Centre for Advanced Functional Materials and Devices
Aims:
To be an international centre of excellence for the development, characterisation and application of advanced materials and devices.
To contribute to the delivery of sustainable economic growth in Wales, the UK and beyond.
Strengths:
Organic Electronics and Photonics, Materials in Extreme Conditions, Devices & Sensors and Materials Characterisation & Modelling. These map well onto the Welsh
Government’s priority areas for economic growth i.e Low Carbon Economy, Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing and the cross-cutting themes of Optoelectronics,
Advanced Materials and Printing Technologies identified as important to a number of industrial sectors.
Organic Electronics
Glasses and Ceramics
Motivation and Aims
High added-value materials are essential for the economic success of knowledge-based
economies in advanced engineering and manufacturing. For example, glass is a common
material, but improved materials are needed for advanced applications from high-precision
optics to operation in extreme terrestrial and space environments (e.g. high temperatures,
pressures and radiation) [1-4].
These challenges require collaborative expertise and a combination of experiment and
theory. Many conventional methods cannot be used for complex, disordered materials and
so we have developed new approaches using the latest experimental tools and high
performance computing (HPC). For example, we use bright x-ray and neutron sources at
central facilities such as the UK’s ISIS and Diamond Light Source and are involved with
strategy and instrument development at both centres. Computational modelling using
existing HPC and visualisation facilities will soon be expanded with HPC-Wales.
Perfect glasses
Zeolites are effective catalysts due to their open structure They are
stable but If heated slowly, low-frequency vibrational modes destabilize
the microporous crystalline structure causing it to collapse into a denser
glass. Using synchrotron radiation and computer modeling, we have
discovered the triggering mechanism that initiates this collapse [1]. The
result is mechanically and chemically stronger than normal glass.
Glass Technology in Space
Using the stability of glasses in the extreme environment of space and
the ability to control their colour, we have developed a calibration target
(CALTARG) for the PanCam camera on the ESA/NASA ExoMars
Rover, planned for launch in 2018 [5]. Its purpose is to provide
radiometric and geometric calibration of the PanCam instrument whilst
operating on the surface of Mars.
Nanostructured glass and ceramics
Manipulating disordered material at the molecular level using
synthesis [6], computational modelling [7] and x-ray characterisation
[1-4] is allowing us to develop new materials for applications from
solar cells to fire-retardant blankets.
References
[1] G N Greaves A L Greer, R S Lakes and T Rouxel, Nature Mat 10, 823-837(2011)
[2] G N Greaves, M C Wilding, L Hennet, D Langstaff, F Kargl et al , Phys. Rev. Lett. 106 119601 (2011)
[3] M C Wilding, C J Benmore, J K Weber, J Phys Chem B 114, 5742-6 (2010)
[4] K Hoydalsvik, T Barnardo, R Winter et al, Phys Chem Chem Phys 12 14492 (2010)
[5] C R Cousins, A D Griffiths, I A Crawford, B J Prosser, M C Storrie-Lombardi, L E Davis M Gunn, et
al, Astrobiology 10 933-951 (2010)
[6] M A Beckett, E L Bennett, P N Horton, M B Hursthouse, J Organomet. Chem, 695, 1080 (2010)
[7] X Zou, X Lu, Z Zhou, C Li, W Ding, Electrochimica Acta, 56, 8430-8437 (2011)
Motivation and Aims
Plastic Electronics is already realising its potential for applications in ultra-thin displays and is
showing great promise in a wide range of other applications such as solar panels, intelligent
packaging and printable logic. In 2010, the value of the market was ~$1.8 billion and was
predicted to rise to $5 billion by 2012 (IDTechEx). Both the UK and Welsh Governments have
recognised Plastic Electronics as a key growth sector for re-balancing the economy.
With the aim of supporting the growth of this Industry at all levels in the supply chain from
materials producers through to end-users, CAFMaD has built a critical mass of more than 20
researchers (academics, research assistants and PhD students) with relevant skills and
expertise in organic materials. Our fundamental research into materials synthesis [1] and the
electrical and optical properties of materials and their interfaces [2,3] is leading to technology
to the industrial sector and has attracted significant funding.
