Advancing Getter Technology for Next-Generation Technologies
NanoFEA, LLC and their Albany-based Research and Development operation, focused on the continued development of materials specializing in advanced microelectronics packaging, reliability engineering, and getter technology, is collaborating with the University at Albany (SUNY) through the Center for Advanced Technology in Nanomaterials and Nanoelectronics (CATN2) to develop next-generation gettering materials for advanced device technologies and emerging markets.
The collaboration brings together NanoFEA’s expertise in microelectronics packaging, gas management, and getter technology with UAlbany’s capabilities in materials processing, nanomaterials, and advanced characterization. The research will focus on the further development of materials and material combinations incorporating nanoparticles; the intent to study the structural characteristics of these hierarchal composites and their resultant ability to greater enhance capture and removal of those harmful elements considered detrimental within the expanding sphere of NanoFEA’s markets. Particular attention is being given to emerging markets in conjunction with NanoFEA’s partners where gettering, purifying and maintaining vacuum represent a key threshold to their product(s) success.
Strategic Importance
As semiconductor devices become smaller and increasingly complex, package-level contamination, moisture, volatile compounds, and other gaseous species can become significant reliability concerns. Advanced getter materials provide a potential means of controlling these contaminants without requiring major changes to existing package architectures.
The NanoFEA–UAlbany collaboration is therefore aimed at creating efficient, and scalable getter future proof technologies in powder, slurry or solid form that can be integrated into semiconductor device, communications, computing and microelectronics packaging platforms.
Expected Outcomes
The collaboration is expected to:
- Develop and characterize new nanoscale getter materials.
- Improve gas and contaminant removal within targeted applications/ markets.
- Evaluate getter performance against gases generated by packaging materials, downstream manufacturing and long-term operating conditions.
- Establish relationships between material structure and gettering performance.
- Support NanoFEA’s continued development of advanced getter products and process methodologies to address emerging market needs.
- Strengthen UAlbany’s research capabilities in advanced semiconductor packaging.
- Create opportunities for follow-on government and industry-funded research.
The project is supported through CATN2’s industry-research ecosystem, which provides access to advanced laboratories, equipment, test facilities, and materials-science expertise. UAlbany describes CATN2 as a resource for multidisciplinary research, prototype development, and deployment of innovations in nanoelectronics and related technologies.
Commercialization Potential
A key strength of the collaboration is its combination of university research with a commercialization-focused industry partner. NanoFEA’s focus on getter technology, and product reliability provides a direct pathway for translating the research into practical products for semiconductors, MEMS, photonics, RF, Cryogenics and many other electronic applications.
Ultimately, the collaboration is intended to advance high-performance, nanoscale gettering solutions for increasingly demanding high technology environments, while positioning NanoFEA and UAlbany to pursue additional research, commercialization, and economic-development opportunities within New York’s semiconductor and advanced-manufacturing ecosystem.