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Zyvex has extensive capabilities in the areas
of:
– Atomically Precise Manufacturing
– MicroAssembly
– Nanomanipulation
– Nanomaterials
Our capabilities result from the commercialization
of internally developed nanomanipulators to study nanostructured
materials. Sales from the suite of nanomanipulator tools (nProber
and S100) currently
accounts for our largest revenue stream.
Zyvex has developed a multi-positioner system that is used
inside electron or focused ion beam microscopes or in conjunction
with optical microscopes. It has nanometer scale resolution
with 12 mm X, Y, and Z range of motion. Each positioner has
5 independent electrical leads allowing for a wide variety
of end-effectors including our NanoEffector®
Probes.
We have developed our own family of nanoactuators that are
being used on our second-generation nanomanipulator tools
and will soon be their own product line.
®
Zyvex has developed NanoEffector probes for probing state-of-the-art
complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) transistors,
as well as various nanomanipulation tasks and microelectromechanical
system (MEMS) microgrippers for use as end-effectors on our
nanomanipulation tools.
We have developed a wide variety of nanomanipulation applications
and skills. These include the manipulation and electrical
and mechanical testing of: Carbon Nanotubes, Collagen Fibers,
Viruses, MEMS devices, and TEM samples.
An industrial application with significantly growing interest
is the in-die probing of state-of-the-art CMOS transistors.
A few years ago there was a school of thought that probing
contacts that were on the order of 100 nm and spaced by a
comparable distance was either not practical — or impossible.
We have not only demonstrated that capability, but also sell
services and systems to many major semiconductor manufacturers.
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This capability stems from
our core capability to functionalize and process nanotubes
with a platform technology for composite materials. This capability
provides product revenue with a major sporting good manufacturer;
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) research
contracts and industrial research contracts with several Fortune
500 companies.
We have developed a non-damaging method of functionalizing
virtually any type of nanotube, including single-walled carbon
nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and carbon nanofibers.
Zyvex has the organic synthesis capability to produce the
class of conjugated polymers used for functionalization. We
are scaling up the processes for moderate sized batches.
Zyvex has developed a qualification procedure to access the
quality and properties of nanotubes produced by many different
vendors with a wide variety of processes.
A key to nanotube processing is the ability to form well-dispersed
solutions of high quality nanotubes. We have an unsurpassed
ability to provide high concentrations of well-dispersed undamaged
nanotubes in a wide variety of organic solvents and water.
Zyvex has developed extensive expertise in processing nanotubes
for use in polymer composites, including polycarbonate, polystyrene,
PMMA, polyurethane, and various forms of epoxy. We have made
spun cast, solvent cast, molded, extruded, and fiber composites.
These composites show improvements in mechanical properties,
electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity.
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This capability is supported
by our National Institute of Standards and Technology - Advanced
Technology Program (NIST-ATP) on microassembly, a DARPA SBIR
Phase II (Mini-SEM), a DoE SBIR Phase I (TEM Manipulator),
and commercial revenue from multiple products and services.
Zyvex has extensive expertise in MEMS design including state-of-the-art
software, called MEMulator™,
for MEMS process emulation. We receive revenue from licensing
MEMulator to Coventor, Inc. We have also developed a topology
optimization tool suitable for MEMS design. We receive revenue
for MEMS design work.
We have extensive testing facilities for mechanical, dynamic,
optical, electrical, tribological, environmental, and reliability
testing. We also have dedicated multi-processor workstations
for finite element analysis (FEA) used for MEMS devices and
structures.
Zyvex has developed MEMS connectors that provide robust mechanical,
and electrical connections, and unprecedented assembly accuracy
through self-centering mechanisms, while maintaining insertion
tolerance.
We have developed numerous MEMS devices that compliment our
microassembly and nanomanipulation technologies. Our MEMS
grippers have become an end-effector product for our nanomanipulators.
Zyvex has developed for internal use and now markets a series
of programmable drive electronics for MEMS devices and systems
.
The heart of the NIST-ATP program is automated microassembly
technology. We have already demonstrated automated assembly
of components with high precision, robust mechanical connections,
and low resistance electrical connections. Moderate levels
of parallel assembly have been demonstrated (4x1). We have
been working both with a large, high precision robotic system
as well as our own nanopositioning actuators for the robotic
assembly. Semi automated calibration of the system has been
accomplished with MEMS devices. MEMulator software has been
extended to include automated generation of assembly scripts.
We have demonstrated the ability to assemble several important
microsystems including a mini-SEM column (led to Phase I and
II DARPA SBIRs), a mini-Mass Spectrometer (DARPA and NASA
proposals), micro-optical systems, and micro-motor product.
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Atomically precise manufacturing
is the “holy grail” of nanotechnology. Zyvex has
invested heavily in developing this technology and we are
on the verge of a potential large government research award.
We have developed significant expertise and have a powerful
parallel computing capability to permit us to evaluate potential
processes for atomic and molecular manufacturing.
Zyvex has proposed and verified (computer simulations) the
stability of a tool for the insertion of carbon dimers onto
a diamond 110 surface. We have also proposed an experimental
approach to the fabrication of that tool.
We have proposed and verified (computer simulations) the use
of the tool for insertion of carbon dimmers on 110 diamond
surfaces. We identified some pathways that led to defective
structures and have proposed and verified a construction technique
that avoids these defects.
Zyvex has identified a path to achieve atomically precise
manufacturing that integrates two known experimental procedures:
Atomic Layer Epitaxy (ALE) and atomic resolution depassivation
of Si surfaces. Professor Joe Lyding, our collaborator at
the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), has demonstrated
the rudiments of this process. We have proposed a dual material
ALE process that will dramatically improve the throughput
of this process and permit a wider variety of structures to
be fabricated.
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