IKC in Advanced Manufacturing Technologies for Photonics and Electronics - Exploiting Molecular and Macromolecular Materials (MMM)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Engineering
Abstract
CIKC was established to develop advanced manufacturing technologies using new macromolecular material systems in order to capitalise on the strength of UK basic science in areas of polymers, liquid crystals and nanostructures. The emergence of printing, additive processes and low temperature fabrication on flexible (or conformal) substrates challenges the cost base of incumbent technologies. The penetration of soft materials into the electronics and photonics markets has only just begun, but the potential range of applications is very diverse encompassing telecommunications, microelectronics, displays, pharmaceuticals, and structural and aesthetic engineering applications with market estimates measured in $10s of billion per annum. The mission of CIKC is to provide the business and technical expertise, and infrastructure, to enable those with new exploitable concepts to achieve commercial success. The four means by which this is being achieved are (i) by supporting product commercialisation activities and engaging in exploitation activities in close collaboration with industry, for example, developing pilot prototyping facilities (ii) by providing training for those seeking to gain understanding of specific technologies or business strategies (iii) by developing a clear understanding of the overall market needs in the future and optimum strategies for exploitation and public policy design and (iv) by building strong networks with other academic institutions, industry and the policy community.
Organisations
- University of Cambridge (Lead Research Organisation)
- Disney Research (Collaboration)
- Plastic Electronics Leadership Group (PELG) (Collaboration)
- Silvaco, Inc (Collaboration)
- Commercialising Organic and Large Area Electronics (Collaboration)
- Unilever (Netherlands) (Collaboration)
- LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC (Collaboration)
- Plastic Logic (Collaboration)
- Novalia (Collaboration)
- Printed Electronics Centres of Excellence (PECOE) Clinic (Collaboration)
- Huawei Technologies (Collaboration)
- Dow Corning (Collaboration)
- Pragmatic Printing Ltd (Collaboration)
- Soda Ltd (Collaboration)
- Two Trees Photonics (Collaboration)
- Samsung (South Korea) (Collaboration)
- Printed Electronics Ltd (Collaboration)
- Xyratex (Collaboration)
- Eight19 (Collaboration)
- SWANSEA UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
Publications
Hughes A
(2010)
The Impact of the Patent System on SMEs
Hughes A
The Science and Research Base: Activities, Interaction and the Public Good
in BIS Science and Research Seminar: Science, The Economy and Society: An Overview of the Research Base and the Role of Government
Hughes A
(2012)
The UK R&D Landscape
Zhang M
(2012)
Tm-doped fiber laser mode-locked by graphene-polymer composite.
in Optics express
Sun Z
(2010)
Ultrafast stretched-pulse fiber laser mode-locked by carbon nanotubes
in Nano Research
Deiaco E
(2012)
Universities as strategic actors in the knowledge economy
in Cambridge Journal of Economics
Robertson B
(2012)
Use of wavefront encoding in optical interconnects and fiber switches for cross talk mitigation
in Applied Optics
Alan Hughes (Author)
What Academics and Business want from Knowledge Exchange in the UK
in Enabling Innovation: creative investments in Arts and Humanities Research
Hughes A
What Academics and Businesses want from Knowledge Exchange: The Case of the UK
in AURIL Annual Conference 2009
Lee H-S
Wide viewing angle holographic 3D display
in The 12th International Meeting on Information Display (IMID 2012)
| Description | This grant was the second tranche of funding for the Cambridge Integrated Knowledge Centre (CIKC) which is a centre of excellence for low temperature processing using macromolecular materials, such as polymers, liquid crystals and nanostructures, for applications in computer technologies, displays and communications. The work of CIKC was initiated through grant EP/E023614/1 and the outputs reported here are in addition to those reported under that grant. At the time of the instigation of the CIKC, there was a realisation that a transformation was occurring with the introduction of a wide range of new low cost, flexible materials into electronics and photonics. These materials, which encompass polymers, advanced liquid crystals, and nanostructures, including carbon and silicon nanowires, had begun to have a disruptive impact on a wide range of current products which use conventional inorganic semiconductors, not only because of their cost/performance advantages, but also because they could be manufactured in more flexible ways, suitable for a growing range of applications. Research into molecular and macromolecular materials was already fully established in Cambridge, with a range of world leading research results having been. However it was apparent that whilst much progress had been made on developing new device concepts, there was a need for complementary advanced manufacturing technologies and thus there was a lack of infrastructure suitable for the development of processes that could be scaled for production. CIKC was formed with the aim of exploiting this strategically important research work, through the establishment of a portfolio of technology platforms with a focus on the co-development of scalable manufacturing processes, improved device architectures and commercially relevant demonstrators, all in close cooperation with industry. The Centre, involving members of the Departments of Physics and the Electrical Division of the Engineering Department, the Judge Business School, the Institute for Manufacturing and the Centre for Business Research, was designed to allow embedded industrialists and academics to be co-located, and for professional knowledge transfer activities to be carried out. In short, the CIKC had four core activities: (i) a managed university/industrial interface, (ii) expert evaluation of opportunities and roadmapping, (iii) consultancy and training, and (iv) new manufacturing process development lines including some with roll-to-roll capability. CIKC funded 6 major technology projects: • a scalable manufacturing process for organic transistors using self-aligned inkjet printing. • a technology to "integrate" polymer waveguides, electronics and optoelectronics on a circuit board • a roll-to-roll printing process for organic photovoltaic devices • a lamination process for reflective liquid crystal displays on plastic • novel sputtering processes to deposit high quality transparent metal oxide materials at temperatures compatible with using plastic substrates for large area electronic devices. • a state of the art fabrication line for liquid crystal on silicon devices to produce phase-only holography devices for video projection and telecommunications. CIKC commercialisation research projects addressed structural issues in our sector in the UK, examined the evolution of value chains, explored metrics for technology transfer and surveyed best practice in intermediate technology transfer organisations. We also funded 16 small scale feasibility studies and engaged with a wide range of other organisations and networks to disseminate our work. CIKC has also produced high quality research outputs with CIKC researchers giving 111 invited presentations and authoring 84 peer reviewed papers, over half with industry authors. 54 post-doctoral researchers and 19 PhD students were involved in CIKC projects and 237 young researchers attended CIKC training in entrepreneurship and innovation. The CIKC model is effective in generating economic value from academic science and technology and producing high-calibre young scientists and engineers for industry. CIKC projects have produced significant intellectual property, transferred technology to industry partners and contributed to the formation of two spin-off companies with others under consideration. The CIKC is resourced to continue in its role as a facilitator of the commercial exploitation of advanced manufacturing technologies in photonics and electronics. |
| Exploitation Route | CIKC focused on electronic and photonic devices incorporating a broad set of advanced materials, including polymers, liquid crystals, metal oxides and nanomaterials. The devices exploit new manufacturing techniques and low temperature processing enabling, in many cases, the fabrication of electronic and photonic devices on flexible plastic substrates, as well as the processing of advanced liquid crystal materials on active substrates. The research supported by CIKC opens up new and significant market opportunities in organic photovoltaics (OPV), reflective and projection displays, smart windows, diagnostics and sensor systems, optical interconnection and distribution, anti-counterfeiting and transparent microelectronics. Industries set to benefit from distributed electronics and photonics technologies developed within the CIKC include renewable energy, construction, healthcare, advertising, packaging and security printing, automotive and ICT. Through its close links with the Judge Business School and the Centre for Business Research in projects such as ComLab, CIKC has played a pivotal role in policy initiatives that are aimed at ensuring the UK effectively exploits its world-leading research, by establishing the foundations for industries that could be worth billions of pounds in the coming years. Working with the Institute of Manufacturing (IfM), CIKC has been able to use strategic roadmapping tools to help guide promising science towards commercial opportunities. CIKC has supported young researchers become more aware of the commercial opportunities of their research through training in entrepreneurship and innovation management. |
| Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Electronics,Energy,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| URL | http://www.cikc.org.uk |
| Description | CIKC has had a very strong interaction with industry with 50 industrial partners involved in our projects and 31 others involved in follow-up projects. CIKC funded projects have led to the creation of two spin-off companies: Eight19 (2010) from the organic PV project and CamLase (2011) from a small grant project on an ultra fast fibre laser, with the formation of another four potential companies under active consideration. In total 23 patent applications had been filed as a result of CIKC projects by the end of 2012. Examples of CIKC's technology transfer activities include: • licensing deal concluded with materials partner in reflective displays project • self-aligned gate and CMOS processes for OTFTs transferred to UK industry partner • Materials partner in polymer waveguide project scaling up to pilot production • Commercial support to UK start-up through supply of LCoS device prototypes • LCOS partner scaling to production using University of Cambridge IP and know-how • 609 man-days of equipment use by industry There are also numerous projects involving academics and industrialists embedded in the Centre with 19 man years of embedded researcher effort in the Centre. including - PragmatIC Printing Limited: 7-10 employees, following small grant and a TSB project - 3T Technologies: 1 employee and patterning equipment, following small grant project - NanoInk: equipment loan - Dow Corning: 2 years of secondment to CIKC The Centre has embraced a breadth and multiplicity of applications and markets that will benefit potentially from the electronics and photonics technologies developed within the CIKC, and it has risen to the challenge of identifying prime opportunities. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2010 |
| Sector | Electronics,Energy,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Large Area Electronics |
| Amount | £5,597,170 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/K03099X/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2013 |
| End | 09/2018 |
| Description | Polymer Colour Matching Devices POCOMAT |
| Amount | £132,120 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/J013617/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2012 |
| End | 09/2013 |
| Description | COLAE |
