"High-efficiency photovoltaic cells fabricated from copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) technology are important for the generation of low-cost electrical energy. Greater cost benefits could be realized if photovoltaic films could be fabricated onflexible metal foils using a roll-to-roll… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Project will investigate the feasibility of incorporating diamond powder in epoxy molding compounds at high packing densities using optimized multi-modal distributions of diamond powder. The resulting thermalconductivities of these composite… More

An inexpensive method to insulate the CIGS thin-film from the stainless steel substrate is needed to make monolithic production of lightweight CIGS-based photovoltaics feasible. This coating must allow good foil flexibility and exhibit high breakdownvoltages. The coating must also be compatible… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will focus on developing more efficient semiconductor packaging materials, which is one of the key challenges of the electronics industry where increasing power and reduced size of integrated circuits is creating heat dissipation challenges.… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I will develop a novel method to fabricate low-cost foamed aluminum materials that will exhibit high-energy absorption capability, high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios. There has been a significant interest in porous metal foams… More

Although recent pollution-control measures have successfully reduced NOX and mercury in flue emissions during coal combustion, these measures have led to a substantial increase in the amount of unused fly ash containing high carbon levels. The Portland cement industry, the largest consumer of fly… More

During the past couple of decades, there has been considerable interest and research in inorganic polymers ("geopolymers") for high temperature and for rapid-setting concrete materials. Geopolymers are manufactured by combining aluminosilicates powders with highly alkaline water through… More

This Small Business Innovation & Research (SBIR) Phase I project offers a novel approach for producing a hard, uniform coating on the surface of lightweight aluminum. The technique uses a modified ""micro-arc"" approach for applying protective ceramic coatings that are much more uniform, denser and… More

During the last two decades, there has been considerable interest and research in inorganic polymers ("geopolymers") for high-temperature applications. Geopolymers are manufactured by combining aluminosilicate powders with activating liquids through a polycondensation reaction. The resulting cured… More

Composite materials utilizing graphite fibers can exhibit high axial thermal conductivities. However, thermal conduction perpendicular to the fiber direction in the composite is extremely low due to the acoustical mismatch between the carbon fiber and epoxy. Sommer Materials Research, Inc.… More