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Innovnano’s nanostructured AZO sputtering targets; the sustainable replacement for ITO

Innovnano, a manufacturer of high performance ceramic powders, has developed nanostructured Aluminium–doped Zinc Oxide (AZO) for improved thin-film solar cell efficiency. Innovnano’s AZO sputtering targets are ideal for the development of next-generation, high performance transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films, allowing researchers to investigate the optimal materials and manufacturing process conditions. Such research can be utilised to develop TCOs on an industrial scale, for the production of more sustainable and efficient photovoltaic solar cells. Also offering an attractive alternative to traditional indium tin oxide (ITO), AZO overcomes the rarity and consequently high price of indium. Furthermore, Innovnano’s AZO can be processed easily at room or low temperatures for flexible thin film solar cells proving to be more adhesive than ITO.

Using their patented Emulsion Detonation Synthesis (EDS) process, Innovnano produces a highly pure, nanostructured AZO powder with enhanced density and chemical homogeneity compared to conventional microstructured AZO ceramics. Importantly, the resulting uniform nanostructure can be sintered at lower temperatures to produce sputtering targets with minimal grain growth and mirrored characteristics – highly dense with an even distribution of aluminium within the zinc oxide matrix. This ensures the resulting TCO is deposited as a stable and consistent thin film, for rest-assured quality during important process development.

Ideal for laboratory research, Innovnano produces 50, 75 and 150 mm diameter sputtering targets for the next generation of highly transparent conducting oxides thin films. Commenting on their trials of Innovnano’s research grade sputter targets at Loughborough University, Patrick Isherwood a researcher at the CREST Laboratory commented, “These AZO targets are without doubt the easiest to use of any AZO target we’ve worked with, and consistently produce top quality thin films with the electrical and optical properties we need for solar cell applications”.

Thanks to the homogenous grain structure, high transmittance of visible and near IR wavelengths can be harnessed by the photovoltaic cell for maximum energy capture. TCOs produced using Innovnano’s AZO sputtering targets have been shown to exhibit over 80% transmittance in the visible range, and show very good electrical conductivity, making it a highly attractive candidate for TCOs in thin film solar cell applications.

Joấo Calado, Innovnano’s Technical Director, said of the AZO sputtering targets:  “At Innovnano, we’re working to enable research and development teams to produce working prototypes of the next wave of environmentally-sustainable, super-efficient photovoltaic cells. The beneficial characteristics of our nanostructured AZO powder are inherent to our production method, ensuring that we can produce the sputtering targets that researchers need to produce ultra-transparent conducting oxides”.

For more information please visit the Innovnano website www.innovnano-materials.com

The technology scouting services arm of Del Stark Technology Solutions has published a new technology briefing on Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS2), which can be described as an inorganic analogue of Graphene.  Molybdenum Disulfide has demonstrated exciting properties including a low coefficient of friction, robustness and a direct electronic bandgap.  This has excited the research community and industry as future electronic circuits and components could be made from MoS2.  


Why is this of interest? Graphene is currently grabbing the headlines and is the topic of many papers and patents including composite materials, conductive and transparent coatings and touch screen displays, but Graphene needs to be modified in order to create a bandgap and MoS2 exhibits a bandgap naturally.    Molybdenum disulfide has been used for many years as an industrial lubricant and many scientists believe it can be used as a 2-D platform for electronic devices.  MoS2 could radically impact the electronics industry and its growing area of research and product development in producing the next generation of transistors.  


The report highlights academic research published in 2012 that could be of interest to companies developing new technologies that involve inorganic nanomaterials.  The report also highlights companies and research organisations that are patenting.

Report Cost:  £350
(VAT is not charged)

View the Table of Contents:
http://www.nanopro.biz/TOC_%20Molybdenum%20disulfide%20nanocomposites.pdf

To order your copy or to request further information please contact Del Stark via:
e: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it                              
t: +44 (0) 7903 115 148

The technology scouting services arm of Del Stark Technology Solutions has published a new technology briefing on Silicene, Graphyne, Graphdiyne and Graphane to look at materials beyond Graphene.  This 106 page report provides access to news, patents, academic research findings and also highlights universities and institutes working in the field, as well as, companies and research organisations that are patenting.