| Organisation | Commercialising Organic and Large Area Electronics |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | In 2011,17 of Europe's leading R&D organisations in the sector formed Commercialisation of Organic and Large Area Electronics (COLAE), a network project funded under the FP7 that is designed to accelerate the commercialisation and adoption of organic electronics technology. COLAE will provide European organisations access to an unparalleled knowledge base and the know-how to implement OLAE technology. It is doing this by harnessing the resources and expertise of its project partners and making these available to both the existing OLAE industry and new organisations entering the market. CIKC is leading COLAE?s training work package aimed at end users, designers, scientists and engineers to help them understand and appreciate OLAE technology, its capabilities and commercial value across a diverse range of markets. The training programme combines expert technical support with entrepreneurial guidance |
| Collaborator Contribution | 17 of Europe's leading R&D organisations in the sector formed Commercialisation of Organic and Large Area Electronics (COLAE), a network project funded under the FP7 that is designed to accelerate the commercialisation and adoption of organic electronics technology |
| Impact | NA |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Disney Research |
| Organisation | Disney Research |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Holographic Display |
| Collaborator Contribution | Research funding |
| Impact | Several papers in the publication list are attached. |
| Start Year | 2009 |
| Description | Dow Corning |
| Organisation | Dow Corning |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Dow Corning has partnered with CIKC though its participation in the Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics. It has been the lead industry partner for the CIKC projects PIES, which was developing environmentally stable low-cost polymer interconnects for optical data transmission on PC boards, and PLACORD and the subsequent project LEAF which focussed on the fabrication of large area, low power reflective displays using bistable Smectic A liquid crystal materials laminated between plastic substrates. The intial Director of the CIKC, Dr Terry Clapp, was seconded from Dow Corning for the first 2 years of the centre. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dow Corning has partnered with CIKC though its participation in the Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics. It has been the lead industry partner for the CIKC projects PIES, which was developing environmentally stable low-cost polymer interconnects for optical data transmission on PC boards, and PLACORD and the subsequent project LEAF which focussed on the fabrication of large area, low power reflective displays using bistable Smectic A liquid crystal materials laminated between plastic substrates. The intial Director of the CIKC, Dr Terry Clapp, was seconded from Dow Corning for the first 2 years of the centre. |
| Impact | A number of publications, conference papers and patents resulted from the projects, in addition further project fnding was received from Dow Corning through the CAPE partnership and a collaborative TSB project |
| Start Year | 2007 |
| Description | Eight19 Ltd |
| Organisation | Eight19 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Eight19 Ltd (a spin off from Cambridge University) collaborated with CIKC researchers on project 3PV+ which investigated the reliability of organic solar cells |
| Collaborator Contribution | Eight19 provided resource and funding fro the 3PV+ project on the reliability of organic solar cells |
| Impact | Continued close collaboration with the Cavendish on development of OPV technology including TSB collaborative projects |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Huawei |
| Organisation | Huawei Technologies |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | LCOS device |
| Collaborator Contribution | Research funding |
| Impact | Several papers are attached in publication list. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | IeMRC |
| Organisation | Loughborough University |
| Department | Innovative Electronics Manufacturing Research Centre IeMRC |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | CIKC and IeMRC collaborated to stage a one-day seminar: "Plastic Electronics: the challenges for low temperature manufacturing" |
| Collaborator Contribution | IeMRC collaborated to stage a one-day seminar: "Plastic Electronics: the challenges for low temperature manufacturing" |
| Impact | A one-day seminar was held |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Jaguar Land Rover |
| Organisation | Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC |
| Department | Jaguar Land Rover |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | LCOS technology |
| Collaborator Contribution | Research funding |
| Impact | LCOS based holographic display technology used on Jaguar Land Rover head-up displays (HUDs) |
| Start Year | 2009 |
| Description | Novalia |
| Organisation | Novalia |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Novalia, a Cambridge SME collaborated with CIKC researchers in the 2DInks small grant to make a demonstrator using graphene inks prepared in the University |
| Collaborator Contribution | Novalia, a Cambridge SME collaborated with CIKC researchers in the 2DInks small grant to make a demonstrator using graphene inks prepared in the University |
| Impact | A demonstrator using a printed graphene touch panel was produced which resulted in press coverage, including national and international |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Plastic Electronics Centres of Excellence PECOE |
| Organisation | Printed Electronics Centres of Excellence (PECOE) Clinic |
