Driver ASICs for Advanced Deformable Mirrors

The program leverages on our extensive expertise in developing high-performance driver ASICs for deformable mirror systems and seeks to expand the capacities of the proposed novel ASIC technology to beyond what have been possible by using traditional techniques. The overall goal of the SBIR program will be to develop a new class of Application Specified Integrated Circuit (ASIC) driver technology to be used in driver electronics of a deformable mirror (DM) system for reducing power dissipation, improving controllability, enforcing multiplexing bandwidth, and significantly reducing the form factors of the entire DM system for adaptive optics. Through the Phase I project, we aims to transform the technology readiness level from TRL 1 to TRL 2, and in Phase II, the technology readiness level for the proposed ASIC driver system will be promoted from TRL 2 to TRL 4 within a 2-year time frame.

The driver ASIC and a DM will work together to enable NASA's applications including high-performance adaptive optics systems for (1) correction of aberrations in large-aperture, space-deployed optical interferometers and telescopes (e.g. for nulling coronagraph), (2) high-resolution imaging and communication through atmospheric turbulence, and (3) optical path alignment. Based on this NASA-supported ASIC driver platform technology, the products to be enabled through the program will be a series of driver ASICs for serving the deformable mirrors being used and/or to be implemented in NASA's future adaptive optics instrumentations. Not limited to the unique DM solution that our company is developing for NASA, but also applicable to drive DMs developed by other companies as long as the actuators are capacitive and within the working ranges of the driver ASIC. Differentiating itself from traditional driver solutions is its ultralow power dissipation, uncompromised board bandwidth (from quasi-static to up to 100 kHz), compactness, lightweight, and low cost, and should these features be demanded by a specific AO system design, the proposed ASIC technology will be worthy of considerations.

As an enabling technology for deformable mirrors, the ASIC will work together with DMs to enable a commercial application as well. Future non-NASA applications for deformable mirrors include laser beam shaping, ophthalmology and other microscope applications. In our commercial strategy, we plan to develop imaging enhancement chip to meet ophthalmology retinal imaging requirements. In addition, for the Department of Defense, if needed, we would build prototype ASIC/DM integrated module based on the Phase II results and apply these to military seekers, FLIRs and commercial adaptive optical systems. For MEMS industry, the ASIC circuit could be combined with piezoelectric and electrostatic microactuators to serve a large variety of device applications including those in optical MEMS, RF MEMS and Bio MEMS. For example, for electrostatic based MEMS portable display light engines, the ASIC could be implemented to further reduce the power dissipation of the entire display device.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 2) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.