Glovebox | University of St Andrews | Mbraun Glovebox fitted with an evaporator which allows for the fabrication of solar cells in a nitrogen atmosphere. |
Ovens and Furnaces
| Equipment: | Institution: | Description: |
|---|---|---|
| Carbolite Oven | Heriot-Watt University | Cure PMMA. |
| Gallenkamp Vacuum Oven | Heriot-Watt University | Degas PMMA and bake samples under controlled atmosphere. |
| Carbolite High Temperature Ovens | University of the West of Scotland | High temperature heat treatment of samples. |
Vapour and Sputtering Deposition
| Equipment: | Institution: | Description: |
|---|---|---|
| Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD) | Heriot-Watt University | Deposition of thin films onto ~10 cm rigid or flexible substrates. Microwave or tunable RF power supply. Gases for a-Si:H + carbide + nitride alloys + dopant gases. |
| 5x BOC Edwards Evaporators - Auto 306 models | University of St Andrews | Vacuum deposition of inorganic and organic materials to fabricate multilayer devices. |
| MB-EVAP Evaporator (MBRAUN) | University of Strathclyde | Deposition of metal electrodes. Attached to glovebox to allow for processing in controlled environments. |
| MicroDyn Microwave Plasma Enhanced Sputter Coater | University of the West of Scotland | Preparation of metal, oxide and nitride multilayers. |
| CVC RF Magnetron Sputter Coater | University of the West of Scotland | Preparation of metal, oxde, nitride and piezoelectric layers. |
| Sub-One Hollow Cathode Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition | University of the West of Scotland | Thick diamond-like carbon coatings for anti-wear and anti-corrosion. |
| Satus e-beam evaporator and plasma source | University of the West of Scotland | Preparation of metal, oxides, nitrides and fluoride multilayers |
| Nordiko DC/RF Sputter Coater | University of the West of Scotland | Preparation of metal, oxde, nitride and piezoelectric layers. |
| PlasmaCoat Sputter Coater | University of the West of Scotland | Preparation of metal, oxde and nitride layers. |
| Oxford Instruments PlasmaLab Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition | University of the West of Scotland | Deposition of diamond-like carbon. |
Wet Thin Film Deposition
| Equipment: | Institution: | Description: |
|---|---|---|
| Id LAB Dip Coater 5 AC | Heriot-Watt University | Prepare thin films by dipping solid substrates into a sol. Temperature and humidity control to give stable environmental conditions. |
| Spin Coater SCS P6700 | Heriot-Watt University | Prepare thin films layers by spinning a solution onto a solid substrate. |
| Automatic Screen Printer | Heriot-Watt University | Automatically produce minimodules. |
| Manual Screen Printing | Heriot-Watt University | Manually produce minimodules. |
| Several EMS 4000 spin Coaters | University of St Andrews | Prepare thin film layers by spinning a solution onto a solid substrate. |
| Spin Coaters: Sawatec SM-180 and SCS G3P-8 | University of Strathclyde | Deposition of thin films from solutions by spinning method. Attached to glovebox to allow for processing in controlled environments. |
Other Fabrication Equipment
| Equipment: | Institution: | Description: |
|---|---|---|
| Dye-Sensitised Solar Cell Fabrication | University of Edinburgh | Wide range of equipment available to fabricate dye-senstised solar cells. |
|
Electrocrystalisation Equipment |
University of Edinburgh | Crystalline deposition of materials under the influence of an electric field. |
| EETS Module Laminator (PVLAM0.25) | Heriot-Watt University | Encapsulate the photovoltaic material within a protective casing (usually PMMA and glass). 50 cm x 50 cm max. |
| UVP Ultraviolet Crosslinker | Heriot-Watt University | PMMA crosslinking or photoresist development. |
| Sealing Tank (HB320) | Heriot-Watt University | Thermal polymerisation of PMMA samples. |
| In-line GICG plot system | Heriot-Watt University | Produce 30 cm x 30 cm CIGS modules. |
| Electrodeposition | Heriot-Watt University | Depositionof a thin film of material under the infulence of an electric field. |