| Country | Global |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | CIKC has partnered with four other UK Centres to form PECOE, these centres are a key national resource offering open access facilities with capabilities fro accelerating product design and development in plastic electronics. The other centres are CPIs National Printable Electronics Centre, The Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating at Swansea University, The Organic Materials Innovation Centre at Manchester University and The Centre for Plastic Electronics at Imperial College London. |
| Collaborator Contribution | CIKC has partnered with four other UK Centres to form PECOE, these centres are a key national resource offering open access facilities with capabilities fro accelerating product design and development in plastic electronics. The other centres are CPIs National Printable Electronics Centre, The Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating at Swansea University, The Organic Materials Innovation Centre at Manchester University and The Centre for Plastic Electronics at Imperial College London. |
| Impact | 3 of the PECOE members are our partners in the new EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Large-Area Electronics |
| Start Year | 2008 |
| Description | Plastic Electronics Leadership Group |
| Organisation | Plastic Electronics Leadership Group (PELG) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Chris Rider, CIKC director participates in the UK Plastic Electronics Leadership Group (PELG) which is a volunteer group representing the whole UK plastic electronics community |
| Collaborator Contribution | The UK Plastic Electronics Leadership Group (PELG) is formed by representatives of the whole UK plastic electronics community to coordinate actions and inform sponsors such as BIS of developments in the industry |
| Impact | mo specific outcomes |
| Start Year | 2009 |
| Description | Plastic Logic |
| Organisation | Plastic Logic |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Plastic Logic has an established partnership with University of Cambridge and has been the industry partner for the CIKC projects PRIME and MIPE which targeted the development of scalable manufacturing processes for organic CMOS transistor circuits using self-aligned inkjet printing. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Plastic Logic has an established partnership with University of Cambridge and has been the industry partner for the CIKC projects PRIME and MIPE providing project funding, equipment and in-kind staff time |
| Impact | A number of scientific publications, conference papers and IP resulted from the projects supported by Plastic Logic as well as continued project collaborations including through TSB -funded projects and staff secondments |
| Start Year | 2007 |
| Description | PragmatIC Printing Ltd |
| Organisation | Pragmatic Printing Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | PragmatIC were project partners in a small grant on oxide transistors Subsequently Pragmatic Printing have continued to collaborate with CIKC as project partners on the TSB funded project FLEXIC and through the secondment of 2 researchers from the company to work with the University, supported through the KTS. The company is now based in Cambridge, had an embedded laboratory within the Electrical Engineering Division for 2 years and has made a donation of equipment to the University. |
| Collaborator Contribution | PragmatIC were project partners in a small grant on oxide transistors proviiding funding and in-kind contributions |
| Impact | As well as scientific publications and conference presentations, several TSB-funded collaborative projects resulted and PragamatIC researchers were embedded in the department for 2 years. This assisted Pragmatic with their technology development which has now resulted in pilot production at the HVM Catapult |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Printed Electronics Ltd |
| Organisation | Printed Electronics Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Printed Electronics were a partner in a CIKC small grant project exploring inkjet printing of two-dimensional materials |
| Collaborator Contribution | Printed Electronics were a partner in a CIKC small grant project exploring inkjet printing of two-dimensional materials providing in-kind support |
| Impact | none currently |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | SODA |
| Organisation | Soda Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | SODA Ltd was a project partner on SAPLING, providing design and market information for reflective displays |
| Collaborator Contribution | design and market information for reflective displays |
| Impact | Demonstrators of smectic A reflective displays were made in collaboration with SODA, a TSB-funded project was also undertaken |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Samsung |
| Organisation | Samsung |
| Country | Korea, Republic of |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | OASLM technology |
| Collaborator Contribution | Research funding, visiting researchers |
| Impact | Conference presentations and patents |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Silvaco |
| Organisation | Silvaco, Inc |
| Department | Silvaco Europe Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Silvaco were partners in a project on oxide transistors |
| Collaborator Contribution | Silvaco provided their TCAD modelling and simulation software |
| Impact | not known currently |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Two Trees Photonics |
| Organisation | Two Trees Photonics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Two Trees Photonics has worked with CIKC researchers to commercialise phase only LCOS holography for display applications |
| Collaborator Contribution | Two Trees Photonics has worked with CIKC researchers to commercialise phase only LCOS holography for display applications |
| Impact | Pilot supply of LCOS devices was made by the University assisting them with bringing products to marktet |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | Unilever |
| Organisation | Unilever |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | SmA technology |
| Collaborator Contribution | Research funding |
| Impact | - |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | WCPC Swansea University |
| Organisation | Swansea University |
