SBIR Phase II: ERC-Small Business: Micromachined Thermal Probes for Localized Nano-Manufacturing

美国国家科学基金会（NSF）邀请当前小企业创新研究和小企业技术转移（SBIR/STTR）第二阶段的资助申请，与工程研究中心（ERC）进行合作研究。这一合作努力的目标是提供一个互利的研究和商业化平台，在这个平台上，SBIR/STTR二期受助人可以与ERC的教师、研究人员和研究生进行合作研究，以加强他们公司的能力，和/或加速ERC的进步向市场的过渡。根据NSF征求NSF 10-617， PICOCAL公司已经提交了一份额外资金申请。申请中确定的次级获奖人是密歇根大学。本提案/请求符合招标NSF 10-023的要求。拟议的合作利用并扩展了PICOCALs第二阶段（SBIR第二阶段奖励Id: 0822810）和无线集成微系统工程研究中心（ERC）的工作。PICOCAL将利用其NSF SBIR第二阶段开发的技术，在控制其尺寸和方向的同时生长单个纳米结构。在第二阶段的工作中，开发了一种真空扫描系统，以提供纳米级的定位精度，并适应专门的扫描热探针和探针阵列。从ERC的角度来看，正在进行的AMPP（先进材料、工艺和包装）研究与可以在高温和化学反应环境下工作的探针的制造有关。该提案为小型企业（PICOCAL）和ERC （WIMS）提供了一个协同合作的机会，共同开发碳纳米管（CNT）的制造技术，该技术可以控制位置、尺寸、形状和方向，这是目前其他商业方法无法实现的。PICOCAL开发了一种专门的真空扫描系统，当使用扫描热探针和探针阵列时，可以实现纳米精度。ERC提供先进的材料专业知识和额外的扫描探针专业知识，这对第二阶段技术的扩展非常重要。拟议的合作将扩展第二阶段的技术，并更快地将该技术转化为市场。这项工作如果成功，可以在许多领域得到广泛应用，包括医疗保健、能源系统和环境监测。使用纳米探针来控制纳米结构的生长和方向对纳米技术有巨大的影响，这将与WIMS工程研究中心正在进行的研究产生协同作用。这项工作的预期成果包括改进探针尖端和改善探针磨损。拟议的活动也有助于扩大代表性不足群体的参与。

NSF invites funding requests from current Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Phase II grantees to perform collaborative research with an Engineering Research Center (ERC). The goals of this collaborative effort are to provide a mutually beneficial research and commercialization platform where SBIR/STTR Phase II grantees can perform collaborative research with ERC faculty, researchers, and graduate students, to strengthen the capacity of their firms, and/or speed the transition of ERC advances to the marketplace. In accordance with the NSF solicitation NSF 10-617, PICOCAL, Inc has submitted a request for additional funding. The sub-awardee identified in the request is the University of Michigan. This proposal/request meets the requirements of the solicitation NSF 10-023. The proposed collaboration leverages and extends the work from PICOCALs Phase II (SBIR Phase II Award Id: 0822810) and the Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Wireless Integrated Microsystems grants. PICOCAL would be leveraging technology developed during its NSF SBIR Phase II in order to grow individual nanostructures while controlling their dimensions and orientation. During its Phase II effort, a vacuum scanning system was developed to provide nanometer positioning accuracy and accommodate specialized scanning thermal probes and probe arrays. From the ERC's side, the on-going research in the AMPP (advanced materials, processes, and packaging) thrust is relevant to the manufacturing of probes that can operate at elevated temperatures and in chemically reactive environments. This proposal provides an opportunity for the small business (PICOCAL) and the ERC (WIMS) to work synergistically together to develop a manufacturing technology for carbon nanotubes (CNT) that would have control over location, size, shape, and orientation not currently possible by other commercial methods. The SBIR Phase II to PICOCAL developed a specialized vacuum scanning system to allow nanometer accuracy when using scanning thermal probes and probe arrays. The ERC provides advanced materials expertise and additional expertise in scanning probes that will be important to the extension of the Phase II technology. The proposed collaboration will extend the Phase II technologies and translate this technology into the marketplace more rapidly. The proposed work, if successful, can have broad applications across a number of fields, including health care, energy systems, and environmental monitoring. The use of nanoprobes to control the growth and orientation of nanostructures can have a tremendous effect on nanotechnology and is something that will be synergistic with research now being pursued in the WIMS Engineering Research Center. The expected deliverables from this work include an improved probe tip, and improved probe wear. The proposed activity also helps broaden the participation underrepresented groups.