SBIR Phase II: Nanostructured Composite Transparent Electrodes for Touch Panels

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project focuses on bringing the company's transparent conductive films to the touch panel market. The performance, cost, and durability of current touch sensors are limited by shortfalls of the current industry standard material, indium tin oxide (ITO). The company is commercializing a conductive plastic film with superior performance, cost, and durability. This study will cover expansion of its scale manufacturing capabilities, allowing it to provide both pre-patterned and customer-patternable transparent conductive films suitable for use in the market. During SBIR Phase I period, the company migrated its lab-scale prototyping methods to processes compatible with at-scale roll-to-roll manufacture of unpattenered conductive films. While each step of its process was individually scaled to high throughput, production of a final product requires that all of the steps be combined into a single process flow. This Phase II grant will allow it to combine these processes while adding the ability to produce functional circuits in addition to bulk films. It will also allow it to continue pushing its films' performance higher by utilizing new techniques and materials to increase the clarity of its films. Finally, the company will thoroughly characterize the lifetime properties of its final product. The broader impact/commercial impact of this project will be significant, as it will result in a fully designed process by which the company can produce market-ready products. It will also result in functional demonstration touch panels to put into the hands of its customers. At the conclusion of the study the company expects to have secured a design win with a customer and will be in an excellent position to raise operating capital at low risk to its investors so that the company may begin shipping products. As a Silicon Valley materials technology company, the company's success in the touch panel market will help bring part of a major market back to the US that has moved overseas. This SBIR Phase II study will allow it to expand the staff and also support jobs at the US companies whose toll-coating facilities the company uses for its product development and manufacturing.