| Department | Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Researchers at the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating at Swansea University worked with CIKC researchers to investigate deposition techniques for graphene inks in a CIKC small grant Graphenex. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Researchers at the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating at Swansea University worked with CIKC researchers to investigate deposition techniques for graphene inks in a CIKC small grant Graphenex. |
| Impact | A paper on R2R printing of graphene inks was presented by Neil Graddage at Graphene LIVE 2012 |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Xyratex |
| Organisation | Xyratex |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Xyratex is a global supplier of data storage technologies with facilities in Havant, Southampton.. They see the optical waveguide PCB activities being carried out at the CIKC as a very strong contender to satisfy the requirements of next generation system embedded optical interconnect solutions. Xyratex is leading a collaborative project bid for EU funding to develop such an embedded optical ?eco-system?, which includes companies in the PCB, transceiver and connector industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Xyratex provided in-kind support to the project |
| Impact | Research publications and conference presentations resulted from the project |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Title | ???? |
| Description | A display device (100) comprising a display layer (130) containing a pixel array, a first lens layer (110), and a second lens layer (120). The second lens layer (120) is arranged between the first lens layer (110) and the display layer (130). The first lens layer (110) comprises a first lens array, which is used for deflecting a light passing through the first lens array into different projection directions, thus implementing a stereoscopic visual difference. The second lens layer (120) comprises a second lens array, where the second lens array is used for projecting a light beam emitted by the pixel array onto the first lens array. The structure of this display device (100) is capable of reducing the impact of a phenomenon of crosstalk among pixels (131, 132, 133) of the display device (100), thus increasing the resolution and display effects of the display device (100). |
| IP Reference | WO2015176663 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2015 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | - |
| Title | ???????????????? |
| Description | A stereo imaging device, method, display and terminal; the stereo imaging device (100) comprises: a display panel (110) comprising a pixel array and used to display an image; and at least two layers of lens layers (120, 130) disposed at a position corresponding to the pixel array and used to alternately deflect, according to an applied electric field varying with time, light rays of an image displayed by each pixel (111-116) in the pixel array to at least four different projection directions, deflection angles corresponding to the at least four different projection directions being the sum of the deflection angles of each of the at least two lens layers (120, 130), thus enabling a plurality of persons to simultaneously watch a three dimensional (3D) stereo image. |
| IP Reference | WO2016026338 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2016 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | - |
| Title | ADDRESSING ARRANGEMENT |
| Description | An optical device having a matrix arrangement of pixels defined by row electrodes and column electrodes, the row and column electrodes sandwiching a defined Sm A liquid crystal composition, the device further comprising drive circuitry connected to drive the row and column electrodes with alternating drive voltages, and addressing circuitry arranged to select pixels uses a one- third addressing scheme. |
| IP Reference | WO2013038150 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2013 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | - |
| Title | AN INTEGRATED PLANAR POLYMER WAVEGUIDE FOR LOW-LOSS, LOW-CROSSTALK OPTICAL SIGNAL ROUTING |
| Description | The present invention provides a planar waveguide. In one embodiment, the planar waveguide includes first and third layers formed above a substrate and adjacent each other. The first and third layers are formed of a first material having a first index of refraction. The planar waveguide also includes a second layer formed between the first and third layers of a second material having a second index of refraction that is larger than the first index of refraction. The planar waveguide further includes a plurality of organo-functional siloxane based resin or polymer waveguides formed in the second layer. Each organo-functional siloxane based resin or polymer waveguide has an input on one edge of the second layer and an output on one edge of the second layer so that the input and output are on different line-of- sight paths. The plurality of organo-functional siloxane based resin or polymer waveguides is formed such that intersections of the plurality of organo-functional siloxane based resin or polymer waveguides occur at approximately right angles. |
| IP Reference | WO2009073404 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2009 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | NA |
| Title | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR LIGHT BEAM ROUTING IN TELECOMMUNICATION |
| Description | We describe a LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) telecommunications light beam routing device, the device comprising: an optical input; a plurality of optical outputs; a LCOS spatial light modulator (SLM) in an optical path between said input and said output, for displaying a kinoform; a data processor, coupled to said SLM, configured to provide kinoform data for displaying said kinoform on said SLM; wherein said kinoform data defines a kinoform which routes a beam from said optical input to a sel |
