TECHNOLOGY/BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Method for designing and fabricating patterned metallic traces on glass surfaces

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 method for designing and fabricating patterned metallic traces on glass surfaces.

Background:

Silicate glasses are typically difficult to plate and require many pretreatment steps to ensure uniform deposition and adequate adhesion. However, the incorporation of metallic surfaces and patterns allows functionalities such as electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, catalytic activity that can enable the design and fabrication of functional glass devices, e.g., microfluidic circuits, electrochemical reactors and freeform optics.

Description:

LLNL researchers have continued to develop their pioneering DIW 3D-printed glass optics technology that allows for the 3D printing of single- and multi-material optical glass compositions in complex shapes. This LLNL invention further proposes incorporating dopants (including, but not limited to TiO2 and Pd) into slurries and inks for 3D printing of glass components that can then be directly plated. By using the ability to spatially control the composition of the glass, it is possible to 3D print glass with prescribed patterns of doped composition (e.g. a silica glass where certain regions are doped with TiO2 and Pd). When the entire glass construct is placed in an electroless plating bath, only the doped regions will be metallized. Several methods are proposed including DIW 3D printed green body, light-based stereolithography and direct powder bed melting.

Advantages/Benefits: 

• Allows silicate glasses to be plated easily and effectively with metallic layers.
• Allows functionalities such as electric conductivity, thermal conductivity, catalytic activity to be designed and fabricated with great flexibility and versatility.
• Allows selective patterning of glass with custom designed functional metallic layers.

Potential Applications: 

• Generate complex functional microfluidic circuits.
• Manufacture of electrochemical reactors.
• Fabrication of freeform electrooptical devices.

Development Status: 

Current stage of technology development:  TRL 3

LLNL has filed for patent protection on this invention.

U.S. Patent Application No. 2023/0095982 System and Method for Direct Electroless Plating of 3D-Printable Glass for Selective Surface Patterning published 3/30/2023

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 method for designing and fabricating patterned metallic traces on glass surfaces should provide an electronic OR written statement of interest, which includes the following:

1. Company Name and address.
2. The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact.
3. 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 method for designing and fabricating patterned metallic traces on glass surfaces.

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-13672