WP1 Plasma chemical etching for c-Si photovoltaics
    WP3 Structuring of TCO layers for TF-Photovoltaics
    WP5 Infection control: Process and Materials studies
    WP7 Energy storage – Process and materials R&D
    WP9 Interface technologies for durable adhesion
    WP11 Cross-cutting equipment development

This workpackage is focussed on generic development of equipment for high-spec industrial production of 3D nano-structured surfaces. With respect to the N2P project this comprises:

• Scalable plasma sources for atmospheric pressure plasma source operation
• Tailored industrial scale power supplies for these new plasma sources
• Reactors for continuous high throughput plasma-chemical etching and coating
• Fluid dynamic modelling for equipment design, and
• Equipment and procedures for both process monitoring and quality assurance.

In the M-18 period plasma sources (and adapted power supplies) based on a linearly extended DC arc and dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) were developed.

Coating and etching heads for plasma-chemical etching at atmospheric pressure for solar wafers (WP1), etching and deposition of TCO (WP3), deposition of biocidal films (WP5), growth of aligned carbon nanotubes (WP7), and for interface control (WP9) were designed and set into operation. Optimized laser diode spectroscopy in the NIR/MIR region and FTIR spectroscopy were used for on-line process characterisation and control.