SBIR Phase I: Transparent inorganic photoresists for high index photonics

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将使下一代工程光学应用于增强和虚拟现实（AVR）设备。工程光学制造商目前存款聚合物薄膜和压印和固化他们与透明模具和紫外线。此类聚合物膜通常具有高成本和次优的光学性能。新型高折射率材料是器件小型化和增加视场所必需的。 该项目将为AVR制造商提供具有成本效益的方法来制造高折射率的透明光子器件，否则这些器件将不可能或成本高昂，无法通过现有方法制造。该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将扩大可用于工程光学的高折射率，紫外光固化前体的知识基础。 UV可固化聚合物-纳米颗粒复合材料代表了生产用于增强和虚拟现实（AVR）应用的光波导组件的当前最新技术水平。这些涂层通常具有低透光率、增加的雾度值、高热膨胀系数和低折射率。该项目开发了超过目前使用的材料标准的紫外光固化无机薄膜。该研究项目将侧重于阐明前体配方和薄膜加工之间的相关性，以控制薄膜厚度，折射率和光学透射率。 建议的研究目标将可重复地展示具有受控光学性能的材料，这些材料达到或超过当前最先进的水平，并为制造商实现设备小型化建立一条途径。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will enable next-generation engineered optics employed in augmented and virtual reality (AVR) devices. Engineered optics manufacturers currently deposit polymeric thin films and imprint and cure them with transparent molds and UV light. Such polymeric films often have high costs and sub-optimal optical performance. Novel high-index materials are required for device miniaturization and increased field of view. This project will provide AVR manufacturers with cost effective methods to fabricate high refractive index transparent photonic devices that would otherwise be impossible or cost prohibitive to manufacture by methods currently available.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will expand the knowledge base of high-index, UV-curable precursors that can be used for engineered optics. UV-curable polymeric-nanoparticle composite materials represent the current state-of-the-art to produce optical waveguide components for augmented and virtual reality (AVR) applications. These coatings often suffer from low-optical transmission, increased haze values, high coefficients of thermal expansion, and low-indices of refraction. This project develops UV-curable, inorganic films that exceeds the standards of currently used materials. This research project will focus on elucidating correlations between precursor formulation and film processing to control film thickness, refractive index, and optical transmission. The proposed research objectives will reproducibly demonstrate materials with controlled optical performance that that meets or exceeds the current state-of-the-art and establish a pathway for manufacturers to achieve device miniaturization.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.