SBIR Phase I: Amorphous Metal Nonlinear Resistor Applications for Liquid Crystal Display Backplanes

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project assesses the technical feasibility of the amorphous metal non-linear resistor as a transformational display technology. This technology challenges conventional display industry wisdom by using tunneling electronics, enabled through innovative materials, to simplify the active matrix liquid crystal display backplane. A new path is defined for realizing enhanced performance that goes beyond simply adding process complexity to achieve incremental gains. The amorphous metal non-linear resistor has no semiconductors, fewer process layers than traditional thin-film transistor based backplanes, and leverages inherently flexible amorphous materials. These qualities are allowing cost-to-performance expectations to be redefined by solving transistor stability and speed issues and by ultimately enabling a new path to roll-to-roll backplane manufacturing. The project will establish a process for producing amorphous metal non-linear resistors that is compatible with high-volume display manufacturing techniques. At the same time, the project will advance knowledge by developing an improved understanding of the materials and interface properties necessary for realizing and controlling Fowler-Nordhiem conduction in fully patterned structures. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is in liquid crystal display backplane manufacturing energy and cost reduction. Amorphous metal non-linear resistor technology, with fewer steps, reduces the energy used in display backplane fabrication. By proving the stability and reliability of amorphous metal based thin-film devices, this technology will fundamentally alter the traditional suite of materials that scientists and engineers use to design electronics beyond display applications. Current industry solutions that attempt to improve active-matrix-liquid-crystal display performance, e.g., low temperature polysilicon and amorphous oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors, only increase manufacturing complexity and energy costs. Roll-to-roll processing of display backplanes on flexible glass substrates is a proposed cost savings initiative in the display industry. Amorphous metal nonlinear resistor technology, offers further commercial benefit to the display industry through enabling roll-to-roll production of flexible display backplanes.