TECHNOLOGY/BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Simple, Cost-Effective Method for Producing Functional Electro-Optical Materials and Devices

Opportunity: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS), LLC under contract no. DE-AC52-07NA27344 (Contract 44) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity to enter into a collaboration to further develop and commercialize its Simple, Cost-Effective Method for Producing Functional Electro-Optical Materials and Devices.

Background: There is a general need for strategies to fabricate functional devices with tailored properties for specific applications at low cost; optical applications include deep UV photodetectors, flexible or wearable sensors, tunable flat optics including optical phase plates and Fresnel lenses with high laser damage performance.

Description: LLNL researchers developed a novel strategy that involves material transformations such as oxidation, nitridation, or carbonization. In one embodiment, copper is heated under ambient conditions resulting in its surface being oxidized and turned into copper oxide, where a new material (e.g., copper oxide) is developed via transformation (e.g., oxidation) without additional addition deposition step. As a result, multiple materials can be generated without needing multiple deposition processes. For instance, two different types of copper oxide (e.g., Cu2O and CuO2) can be selectively obtained from copper by controlling the oxidation conditions.

Advantages/Benefits: Allows functional devices to be fabricated very simply and cost-effectively by laser-induced oxidation transformation. Capability to design targeted materials with designed height profile can open up a broad range of never-before considered applications. Transformed materials have distinctive properties (e.g., electrical, optical, chemical) from their host material.

Potential Applications: Transform electrically conductive metals into semiconducting oxides with tailored electrical properties yielding a photodetector in a single transformation step without multiple lithography and deposition steps. Produce optical phase plates in a single transformation step instead of the usual process of multiple lithography process steps. Design optical filters with spatially changing transmission profiles by selectively transforming optically opaque materials into optically transparent ones.

Development Status: Current stage of technology development: TRL 2-3 LLNL has filed for patent protection on this invention. U.S. Patent Application No. 2023/0241718 System and Method for Transformative Interface/Surface Painting (TRIP) for Arbitrary 3D Surface/Interface Structures published 8/3/2023 LLNL is seeking industry partners with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market.

Moving critical technology beyond the Laboratory to the commercial world helps our licensees gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. All licensing activities are conducted under policies relating to the strict nondisclosure of company proprietary information. Please visit the IPO website at https://ipo.llnl.gov/resources for more information on working with LLNL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.

Note: THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT. Companies interested in commercializing LLNL's Simple, Cost-Effective Method for Producing Functional Electro-Optical Materials and Devices should provide an electronic OR written statement of interest, which includes the following:

Company Name and address. The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact. A description of corporate expertise and/or facilities relevant to commercializing this technology. Please provide a complete electronic OR written statement to ensure consideration of your interest in LLNL's Simple, Cost-Effective Method for Producing Functional Electro-Optical Materials and Devices . The subject heading in an email response should include the Notice ID and/or the title of LLNL’s Technology/Business Opportunity and directed to the Primary and Secondary Point of Contacts listed below. Written responses should be directed to:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Innovation and Partnerships Office P.O.

Box 808, L-779 Livermore, CA 94551-0808 Attention: IL-13557