SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop a nanopatterning process called molecular transfer lithography to form high-resolution and high-aspect-ratio functional nanostructures of advanced materials. Differentiated from other nanopatterning methods, the molecular transfer lithography approach uses water-dissolvable templates of polyvinyl alcohol, which are replicated from master topography and then coated with functional material films prior to conformal transfer onto substrates. By subsequent processing of the materials while on the template, either through modification of the material surface or the template surface itself, precise control of the nanostructure, interface, and the composition will enable the high-resolution printing of novel functional materials. The broader/commercial impact of this project will be the potential to provide a nanomanufacturing technique to enable the printing of high-resolution and high-aspect-ratio functional nanostructures for applications in optics, photonic devices, alternative energy devices, sensors, customized semiconductors, and displays. In addition, this nanopatterning technique uses water-dissolvable templates, which eliminates the need for wet processing of the materials and offers a more environmentally-friendly process

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to develop processes for high-resolution patterning of advanced functional materials by a patented technique called molecular transfer lithography. The approach is to use water-dissolvable templates of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), which are replicated from master surface topography, coated with functional materials that are transferred to a substrate as an active component of the resulting nanopatterned device. A range of functional materials are considered including dielectrics, metal oxides, conductive inks, phosphors, ceramics, optical polymers, nanoparticle-loaded composite materials, sol-gels, specialized resists, monolayer and semi-permeable polymer films, and luminescent materials. In combination with a platform equipment technology, these processes for functional material patterning comprise a comprehensive nanolithography solution that should enable nanomanufacturing of a broad range of novel devices. The broader/commercial impacts of this project will be the potential to enable the nanopatterning of various functional materials that previously were difficult, not possible, or too costly to produce as high-resolution features for integration in advanced devices. Lithography technology, approximately a $10 billion market opportunity, creates dense circuitry and related nanostructures for high performance devices including semiconductors, displays, data storage, solid state lighting, solar cells, and biological sensors. In this project, the lithography procedure, which uses water-dissolvable templates and dry functional materials, enables an environmentally-friendly approach to high-resolution patterning, a foundational step in advanced manufacturing.