D.J. McGee
VectorScribe LLC,
United States
Keywords: maskless, lithography, photonics, spinout
Summary:
VectorScribe is a spinout that originated in the lab of David McGee at the College of New Jersey. What began as NSF-funded academic research on novel light-sensitive polymers has transformed into a new microprinting technology based on the photomechanical response of azopolymers to polarized light. This process writes surface microstructures in real-time, enabling accessible and efficient fabrication of conventional and novel surface relief microstructures, and with considerable advantages over existing multistep lithographic processes. VectorScribe’s evolution out of the academic lab is a case study in the value of photonics ecosystems. The technology began as conventional academic research funded by NSF. As it began to exhibit commercial potential, VectorScribe’s founder needed access to a photonics-focused network of entrepreneurs, facilities, and manufacturers which he found in the Advancing Photonics Technologies (APT) consortium based at Princeton University and part of the NSF Engines program. This led to additional NSF funding in collaboration with local photonics manufacturer Thorlabs to further de-risk the technology, bringing it significantly closer to market-ready.