SBIR Phase II: Epitaxial Metal Oxide Thin Films Using a Novel Polymer Assisted Deposition (PAD) Technique

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II proposal seeks to develop extremely high energy density capacitors based on spin-on metal oxide dielectric and conductor technology and will combine this technology with very high surface area substrates fabrication technology. This capacitor technology will be all solid state, inexpensive to produce, and will rival ultracapacitors in energy density. The frequency range and loss characteristics will be superior to those of other capacitor technologies and will be polarity independent. The dielectrics will be adaptable through the range of properties of the perovskite family of metal oxides, as well as non-perovskites, and will be useful for multilayer, metamaterial tailoring of properties to fit the requirements of various applications, including high voltages. The broader impact/commercial potential from this technology will be availability of high reliability, high performance capacitors for critical applications at a reasonable price due to lower cost of manufacturing. It is a disruptive technology that has applications in other areas such as solar cells, ferroelectric memories, sensors, and micro-actuators. This technology will be part of the solution for alternative energy sources and will help improve the nation's chances for energy independence.