SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I research project aims to develop an innovative high speed IR-transparent flexible thin-film transistor (TFT) technology for application to conformal IR invisible electronics by using unique electronic-grade carbon nanotube (CNT) solutions that contain individually suspended ultrapure CNTs without any surfactant. With numerous simple solution-casting methods, ultrapure CNT films of various densities can be formed. Such films possess ultrahigh carrier mobility, great mechanical resilience, and superior IR transmittance. Meanwhile, the unique room-temperature solution-processable CNTs would enable mass production of large-area high-speed conformal integrated circuits on virtually any desired flexible substrate at low cost and high throughput without the need for special lithography equipment. In Phase I, a prototype flexible CNT-TFT will be fabricated for conducting technical feasibility investigation, and potential commercial feasibility will be assessed. The work in Phase II would concentrate on achieving large-area high-speed IR-invisible integrated circuits on flexible substrates at low cost and high throughput. Through this project electronic structures and IR properties of CNT films will be further revealed. Bandgap engineering techniques will be developed to enable the tuning of electrical and optical properties of CNT films. Purification techniques and post-fabrication processes will be optimized to enhance the field-effect mobility and the on-off ratio of CNT-TFTs. Various solution-casting methods will be explored to achieve high-rate cost-effective manufacturing of large-area integrated circuits on flexible substrates. The outcomes of this project will provide a solid base for developing a family of electronic-grade CNT solution products suitable for a great variety of applications. This project is potentially importance for a great variety of applications, such as flexible electronics, IR-invisible antennas, and embedded IR sensing, imaging, and communications. This project will train both industry workers and college students in cutting-edge cross-disciplinary areas of Nanomaterial Science and Nanoelectronics. Internships will be offered to students as part of the industry training, which will help to provide and maintain qualified hi-tech work forces in the United States

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II project focuses on developing a commercially viable process for producing a versatile passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. Existing passive tag technologies have many limitations that hinder their widespread use. The most significant limitations include minimal operating range, high unit costs, and a rigid form that makes the tag difficult to adhere to curved or irregularly shaped surfaces. This project aims to overcome these limitations by utilizing two innovative technologies. The first technology is a new type of field-effect transistor (FET) that is fabricated from high-purity and semiconducting-enriched single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) solutions. These innovative FETs provide improvements in operating frequency and current-carrying capacity which enable an extended RFID range. The second innovation is a high-speed, highly accurate, and ultrafine-dimension-capable system for depositing electrical components and antennas onto flexible substrates at or near room temperature. This project aims to culminate in the production and evaluation of prototype carbon nanotube-based RFID tags that meet the value-added needs of the RFID marketplace. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be the development of low-cost, flexible, and extended-range RFID tags. These tags will provide industry and the U.S. Government with a reliable and economic methodology for managing and tracking supply chain inventory, will allow an expansion in the use of smart cards, and will enable the identifying and tracking of animals and marine life, a critical element in protecting endangered species. The results of the project will also improve applications such as passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, flexible electronics, IR-invisible antennas, and embedded IR sensing, imaging, and communications