Glass as an Advanced Optoelectronic Interface

The concept of 'electronic glass' is an emerging idea in frontier optoelectronics. Glass has traditionally been viewed in its simplest form as an optical and / or architectural element, or more recently as an optical and electrical element with the advent of conducting, transparent coatings such as indium tin oxide, fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) and the like. In the proposed project we will explore some of these advanced optoelectronic glass concepts. An initial focus of the PhD student's research will be the realization of fine metallic grids integrated with conducting oxides to create novel transparent conducting electrodes as a base technology for large surface area 'indium free' optoelectronics. The student will also investigate the possibility of combining state of the art vapour-phase techniques such as molecular vapour deposition, with solution processed coating of dielectrics to create hybrid substrate technologies amenable for building complex monolithic device architectures such as transparent thin film transistor back planes. The ultimate goal is to push the boundaries of glass as an optoelectronic interface, widening application range, reducing embodied energy in manufacturing, and facilitating hitherto unexplored technology spaces. These endeavours are closely aligned with multiple elements of the EPSRC portfolio in the Physical Sciences, ICT, Manufacturing the Future, Engineering and Energy Themes (for example materials for energy, optoelectronics, optical devices and subsystems and several others).