Company
Portfolio Data
Back to Company SearchHIGHRI OPTICS, INC.
UEI: VV7JKMTEEKF7
Number of Employees: 4
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: Yes
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
SBIR/STTR Involvement
Year of first award: 2020
6
Phase I Awards
5
Phase II Awards
83.33%
Conversion Rate
$1,057,853
Phase I Dollars
$5,743,114
Phase II Dollars
$6,800,967
Total Awarded
Awards
Binary Pseudo Random Array (BPRA) Standards, Protocol, and Software for EUV Lithography Tool Enhancement
Amount: $283,009 Topic: 6
We propose a calibration test standard and software to measure the optical response of EUV imaging systems, revolutionizing metrology for EUV lithographic instruments. This solution uniquely offers precision Instrument Transfer Function (ITF) characterization and geometrical distortion assessment using specialized test patterns and data processing software. High precision and accuracy in metrology are critical for both current and future nodes of EUV lithography, essential for powering the world’s advanced computer chips. Currently, EUV optics metrology relies on interferometric measurements during manufacture and on-board sensors for wavefront errors, but this data isn't readily available to end users. Our ITF calibration technology, based on a patented test artifact design, provides a standardized, turn-key system for users to characterize and monitor the performance of EUV lithographic instruments. The test artifact is measured using the actual imaging arrangement, and the captured images are imported into the software for precise optical response characterization. In the field of EUV lithography tools, imaging quality is crucial, with an even greater emphasis on ensuring stability and uniformity across extensive fleets of tools used globally by multiple end users. This approach will facilitate in-situ and portable calibration and alignment standards for high-quality fleet normalization in EUV imaging.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase I
2024
DOC
NIST-CHIPS
BINARY PSEUDO RANDOM ARRAY (BPRA) FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF OPTICAL IMAGERS
Amount: $99,995 Topic: 2
Many fields today rely upon imaging systems, including medicine, science, manufacturing, and defense. The ability to extract accurate and precise information from a raw image is indispensable. Unfortunately, real-world limits on the performance of imaging systems, either due to the quality of optical and mechanical components or the nature of the physical processes used for image acquisition, strongly affect the raw image data. The major challenge for R&D is to understand the real performance of an imaging system reliably and to develop methods and techniques for image processing to increase the degree of confidence of the extracted information. We will develop a commercial product enabling, first, the quantitative calibration of any high-performance imaging system and, second, image processing to mitigate the imaging imperfections and realize a “true” image of the object under investigation. Once fully developed, our product with dedicated data reconstruction software will be technologically superior to all existing methods, including the slant-edge-based method described in ISO 12233, allowing us to effectively improve the resolution limit of practically any imaging system. In Phase I, we will develop a calibration test standard specially designed to possess a constant inherent power spectral density (PSD) and data processing algorithm for image contrast reconstruction and demonstrate the feasibility of our approach.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase I
2024
DOC
NIST
Highly Efficient Low Loss Fiber-Chip Light Coupling for Quantum Networks
Amount: $1,099,995 Topic: C55-04b
Superconducting and photonic qubits are the leading platforms for quantum computation, now and for the foreseeable future, and will provide essential functionality to large-scale quantum networks. To achieve this, techniques are needed to coherently convert between the microwave states used by the qubits and optical states required for long-distance communication, a conversion that needs to occur at cryogenic temperature (< 100 mK). This is an active field of research that follows several parallel technicalities, which are hampered by one common bottleneck: the ability to efficiently couple light between optical fibers and Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) waveguides. The inefficiency of current coupling schemes not only reduces the fidelity of the interconversion by photon loss, but light scattered from fiber-to-chip interfaces is highly detrimental to qubits and other superconducting circuit elements that are needed for the interconversion process. HighRI Optics Inc., in collaboration with Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), and BBN Raytheon, AIM Photonics proposes to develop a novel lensed fiber for efficient fiber-to-chip coupling with a ôphotonic plugö to reduce the current alignment challenges significantly. The high refractive index lens and the photonic plug will be imprinted on a single-mode fiber facet with an in-house fiber imprinter. Such a lens can still function in polymer mediums used for photonic packaging and can efficiently focus light into the waveguide while bonded at room or cryogenic temperature. This method can lead to low-cost manufacturing to accelerate commercialization, and the method is broadly adaptable for the photonic packaging community. Packaging of integrated photonic circuits (PIC) or miniaturized medical devices requires tedious placement and active alignment of the various micro-optical elements to each other. Coupling losses lead to significant contributions to the link power budget for digital computing and communications applications. The technological goal of this project applies only to quantum networks but also to the integrated photonics packaging currently in use, especially in telecommunications and data centers.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase II
