SBIR-STTR Award

Laser Nanostructured Surfaces for Armament Applications
Award last edited on: 3/3/2024

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
DOD : Army
Total Award Amount
$1,149,297
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
A16-014
Principal Investigator
Chunlei Guo

Company Information

AlchLight

10-3 Selden Street
Rochester, NY 14605
   (585) 888-3042
   N/A
   www.alchlight.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 25
County: Monroe

Phase I

Contract Number: W15QKN-16-C-0071
Start Date: 9/8/2016    Completed: 4/13/2018
Phase I year
2016
Phase I Amount
$149,795
AlchLight creates, develops, and licenses surface technologies for industrial and military applications. At the University of Rochester's High Intensity Femtosecond Laser Lab, AlchLights scientists discovered and pioneered laser processing techniques that render metals and alloys superhydrophobic, self-cleaning, and antireflective. This proposal details AlchLights strategy to leverage an exclusive licensing agreement from the University for research and commercialization and to utilize the labs extensive fabrication and testing facilities for the production of materials tailored to the Armys exacting specifications. As a research-driven company with deep technical knowhow and a growing list of commercial partners, AlchLight continues to develop and incorporate innovative approaches to production. While other labs are able to produce similar effects, AlchLight is uniquely positioned to expand and scale this proprietary technology. In addition, a highly disruptive, alternative manufacturing technique is also proposed by AlchLight that carries the potential to revolutionize the process of producing materials with the desired surface attributes by imprinting the necessary topographies directly on both the glass and metallic surfaces.

Phase II

Contract Number: W15QKN-18-C-0053
Start Date: 10/16/2017    Completed: 9/24/2021
Phase II year
2018
Phase II Amount
$999,502
Having successfully validated our superhydrophobic, self-cleaning, wear and rust resistant laser based surface process in the Phase 1 project period, we at AlchLight propose to scale this technology to industry relevant levels by once again working with members of the University of Rochester's High Intensity Laser Lab. To achieve this goal, we will develop the world’s first superhydrophobic micro-/nano-structuring laser workstation. Design and fabrication of the workstation will follow investigation of two methods of scaling our existing laser based superhydrophobic surface process; 1) a high-risk high-reward laser-assisted imprinting scheme, and 2) a sure-bet direct laser processing scale up utilizing advanced lasers and scanning methods.