PFI-TT: Advanced Materials for Augmented/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) Applications

这一创新-技术转化伙伴关系(PFI-TT)项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是使用将更快和更高效地工作的特殊材料来制造光信号微芯片。随着虚拟现实(VR)和增强现实(AR)显示器的出现，预计这些显示器将增长为1000亿美元的行业，消费者对更小、更高效、更高性能的可穿戴设备和设备有很高的需求。这些设备使用特殊的微芯片来引导玻璃表面的光线，将数字内容覆盖在肉眼看到的可视对象上。这类AR/VR设备的一个重要设计因素是使用低折射率材料，这种材料可以增强对比度，减少光学损失，并提供更高质量的图像。现有的材料存在不足，机械性能差，限制了器件的光学效率和机械稳健性。这一关键挑战将通过一种新型材料来解决，这种材料具有低折射率和高机械刚性的独特组合。该材料预计重量轻，可将微芯片的效率提高40%，可广泛应用于下一代可穿戴设备。建议的项目将使纳米晶格材料的制造能够打破现有低折射率材料中观察到的传统光学折射率与机械硬度之间的权衡。商业上可获得的低指数材料是有限的，无法达到低于1.3的指数。采用多孔材料可以进一步降低材料的折射率，但在低密度下，随机孔隙率会显著降低材料的力学性能。这项拟议的研究旨在直接设计纳米晶格的结构和材料组成，使其光学折射率低于1.2，同时保持超过10 Gpa的硬度，这是传统材料不可能实现的特性。通过与学术界、工业界和初创企业生态系统的利益相关者合作，这项应用研究将通过解决纳米晶格建模、集成过程和可扩展制造中的关键技术障碍来完成。该项目的主要目标是：(1)优化纳米晶格材料的光学和机械性能，(2)开发将纳米晶格材料嵌入到光子波导中的高成品率集成工艺，以及(3)与工业合作伙伴演示扩大制造和基准产能。如果成功，该项目将实现可扩展的制造，并促进新兴可穿戴AR/VR行业的纳米晶格材料的商业化。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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 Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project is to create light signal microchips using special materials that will work faster and more efficiently. With the emergence of the virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) displays that are forecasted to grow into a $100 billon industry, there is high consumer demand for smaller, more efficient, and higher-performance wearable gadgets and devices. These devices use special microchips to guide light on the glass surfaces to overlay digital content on visual objects that the eyes see. One important design factor in such AR/VR devices is the use of low refractive index materials, which can enhance contrast and reduce optical losses and provide higher-quality images. The existing materials falls short and have poor mechanical properties, limiting the optical efficiency and mechanical robustness of the devices. This key challenge will be addressed by a novel material, which has a unique combination of low refractive index and high mechanical stiffness. The proposed material is expected to be light and will improve the efficiency of such microchips by 40% and can be widely adopted in next-generation wearable devices.The proposed project will enable the manufacturing of a nanolattice material that can break the traditional optical index vs mechanical stiffness trade-off observed in existing low-index material. Commercially available low-index materials are limited and are unable to achieve index less than 1.3. The index can be further reduced by using porous materials; however, the random porosity can significantly degrade mechanical properties at low density. The proposed research aims to directly engineer the architecture and material composition of the nanolattices to enable optical index of less than 1.2 while maintaining over 10 GPa stiffness, properties that are not possible in traditional materials. Through a partnership with stakeholders from academia, industry, and the start-up ecosystem, this applied research will be accomplished by addressing key technology barriers in nanolattice modeling, integration processes, and scalable manufacturing. The main goals for this project are: (1) Optimize the optical and mechanical properties of the nanolattice material, (2) develop high-yield integration processes to embed the nanolattice material into photonic waveguides, and (3) demonstrate scale-up manufacturing and benchmark throughput with industrial partners. If successful, this project will enable the scalable manufacturing and facilitate the commercialization of nanolattice materials for the emerging wearable AR/VR industry.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.