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Selection of Innovative Research Projects

The recent announcement indicated that 17 exceptional projects have been selected from numerous proposals submitted in response to a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). This initiative aims to focus on a variety of research topics within the domains of measurement services, innovative manufacturing metrologies, cutting-edge assurance and provenance technologies, and advanced metrology research and development (R&D) testbeds. Each of these projects is poised to contribute significantly to the advancement of technology and innovation in their respective fields.

Purpose of the Phase I SBIR Awards

These projects have been awarded Phase I SBIR grants, which are strategically designed to assess the merit, feasibility, and commercial potential of proposed research and development endeavors. Each of the 17 small businesses that have received funding will be under consideration for a Phase II award in Spring 2025. It’s noteworthy that each Phase II award has the potential for funding to reach up to $1,910,000, thereby providing significant financial support to scale their innovations and contribute effectively to their respective industries.

List of Selected Projects and Businesses

The following is a detailed overview of the 17 small businesses and their innovative projects:

1. Direct Electron LP (Rancho Bernardo, California)

This company aims to develop a novel high-speed camera designed for high-resolution electron backscatter diffraction and transmission Kikuchi diffraction. The advancement promised by this project will enable a more comprehensive exploration of material properties, becoming instrumental for the U.S. industry focused on characterizing materials for both current and next-generation microelectronics devices.

2. HighRI Optics, Inc (Oakland, California)

HighRI Optics is embarking on a project to create cutting-edge technology for calibrating the instrument transfer function of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithographic tools. This technology is expected to propel EUV lithography forward, significantly benefitting the U.S. semiconductor industry.

3. Photon Spot, Inc. (Monrovia, California)

Photon Spot plans to develop an ultra-compact and ultra-low vibration cryogenic system aimed at supporting time-resolved imaging applications. This innovation will support integrated circuit manufacturers and assist researchers exploring experimental quantum technologies.

4. Photothermal Spectroscopy Corporation (Santa Barbara, California)

This organization is working to create a new instrument capable of conducting high-speed thermal properties analysis while simultaneously performing chemical characterization with sub-micron spatial resolution. The results of this work stand to improve thermal management specifically for the U.S. semiconductor industry.

5. PrimeNano Inc (Santa Clara, California)

PrimeNano aims to develop a sophisticated measurement technology for in-line metrology, which has diverse applications including enhancing materials purity, assessing electrical properties, and advancing the capabilities of three-dimensional devices for next-generation manufacturing.

6. Recon RF, Inc. (San Diego, California)

Recon RF is focused on developing next-generation large-signal and high-power transistor modeling techniques. This project aims to create highly accurate models that will benefit researchers and manufacturers involved in advanced radar, communications, and satellite technologies.

7. Sigray, Inc (Concord, California)

Sigray is on a mission to develop a novel linear accumulation x-ray source that promises to achieve an order of magnitude increase in performance over existing x-ray sources. This advancement will facilitate critical dimension scattering applications significantly.

8. Vapor Cell Technologies (Boulder, Colorado)

This company seeks to develop advanced dimensional metrology tools intended for semiconductor fabrication equipment. By working on minimizing the gap in the physical-digital divide, this project aims to amplify the accuracy of digital twins, directly benefiting the U.S. microelectronics supply chain.

9. Tech-X Corporation (Boulder, Colorado)

Tech-X is developing a simulation tool for photonic integrated circuits that takes into account manufacturing variations and imperfections. The implications of this work are significant for designers of photonic integrated circuits, providing them with quicker development cycles that will ultimately aid U.S. semiconductor manufacturers.

10. Octave Photonics LLC (Louisville, Colorado)

This organization is innovating a new measurement tool designed to analyze airborne contaminants and toxic gases, crucial for both internal and external semiconductor manufacturing environments. The anticipated outcome of this project will directly benefit U.S. semiconductor fabrication facilities.

11. Virtual EM, Inc. (Ann Arbor, Michigan)

Virtual EM is focused on developing a Radio Frequency (RF) channel sounder system to accurately characterize the wireless environment’s effects, which have become increasingly vital in today’s interconnected world.

12. The Provenance Chain Network (Portland, Oregon)

The Provenance Chain Network intends to create a reference implementation of the Commercial Trust™ Protocol (CTP). This system aims to improve the management of verifiable credentials (VCs), metrology, and intellectual property while enhancing hardware security and provenance tracking across microelectronic components in supply chains.

13. Tiptek, LLC (West Chester, Pennsylvania)

Tiptek is working on new high-speed nanoprobes that enhance the capacity for semiconductor failure analysis. This project specifically targets detecting “soft” electrical faults found in advanced semiconductors, which are typically challenging to identify.

14. Exigent Solutions (Frisco, Texas)

This company is striving to develop AI-powered software designed to automate and optimize chip design for manufacturability through accelerated lithography simulation. This technical advancement will streamline the design process in semiconductor manufacturing, furthering innovation within the field.

15. Laser Thermal Analysis, Inc (Charlottesville, Virginia)

Laser Thermal Analysis is creating a hybrid atomic force microscopy instrument that automatically generates maps of thermal resistance and temperature profiles for microprocessors and wide bandgap semiconductor materials. This innovation will particularly benefit devices facing thermal management issues on very small (sub-100 nanometer) scales.

16. Hummingbird Precision Machine Co. dba Hummingbird Scientific (Olympia, Washington)

Hummingbird Precision Machine is developing an in-situ specimen holder for transmission electron microscopy that enables real-time imaging of nano-scale electronic devices, promising to enhance the understanding of these vital components.

17. Steam Instruments (Madison, Wisconsin)

Lastly, Steam Instruments is focused on creating rapid and accurate high-resolution ion microscopy technology targeted at addressing materials characterization challenges prevalent in the semiconductor industry.

Assistance from AI legalese decoder

Navigating the complex world of funding proposals, compliance requirements, and intellectual property considerations can be daunting for these small businesses. This is where the AI legalese decoder can prove invaluable. By transforming complex legal jargon into comprehensible language, it enables business owners and researchers to better understand key documents, funding agreements, and regulatory obligations.

Through its assistance, small businesses can ensure that they remain compliant with various legal and funding criteria, thereby enhancing their chances of successfully advancing to Phase II SBIR awards and maximizing their potential to contribute to innovation within their industries. The AI legalese decoder can also be instrumental in streamlining communications with legal counsel, facilitating a more effective approach to navigating important legal processes associated with their research and development activities.

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