SAN DIEGO, 30 June 2005. The U.S. government's Naval Air Warfare Center (NAVAIR), under DARPA sponsorship, granted JMAR Technologies, Inc. a two-year extension valued at $7.58 million to its existing, three-year $10 million contract to continue development of sub-100nm feature X-ray masks for next generation lithography and production of Zone Plate optics for X-ray microscopes and X-Ray nano probes.
NAVAIR has also released $3.6 million of funding to support continuing work under this contract.
Under this contract, JMAR will use its X-ray lithography stepper technology and X-ray masks to demonstrate fabrication of high-density CRAM integrated circuits with 35-50nm contact holes, enabling 4 Mb and higher densities for high-priority military and space applications.
The X-ray masks developed through this program will also be used to produce the X-ray optical elements known as Zone Plates, which collect and focus X-rays and are key components of X-ray Microscopes and X-ray Nano Probe tools.
"This contract extension enables JMAR to continue advancing X-ray lithography mask infrastructure and to apply its unique X-ray lithography technology to the development of a fast, cost-effective means of producing state-of-the-art Zone Plates for both defense and commercial applications," said Ronald A. Walrod, president and CEO of JMAR.
"The on-going development of X-ray source technology through this new NAVAIR funding helps to expand the utility of our platform technology beyond X-ray lithography and into important nanotechnology and biotech applications -- including the illumination for X-ray microscopy and nano-scale chemical analysis."
JMAR Technologies, Inc. is an innovator of laser-based equipment for imaging, analysis and fabrication at the nano-scale. The company is leveraging over a decade of laser and photonics research to develop a diverse portfolio of products with commercial applications in rapidly growing industries while continuing to carry out research and development for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and support for the U.S. government's Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA) semiconductor fabrication facility.
JMAR is targeting the nanotechnology, bioscience and semiconductor industries with its Britelight Laser; X-ray Light Source; Compact X-ray Microscope (for 3D visualization of single cells and polymers); and its X-ray Nano Probe (enabling interaction, analysis and materials modification at the nano-scale). JMAR also develops, manufactures and markets its BioSentry microorganism early warning system and maintains a strategic alliance for the production of the READ chemical sensor for homeland security, environmental and utility infrastructure industries. For more information, see www.jmar.com.
