SBIR Phase I: Thermoformable Technical Ceramics for Thermal Management Solutions

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to establish, understand, and improve a thermoformable ceramic technology that uniquely provides a scalable pathway to overcome significant thermal management limitations faced by next-generation electronic systems, including 5G cellular devices, high-performance vehicles, renewable energy, and consumer electronics. Thermal management limitations in electronics are a $26B dollar problem that spans industries and is the cause of 55% of all electronic system failures. Within this space, thermal management materials are considered the innovation bottleneck in electronic applications, especially for components with reduced size and weight requirements. The thermoformable ceramics and scalable manufacturing processes proposed in this project offer a new materials paradigm to deliver thermal management solutions with high production volumes, short lead times, and low prices. Further, this project provides a critical path to reestablish U.S. manufacturing of these next-generation technical ceramics enabling domestic economic benefits and supply chain resiliency. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to address and mitigate the remaining technical challenges for the commercial adoption of thermoformable ceramics in thermal management applications. Thermoformable ceramics are uniquely positioned to provide thermal management solutions for electronics due to their ability to conduct heat effectively while remaining electrically insulative, like diamond. However, unlike diamond, thermoformable ceramics can be manufactured at scale and with precise three-dimensional geometries, offering unprecedented thermal materials solutions for the electronic industry. The first technical challenge addressed in this project is to understand and improve the material's robustness against solvent attack. This enhancement will expand the target markets to include maritime technologies and fluid-based heat exchanger technologies. The second challenge is to establish the scalability of part sizes and feature complexity. Successfully addressing this will enable thermoformable ceramics to accommodate larger part sizes, higher production volumes, and entry into higher-value markets. The third challenge is to achieve best-in-class performance in application-based testing. Meeting this objective will facilitate faster customer adoption by reducing the technology's risk through market-relevant testing. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.