Towards Indium free TCOs

ended

The goal of INREP is to develop and deploy valid and robust alternatives to indium (In) based transparent conductive electrode materials as electrodes. In-based materials, mainly ITO, are technologically entrenched in the commercial manufacture of components like LEDs (both organic and inorganic), solar cells, touchscreens, so replacing them with In-free transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) will require holistic approach. The INREP philosophy is to meet this challenge by addressing the whole value chain via an application focused research programme aiming at developing tailor made solutions for each targeted application. This programme will produce a complete evaluation of the relevant properties of the proposed TCOs, including the impact of deposition technique, and by doing so, devise optimum processes for their application in selected, high value application areas. The selected application areas are organic and inorganic light emitting diodes (LEDs), solar cells and touchscreens. The physical properties of interest are the transparency, electrical conductivity, work function, texture, and chemical and thermal stability. To reach its overall goal, INREP brings together industrial and academic experts in TCOs, the technology and processes for their deposition and their applications in a concerted research programme that will result in the creation of TCOs and deposition technologies with the optimum opto-electrical properties suitable for the economic and safe manufacture of the specified photonic or opto-electronic components. The approach will include life cycle assessments of the environmental impact of the developed TCO materials and of their formation technologies over the entire period from application in manufacturing, throughcomponent operation into waste management.