IeMRC Flagship Grant
In collaboration with Oxford (project leader), Manchester and Leeds
Universities, via an IeMRC Flagship grant we are developing a vacuumbased roll-to-roll process [4] for the printing of plastic electronic circuits.
By taking a vacuum route we avoid many of the problems inherent in
solution processing methods.
Roll-to-roll Vacuum-processed
Carbon Based Electronics
(RoVaCBE)
DALMATIAN
TECHNOLOGY
1
VERSOX Beamline at DLS
We are leading a UK consortium to develop a new £5M soft xray beamline at the Diamond Light Source, dedicated to the
study of the surfaces and interfaces of light elements, with a
sensitivity optimized for materials based on carbon. This facility
will provide an unprecedented insight into the way organic
Real-time spectrometer for in-situ molecules arrange and interact in multilayer and blended
structures in devices such as organic solar cells [5-7]
probing of interfaces between
organic materials during their
fabrication into devices.
VDD
Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP)
A long-standing collaboration with SmartKem Ltd, a St Asaph
based supplier of state-of-the-art organic semiconductors to the
plastic electronics industry, is being strengthened in a KTP
project.
VDD
VDD
0
0
Inverter action using transistors
made from SmartKem materials
References
[1] S M King, I I Perepichka, I F Perepichka, et al, Adv. Funct. Mater., 19, 586 (2009).
[2] N Alves and D M Taylor, Appl. Phys. Lett., 92, 10331 (2008).
[3] M M Ibrahim et al, Organic Electronics, 11, 1234-1241(2011)
[4] G Abbas, H Assender, M Ibrahim and D M Taylor, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., B 29, 052401 (2011).
[5] Palermo V, Schwartz E, Finlayson CE, et al., Adv. Mater. 22, E81 (2010)
[6] Finlayson CE and Whitney AD, J. Phys. D; Applied Physics 43, 095501 (2010)
[7] D. A. Evans, et al J Vac Sci Technol B28 (4), C5F5-C5F11 (2010).
Outreach
Photonics Academy for Wales @ Bangor (PAWB) Chair: Prof Alan Shore Director: Ray Davies
The Photonics Academy, chaired by Prof Alan Shore, is an initiative of the Welsh Optoelectronics Forum aimed at using Photonics to inspire students
towards STEM related studies, interests and careers. A key activity is the 4-week long Photonics Academy Summer School (PASS) which this year was
used to ‘road-test’ the UPSKILL* methodology for a younger age group following a successful test at the European Society for Precision Engineering and
Nanotechnology Team Challenge held in Cambridge University in July. This year 23 high school and college students, aged 15-28, spent 4 weeks at the
PASS applying Photonics concepts in a number of individual designed creative applications. In the next phase UPSKILL will be rolled out into industry as
a training method. Also, the Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies has invited UPSKILL to organise a one-day
Workshop at the Conference for Further Education College Lecturers in Engineering together with their individual Industrial Company contacts.
*UPSKILL = ‘User-driven Photonics Skills Improvement via Life-long Learning’ a programme funded by HE-STEM.
PI: Prof Alan Shore Co-I: Prof Andy Evans Project Officer: Ray Davies
Economic Renewal: a new direction:
Critically we need to interest more young people in developing the sorts of skills that will develop Wales’ potential for economic growth.
PASS Students designing and
soldering Optoelectronics circuits
Future Centre Activities
• Develop deeper collaborations in the fields of Organic Electronics, Photonics, Nanostructured Materials and Disordered Materials.
• Expand our portfolio of research grants with Joint proposals targeting EPSRC, EU, TSB and A4B funding.
• Integrate into CAFMaD activities from the ‘Green Electronics’ expansion in Electronic Engineering at Bangor – 5 new academic posts.
• Expand joint postgraduate activities: PhD research projects, Masters Programmes, student exchanges Postgraduate Forum. Build on
our Brazilian and Chinese links to attract PhD students and postdoctoral researchers to Wales.
• Grow our outreach activities using the Photonics Academy model.
Poster Presenters: Prof D A Evans, Prof D M Taylor