SBIR-STTR Award

This SBIR Phase I project builds upon Digital Optics Corporation's experience in the design, fabrication and commercialization of diffractive and micro-optics and the experience of Dr. George Whitesides of Harvard University to provide an innovative approach to the fabrication of diffractive and micro-optical components using self-assembled monolayers (SAM's). The proposed approach makes use of SAM's for the inexpensive fabrication of submicron diffractive structures on both flat and curved surfaces. Many exciting and useful micro-optical elements exist that cannot be efficiently manufactured in production quantities with conventional methods, if they can be fabricated at all. The use of SAM-based methods will provide additional opportunities for cost-efficient fabrication of both existing and new types of micro-optics. This Phase I effort will demonstrate the application of SAM's to the fabrication of micro-optical elements. Both analytical and experimental work will be performed to verify the objectives of the proposed project.

This SBIR Phase II project builds upon Digital Optics Corporation's experience in the design, fabrication and commercialization of diffractive and micro-optics and the experience of university researchers to provide an innovative approach to the fabrication of diffractive and micro-optical components using self-assembled monolayers (SAM's). The proposed approach makes use of SAM's for the inexpensive fabrication of diffractive structures . Many exciting and useful micro-optical elements exist that cannot be efficiently manufactured in production quantities with conventional techniques, if they can be fabricated at all. The use of SAM-based methods will provide additional opportunities for cost-efficient fabrication of both existing and new types of micro-optics. This Phase II effort will demonstrate the application of SAM's to the fabrication of micro-optical elements. Both analytical and experimental work will be performed to verify the objectives of the proposed project.