Innovative manufacturing processes and in-line monitoring techniques for the OLED and thin film and organic photovoltaic industries (CIGS and OPV)

Project Information

OLEDSOLAR

Grant agreement ID: 820789

DOI

10.3030/820789

Project closed

EC signature date 27 September 2018

Start date 1 October 2018

End date 31 March 2022

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Advanced manufacturing and processing

Total cost

€ 7 872 870,00

EU contribution

€ 7 872 870,00

Coordinated by

TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OY
Finland

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - OLEDSOLAR (Innovative manufacturing processes and in-line monitoring techniques for the OLED and thin film and organic photovoltaic industries (CIGS and OPV))

Reporting period: 2020-04-01 to 2022-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

In the H2020 EU project OLEDSOLAR the project consortium developed innovative manufacturing processes and in-line monitoring techniques suitable for flexible electronics substrate production, OLED, and thin film photovoltaic manufacturing industries (CIGS and OPV). We were particularly focused on not only improving the quality and yield of the fabricated devices (i.e. OLEDs and PVs); but also improving the processing efficiency and sustainability.

Novel uses of opto-electronic devices will revolutionize the electronics industry. With new display options using flexible substrates such as plastic and flexible glass, OLEDs manufacturers bring a wide range of new applications in lighting (e.g. energy efficient lighting) and different display types. Similarly, with the emergence of thin-film technologies in the solar cells market, new applications ranging from installations on curved surfaces to building integrated PV has become possible. However, to meet the industry requirements for mass production, including low cost, large manufacturing volumes, and highly efficient production, many challenges still need to be overcome. These necessary improvements, for OPV, OLED and CIGS, are related to the selection of efficient manufacturing processes; employing inspection, control and measurement techniques to improve yield, as well as improving quality and time-to-market. OLEDSOLAR aimed to tackle these challenges by developing several innovative manufacturing process improvements for critical steps in the production of opto-electronic devices including OLEDs, OPV and CIGS solar cells.

In OLEDSOLAR we scaled up innovative characterization and control processes to be tested on pilot lines and implemented on existing production lines. This was accomplished through a combination of quality control and functional testing measurements using innovative systems and sensors. Recycling and re-use strategies were also developed allowing resource efficiency and the reduction of high value product wastes. Automation and advanced processing software was pursued for overall control and monitoring of roll-to-roll (R2R) and sheet-to-sheet (S2S) manufacturing process.

OLEDSOLAR was a multidisciplinary team of leading RTOs and industries in this field which fostered a combined effort to innovate this field of next generation electronics mass production. As its legacy, the project not only improved processes on the production lines of end users, such as ASCA, INURU, and DTF, but also saw long term improvements to pilot/testing lines at Coatema, SMIT, VTT, CSEM, Fraunhofer, SAL, and TNO.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Throughout the three and a half year project, the 16 member consortium achieved a substantial level of interaction in terms of joint development and planned routes for exploitation. At the beginning of the project the primary focus was related to work packages 2,3,4 and 5 which were led by the insight gained in WP1, in which all members determined the core focus and content to be developed in the project. WP1 was used as Identification of opto-electrical components manufacturing and inspection requirements at production scale.

WP2 brought significant advancement in the development of innovative manufacturing processes for OLEDs and solar cells. With WP3 realizing the development of in-line inspection and quality control system to be used in the pilot and production scale up. At the same time as the hardware development, WP4 was dedicated to the development of AI driven production process automation and quality control system. Which in fact is being used to better exploit the advances in the second and third work packages. Beyond the improvements of the production processes themselves, the project also developed processes for materials recycling, repair and reuse approaches for OLEDs and solar cells in WP5.

WP6 brought the whole project together and provided the grounds for evaluating the developed methodology in pilot and/or industrial settings. The twenty six OLEDSOLAR solutions were grouped in terms of manufacturing processes, metrology and quality control, and process automation for control and monitoring.

The solutions and technological development achieved in the project help enable the host institutions and companies to exploit the results and further enhance their project offerings.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The OLEDSOLAR project had great expectations and a high level of exploitation potential for the field of industrialized printed and mass manufactured opto-electronic devices. The existing TRL of the components and their associated mass production has improved greatly over the past decade, however, there has been a prudent need for industrialization aspects such as: inline quality control, improved innovations for automated production, and sustainable end of life options for the produced components. Furthermore, the innovative results from WPs 2, 3, 4, and 5, were put to the test in operating environments in the consortium pilot and production lines in WP6.

There were several instances in which we have produced proven innovations to improve our production capabilities. For example, ASCA has implemented production improvements related to late stage customization of OPV modules, developed in OLEDSOLAR, for customer projects. Another highlight included the work done in collaboration at VTT with Coatema, DTF, IRIS, and Brunel University to improve the registration accuracy of roll-to-roll screen printing on the large scale MAXI line. This R2R registration research work related to WPs 2 (web handling), 3 (registration camera development), and 4 (automation and image processing) was fully implemented and used in production activities. This route from technological development to full exploitation is a common thread among the whole consortium and several use cases.

Further results and related research activities went beyond state of the art in areas such as barrier film fabrication and sustainability of the production process and end of life of the produced components. For example, yield improvements were relevant and exceeded in some OLEDSOLAR solutions. This was the case with the inline characterization employed at sites such as DTF, VTT, and ASCA. At VTT the line scan camera and registration system improved quality control (optical inspection of web width) and improved yield directly though the registration camera improvements (over 25% in MD, and over 70% in cross direction). Impact related to time reduction also exceeded in some OLEDSOLAR solutions. This was especially pertinent at ASCA improvements made throughout production lines to prove throughput throughout the smart factory approach. For example, ASCA has developed a pick & place system for automatized busbar application and late stage customization and cutting process with CO2 laser and final cutting of OPV modules. Autonomous R2R step and repeat laser in ASCA production established for a 100% automated process. Furthermore, impact related to recycling and waste streams were identified and classified by LEITAT at DTF, ASCA, and INURU. Waste products chemical composition was determined and pre-treatment strategies were evaluated for the materials received. This resulted in recycling approaches defined for In and Ag recovery.

OLEDSOLAR results have an impact not only on the participating companies, but also on the legacy of European opto-electronics and printed electronics manufacturing value chain.

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