SBIR Phase I: Transparent inorganic photoresists for high index photonics

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的广泛影响/商业潜力将使下一代工程光学技术能够应用于增强和虚拟现实(AVR)设备。工程光学制造商目前沉积聚合物薄膜，并用透明模具和紫外光压印和固化它们。这种聚合物薄膜通常具有较高的成本和次优的光学性能。器件的小型化和视场的扩大需要新型的高折射率材料。该项目将为AVR制造商提供成本效益高的方法，以制造高折射率透明光子器件，否则将不可能或成本禁止使用现有方法制造。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将扩大可用于工程光学的高折射率、紫外光固化前驱体的知识库。紫外光固化聚合物-纳米颗粒复合材料代表了制造用于增强和虚拟现实(AVR)应用的光波导元件的最新技术。这些涂层通常存在光学透过率低、雾度增大、热膨胀系数高和折射率低的问题。该项目开发的紫外光固化的无机薄膜超过了目前使用的材料的标准。本研究项目将集中于阐明前驱体配方和薄膜加工之间的关系，以控制薄膜厚度、折射率和光学透过率。拟议的研究目标将重复展示受控光学性能达到或超过当前最先进水平的材料，并为制造商实现设备微型化建立一条途径。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已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 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.