NewsThermal Conductivity

Laser Thermal Receives DARPA Phase II Award to Enhance Thermal Metrology

September 2, 2024by John Gaskins

In exciting news for the field of thermal measurement, Laser Thermal has been awarded a Direct to Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). This award supports DARPA’s project, “Advancing Thermo-Optical Metrology for Integrated Circuits” (ATOMIC), and promises to push the boundaries of nano-scale thermal property measurement.

A Leap Forward in Thermal Measurement

Laser Thermal, known for its expertise in thermal property measurement solutions, is set to receive backing to advance its Nano-probe Thermoreflectance Microscope (NTM). This advanced tool is designed to measure the thermal resistance and temperature of semiconductor materials, heterostructures, and wide/ultra-wide bandgap RF devices with unprecedented precision.

The Direct to Phase II SBIR award, which is part of DARPA’s strategy to accelerate innovation, will enable Laser Thermal to develop and refine its thermo-optical metrology tool over the next year. The multi-million-dollar project, initiated in August 2023 and running through July 2025, is a collaborative effort involving both academic and commercial partners.

Transforming Thermal Metrology

Brian Foley, VP of R&D at Laser Thermal, underscores the importance of this award:

“This is a crucial leap forward in innovative thermal measurement techniques. We are combining the spatial resolution of scanning probe platforms with the sensitivity of thermoreflectance methods. Our collaboration with DARPA is an exciting opportunity to contribute our expertise in thermal sciences to the development of cutting-edge thermo-optical metrology instrumentation.”

The ATOMIC program builds upon the utilization of a thermoreflectance-based, contact-mode scanning probe platform for thermal metrology. The goal is to achieve sub-50 nanometer spatial resolution and unparalleled sensitivity to nanoscale thermal properties. This advancement will significantly impact the measurement of materials within functional RF High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) device architectures.

Looking Ahead

As the program unfolds, Laser Thermal aims to push the envelope in thermal metrology, addressing critical challenges in the semiconductor industry. The enhanced capabilities of the NTM tool are expected to offer new insights into the thermal behavior of advanced materials, paving the way for innovations in semiconductor technology and device performance.

John Gaskins

As Co-Founder and CEO of Laser Thermal, John has conducted research characterizing the mechanical, optical and thermal properties of materials for almost two decades. John received his Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Virginia in 2013.  His work developed methodologies for testing the size dependent properties in thin film structures.  After his Ph.D. John joined Patrick Hopkins’ group extending his Ph.D. work focused on mechanical property characterization to optical and thermal properties. John is leading Laser Thermal’s development of SSTR-F to provide accessible small-scale thermal conductivity measurements to industrial and academic partners.

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