SBIR Phase I: High Performance UVB-UVC Optical Filters (230-320 nm)

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I research project proposes the manufacture of high performance Ion Beam Sputtered, hard-coated thin-film interference filters on fused silica substrates in the ultraviolet UVB & UVC wavelength ranges between 230-320 nm. These high performance filters will enable and/or greatly increase the sensitivity and specificity of numerous critical scientific and engineering applications at UVB-UVC wavelengths. These applications include: direct quantitation of nucleic acids via absorbance (obviating the necessity of using intercalating fluorescent compounds), direct detection of fluorescent amino acids (phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyrosine) in biochemical assays without the use of secondary conjugated fluorophores, utilizing large UV Raman cross sections as compared to those at visible and infra-red wavelengths for spectroscopic detection of molecular species, environmental and industrial monitoring of organic and aromatic residues, and solar UVB radiometry and ozone column concentration. High performance UVB-UVC filters do not currently exist. These filters will exhibit the highest possible pass band transmission, steep edge slopes, deep and extended out of band blocking, spectral stability under intense deep UV illumination, and physical durability. The proposed filters to be manufactured can be miniaturized. These attributes are necessary for the development of advanced, novel, and cost-effective analytical instrumentation featuring high sensitivity, specificity, and reliability. These filters will be available to researchers, scientists, engineers, and organizations in the Life science, biochemical and bio-threat detection, industrial and environmental process monitoring, and UV Raman spectroscopy fields.