DARPA sets briefings for wafer bonding thin-film crystals for new sensors and communications applications
ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. military researchers will brief industry by webinar next month on an upcoming project to find new ways of wafer bonding thin-film crystals for sensing and communications that involve integrated quantum, photonic, terahertz, radio frequency, and actuator technologies.
Officials of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., will offer an industry webinar from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday 12 April 2025 on the upcoming Crystal Substrate Bonding Technologies and Algorithms (CRYSTAL) project for wafer bonding thin- film crystals.
Sensors and communications
Bonded single crystal thin film electro-optic, acousto-electric, acousto-optic, magneto-optic, or multi-ferroic materials can be vital for sensors and communications technologies.
Wafer bonding onto compatible substrates is the critical step for integrating single-crystal thin films into multifunction devices. Today there is no way to investigate wafer bonding analytically, researchers say.
The ability to model wafer film crystals bonding would accelerate research into multifunction materials, fabrication, and scalable integration in diverse applications. DARPA researchers want to create generalizable models to explore thin film crystal bonding onto substrates under real-world conditions.
CRYSTAL seeks proposals that explore not only modeling and simulation to understand how process conditions affect crystal-substrate wafer bond formation, but also interfaces between thin film multifunction materials and compatible substrates. In short, DARPA wants industry to create a bonding model for a material-substrate that exhibits multifunction properties.
How to register
Companies interested in attending the webinar should register no later than 1 April 2025 online at https://events.sa-meetings.com/website/83711/. Attending is free.
Email questions or concerns to DARPA at [email protected]l. More information is online at https://sam.gov/opp/3ee4921500324f38918f8a004fb11ecb/view.
John Keller | Editor-in-Chief
John Keller is the Editor-in-Chief, Military & Aerospace Electronics Magazine--provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronics and optoelectronic technologies in military, space and commercial aviation applications. John has been a member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since 1989 and chief editor since 1995.
