The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program for CHIPS For America – CHIPS Metrology funding opportunity is now accepting proposals. Administered through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), it seeks research projects for critically needed measurement services, tools, and instrumentation; innovative manufacturing metrologies; novel assurance and provenance technologies and advanced metrology research and development (R&D) testbeds to help secure U.S. leadership in the global semiconductor industry.
NIST will conduct this competition as a Fast-Track (covering both Phase I and Phase II) program for open topics. For closed topics, the competition is available as a Fast-Track or a Phase II for applicants that have received and successfully completed a related SBIR Phase I from NIST or another federal agency. The Fast-Track competition is seeking scientifically meritorious applications that have expressly high potential for near-term commercialization.
Important Dates:
- Due Date: June 14, 2024, at 9:59 p.m. MT
- Award Date: August 2024
Open Topics (Fast-Track applications only):
- Grand Challenge 1: Metrology for Materials Purity, Properties, and Provenance
- Grand Challenge 2: Advanced Metrology for Future Microelectronics Manufacturing
- Grand Challenge 3: Enabling Metrology for Integrating Components in Advanced Packaging
- Grand Challenge 4: Modeling and Simulating Semiconductor Materials, Designs, and Components
- Grand Challenge 5: Modeling and Simulating Semiconductor Manufacturing Processes
- Grand Challenge 6: Standardizing New Materials, Processes and Equipment for Microelectronics
- Grand Challenge 7: Metrology to Enhance Security and Provenance of Microelectronic-based Components and Product
Closed Topics (Fast-Track or Phase II Applications only):
- Near-Real Time RF Propagation Measurement System
- Compact, fieldable cryogenics for deployment of superconducting-nanowire single-photon detectors in a circuit-evaluation microscope
- Microscope for time-resolved emission microscopy with superconducting-nanowire single-photon detectors
- Device-Scale AFM-Thermoreflectance Hybrid Metrology
- Super-resolution beam scanning, wide bandwidth, optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) microscope.
- High brightness compact X-ray or EUV sources for semiconductor metrology
- Nanoscale dimensional metrology reference standards to support semiconductor metrology
- Advanced Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) detector offering high pixel density, high-speed and low noise operation, and low kV detection enabled by directly detecting electrons using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) detector.
- TEM High Voltage Biasing Holder
- Wafer-scale ferromagnetic resonance spectrometer for Advanced MRAM Wafer Data and Quality Control
The instructions and a complete list of topics for these opportunities are available at Grants.gov.
If your Utah small business intends to apply or you have questions about this funding opportunity, please contact the Utah Innovation Center at innovationutah@utah.gov.