SBIR Phase II: Low-Cost, High-Performance, Vacuum Insulated Glass Window

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to advance vacuum insulated glass technology as a next-generation window solution for improving building insulation. Buildings account for a significant portion of global energy use, with windows representing one of the largest sources of thermal loss. The technology offers 5x better insulation at similar cost of dual-pane glass, with a simpler and retrofittable manufacturing process. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to develop an innovative oven-free vacuum-insulated glass production process that addresses critical technical and manufacturing challenges that have limited the broader adoption of vacuum-insulated glass despite its superior insulating performance. The project aims to develop commercially viable vacuum-insulated glass manufacturing and design that enable higher production throughput, enhanced thermal performance, and increased long-term reliability. Research objectives include scaling the proprietary metal bonding process from small laboratory samples to commercially deployable window sizes while maintaining high repeatability and seal reliability. The research will focus on optimizing bonding parameters, understanding size-dependent thermal and mechanical failure mechanisms, and validating long-term vacuum and structural durability through accelerated reliability testing. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.