Sbir phase I: universal crystal growth capsule and novel wafer dicing tool for in-space manufacturing

Ended Project Grant Awarded

Award ID
2419346
Recipient
Awarding agency
Obligated
$275,000

Award facts

Assistance listing
47.084 NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships
Completion date
Place of performance
Los Alamitos, CA 90720, USA

Award details come from USAspending.gov.

Description

As the agency reported it.

Abstract
The broader impact and commercial potential of this small business innovation research (SBIR) project is in advanced semiconductor technologies that are of critical need for emerging autonomous systems, networked sensing technologies, artificial intelligence enabled systems, aerospace, and defense surveillance systems. In-space manufacturing under microgravity conditions enable unique materials characteristics and advanced semiconductor device designs with significantly higher performances, thus providing the most appropriate platform for meeting the technological and market demands. A novel class of semiconductor based composite materials with unique characteristics for numerous large scale emerging applications including, magnetic sensing, thermoelectrics, photovoltaic power generation, quantum computing devices, etc. Will be developed. The proposed manufacturing plans will benefit the US national defense and civilian industry. The in-space manufacturing platform will boost the yield and reliability for high performance device technologies, meeting the demand of the multi-billion US$ market. Lessons learnt from this project will accelerate the space materials production with potentially higher profit margins for sold goods and attract private sector investments in space manufacturing business. This will help the US domestic industry to gain and/or maintain leadership in many critical technology sectors. There is a need for higher throughput, higher iteration in-space R & D and manufacturing to drive to meaningful advantages, and this project will enable an acceleration of such translational R & D in semiconductors and other key sectors. Additionally, workforce development (WFD) for training engineers and technicians in space based manufacturing are in perfect alignment with the priorities of the ?chips for america? Workforce development plans. This SBIR phase I project proposes to create innovative component design and manufacturing approaches for developing two critical hardware necessary for in-space manufacturing and application of high purity semiconductor grade bulk crystals. A universal crystal growth capsule design will be designed and fabricated for leveraging microgravity conditions during crystal growth and providing high throughput of space grown materials. For processing high cost, low defect content premium space grown crystals, a novel wafer dicing tool for damage-free thin film fabrication directly from ingots will be developed. The universal capsule design will incorporate advanced high temperature fluid dynamics components that are necessary for maximizing the beneficial effects of microgravity on crystal growth. The innovative wafer dicing tool architecture leverages advanced optics fabrication technologies for creating the dicing tool. The phase 1 project will demonstrate crystal growth of single-phase alloy and multi-phase composites of semiconductor-based materials. Fabrication of micron-scale thick wafers with millimeter scale cross-section for discrete semiconductor device from bulk crystals will be demonstrated. 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.- subawards are not planned for this award.

Quick answers

Who received award 2419346?

2419346 was awarded to United Semiconductors, LLC by National Science Foundation on March 4, 2024.

How much is award 2419346 worth?

$275,000 has been obligated on 2419346.

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