RIT Receives $400K Grant For Computer-Wafer Processing Technique

Rochester Institute of Technology's Kate Gleason College of Engineering won a two-year $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a new method for silicon-wafer processing.

The new method will enable the creation of innovative micro- and nano-scale devices utilizing microelectromechanical systems (commonly called MEMS), photonics, magnetics, ceramics and compound semiconductor electronics, says Mustafa Abushagur, director of RIT's microsystems engineering Ph.D. program and lead researcher for the project, Development of a Multi-Function Nanomaterials Processing System.

“We will be able to fabricate micro-actuators, sensors, and micro- and nano-scale photonic devices such as photonic crystals, which can be used in developing micro-scale photonic switches to enable optical networks and computers,” Abushagur says. “These devices can sense and communicate and form smart sensor networks.”

Faculty from RIT, Alfred University, the University at Buffalo and Alabama A&M University are collaborating on the project. In addition to Abushagur, other RIT faculty are Santosh Kurinec, professor and department head of microlectronic engineering, and Alan Raisanen, associate director of RIT's Semiconductor Microsystems Fabrication Laboratory.

The new method surpasses conventional silicon processing that uses standard 4-inch and 6-inch silicon wafers since specialty materials come in a variety of forms. It will permit processing of smaller wafers, squares or wafer fragments with greater control, Abushagur says. The grant is from the NSF's Major Research Instrumentation Program.