SBIR Phase I: Advanced Laser Patterning of Large Area Thin-Film Electrochromic Devices

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目致力于激光烧蚀，以精确和选择性地图案化多层薄膜电致变色（EC）设备。阴影遮蔽（当今可用的最佳方法）对于商业制造是有问题的，因为它导致涂层的不可接受的边缘清晰度并且是极其昂贵的。另一种图案化技术，光刻，也是成本密集型的，并且可能污染薄膜。该项目的目的是确定激光加工是否能够经济地形成大面积图案。技术挑战是确定每个烧蚀部位的最佳脉冲功率密度和脉冲数，以快速且干净地仅去除选定的涂层，而不干扰图案化边缘处的分离膜的电隔离。该项目将建立原型，将用于耐久性测试。一个激光工艺模型，以估计工艺速度，激光成本和固定成本的窗口大小的混合之间的权衡将被构建。如果成功的话，更广泛的影响（商业意义）将是一种设备和软件，可以通过消除对机械掩模的需求来显着降低制造成本。软件驱动的激光加工将通过实现闪电般的快速转换来提高制造产量。此外，激光烧蚀将使EC窗口，以满足客户的要求，更大的玻璃尺寸和更大的视觉面积的玻璃，这是至关重要的一个可行的市场产品。这些成本节约和产品改进是必不可少的，甚至开始达到138亿美元的市场预测EC窗口全球。一个成功的项目将加速广泛的市场渗透，从而实现显著的节能和其他社会效益。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses laser ablation to precisely and selectively pattern multilayer thin-film electrochromic (EC) devices. Shadow masking (best method available today) is problematic for commercial manufacturing because it results in unacceptable edge definition of the coatings and is prohibitively expensive. The other patterning technique, photolithography, is also cost-intensive and can contaminate the films. The objective of this project is to determine if laser processing is capable of economically patterning a large area. The technical challenge is to determine the optimum pulse power density and number of pulses per ablation site to rapidly and cleanly remove only selected coatings without disturbing the electrical isolation of the separate films at patterned edges. This project will build prototypes, which will be used for durability testing. A laser process model to estimate trade-offs among process speed, laser costs, and fixed costs for a mix of window sizes will be constructed. The broader impacts (commercial significance) if successfully, would be a device and software that could significantly reduce manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for mechanical masks. Software driven laser tooling would increase manufacturing throughput by enabling lightning fast changeovers. Moreover, laser ablation will enable EC windows to meet customer requirements-larger glass sizes and greater vision area of the glass-which are critical to a viable marketplace product. These cost savings and product improvements are essential to even begin to reach the $13.8 billion market predicted for EC windows worldwide. A successful project will accelerate broad market penetration and as a consequence enable significant energy savings and other societal benefits to be realized.