Specialized services provided by the MDEO Center

The MDEO Research & Development Center provides researchers and students at all levels of study with access to a modern, open-access research infrastructure designed to support education, research and development, innovation, and academic collaboration activities. Details regarding the infrastructure available at the MDEO center can be found HERE, as well as on the dedicated EERIS and EERTIS platforms.

In parallel, MDEO actively sustains collaborations with academic institutions and research organizations, providing access to its infrastructure and equipment, as well as to the scientific expertise of its researchers, through contract-based research activities and the development of joint research and innovation projects.

Main specialized services offered by the MDEO Center:

• Preparation of thin and ultra-thin films using physical deposition techniques for metals (Au, Ag, Cu, Ni, Ti, Al, etc.), semiconductors (CdTe, CdS, CdSe, ZnTe, ZnS, ZnSe, etc.), oxide compounds (ZnO, IZO, AZO, IGZO, etc.), as well as organic monomeric compounds (CuPc, ZnPc, FePc, MgPc, TPyP, etc.), on solid substrates (silicon, glass) or flexible substrates (PET). The employed techniques include Thermal Vacuum Evaporation (TVE) and DC or RF Magnetron Sputtering (MS). The thickness of the resulting films can be precisely controlled and tuned within a range from a few nm to several tens of µm.
• Spin-coating deposition of polymer thin films. This method enables the fabrication of thin organic films with micrometric and sub-micrometric thicknesses, using materials such as P3HT, PCBM, ICBA, MEH-PPV, PEDOT:PSS, etc.
• Synthesis of quasi-1D nanomaterials via chemical and/or electrochemical methods, with or without the use of nanoporous templates. Ordered arrays of metallic nanowires or nanotubes (Au, Pt, Ni, Cu, etc., including their alloys), semiconducting nanostructures, or materials based on compounds with specific properties (Bi, Sb, Sn, Te, BiSb, BiSbTe, ZnO, etc.), as well as polymer-based structures (polyaniline, polypyrrole, etc.), can be obtained. The aspect ratio of the nanostructures can be precisely controlled and tuned depending on the targeted application.
• Fabrication of nanoporous oxide membranes via electrochemical oxidation processes (anodization). Nanoporous structures based on Al₂O₃ (alumina), TiO₂, or SiO₂ can be obtained. The degree of pore ordering, as well as their geometrical properties, can be controlled over a wide range of values.
• Thermal treatments of nano-/materials in ambient conditions or controlled atmospheres (O₂, N₂ or Ar), over a wide temperature range from 50°C to 1500°C. These treatments are used to improve the crystalline quality of materials or to induce phase transitions.
• Morphological and topographical characterization using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). These techniques enable the evaluation of the morphological properties of organic and inorganic materials, both at the surface level and in cross-section, as well as the analysis of material interfaces. In addition, specific surface parameters can be determined, such as RMS roughness ("Root Mean Square"), as well as the Skewness and Kurtosis coefficients.
• Advanced structural analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Measurements can be performed both in the θ-θ ("Bragg–Brentano") configuration and in grazing incidence geometry (GIXRD). In addition, specific structural parameters can be determined, such as crystallite coherence length, micro-strain, and lattice constants.
• Optical spectroscopy in the UV-Vis-NIR range. This technique enables the investigation of light propagation through various media and across interfaces. In particular, transmission, absorption, and optical reflection studies can be performed, as well as the determination of thin film thickness, the optical band gap, and the refractive index.
• Investigation of electrical properties over a wide temperature range (2 K - 300 K), as well as under variable magnetic fields up to 1 T. Four-point resistivity measurements ("Van der Pauw" method) can be performed on thin films, along with Hall effect measurements for determining key electrical parameters, such as charge carrier type, carrier concentration, and mobility.
• Complete characterization of solar cells using dedicated electrical measurement equipment coupled with spectrophotometers and a solar simulator. Current-voltage characteristics can be recorded both in the dark and under controlled AM1.5 illumination conditions (100 mW/cm²) using the available solar simulator, enabling precise determination of typical foto-element operating parameters, such as open-circuit voltage (U_OC), short-circuit current (I_SC), fill factor (FF), series resistance (R_S), and shunt resistance (R_SH), as well as the external quantum efficiency (EQE) and the integral conversion efficiency (ICE).