| NSF Org: |
TI Translational Impacts |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | June 12, 2023 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | June 12, 2023 |
| Award Number: | 2313213 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Molly Wasko
mwasko@nsf.gov (703)292-4749 TI Translational Impacts TIP Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships |
| Start Date: | May 15, 2023 |
| End Date: | October 31, 2024 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $50,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $50,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
21 N PARK ST STE 6301 MADISON WI US 53715-1218 (608)262-3822 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
21 N PARK ST STE 6301 MADISON WI US 53715-1218 |
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Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| NSF Program(s): | I-Corps |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.084 |
ABSTRACT
The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a new semiconductor material platform based on carbon nanotubes that has enormous potential to comprehensively address challenges related to wireless radio frequency communication and connectedness. Carbon nanotubes have long been viewed as a potential next-generation semiconductor that offers large performance and integration gains for radio frequency components, particularly in switches and devices that receive and amplify weak radio frequency signals. These components are heavily used in nearly every cell phone, WiFi, internet-of-things, and military communications device. Higher signal-to-noise, more complex and efficient antenna technologies, higher operating frequency with less signal distortion than incumbent semiconductors, and better integration are all expected, which will be essential for enabling faster and more energy efficient NextG technologies. With further development, carbon nanotubes will be poised to become the semiconducting material of choice in many mainstream electronic technologies, significantly disrupting the microelectronics and radio frequency industries in the US and worldwide.
This I-Corps project is based on the development of methods for the precise deposition and alignment of semiconducting carbon nanotubes to leverage their exceptional properties for electronic applications. This carbon nanotube alignment technology overcomes persistent decades-long challenges (e.g., lack of alignment, metallic nanotube impurities, low nanotube packing densities) that have prevented the adoption of nanotubes for semiconductor radio frequency components and other electronic device applications. The alignment is achieved from an inherently scalable process that can easily be dropped into existing radio frequency semiconductor fabrication facilities and processes. Moreover, the room temperature alignment methods are fast and area-scalable (already demonstrated on 4-inch wafers), offering a simple adoption path into existing device fabrication methodologies that allows for direct transition from current materials. Aligned and dense arrays of carbon nanotubes are poised to deliver performance improvements for many different microelectronic devices that cannot be achieved by incumbent materials. One of the most promising applications is in radio frequency devices, which will be the specific market of interest in this project. Aligned nanotubes will more broadly have the potential to revolutionize semiconductor electronics by significantly improving the energy efficiency and speed of logic chips and the sensitivity of biosensors, among other applications.
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.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
This I-Corps project facilitated the entrepreneurial training of a three-person team that seeks to commercialize carbon nanotube (CNT) electronics by leveraging CNT alignment technology developed out of research previously supported by the NSF at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. CNTs are poised to improve the performance of many different microelectronic devices. One of the most promising applications is in radiofrequency (RF) devices, which was the specific market of interest investigated during this project.
Through rigorous coursework, the team first learned the Lean Startup methodology and how to form a business model canvas best suited for a company that is just beginning. The coursework strengthened the team’s customer discovery skills. The team learned how to identify potential interview targets and how to phrase and ask questions to test key hypotheses. The team then put these skills to use and interviewed over 100 people in the customer discovery landscape. These interviews were conducted with stakeholders important to the commercialization path of CNT RF technology, including decision makers, suppliers, influencers, and end-users (Table 1). These discovery interviews led to key insights regarding the team’s business model canvas, including determining channels to market entry and outlining key partners, as well as starting to determine a pricing structure and customer acquisition costs (or CACs).
Key outcomes of the experience were disseminated during public interviews and speaking events by the team lead, Dr. Jinkins, in public interviews, articles, and panel opportunities. These opportunities included: (i) a published interview with the UW-Madison Technology Entrepreneurship Office; (ii) a published interview (video and print) with the Great Lakes Region NSF I-Corps Hub; and, (iii) participation on a panel of women founders in Wisconsin.
A small amount of research towards a minimum viable product (MVP) was also conducted. Prototype field-effect transistors (a fundamental building block of a RF circuit) were fabricated to test three different variants of CNT RF devices and evaluate a performance metric determined to be particularly important from customer interviews, contact-resistance. The preliminary results from these contact-resistance studies were insightful and are serving as the basis for more detailed follow-up studies that are being conducted in conjunction with other projects. The expectation is that this work will be disseminated via the publication of a future, peer-reviewed journal manuscript.
Last Modified: 04/03/2025
Modified by: Michael S Arnold
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