ACAP research grant recipient Open Instruments is a small Sydney-based company building specialised, high-performance research-grade spectroscopy and imaging systems designed specifically for research and development of perovskite, silicon, and perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells.
The company’s technical superiority in the field was recognised when it recently won an open tender against the incumbent suppliers to build a very sophisticated PL imaging tool for Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), a large, highly regarded German research institute which seeks to understand, develop and optimise materials for solar cell technology.
Built by researchers for researchers
Open Instruments was started by Dr Henner Kampwerth, ACAP Optics and Characterisation Program Leader at SPREE, UNSW – Sydney.
Kampwerth says, “We build Photoluminescence (PL) Imaging tools that are significantly more tailored to perovskite research and how researchers actually use the tools. We are PV researchers ourselves, and thus we have this unique insight.”
“There is a significant lack of characterisation equipment that is suitable for perovskites. Any meaningful improvement in this situation will have a direct impact on the entire research field. With better equipment, researchers have more in-depth information available which directly translates to quicker research. Higher quality measurement data greatly reduces incorrect conclusions and thus weeks and months of unnecessary research.”
Open Instruments’ systems
Open Instruments' photoluminescence (PL) imaging systems, LUMiKON MAX and LUMiKON MINI produce the clearest and highest resolution images in true 4K resolution on the market. This feature is especially useful for perovskites research where addressing micro-defects is increasingly important.
Below are implied Voltage (iVoc) images of two tandem solar cells taken with Open Instruments' LUMiKON. Both cells have two layers, one is perovskite and the other is silicon. In each sample, the LUMiKON instrument successfully images both layers individually.
Tandem solar cell sample 1
The LUMiKON MINI is a compact glovebox-compatible unit designed for rapid high-throughput screening of new materials. Operation within a glovebox eliminates the risk of degradation before measurements. The upcoming updated version will include iVoc and an optional spectral point measurement capability..
The LUMiKON MAX is targeted at R&D on commercial sized tandem solar cells and is available with a wide range of options, including already-implemented suns-iVoc and spectral point measurements.
Kampwerth says, “We have just moved from UNSW to our own commercial premises in Alexandria, in Sydney. Currently we are building the tool for HZB and then we’ll work on the second version of our Mini-PL Imager.”
“We want all perovskite and perovskite-silicon research groups to know they can speed up their research with Open instruments' PL imaging tools.”
Find out more by contacting Dr Henner Kampwerth or Dr Michael Pollard at info@openinstruments.com and heading to www.openinstruments.com.
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