Silicene has been described as the graphene equivalent for silicon and has attracted tremendous attention as it could have a wider impact on the future developments in expanding areas of spintronics and nanoelectronics.

Silicene has a tunable band gap and displays interesting physical, magnetic, and electronic properties and structurally it has been described as a honeycomb configuration. These features have been highly contrasted in the literature against graphene, demonstrating that silicene has a richer structure. This structure can be used for functionalisation and developing future electronics and electro-magnetic correlated devices. The possible compatibility of silicene with current silicon-based micro-/nano technology will be of huge industrial interest.

Some expert views from the report:

“Silicene is one of hot materials and promising as a material used for device applications.” - Noriaki Takagi, Department of Advanced Materials Science Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo

“Silicene is expected to enter industry in a big way because the Silicon technology is very well developed and much of that may be used to develop Silicene based electronics.” - Dr.Gautam Mukhopadhyay, Institute Chair Professor in Physics, Physics Department, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay,

The report also looks at Graphyne, Graphdiyne and Graphane.

Report Cost:  £350

(VAT is not charged)

View the Table of Contents:

http://www.nanopro.biz/Table%20of%20Contents_%20Silicene,%20Graphyne,%20Graphdiyne%20and%20Graphane.pdf

To order your copy or to request further information please contact Del Stark via:

e: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
t: +44 (0) 7903 115 148

The technology scouting services arm of Del Stark Technology Solutions has published a new technology briefing on Flexible Graphene Composites. The report provides access to news, patents, academic research findings and also supplies company details with contacts, graphene pricing and market values. The report also highlights universities and institutes working in the field, as well as, companies and research organisations that are patenting.

Many diverse topics relating to energy storage, rechargeable lithium batteries, supercapacitors, electrochemical activity, transparent conductive thin films, conductive nanocomposites, sensing, clean energy, solar cells, biocompatibility, as wells as, preparation, characterisation, performance and manufacturing are also described in the report.

Graphene is a material that has been making headlines across the globe. It’s many interesting properties makes it of huge interest to academic scientists and industrial companies. Graphene is extremely thin, stiff and strong, a conductor of heat and electricity and it is also ductile. Discover the latest research results which your company can optimise for future business opportunities.

Report Cost: £350

(VAT is not charged)

View the Table of Contents:

http://www.nanopro.biz/Table%20of%20Contents%20Flexible%20Graphene%20Composites.pdf

To order your copy or to request further information please contact Del Stark via:

e: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
t: +44 (0) 7903 115 148

Del Stark is a veteran technology scout and advocate that advises businesses on emerging and disruptive technologies including nanotechnology, smart materials, clean tech, green chemistry and sustainable manufacturing.

Expertise:

• Technology Scouting - strategically aligned to strengthen clients’ R&D and business activities
• Business Development – proactive marketing and promotion of clients’ services
• Due Diligence – providing 3rd party / independent analysis for corporate investors
• Networking – identifying useful contacts for clients

Some Recent Projects:

• Scratch Proof Coatings - Technology Briefing
• Nanocomposite – Due Diligence for corporate investor
• CO2 reduction – Policy Review Paper
• Graphene – Assessment of market, applications and producers
• Expert Survey – Interviews with Industry leaders

Contact Del Stark Technology Solutions to learn how your company can gain a competitive edge with technology scouting and expert technical advice.

CONTACT:

Del Stark

CEO, Del Stark Technology Solutions

w. www.delstark.com

e:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

t: +44 (0) 7903 115 148

LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/delstark

Twitter: @delstarktech

Brochure available at: http://www.nanopro.biz/DSTS.pdf

NanoPRO has been launched to support the growing needs of nanotechnology based companies in reaching new markets, sourcing new customers and promoting the benefits of their products and the importance of nanotechnologies.    

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