NSF Award
9901683
The mission of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to implement the large-incident-angle performance enhancement of the reflective polarizing properties of Reveo's proprietary cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC)-based thin film polarizer to eliminate the last commercialization obstacle for several high market-pull technologies. In Phase I, Reveo discovered solutions to this obstacle through a greater understanding of the fundamental material properties, and several unexpected novel polarizer technologies were also developed. In Phase II, Reveo proposes to apply these solutions to the polarizer components of its ultrahigh-brightness LCD, energy conservation window, and switchable privacy window technologies, leveraging $2.5 million in prior private sector strategic partner investments to rapidly commercialize these otherwise market-ready technologies. This early private sector investment is dramatic evidence for the substantial market pull for these technologies. The polarizer performance will be adapted and optimized for the specific needs of each application, and manufacturability issues will be addressed focusing on the polarizer enhancement features developed herein. In commercializing these technologies, Reveo will follow its highly successful SBIR commercialization strategy of strategic partnerships that has leveraged 4 SBIR Phase II grants to attract $37,000,000 and create 65 jobs to date.<br/> The CLC polarizers resulting from this program are superior in cost and performance to any other existing or proposed thin film reflective polarizer, and the enabled enhanced brightness LCD, energy conservation window, and switchable privacy window technologies are similarly of superior commercial potential. In addition, unprecedented low cost broadband 45' reflective polarizers are a resulting newly enabled technology.<br/>technology.
