The project focuses on investigations of chemical and electrochemical conditions that lead to highly ordered self-organized TiO2 nanotube layers prepared by anodization of Ti in suitable electrolytes. The enhancement of the lateral ordering gives great promise for enhancement of various properties of tinania nanotube layers that in turn can be used more efficiently for many functional applications, including photocatalysis, water splitting, solar cells. The main focus of the project is given on the electrolyte chemistry and search for the right electrochemical condition, since the electrolyte chemistry is the main factor influencing the growth of nanotube layers. The goal of the project is to identify such conditions that lead to the growth of ordered layers and have not been properly investigated and understood till now. We aim also towards synthesis of novel shapes of anodic TiO2 nanotubes with improved degree of ordering and highly ordered patterns, using Ti substrates with distinct surface locations by various lithographic techniques or indentation techniques

There is a need of the society to make use of novel designs and concepts of solar cells that would fulfil except stringent criteria of efficiency, stability, and low prize other requirements, such as flexibility, transparency, tunable cell size, yet having some esthetic features.
Therefore, the research of various solar cell technologies for diversified applications, such as for the building integrated photovoltaics, or powering mobile devices, has recently significantly moved forward all scientific and technological innovations in the photovoltaics. Even though there is still continuous research in the field of classical silicon solar cells (with their traditional field use), much more attention is given to alternative photovoltaic technologies that have the potential to boost the use of abundant solar-to-electricity conversion to power several years ago unpowerable devices and objects.

Herein, the research focus is given to a new concept of a solar cell that explores the best suitable materials from different fields of materials chemistry and physics that have not been put together so far. What is more, the solar cells is completely solid-state, rather inorganic with a small contribution of organic materials, so issues regarding stability are not necessarily raised here.

The new solar cell concept is based on the rational design, where:
1) the anode consist of based on highly ordered titania nanotube arrays - almost ideal material for the solar light absorption owing to its high surface and architecture, carried by either a glass or a polymer foil.
2) chalcogenide crystalline materials or push-pull organic materials represent suitable chromophores for absorbing visibile and near-IR light.
3) the circuit is closed by a conducting mesh covering carrier transferring layer and light-scattering agents.

The research topics proposed here are very important and cover high priority ?hot? research areas, but in the same time they are very complex and thus very multidisciplinary.

1. The preparation of a methodology to find out an optimal interaction of primary and secondary parameters influencing polygraphic products and
processes
2. The selection and the integration or the development of new measurement devices for the detection of primary and secondary paramaters
3. The development of an analytical system for displaying of the values of primary and secondary parameters
4. The preparation of the methodology for remedial measures
5. The development of an automatic system for the suggestion of the remedial measures

Advanced methods of physical deposition of thin films (radio-frequency magnetron sputtering, pulsed laser deposition, etc.) will be studied
in the frame of the project. The attention will be paid also to the fabrication of thin films from solution via spin coating method. Deposition
conditions will be optimized with the aim of fabrication of high quality thin chalcogenide films. Starting synthesized deposition materials
and prepared thin films will be characterized in detail by structural and optical methods. Thin chalcogenide films will be modified by the
influence of temperature or light, and also by dopants. The results of the project will lead to chalcogenide materials with innovative
properties, composition, and optimized conditions of deposition of their thin films.

The project is focused on two main targets:
1) Development of a software product (MIS) to support Lean Manufacturing tools in cooperation of CICERO Stapro Group s.r.o. with
the University of Pardubice and Novatisk a.s. printing house.
2) Development of an implementation methodology and Lean Manufacturing consulting activities, with regard to the specifics of Czech
printing industry.

In the frame of the project, high quality chalcogenide glasses and their amorphous thin films Ge-(As, Sb)-Se-(Te) will be fabricated
by pulsed laser deposition and by RF magnetron sputtering. The fabricated layers will be characterized in terms of the structure
(XPS, Raman spectroscopy), morphology (AFM, SEM-EDX), and optical properties (spectroscopic ellipsometry).
Fundamental knowledge on the etching mechanisms of chalcogenide glasses in high density plasmas will be obtained.
In particular surface structure of chalcogenide thin films will be explored by XPS before, during, and after inductively coupled plasma
etching. Plasma processes of potential interest for device patterning will be identified. Elementary patterns will be etched to evaluate
their application.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF A CO2 COMPENSATION SYSTEM IN THE PRINTING INDUSTRY

The aim of the project is using advanced physical methods of thin films deposition (pulsed laser deposition, radio-frequency magnetron sputtering, etc.) for the fabrication of thin amorphous chalcogenide films. Prepared thin films will be studied from the point of view of photoinduced changes proceeding during exposure with light having energy close to band gap energy. The attention will be paid also to searching for photostable chalcogenide thin films. Photoinduced effects/photostability will be investigated in order to evaluate influence of chemical composition of the thin films, used deposition method, and deposition conditions. The results of the project will contribute to deepen the fundamental knowledge about photoinduced phenomena in amorphous chalcogenides.

Chalcogenide glasses and thin films are important group of inorganic materials which are suitable for optical and optoelectronic
applications, for example materials for optical and electrical memories. In the frame of the project, plasma processes for
fabrication of thin films of selected perspective amorphous chalcogenides systems - GeGaS(Se, Te), GeAsSe, GeSbTe, etc. - will
be studied. Bulk glasses as well as amorphous thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition will be characterized mainly from
the point of view of local structure and optical properties. Plasma formed during interaction of intense laser pulses with
chalcogenides will be studied in detail by LDI (laser desorption ionization) time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The results of
chemical diagnostics of the plasma will be correlated with the structure and properties of starting bulk glasses and thin films.
The results will be further used for the prognosis of synthesis of new materials and for the study and simulation of deposition
processes.

In the frame of the project, high quality amorphous chalcogenide Ge-(As, Sb)-Se-(Te) thin films will be fabricated by pulsed laser deposition employing pulsed lasers with different characteristics (wavelength, pulse duration). The fabricated layers will be characterized in terms of the structure, morphology, and optical properties. The deposition process will be monitored by the studying the plasma plume with the ICCD camera fast imaging and space- and timeresolved optical emission spectroscopy. The obtained data should result in deeper understanding of the processes occurring during the thin films growth by plasma based techniques.