The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science has announced the awarding of 10 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants and one Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant for projects “targeting critical advances in solid-state lighting (SSL) technology.” As the press release notes, “The 11 FY17 grants will explore the technical merit and commercial potential of different innovative concepts or technologies that are expected to contribute to the achievement of the price and performance goals described in DOE’s SSL R&D Plan.”
The 11 FY17 SBIR/STTR grant recipients are as follows:
- Luminit, Torrance, Calif.: SBIR Phase I. Selected for its development of a novel system to increase the light extraction in OLEDs by using surface patterning to reduce waveguide losses.
- OLEDWorks, Rochester, N.Y.: SBIR Phase I. Selected for its development of an ultrathin, curved, high-efficiency OLED light engine that will reduce the cost OLED lighting; and SBIR Phase I; selected for its development of a novel substrate and encapsulation process that will reduce the cost of OLED lighting.
- Pixelligent Technologies, Baltimore, Md.: SBIR Phase I. Selected for its application of a novel and unique three-dimensional gradient index layer to increase the light-extraction efficiency of OLED devices.
- Lumisyn, Rochester, N.Y.: SBIR Phase I. Selected for its development of unique nanocrystal-based silicone films that will increase the efficacy of warm-white LEDs and enable custom light sources.
- OLEDWorks, Rochester, N.Y.: SBIR Phase I. Selected for its development of a novel substrate and encapsulation process that will reduce the cost of OLED lighting.
- SC Solutions, Sunnyvale, Calif.: SBIR Phase I. Selected for its demonstration of an innovative control technology for reducing the need to “bin” LEDs, by improving within-wafer temperature uniformity.
- MicroLink Devices, Niles, Ill., with National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colo.: STTR Phase I. Selected for engineering alternative semiconductor materials to overcome the fundamental loss mechanisms that limit LED performance.
- Lumisyn, Rochester, N.Y.: SBIR Phase II. Selected for its development of a novel class of high-efficiency, nontoxic nanocrystals with reduced spectral widths, for use in tunable warm-white LEDs.
- PhosphorTech Corporation, Kennesaw, Ga.: SBIR Phase II. Selected for its development of high-performance hybrid inorganic down-converting material systems for high-brightness LEDs.
- Lucent Optics, Sacramento, Calif.: SBIR Phase II. Selected for its development of a novel wide-area luminaire technology that enables efficient and cost-effective combination of high-brightness LEDs and flexible light-guiding films.
- Pixelligent Technologies, Baltimore, Md.: SBIR Phase IIB. Selected for its development of an advanced, cost-effective light-extraction material for OLED lighting.
To learn more about the current group of grant recipients, visit the DOE website. The SBIR-STTR program works “…to increase the participation of small businesses in federally sponsored innovative and novel research and development.” For more information about the program, go to http://science.energy.gov/sbir/.
