STTR Phase I: Low-Cost and Green Deposition of Multifunctional Oxide Films

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is aimed at commercializing a technology which addresses the problem of Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO) film performance and cost. This is an important issue for the manufacturers of optoelectronic devices that utilize TCO films, like LEDs, OLEDs, thin-film photovoltaics, and smart windows, and is an issue which has received a significant amount of academic and industrial attention. This project aims to address the issue by exploring a solution process for depositing Zinc Oxide (ZnO) based TCO films with potential to provide lower materials, energy, and capital equipment costs than current deposition methods and TCO materials. In particular, this project will explore increasing the speed of this solution deposition process and incorporating performance enhancing antireflection properties. This technology is based on NSF funded basic research and the fundamentals of its potential have been demonstrated in several peer reviewed publications. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is significant. If successfully developed, solution deposited multifunctional antireflective and transparent conductive ZnO films would present a significant market opportunity. The greater TCO deposition market is at least several billion dollars per year, with those applications that can most easily be addressed by solution deposited ZnO based TCOs representing several hundred million to over half a billion dollars per year. In the majority of applications, there could be device performance and/or economic benefit from the ability to incorporate tunable antireflection properties without significantly diminishing other important TCO film characteristics. By providing technology that will help lower costs and improve the performance of energy conserving LEDs, OLEDs, and smart windows, as well as renewable energy generating photovoltaic solar cells, this project has the long term potential to increase adoption of these technologies, which in turn creates a more sustainable energy future for the U.S. and the world. In terms of enhancing scientific understanding, the knowledge gained from this project has potential to spur others to examine green chemistry methods, such as microwave assisted deposition, for synthesizing and depositing advanced inorganic materials.