Search Prime Grants

2334413

Project Grant

Overview

Grant Description
STTR PHASE I: DEVELOPMENT AND ANALYSIS OF FUNCTIONAL NANOINKS FOR PRINTED NEUROMORPHIC ELECTRONICS AND SMART SENSORS -THE BROADER IMPACT OF THIS SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PHASE I PROJECT FROM FREESCALE LLC WILL BE ON SCALABLE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF MICRO AND MACRO SCALES FOR ANALOG ELECTRONICS, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI), AND SENSING APPLICATIONS.

THE PROJECT WILL LEVERAGE RECENT ADVANCEMENTS IN ELECTROHYDRODYNAMIC AND MICRO-TRANSFER PRINTING, ALONGSIDE AI-CONTROLLED MANUFACTURING, TO PRODUCE MICRO AND MACRO-SCALE ELECTRONIC DEVICES WITH A SUBMICRON RESOLUTION. THE RESULTING DEVICES WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF COMPUTING AND SENSING, SIMILAR TO BIOLOGICAL BRAINS.

THE PROJECT WILL STRENGTHEN DOMESTIC MICROELECTRONICS INNOVATION AND PRODUCTION CAPABILITIES AND SUPPORT US LEADERSHIP IN AI AND QUANTUM COMPUTING. NEW INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS DEVELOPED USING THESE TECHNIQUES CAN HELP ADDRESS CHALLENGES IN HEALTHCARE, AEROSPACE, DEFENSE, TRANSPORTATION, ENERGY, AND MORE.

THIS SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PHASE I PROJECT AIMS TO DEMONSTRATE THE MANUFACTURING OF FULLY PRINTED FUNCTIONAL DEVICES USING AN INNOVATIVE MULTIFUNCTIONAL PRINTING PLATFORM FOR NEXT-GENERATION ELECTRONICS. THE PLATFORM WILL PROVIDE DEVELOPMENT, OPTIMIZATION, AND DELIVERY OF SPECIALTY INKS WITH CONDUCTIVE AND SEMICONDUCTIVE PROPERTIES THAT WILL BE PRINTED ON RIGID AND FLEXIBLE SURFACES TO PRODUCE ANALOG COMPUTING AND SENSING FUNCTIONALITY.

THE PLATFORM WILL SUPPORT PRINTING AT MICRO AND MACRO SCALES, LEVERAGING REAL-TIME FEEDBACK AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) CONTROL FOR INTELLIGENT COMPOSITION MODIFICATION, DELIVERY PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION, AND SCALABLE MANUFACTURING. CURRENTLY, CONVENTIONAL LITHOGRAPHIC FABRICATION OF FUNCTIONAL DEVICES IS EXPENSIVE AND INEFFICIENT, AS IT REQUIRES COMPLEX SUPPLY CHAINS, EXPENSIVE HARDWARE, AND OFFSHORE PRODUCTION.

THIS STTR PROJECT WILL COMBINE PRECISE INKJET PRINTING FOR THIN LAYER DEPOSITION AND MICRO-TRANSFER PRINTING FOR LARGE-AREA DEVELOPMENT TO ENABLE SEAMLESS FABRICATION OF FUNCTIONAL DEVICES FOR SENSING AND ANALOG COMPUTATION IN DAYS INSTEAD OF MONTHS, BYPASSING THE COMPLEXITIES OF MODERN SILICON MANUFACTURING. 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 PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.
Awardee
Funding Goals
THE GOAL OF THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, "NSF SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR)/ SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAMS PHASE I", IS IDENTIFIED IN THE LINK: HTTPS://WWW.NSF.GOV/PUBLICATIONS/PUB_SUMM.JSP?ODS_KEY=NSF23515
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Cary, North Carolina 27513-5540 United States
Geographic Scope
Single Zip Code
Freescale was awarded Project Grant 2334413 worth $274,972 from National Science Foundation in March 2024 with work to be completed primarily in Cary North Carolina United States. The grant has a duration of 8 months and was awarded through assistance program 47.084 NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships. The Project Grant was awarded through grant opportunity NSF Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I Programs.

SBIR Details

Research Type
STTR Phase I
Title
STTR Phase I: Development and Analysis of Functional NanoInks for Printed Neuromorphic Electronics and Smart Sensors
Abstract
The broader impact of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project from Freescale LLC will be on scalable additive manufacturing of micro and macro scales for analog electronics, artificial intelligence (AI), and sensing applications. The project will leverage recent advancements in electrohydrodynamic and micro-transfer printing, alongside AI-controlled manufacturing, to produce micro and macro-scale electronic devices with a submicron resolution. The resulting devices will have the capability of computing and sensing, similar to biological brains. The project will strengthen domestic microelectronics innovation and production capabilities and support US leadership in AI and quantum computing. New intelligent systems developed using these techniques can help address challenges in healthcare, aerospace, defense, transportation, energy, and more. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project aims to demonstrate the manufacturing of fully printed functional devices using an innovative multifunctional printing platform for next-generation electronics. The platform will provide development, optimization, and delivery of specialty inks with conductive and semiconductive properties that will be printed on rigid and flexible surfaces to produce analog computing and sensing functionality. The platform will support printing at micro and macro scales, leveraging real-time feedback and artificial intelligence (AI) control for intelligent composition modification, delivery parameter optimization, and scalable manufacturing. Currently, conventional lithographic fabrication of functional devices is expensive and inefficient, as it requires complex supply chains, expensive hardware, and offshore production. This STTR project will combine precise inkjet printing for thin layer deposition and micro-transfer printing for large-area development to enable seamless fabrication of functional devices for sensing and analog computation in days instead of months, bypassing the complexities of modern silicon manufacturing. 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.
Topic Code
AA
Solicitation Number
NSF 23-515

Status
(Complete)

Last Modified 3/21/24

Period of Performance
3/15/24
Start Date
11/30/24
End Date
100% Complete

Funding Split
$275.0K
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$275.0K
Total Obligated
100.0% Federal Funding
0.0% Non-Federal Funding

Activity Timeline

Interactive chart of timeline of amendments to 2334413

Additional Detail

Award ID FAIN
2334413
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Other
Awarding Office
491503 TRANSLATIONAL IMPACTS
Funding Office
491503 TRANSLATIONAL IMPACTS
Awardee UEI
FSMRVD4HSZP4
Awardee CAGE
9RSC8
Performance District
NC-02
Senators
Thom Tillis
Ted Budd
Modified: 3/21/24