We continue to invest in research and development in order to maintain our leadership position in display materials. At € 87 million, R&D spending was 3.2% higher in 2009 than in 2008. A new chemical research center is currently being constructed at the Darmstadt site. Certain aspects of LC and OLED research will be conducted here. It is scheduled for commissioning in the third quarter of 2010. We expanded our site in South Korea in order to strengthen our research and development activities and further intensify our cooperation with customers. In addition, we are working on reactive mesogens, which are polymerizable liquid crystals that can be used, for example, as material for optical films. They help to enhance the display image quality. Aside from liquid crystal technology, our researchers are working on materials for innovative displays. Here the special focus of development is on OLED materials. They are already being used in mobile phones, MP3 players and digital picture frames.
OLED research in science and industry networks
In our efforts to advance OLED technology, we are increasingly participating in research networks. The development of “new materials for OLEDs from solution” (NEMO) is the focus of a project that Merck has launched as the consortium leader together with partners from industry and science. The aim of this collaboration, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, is to develop innovative, soluble materials for use in large-area OLED components for devices such as flat screens, electronic traffic signs or lighting systems.
An OLED is a solid-state device composed of thin films of organic semiconductor molecules that create light when electrical current is applied. The main difference to inorganic light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is their lower current density and laminar light density and the fact that no crystalline materials are required. OLEDs are already being used in small-area displays, for instance in mobile phones and MP3 players. They consume little energy and offer sharp images from nearly every viewing angle. By using ultra-thin luminescent layers, OLED technology makes it possible to produce unique, large-area homogeneous lighting surfaces with a total layer thickness of just a few millimeters. Compared to the vacuum evaporation process used today, these new materials should significantly improve scalability and coating efficiency in particular. To this end, the NEMO project partners are focusing on soluble, phosphorescent materials for red, green and blue applications. In order to develop marketable solutions quickly, different injection, transport and electrode materials as well as adhesives are being researched, evaluated and tested in parallel for their performance. In addition, as the leading producer of high-performance OLED materials Merck is collaborating with Braunschweig Technical University and the U.S.-based company Applied Materials on a project called “Light InLine” to develop processes to reduce the production costs of OLED lighting. Produced on glass plates or flexible substrates, OLED tiles can emit white light that is more homogeneous and more energy-efficient than the light from conventional fluorescent lamps.
Alternatives to incandescent light bulbs
Incandescent lights bulbs will be phased out in Europe by 2012. Possible alternatives are the subject of intense discussion. For some time now, our researchers have been working on innovative lighting materials – activities grouped together as “Solid State Lighting”. These are aimed at developing lighting materials for white LEDs, which constitute an alternative to conventional light bulbs and energy-saving lamps. Our OLED materials can be used not only for this kind of spot lighting, but also for innovative area lighting, making it possible to generate large-area, energy-saving light. Here, prototypes have already been developed in cooperation with leading lighting manufacturers.
Photovoltaics – a key technology
Following the strong growth achieved in 2008, the photovoltaics market stagnated in 2009. The cutback in government subsidies was especially noticed by manufacturers in Asia and Europe. Nevertheless, photovoltaics is one of the key technologies of the future with respect to renewable energy sources. Therefore, the division is focusing on developing materials for the production of organic solar cells and for printing technologies. With the isishape® range, we already offer solar cell manufacturers printable etching pastes, which enable them to use the required production material in a more cost-efficient and eco-friendly way.
Within the scope of a development project sponsored by the German Ministry of Research, Merck is collaborating in the field of organic photovoltaics with other leading industrial companies on innovative materials for alternative energy sources. This project aims to increase the efficiency of organic solar cells and to use cost-effective printing processes to produce these highly efficient cells. Our Technical Centre in Chilworth, near Southampton, United Kingdom, which was expanded in 2009, is conducting work in this area.
Dye-sensitized solar cells
In parallel, we are working on new technologies, for example dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), which are used as a renewable energy source in photovoltaics. They imitate nature with the aid of artificial photosynthesis, an application of nanotechnology for energy generation. The electrolytes in the dye-sensitized solar cells are based on ionic liquids. Merck has a worldwide leading role in the development and manufacture of these.
In order to advance this technology, we started cooperating closely in 2009 with Dyesol of Australia, the leading specialist for materials and components for the production of dye-sensitized solar cells. In the Ionic Liquids business, we have a broad knowledge base and hold numerous patents for new formulations. The cooperation with Dyesol enables us to optimize the development of opportunities worldwide in the attractive market for dye-sensitized solar cells. The use of ionic liquids as a main component of electrolytes creates the possibility to produce both rigid and flexible solar cells. This special feature will enable us to develop many new fields of application in the future.