Seeking Organic Electro-optical Materials and/or Modulators for High-speed Communication, and Materials for Photonic Assemblies and Protective Coatings

Nippon Kayaku, a global chemical products company, is actively seeking to advance the research and development of organic electro-optical (EO) polymer materials for modulators, switches, and optically integrated circuit (PIC) technology towards ultra high-speed and energy-saving optical communication technology. There is also interest in materials associated with photonic assemblies and protective coatings. 

Approaches of Interest:

• Organic EO materials with the following characteristics are of high interest: 
  • (1) High EO coefficient (r33) at O-band (1310 nm) / C-band (1550 nm) (2) Low absorption loss at O-band (1310 nm) / C-band (1550 nm) (3) High thermal stability (Tg)
• The use and application of organic EO materials for the development and commercialization of optical modulators
  • Ideal characteristics for these modulators include: (1) Wide modulation bandwidth ([GHz] at -3 dB range) at O-band (1310 nm) / C-band (1550 nm) (2) Low half-wave modulation voltage ([Vπ]) (3) Compact modulator size ([mm]) (4) Low optical loss of the modulator ([dB])
• There is also interest in complimentary materials such as diamine and maleimide which are used in photonics assemblies, and for protective coatings
  • Diamine can be used as raw material for polyimide, polyamide, and epoxy resins. The team is looking for low dielectric improvements with this material. Improved thermal, chemical, mechanical and optical properties are desired
  • Maleimides with improved low dielectric properties and greener/sustainable versions of these materials are of interest also
• Opportunities between TRL4 and TRL6, with proof of scalability, will be prioritized 

Out of Scope

Opportunities relating to highly carcinogenic materials, or unsustainable materials.

Submission Information and Opportunity for Collaboration

Submission of one-page, 200–300-word briefs is encouraged, along with any optional supplementary information e.g. relevant publications. Completion of this submission form is highly recommended. This campaign is also open to submissions from SMEs and startup companies. In submitting to this campaign, you confirm that your submission contains only non-confidential information. Our client is open to a range of collaboration opportunities, with the most appropriate outcome being decided on a case-by-case basis. Example outcomes include licensing assets and research collaborations.