Institute

Founded by professor Werner Kluge in the 1950s, and until October 2011 known as “Institute of Physical Electronics”, the ipv is one of 24 institutes of the Faculty of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Stuttgart.

Its key areas of research and teaching at the time were gas electronics, image processing, hydrogen research as well as CdS, Cu (In,Ga). Se2 semiconductors and amorphous silicon for photovoltaic use. Since 1996 and headed by professor Juergen Werner, the Institute has been focusing increasingly on photovoltaics with special emphasis on technological development of crystalline silicon wafers together with amorphous and crystalline silicon on foreign substrates. As a result, and in an effort to make photovoltaics a truly "green" and environmentally friendly technology, the Institute’s scientific work concentrates on those materials and processes that do not require any toxic substances. Consequently, research on photovoltaic materials containing cadmium, lead or other heavy metals has been stopped.

In addition to the manufacture, characterization and modeling of solar cells and modules, the institute also works on new concepts and materials designed to improve and complement silicon-based photovoltaics. Other than in the field of photovoltaics, silicon technology is also employed in optoelectronic and microelectronic applications. The ipv provides a variety of processes for production, characterization and modeling of thin-film technology materials that are equally employed for service measurements in the industry. One of the institute’s key areas is laser technology.