Film Fabrication Techniques: Beyond Ternary OPV: High‐Throughput Experimentation and Self‐Driving Laboratories Optimize Multicomponent Systems (Adv. Mater. 14/2020)

Abstract

A novel robot-based high-throughput film-fabrication technique, introduced by Loïc M. Roch, Thomas Heumueller, and co-workers in article number 1907801, enables quaternary semiconductor blends to be fully screened for organic photovoltaic applications. This is realized by drop-casting 96 individual solutions onto a pre-structured glass plate, resulting in smooth and homogeneous layers. Moreover, the use of machine-learning algorithms enables an autonomous operation toward highly efficient optimization routines, leading to a 30-fold faster rate than conventional high-throughput approaches.