Perovskite Laboratory
Emerging PV perovskite laboratory, as a division of ODTÜ-GÜNAM, has two different laboratories for designing and fabricating both n-i-p and p-i-n type perovskite solar cells. Two glove box systems and various test and characterization equipment operate in these facilities. In the n-i-p facility, a two-source thermal evaporator is integrated into the glovebox. Likewise, a custom-designed six-source thermal evaporator is integrated into the glovebox in the p-i-n laboratory. Besides the thermal evaporator, a sputter deposition system is also integrated. The active area coatings of perovskite solar cells, which are started in these systems, are conducted in a spin-coater and incorporated in the glovebox. A slot-die coater is also available in the glovebox to fabricate perovskite solar cells for large-area applications. Besides the fabrication equipment, various test and characterization devices are utilized to measure the perovskite solar cell layer. FTIR, PL, and Transmission/Reflection Spectrophotometers are available within this scope.
OPV Laboratory
This laboratory is established on an area of 45 m2, and the efficiency of organic solar cells is improved via the development of novel materials and innovations made in device architecture. Electrical and optical properties of novel materials are examined. In this laboratory, there are a total of three glove box systems, two of which are interconnected, and one is independent. In connected glove box systems, equipment includes a heater stirrer, a spin coater to coat the active layer and intermediate layers, and a metal evaporator to coat the upper contact metals. In addition, there is a solar simulator for organic solar cell current-voltage measurements in the glove box system. The independent glove box system has organic evaporator and metal evaporator systems. In this lab, apart from glove box systems, a spin coater coats water-based materials, oxygen plasma, and EQE measurement.
Synthesis Laboratory
In the synthesis laboratory of developing PV technologies, the design, synthesis, and characterization of unique materials that can be used in perovskite and organic solar cells are carried out. In our synthesis laboratory, there is a fume hood, a Schlenk system with five different lines, a balance for sensitive measurements, heater stirrers, heating mantles, a solvent purification system consisting of five different solvents for very sensitive reactions, a solvent purification system for microwave-assisted reactions. There is one microwave system, one PARR device for hydrogenation reactions, two different solvent evaporation devices that can also be used for distillation to remove unwanted solvents, HPLC and GC devices for material determination, and a dry oven.
CdTe Laboratory
CdTe thin-film-based solar cells have the second largest share in the global market after silicon-based technologies. Semi-permeable and tandem CdTe solar cells are produced within the body of ODTÜ-GÜNAM. Thin film layers comprising the CdTe solar cell are produced using physical vacuum deposition methods. Within the scope of the research, research continues with two post-doctoral researchers and two doctoral students in different focuses, such as the development of different electron and hole carrier layers, electronic modification, thickness improvement, and optoelectronic improvement of the conductive layer.