SBIR-STTR Award

Nano-Electro-Mechanical-Systems Probe for Thin Film Materials Characterization
Award last edited on: 6/12/2022

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
DOC : NIST
Total Award Amount
$506,500
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
2
Principal Investigator
Kwame Amponsah

Company Information

Xallent LLC

95 Brown Road Suite 271
Ithaca, NY 14850
   (607) 262-0515
   N/A
   www.xallent.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 23
County: Tompkins

Phase I

Contract Number: 70NANB21H068
Start Date: 8/1/2021    Completed: 3/31/2022
Phase I year
2021
Phase I Amount
$106,500
The ability to quickly test materials during new technology development would provide actionable insight that would significantly reduce materials and device design iterations and accelerate time-to-market by up to three months. However, conventional characterization and test methods are increasingly ineffective when applied to structures less than 100 nanometers, causing challenges across R&D, process control, and failure analysis. An increasing number of subtle defects in thin film materials become prominent drivers of failure as device size and operating margins decrease. Thus, there is urgent demand for tools and techniques to non-destructively characterize thin film materials and semiconductor devices. Xallent will develop an innovative hybrid metrology system to use for imaging and electrical characterization of thin film materials and semiconductor devices.

Phase II

Contract Number: 70NANB22H131
Start Date: 10/1/2022    Completed: 9/30/2024
Phase II year
2022
Phase II Amount
$400,000
The ability to quickly test materials during new technology development would provide actionable insight that would significantly reduce materials and device design iterations and accelerate time-to-market. However, conventional characterization and test methods are increasingly ineffective when applied to structures less than 100 nanometers, causing challenges across R&D, process control, and failure analysis. An increasing number of subtle defects in thin film materials become prominent drivers of failure as device size and operating margins decrease. Thus, there is urgent demand for tools and techniques to non-destructively characterize thin film materials and semiconductor devices. Xallent will develop an innovative hybrid metrology system to use for imaging and electrical characterization of thin film materials and semiconductor devices.