In December 2018, the BMBF-funded research project "Transparent Organic Photovoltaics (OPV) Glass Facade" (project name: TOP) ended as part of the funding initiative "Organic Electronics - Fundamentals of Technology and Application Scenarios." The aim of the joint project was to develop semi-transparent solar foils with a transparency of 15-30% at an efficiency of 8-10% and a suitable encapsulation. The consortium consisted of CreaPhys GmbH (Dresden), Fraunhofer FEP (Dresden), Fraunhofer ISE (Freiburg), Heliatek GmbH (Dresden) and the University of Ulm.
Isorg (Grenoble, France), a pioneer in organic photodetectors (OPDs) and large-area image sensors, and Sumitomo Chemical (Tokyo, Japan), a leader in OPD materials production and other fields, announced their agreement to develop new OPD products for use as smartphone fingerprint sensors and hybrid organic CMOS image sensors.
In the presence of the minister of economics of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Prof Andreas Pinkwart, and Münster’s mayor Markus Lewe, a plant for coating foils was started up on the BASF company premises in Münster. Innovative materials applied layer by layer in an ultra-thin coat give foils additional properties, thus “functionalising” them. BASF developed the innovative coating technology and the first product – a barrier foil – within a very short time.
