Institute for nanostructured materials

CNR is the largest Italian research agency. ISMN Bologna is a CNR research institute on nanostructured materials for molecular electronics and photonics. ISMN is internationally renowned for its multidisciplinary research in conjugated materials. ISMN-Bologna was ranked by the European Union at top position among European centers of excellence in the field of organic semiconductors and nanotechnology. CNR aims to promote development through research and one of CNR goals is the technological transfer to industry, with spin-offs being encouraged by CNR policy. CNR has well recognized experience in the tasks assigned to it and possesses state-of-the-art facilities that are committed to the project.

CNR has internationally renowned know how on organic light-emitting field-effect transistor (OLET) technology. It demonstrated the first ambipolar OLET, the first bi-layer OLET as well as the first OLET on plastic substrates. To date CNR holds the world record in terms of external quantum efficiency values in OLET devices.

ISMN has published more than 500 papers on conjugated materials, and holds several international patents. ISMN coordinates national projects on electroactive and photoactive thin film devices, nanolithography, and spintronics. ISMN was involved in several European projects (e.g. EU-IST PHOENIX, EU-EUREKA FOLIA, EU-IST-FET OLAS devoted to hybrid organic-inorganic photonics and flexible illuminators) and is presently coordinating a FP7-ICT project (PHOTO-FET).

The R&D facilities relevant for this project include: Optoelectronic device fabrication facility, a glove box system with controlled atmosphere at 1ppm of O₂ and H₂O for device encapsulation and characterization; multifunctional probe station including an integrating sphere for optoelectronic characterization and absolute quantum yield measurements of electroluminescent devices at controlled temperature and environment; state-of-the-art facility of Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy and Spectroscopy with 100 nm spatial resolution, 2 ps time resolution and temperature control in the range 4-300 K; an optical set-up for high resolution and high sensitivity mapping of the emission area of electroluminescent devices; FTIR and FT-Raman facilities including Raman microscopy at low T, with <1 µm spatial resolution, for vibrational spectroscopy.