N101-074 TITLE: Robust, Thin Resistive Films

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Materials/Processes

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Advanced Development Program Office NAVAIR, 4.12.7, Non-ACAT

RESTRICTION ON PERFORMANCE BY FOREIGN CITIZENS (i.e., those holding non-U.S. Passports): This topic is "ITAR Restricted." The information and materials provided pursuant to or resulting from this topic are restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120 - 130, which control the export of defense-related material and services, including the export of sensitive technical data. Foreign Citizens may perform work under an award resulting from this topic only if they hold the "Permanent Resident Card", or are designated as "Protected Individuals" as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). If a proposal for this topic contains participation by a foreign citizen who is not in one of the above two categories, the proposal will be rejected.

OBJECTIVE: Develop thin resistive films capable of withstanding organic matrix composite manufacturing process stresses and associated handling requirements.
NOTE: The prospective contractor(s) must be US owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by DoD 5220.22-M, National Industrial Security Operating Manual.

DESCRIPTION: Carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been demonstrated to have exceptionally high values of conductivity. They have been used to make conductive inks, conductive sealants, and conductive fibrous mats, among other applications. One advantage of using CNT over carbon black is that the quantity of filler needed is considerably less. In fact, conductive films can be produced using CNT that remain transparent to visible light. One other potential application for CNT is a conductive coating in resistive or conductive thin films. Current resistive and conductive thin films use either carbon particles dispersed in an ink or sputtered metal films. Neither of these materials is very robust, often breaking down in handling operations or when bent around tight radii. The low filler concentration required and high aspect ratio of CNT used in inks to achieve comparable conductivities makes it possible that these CNT films will be more robust and durable.

PHASE I: Demonstrate the feasibility to produce a thin conductivity film that can withstand rigorous flexing and bending. Develop a cost estimate for making hundreds of square feet of the material. The coating must also exhibit good ASTM tape peel, abrasion and electrical stability under heat and humidity. Furthermore demonstration of modest sized (A4) coated sheets should be demonstrated and shown to have excellent uniformity (<5% Rs variation across surface) and repeatability from sheet to sheet. A test article will be required to demonstrate that resistivities through the range of 10 ohms/square to 1000 ohms/square can be produced and that these films can be bent around a quarter inch diameter mandrel>10 times without a more than 5% change to the resistivity. These coating should also be tested to demonstrate mechanical and environmental durability. Feasibility to scale the entire deposition process should also be made evident.

PHASE II: Scale up the deposition process to produce several hundred square feet of material. Characterize the film with respect to environmental stability and handling durability. Large area test articles will be prepared and the films characterized. The films will be used to demonstrate the ruggedness of the CNT coating and stability to a variety of environments, including humidity, temperature, and salt fog.

Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be US owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by DoD 5220.22-M, National Industrial Security Operating Manual. The selected contractor and/or subcontractor may be required to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearance in order to perform in Phase II of this contract as set forth by Defense Security Service (DSS) in order to gain access to classified information. The selected contractor may be required to safeguard classified information IAW DoD 5220.22-M during advanced phases of the contract.

PHASE III: Complete the development of the technology by Navy qualification testing and maturing the manufacturing process. Transition the technology to a Navy airborne or ship system.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Resistive films can be used in variety of commercial applications including touch screens, e-paper, and solar panels.

REFERENCES:
1. Ning Li, Yi Huang, Feng Du, Xiaobo He, Xiao Lin, Hongjun Gao, Yanfeng Ma, Feifei Li, Yongsheng Chen, and Peter C. Eklund, :Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Shielding of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Epoxy Composites," Nano Lett., 2006 6 (6), pp 1141-1145.

2. Yonglai Yang, Gupta C. Mool, Dudley L. Kenneth, Lawrence W. Roland, "A Comparative Study of EMI Shielding Properties of Carbon Nanofiber and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Filled Polymer Composites, "Journal of Nanosciences and Nanotechnology, 2005, vol. 5, no. 6, pp. 927-931.

3. Yonglai Yang, Gupta Mool C., and Kenneth L. Dudley, "Towards Cost-Efficient EMI Shielding Materials Using Carbon Nanostructure-Based Nanocomposited", Nanotechnology, 2007, vol. 18 345701.

KEYWORDS: Carbon nanotubes, thin films, conductive polymers, nanotechnology

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between November 12 and December 9, 2009, you may talk directly with the Topic Authors to ask technical questions about the topics. Their contact information is listed above. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed starting December 10, 2009, when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation.

However, proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the DoD's SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS), in which the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing until the solicitation closes. All proposers are advised to monitor SITIS (10.1 Q&A) during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR 10.1 topic under which they are proposing.

If you have general questions about DoD SBIR program, please contact the DoD SBIR Help Desk at (866) 724-7457 or email weblink.