| IP Reference | EP2676159 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2013 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | NA |
| Title | BISTABLE FERROELECTRIC LIQUID CRYSTAL DEVICES |
| Description | A liquid crystal electro-optic device. The liquid crystal electro-optic device comprises at least one liquid crystal cell comprising: a pair of substrates having a gap therebetween; a pair of electrodes, the pair of electrodes positioned on one of the substrates or one electrode positioned on each substrate; and a ferroelectric, oligosiloxane liquid crystal material disposed in the gap between the pair of substrates, the ferroelectric, oligosiloxane liquid crystal material exhibiting an I-? SmC* phase sequence wherein the liquid crystal electro-optic device is bistable in operation. The invention also involves a method for making a liquid crystal electro-optic device. |
| IP Reference | US2009185129 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2009 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | NA |
| Title | DRIVER CIRCUIT |
| Description | In a driver for a smeetic-A composition liquid crystal panel, the driver forms a resonant circuit operable to oscillate at resonant frequency for ordering the smeetic-A liquid crystal composition of the panel. |
| IP Reference | WO2013038152 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2013 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | - |
| Title | ELECTRONIC DEVICES |
| Description | We describe an integrated organic electronic imaging circuit, the circuit comprising a substrate onto which are integrated: at least one organic photosensor to detect an optical signal; an organic transistor circuit coupled to the organic photosensor, and configured to process information from the detected optical signal and to output a drive signal; and a display, coupled to receive said drive signal from said transistor circuit, to provide a display responsive to the processed detected optical signal. Embodiments of the invention use one or more arrays to compare colours and/or shapes, for example for a child's toy. |
| IP Reference | WO2012164259 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2012 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | NA |
| Title | IMAGE BASED MULTIVIEW MULTILAYER HOLOGRAPHIC RENDERING ALGORITHM |
| Description | Algorithms for improved and more efficient rendering of three-dimensional images for use with holographic display systems. These algorithms include creating layers orthogonal to a viewing direction, the separate layers representing different depths in the image. The layers are created based on knowing the color and depth of each point in the image. Each layer then goes through an FFT process until the information for each layer is represented as a diffraction pattern. A holographic lens is then applied to the diffraction pattern of each layer. This lens will cause that layer to appear, in a hologram based thereon, at a different depth than the other layers. The layers, each with their separate lenses, are then coherently summed up and when applied to a suitable portion of a holographic display system (e.g., an SLM), a hologram can be created for that view. A tiled array of such holograms can be combined together by the holographic display system. |
| IP Reference | US20150277378 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | - |
| Title | OLIGOSILOXANE MODIFIED LIQUID CRYSTAL FORMULATIONS AND DEVICES USING SAME |
| Description | A liquid crystal formulation is described. The liquid crystal formulation comprises a first oligosiloxane-modified nano-phase segregating liquid crystalline material; and at least one additional material selected from a second oligosiloxane-modified nano-phase segregating liquid crystalline material, non-liquid crystalline oligosiloxane-modified materials, organic liquid crystalline materials, or non-liquid crystalline materials, wherein the liquid crystal formulation has an I?SmA*?SmC* phase transition, with a SmC* temperature range from about 15° C. to about 35° C., a tilt angle of about 22.5°±6° or about 45°±6°, a spontaneous polarization of less than about 50 nC/cm2., and a rotational viscosity of less than about 600 cP. Devices containing liquid crystal formulations are also described. The device has a stable bookshelf geometry, bistable switching, and isothermal electric field alignment, a response time of less than 500 µs when switched between two stable states, and an electric drive field of less than about 30 V/µm. |
| IP Reference | US2010283925 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2010 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | NA |
| Title | OLIGOSILOXANE MODIFIED LIQUID CRYSTAL FORMULATIONS AND DEVICES USING SAME |
| Description | A liquid crystal formulation is described. The liquid crystal formulation comprises a first oligosiloxane-modified nano-phase segregating liquid crystalline material; and at least one additional material selected from a second oligosiloxane-modified nano-phase segregating liquid crystalline material, non-liquid crystalline oligosiloxane-modified materials, organic liquid crystalline materials, or organic non-liquid crystalline materials, wherein the liquid crystal formulation is nano-phase segregated in the SmC* phase, has an I?SmC* phase transition, with a SmC* temperature range from about 15° C. to about 35° C., has a tilt angle of about 22.5°±6° or about 45°±6°, and has a spontaneous polarization of less than about 50 nC/cm2, and a rotational viscosity of less than about 600 cP. Devices containing liquid crystal formulations are also described. The device has a stable bookshelf geometry, bistable switching, and isothermal electric field alignment, a response time of less than 500 µs when switched between two stable states, and an electric drive field of less than about 30 V/µm. |
| IP Reference | US2010283927 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2010 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | NA |
| Title | OPTICAL BEAM ROUTING APPARATUS AND METHODS |
