PFI: Partnership for Innovation in Thermally Sprayed Systems - Enabling New Applications Through Collaborative Research

该创新伙伴关系（PFI）项目来自纽约州立大学石溪分校，汇集了一个小型的商业-学术界创新团队，以利用热喷涂（TS）沉积功能氧化物的紧急机会，用于高温传感和电能转换系统。长期以来，人们一直意识到，通过TS（一种平台技术）成功开发功能性氧化沉积技术，将为燃料电池、电池和一系列厚膜传感器中组件的大面积沉积提供一种高速率、经济的新方法。许多这些发明已经考虑了几十年，但尚未转化为创新的应用，主要是由于TS系统的材料科学的复杂性以及过程科学和控制的局限性。在过去的十年中，知识和技术都发生了很大的变化，这导致了对功能材料系统能力的重新考虑。然而，为了推动TS在厚膜制造中发挥积极作用，必须实施旨在改善功能性能和提高可靠性的新工艺科学思想。此外，学术界的科学努力必须与小企业的创业追求相结合，以证明TS在满足传感器和能源系统严格要求方面的可行性。智力优势源于将学术衍生的复杂科学概念（如先进的诊断和过程图）引入工业制造实践的能力。通过PFI成功开发拟议的技术不仅会对小企业创新合作伙伴产生直接影响，而且还将为考虑将TS扩展到功能材料领域提供一个框架。这项研究的广泛影响是多方面的。在传感器和能源系统中成功考虑TS将为包括厚膜器件，中尺度电子和光催化表面在内的广泛机会打开大门。它有可能降低制造成本，并为燃料电池和电池提供规模，使其得到广泛应用。它还将增强对TS技术的信心，并增强小型企业服务提供商在传统和新应用方面的能力。研究生、本科生和工业创新者之间的有效互动可以影响和激发一代工程和商业学生的创新精神。该项目的合作伙伴包括知识增强伙伴关系（KEP）单位，由主要学术机构，石溪大学（材料科学与工程系）和波士顿大学（机械工程系）组成；两家小公司：MesoScribe Technologies（纽约州圣詹姆斯）和Surface Modification Systems（加利福尼亚州圣菲斯普林斯）；以及一家大型企业：应用材料公司（加利福尼亚州圣克拉拉）。此外，还有其他合作伙伴。合作伙伴包括一个私营部门组织：Sutzer Metco（纽约州韦斯特伯里）；和三个公共部门组织：桑迪亚国家实验室（Albuquerque， NM），芬兰VTT技术研究中心（赫尔辛基，芬兰）和等离子体物理研究所（布拉格，捷克共和国）。

This Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) project from SUNY at Stony Brook a.k.a. Stony Brook University, brings together a small business-academia innovation team to capitalize on emergent opportunities in thermal spray (TS) deposition of functional oxides for applications in high temperature sensing and electrical energy conversion systems. It has long been appreciated that successful development of functional oxide deposition via TS (a platform technology) would provide an enabling new capability for a high rate, economical approach to large area deposition of components in fuel cells, batteries, and a range of thick film sensors. Many of these inventions have been contemplated for several decades but have not been translated into innovative applications, largely due to the complexity in materials science of TS systems as well as to limitations in process science and control. Over the last decade, much has changed in both knowledge and technology which has resulted in a reconsideration of the capability for functional materials systems. However, in order to push the capability of TS to play an active role in thick film manufacturing, new process science ideologies aimed at improving functional properties and enhancing reliability must be implemented. Furthermore, scientific endeavors in academia must be leveraged with entrepreneurial pursuits in small businesses to demonstrate the viability of TS to meet rigorous requirements in sensor and energy systems. The intellectual merit stems from the ability to introduce academically derived, sophisticated scientific concepts such as advanced diagnostics and process maps into industrial manufacturing practice. Successful development of the proposed technologies through the PFI will not only have immediate impact among the small business innovation partners, but also will provide a framework for consideration of TS expansion into the arena of functional materials. The broader impacts of this research are numerous. Successful consideration of TS in sensors and energy systems will open the door to wide ranging opportunities including thick film devices, mesoscale electronics, and photocatalytic surfaces. It has the potential to bring down manufacturing costs and provide scaling for fuel cells and batteries enabling their wide spread utilization. It will also distill confidence in TS technology and enhance capabilities of small business service providers for both traditional and novel applications. Effective interactions among graduate, undergraduate students, and industrial innovators can influence and inspire a spirit of innovation in a generation of both engineering and business students. Partners at the inception of this project includere the Knowledge-Enhancement Partnership (KEP) unit, consisting of the lead academic institution, Stony Brook University (Department of Materials Science and Engineering), and Boston University (Department of Mechanical Engineering); two small businesses: MesoScribe Technologies (St. James, NY) and Surface Modification Systems (Santa Fe Springs, CA); and one large business: Applied Materials (Santa Clara, CA). In addition, there are other partners. The partners include a private sector organization: Sutzer Metco (Westbury, NY);and three public sector organizations: Sandia National Laboratories (Albuquerque, NM), VTT Technical Research Center of Finland (Helsinki, Finland), and the Institute of Plasma Physics (Prague, Czech Republic).