Facilities

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Glovebox

The glovebox is filled with dry N2 gas and allows moisture and air sensitive materials to be handled. As you may be aware, electronic devices do not like to be put in water. The semiconducting components themselves are especially sensitive to water and even small amounts of water can cause the semiconducting device to malfuntction. The glovebox also acts like a miniature “clean room” and prevents semiconducting devices from being contaminated with dust or other extraneous materials while they are being assembled.

External Quantum Efficiency (EQE) Measurement

The EQE measurement system allows us to measure how many electrons are generated for each photon that hits a solar cell at different wavelengths. This kind of characterization is very important for confirming the which materials are photoactive and understanding loss mechanisms in solar cells. EQE spectra usually correlate well with the light-absorption characteristics of the photoactive material(s) in a solar cell. Multiplying the EQE spectrum by the solar spectrum (AM1.5G) and integrating the  result yields the short circuit current that should be produced by the solar cell.

Schlenk Line

Many of the semiconducting materials and molecules we work with are air and moisture sensitive. The schlenk line consists of a source of Argon gas and a vacuum line which allows sensitive materials to be synthesized and handled under an inert atmosphere.

Here are articles on Schlenk Lines and Air Sensitive techniques.