| Description | This invention relates to methods and apparatus for routing light beams in telecommunications devices using holographic techniques, in particular by displaying kinoforms on LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) devices. Thus we describe optical beam routing apparatus comprising: at least one optical input to receive an input beam; a plurality of optical outputs; a spatial light modulator (SLM) on an optical path between said optical input and said optical outputs; and a driver for said SLM to display a kinoform on said SLM to diffract said input beam into an output beam comprising a plurality of diffraction orders, wherein a routed one of said diffraction orders is directed to at least one selected said optical output; wherein said apparatus is configured to modify a wavefront of said output beam to reduce a coupling of said output beam into said selected optical output; and wherein said kinoform is adapted to compensate for said wavefront modification to compensate for said reduced coupling and thereby to reduce a coupling of other diffracted light from said input beam into others of said optical outputs than said at least one selected optical output. |
| IP Reference | WO2012123715 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2012 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | NA |
| Title | OPTICAL DEVICE |
| Description | In a method of operating a liquid crystal device having a liquid crystal composition with smectic-A properties, a first waveform is applied to optically clear the device so that it is substantially transparent to visible light and a second waveform is applied to disorder the material of the liquid crystal composition to afford a strongly light-scattering state. The first waveform has a higher frequency than the second, waveform, and the method comprises applying a modified waveform to partially clear at least a portion of the device from the light-scattering state |
| IP Reference | WO2013038148 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2013 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | - |
| Title | OPTICAL DEVICE AND METHODS |
| Description | We describe methods and devices for manipulating optical signals. A method of manipulating an optical signal comprises providing a device (100 ) comprising a layer (106 ) of blue phase liquid crystal in the path of the optical signal; and applying a dynamically varying spatial pattern of voltages across the layer (106 ) of blue phase liquid crystal, thereby causing the refractive index of the layer (106 ) of blue phase liquid crystal to vary according the dynamically varying spatial pattern. |
| IP Reference | WO2013117903 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2013 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | - |
| Title | Oaslm-based holographic display |
| Description | Provided is an optically addressable spatial light modulator (OASLM)-based holographic display and a method of operating the same. The display includes an addressing unit including a light source unit emitting a plurality of recording beams, a driving mirror array including driving mirrors that each reflect a recording beam incident thereon, and a mirror member array including mirror members that each obliquely reflect a recording beam incident thereon, in which each of the driving mirrors corresponds to one of the mirror members. The recording beams, which are transmitted by the addressing unit, are focused onto the OASLM by micro lenses of a lenslet array. The OASLM is optically addressed by the recording beams focused by the micro lenses of the lenslet array and thus modulates and diffracts a reproduction beam, incident thereon from a reproduction beam providing unit, and thus a holographic image is reproduced. |
| IP Reference | US20140375763 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2014 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | - |
| Title | Optically addressable spatial light modulator divided into plurality of segments, and holographic three-dimensional image display apparatus and method using the light modulator |
| Description | Provided are an optically addressable spatial light modulator (OASLM) divided into a plurality of segments, and an apparatus and method for displaying a holographic three-dimensional (3D) image using the OASLM. The holographic 3D image display apparatus includes a first light source which emits a write beam, an electric addressable spatial light modulator (EASLM) which modulates the write beam emitted from the first light source according to hologram information regarding a 3D image, a second light source which emits a read beam, an OASLM which receives the write beam modulated by the EASLM and modulates the read beam emitted from the second light source according to hologram information included in the modulated write beam, a scanning optical unit which projects the write beam modulated by the EASLM onto the OASLM, and a Fourier lens which focuses the read beam modulated by the OASLM onto a predetermined space to form the 3D image. |
| IP Reference | US20140104664 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2014 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | - |
| Title | PATTERNING LAYERS BY USING THREADS |
| Description | A method for patterning an article, the article comprising a first layer (18) of a first material, a first major surface of the first layer being in intimate contact with some or all of a first major surface of a second layer (16) of a second different material the method comprising providing a first thread (52) carrying a first species to remove at least a portion of the first layer, and providing a second thread (54) aligned with and adjacent the first thread and contacting the first and second threads with the first layer to remove at least part of the first layer. |
| IP Reference | WO2012004589 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2012 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | NA |
| Title | PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL |
| Description | An organic photovoltaic cell (100) having a pair of electrodes (113,114) and a photoactive layer (112) comprising a photoactive material, and means (111) to control and/or regulate the operating temperature of the cell (100). |
