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In the construction and building sector, sustainable solutions for reducing energy requirements and improving the carbon footprint are more in demand than ever. In view of rising energy prices and strict regulations for lower energy consumption in buildings, innovative technologies such as perovskite and organic solar cells offer great potential. However, the cost, durability and efficiency of these solar cells pose a major challenge. As part of the EU-funded PEARL and BOOSTER projects, the Fraunhofer FEP is developing new coating and process technologies that will significantly increase the durability and efficiency of solar cells and sustainably reduce costs and material requirements. At the BAU 2025 trade fair, Fraunhofer FEP will be presenting a number of pioneering technologies and demonstrating their potential applications in the construction and building sector from January 13 to 17, 2025 at the joint Fraunhofer booth in Hall C2, Booth 528.

Piezoelectric coatings play a key role in medical technology, microelectronics and sensor technology, for example in the manufacturing of ultrasound microscopes that examine ever smaller semiconductor components and biological cell structures. However, the increasing demands on the quality and reproducibility of these coatings place high demands on the complex coating processes, which require many parameters to be precisely coordinated. In order to meet this challenge, the Fraunhofer Institute for Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP is developing a digital twin of the coating process for piezoelectric thin films as part of the BMBF-funded DigiMatUs project (FKZ 13XP5187D). This enables the digital mapping and optimization of the processes and leads to a significant improvement in the performance and reproducibility of ultrasonic sensors.

On July 1, 2024, Prof. Dr. Simone Schopf was appointed Visiting Professorship in the Department of Circular Economy at the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg. The appointment was made within the framework of the federal and state-funded Women Professors Program III.

Flexible ultra-thin glass is an innovative material that combines the chemical resistance and scratch resistance of glass with the flexibility and weight reduction of plastics, primarily due to its low thickness of ≤ 100 µm. Processing ultra-thin glass requires special handling to prevent breakage during production, which has been a major barrier to its introduction into new applications. Within the Glass4Flex and CUSTOM projects, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK), project partners at the Fraunhofer Institute for Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP developed a unique process chain for the in-line coating of ultra-thin glass. They also evaluated suitable characterization methods for the surface and edge strength of the thin glass to further optimize the material properties through flash lamp tempering. A demonstrator of flexible thin glass with an optical interference layer system will be showcased at glasstec 2024 in Düsseldorf, Germany, from October 22 – 25, in the glass technology live area in Hall 11, Stand No. F27.

A new multi-chamber system for aqueous ultrasonic cleaning at the Fraunhofer FEP will provide flexible cleaning options for industrial component cleaning in the future. This system complements the LinTR training laboratory, which was developed under the leadership of the Fraunhofer FEP together with the Fraunhofer IPA, IWS and IVV Dresden. The learning laboratory offers a comprehensive, modular training concept for industrial parts cleaning for a wide range of requirements and, for the first time, the possibility of training complex cleaning processes in an extended laboratory environment. The new capabilities will be presented during the exhibition at the 32nd Industrial Component Cleaning Conference, September 11 – 12, 2024, in Dresden, Germany.

With the exit from fossil fuels and the achievement of climate targets, alternative technologies are needed for heating and cooling. However, conventional heat pumps and air conditioning systems are noisy, consume a lot of electricity and use refrigerants that are harmful to the climate. This is why scientists around the world are working on electrocaloric heat pumps – they use materials that can change their temperature when an electric field is applied, thereby generating heat or cold. As part of the Fraunhofer lighthouse project ElKaWe, the Fraunhofer Institute for Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP has made significant progress in the development of thin films to improve heat transfer in electrocaloric heat pumps. The latest research results will be presented at PSE 2024, September 2 – 5, 2024, in Erfurt, Germany, during the conference and exhibition.

Current perovskite solar cells face significant challenges in stability and durability, hindering their long-term application. To address these issues, the European Union has launched the innovative PEARL project, which aims to enhance perovskite solar cells with cutting-edge carbon electrodes. This EU-funded initiative aspires to significantly improve the efficiency, stability, and cost-effectiveness of these solar cells, targeting efficiencies of over 25% and substantially lower production costs. PEARL represents a major step forward in making sustainable solar power more accessible and reliable.

Fraunhofer researchers have developed a method of creating biogenic construction materials based on cyanobacteria. The bacteria multiply in a nutrient solution, driven by photosynthesis. When aggregates and fillers such as sand, basalt, or renewable raw materials are added, rock-like solid structures are produced. Unlike traditional concrete production, this process does not emit any carbon dioxide, which is harmful to the environment. Instead, the carbon dioxide is bound inside the material itself.

Graphene layers promise great progress and increased efficiency in solar applications, energy storage and smart glass applications due to their outstanding properties, including transparency, barrier effect and conductivity. The lack of scalable deposition processes with consistently high layer quality at cost-efficient throughputs has so far prevented the breakthrough of this promising material. As part of the funded EU project NewSkin (GA No. 862100), the Fraunhofer Institute for Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP has developed an innovative PECVD process that enables the deposition of graphene at high process speeds and offers higher production throughputs and a wider range of substrates at lower process temperatures. The researchers will present the process at Manufacturing World Tokyo from June 19 - 21, 2024 at booth No. E 53-11 in Tokyo, Japan.

On the evening of June 14, 2024 Dresden will once again be a hive of activity and many young as well as old night owls will be able to experience science and research interactively at Dresden's universities, research institutions and scientific companies and laboratories. In keeping with the motto of this year's 21st Dresden Science Night – United By Science – the Fraunhofer Institutes FEP, IFAM, IKTS and IWS will once again be jointly opening the doors to the Fraunhofer Campus at Winterbergstrasse 28.