| IP Reference | WO2011089448 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2011 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | NA |
| Title | PRINTED ELECTRONIC DEVICE |
| Description | This invention generally relates to a patterned substrate for an electronic device and to electronic devices, device arrays, field effect transistors and transistor arrays comprising the patterned substrate. The invention also relates to a logic circuit, display, memory or sensor device comprising the patterned substrate. Further the invention relates to a method of patterning a substrate for an electronic device. In an embodiment, a patterned substrate for an electronic device comprises: a first body having an edge; a second body comprising an elongate plurality of printed droplets having an edge adjacent to and substantially aligned to said first body edge; and a separation between said first body edge and said second body edge, wherein said elongate plurality of printed droplets is at an angle of about 5 degrees to about 90 degrees to said first body edge. |
| IP Reference | WO2011015847 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2011 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | NA |
| Title | SMECTIC A COMPOSITIONS FOR USE IN OPTICAL DEVICES |
| Description | A liquid crystal smectic A composition that can be switched by the application of different electric fields across it between a first stable state (left hand block in Fig 4) and at least one second stable state (right hand block in Fig 4) in which the composition is less ordered than in the first state. The radiation transmission properties of the first and second states are different. The composition comprises: (A) a liquid crystal material that has a positive dielectric anisotropy and that is a uniformly aligned smectic A structure when in the first state; (B) an ionic dopant giving a negative conductivity anisotropy in the liquid crystal material so that it is capable of disrupting the smectic A structure of the first state when subject to an electric field that causes the dopant to migrate through the composition, thereby causing the composition to switch into said at least one second state, and (C) optically anisotropic pigment particles having positive dielectric anisotropy dispersed in the composition, the largest dimension of the pigment particles being in the range of 10nm to 1 µm. The composition, when in the first relatively stable state, is capable of undergoing smectic dynamic scattering due to electro-hydrodynamic instability under the influence of a sufficiently low frequency AC field, thereby disordering the liquid crystals and the pigment particles and thereby discouraging the pigment particles from aggregating together. The composition is suitable for use in displays and is especially resistant to degradation by ambient light and so can be used in outside applications. |
| IP Reference | WO2012095627 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2012 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | NA |
| Title | STEREO IMAGING APPARATUS, METHOD, AND DISPLAY |
| Description | Provided are a stereo imaging apparatus, method, and display. The stereo imaging apparatus comprises: a display panel, comprising multiple pixel units and used to display an image in a time division manner; an electro-optic modulation layer, comprising multiple electro-optic modulation units that are separately arranged at positions corresponding to multiple pixels, and used to deflect, according to an applied time-varying electric field and in an alternating manner, light rays of the image displayed by the multiple pixel units to different directions, the time-varying electric field changing synchronously in accordance with the image that is displayed in the time division manner. This technical solution can improve the resolution of autostereoscopic display. |
| IP Reference | WO2015007171 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2015 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | - |
| Title | LCOS based holographic display technology used on Jaguar Land Rover head-up displays (HUDs) |
| Description | LCOS based holographic display technology used on Jaguar Land Rover head-up displays (HUDs) |
| Type Of Technology | New/Improved Technique/Technology |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Impact | The HUD technology developed at Cambridge is the first to use laser holographic techniques, which provide better colour, brightness and contrast than other systems, but in a smaller, lighter package. It provides key information to the driver without them having to take their eyes away from the road. - See more at: http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/features/heads-up-cambridge-holographic-technology-adopted-by-jaguar-land-rover#sthash.rtWOt7yA.dpuf |
| URL | http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/features/heads-up-cambridge-holographic-technology-adopted-by-jaguar-l... |
| Company Name | Camoptics Ltd |
| Description | CAMOPTICS LIMITED was founded on 2014-10-10 and has its registered office in Cambridge. The organisation's status is listed as "Active". Camoptics Limited is a Private Limited Company registered in with Companies House and the accounts submission requirement is categorised as NO ACCOUNTS FILED |
| Year Established | 2014 |
| Impact | CamOptics and Jasper Display Joint Development More information : http://www.displaydaily.com/paid-news/284-mdm/mdm-market-news/14753-camoptics-and-jasper-display-joint-development-consortium-announcement |
| Company Name | ROADMap Systems Ltd |
| Description | RoadMap Systems is a spin-out from the University of Cambridge. Professor Daping Chu's group have significant expertise in Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) technology developed over the last 15 years. With exclusive access to key IP and know-how, ROADMap Systems is developing Wavelength Selective Switch (WSS) technology for use in agile optical telecom networks. A seed round of £500,000 was completed in August 2014 |
| Year Established | 2013 |
| Impact | NA |
| Website | http://www.roadmapsystems.co.uk/ |