2024
DOE
Automatic Characterization of Sub-nm Surface Height Errors of Aspherical Mirrors by 2D Data Reconstruction
Amount: $1,149,799 Topic: C53-07b
C53-07b-271229Optical manufacturing is a multi-billion-dollar industry that is an indispensable part of modern technology and science. The performance of any optical manufacturing process directly depends on the ability of its integrated optical surface metrology method to provide trustworthy feedback. High-accuracy metrology is vitally essential in manufacturing ultra-high-quality free-form mirrors designed to manipulate X-ray light with nanometer-scale wavelengths. Due to the shorter wavelength, requirements for the surface figure and finish of X-ray mirrors are three orders of magnitude more stringent than for visible-light optics. Correspondingly, the metrology integrated into X-ray mirror manufacturing must ensure the accuracy of optical surface fabrication on the sub-nanometer level. Improvements are needed not only for the classical plane, spherical, and sagittal cylindrical X-ray mirrors but, even more urgently, for free-form aspherical X-ray mirrors with moderately and strongly curved shapes, such as paraboloids, ellipsoids, hyperbolas, diaboloids, etc. The availability of such mirrors on the market will directly advance the fundamental and applied research performed at the DOE X-ray light facilities. As an adage say, if you can't measure it, you cannot make it. Any image/data is as good as how well the metrology tool is calibrated and performing. Metrology data serves as the feedback function for the manufacturing process. Our technology is based on thorough characterization of the metrology tool for both the resolution limit and lens distortion using the specially designed test artifact and data processing software. Once the performance limitation is quantitatively characterized, data processing is applied to correct the images, as if the images were taken under an idealized system. These data will be stitched together with high accuracy to characterize the full meter-scale aspherical x-ray mirrors. This would substantially improve the existing stitching interferometry with limited accuracy. Metrology is used in virtually every industry where the manufacturers need to measure the surface roughness for quality assurance (e.g., mirrors, car parts, and foods). The world's top companies highly value our results, requesting the test samples and software immediately after they become commercially available. The solution will improve reliability, exclude the "human factor," and simplify and expedite the calibration.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase II
2023
DOE
Binary Pseudo-Random Array (BPRA) Standards for Inspection and Calibration of Cylindrical Wavefront Interferometry
Amount: $899,893 Topic: S12
High-accuracy metrology is vitally important in manufacturing and optimally using ultra-high-quality free-form mirrors designed, for example, for space X-ray telescopes to manipulate X-ray light with nanometer-scale wavelengths. Due to the shorter wavelength, requirements on the surface figure (shape) and finish (roughness) of X-ray mirrors are many orders of magnitude more stringent than for visible-light optics. Thenbsp;metrology integrated into X-ray mirror manufacturing must ensure the accuracy of optical surface fabrication on the sub-nanometer level over a large area (on the scale of a meter and even more) strongly aspherical optical elements with the sagittal ROC on the order of a meter and less, whereas the tangential ROC can reach a few hundred meters. The absence of the required metrology is the major limitation of modern technology used for the fabrication of X-ray mirrors. As an adage says, quot;If you can#39;t measure it, you can#39;t make it.quot;Binary Pseudo Random Array test artifacts and accompanying data processing software offer unparalleled advantages to quantitatively characterize the instrument transfer function (ITF) of the metrology tools and enable data reconstruction to reveal the quot;truequot; surface. Previously, BPRA Based methodology has been validated with planar wavefront.nbsp;nbsp;In this Project, BPRA-based test artifacts amp; data processing methodology is adapted for the Cylindrical Wavefront Interferometry for inspection and calibration for mid-long range spatial frequencies. In Phase II, we will develop BPRA test artifacts with adjustable Radius of Curvature, and Computer Generate Holograms combined with BPRA for thorough calibration, and then data reconstruction based on the measured calibration data. The final product will be the BPRA test artifact with user-friendly and GI-controlled software.nbsp;nbsp;
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase II
2023
NASA
Highly Efficient Low Loss Fiber-Chip Light Coupling for Quantum Networks
Amount: $199,926 Topic: C55-04b
Superconducting and photonic qubits are the leading platforms for quantum computation, now and for the foreseeable future, and will provide essential functionality to large-scale quantum networks. To achieve this, techniques are needed to coherently convert between the microwave states used by the qubits and optical states required for long-distance communication, a conversion that needs to occur at cryogenic temperature (< 100 mK). This is an active field of research that follows several parallel technicalities, which are hampered by one common bottleneck: the ability to efficiently couple light between optical fibers and Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) waveguides. The inefficiency of current coupling schemes not only reduces the fidelity of the interconversion by photon loss, but light scattered from fiber-to-chip interfaces is highly detrimental to qubits and other superconducting circuit elements that are needed for the interconversion process. HighRI Optics Inc., in collaboration with Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), and BBN Raytheon, proposes to develop a novel lensed fiber for efficient fiber-to-chip coupling. The high refractive index lens will be imprinted on a single-mode fiber facet with an in-house fiber imprinter. Such a lens can still function in polymer mediums used for photonic packaging and can efficiently focus light into the waveguide while bonded at room or cryogenic temperature. This method can lead to low-cost manufacturing to accelerate commercialization, and the method is broadly adaptable for the photonic packaging community. Packaging of integrated photonic circuits (PIC) or miniaturized medical devices requires tedious placement and active alignment of the various micro-optical elements to each other. Coupling losses lead to significant contributions to the link power budget for digital computing and communications applications. The technological goal of this project applies only to quantum networks but also to the integrated photonics packaging currently in use, especially in telecommunications and data centers.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase I
2023
DOE
Automatic Characterization of Sub-nm Surface Height Errors of Aspherical Mirrors by 2D Data Reconstruction
Amount: $199,988 Topic: C53-07b
Optical manufacturing is a multi-billion-dollar industry that is an indispensable part of modern technology and science. The performance of any optical manufacturing process directly depends on the ability of its integrated optical surface metrology method to provide trustworthy feedback. High-accuracy metrology is vitally essential in manufacturing ultra-high-quality free-form mirrors designed to manipulate X-ray light with nanometer-scale wavelengths. Due to the shorter wavelength, requirements for the surface figure and finish of X-ray mirrors are three orders of magnitude more stringent than for visible-light optics. Correspondingly, the metrology integrated into X-ray mirror manufacturing must ensure the accuracy of optical surface fabrication on the sub-nanometer level. Improvements are needed not only for the classical plane, spherical, and sagittal cylindrical X-ray mirrors, but even more urgently, for free-form aspherical X- ray mirrors with moderately and strongly curved shapes, such as paraboloids, ellipsoids, hyperbolas, diaboloids, etc. Availability of such mirrors on the market will directly advance the fundamental and applied research performed at the DOE X-ray light facilities. As an adage say, if you can't measure it, you cannot make it. We are developing a turn-key solution for surface metrology based on a thorough calibration of the Instrumental Transfer Function (ITF) of a metrology tool in the same experimental arrangement used for measurements with highly curved aspherical x-ray mirrors under fabrication. The developed technology will be integrated into the existing metrology systems. Our original product will provide a robust methodology to thoroughly characterize them and process the data to remove the effects of their imperfections. Metrology is used in virtually every industry where the manufacturers need to measure the surface roughness for quality assurance (e.g., mirrors, car parts, and foods). The world's top companies highly valued our results, requesting the test samples and software immediately after they become commercially available. The solution will improve reliability, exclude the "human factor," and simplify and expedite the calibration.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase I
2022
DOE
Binary Pseudo-Random Array (BPRA) standards for Inspection and Calibration of Cylindrical Wavefront Interferometry
Amount: $149,975 Topic: S12
High-accuracy metrology is vitally essential in manufacturing and optimally using ultra-high-quality free-form mirrors designed, for example, for space X-ray telescopes to manipulate X-ray light with nanometer-scale wavelengths. Due to the shorter wavelength, requirements to the surface figure (shape) and finish (roughness) of X-ray mirrors are many orders of magnitude more stringent than for visible-light optics. Metrology technology has not kept up with the advancement in fabrication technologies. The deficiencies in the metrology, rather than in the fabrication technologies, primarily limit the optical quality. We propose to develop a novel ldquo;turn-keyrdquo; technology and methodology for high precision calibration and sophisticated data processing directed to advance the Cylindrical Wavefront Interferometry. Realizing the proposed goals will open a principally new avenue for fabrication and performance characterization of large-area strongly-aspherical grazing-incidence X-ray mirrors that are critical optical elements of the high-performing space X-ray telescopes and beamline systems the modern X-ray facilities.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase I
2022
NASA
Hydrophobic and wide-angle anti-reflecting nanostructured coatings on hemispherical domes and windows; including high-refractive index surfaces
Amount: $1,493,454 Topic: N171-045
It is imperative for the US NAVY that the submarine window/dome surfaces are free from sun glint and are water repellent so that visibility ofĀthe imaging sensors unit can properly operate during surveillance missions after surfacing. The goal of this proposal is to develop the technology to produceĀhydrophobic, broadband, and wide-angle random nanostructured antireflection (RAR) coatings that will diminish sunĀglint down to 0.05 % over the flat and curved dome/window surfaces. The main technical goal is to develop a robust process to uniformlyĀcoat RAR nanostructures over the curved window/dome surfaces using a simple molding technique; nanoimprint lithography. RAR surface willĀbe covered with a durable thin-layer coating for lasting durability and water-repellency.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase II
2021
DOD
NAVY
Low-Cost Hybrid Plasmonic and Photonic Campanile Near-Field Probes by Nanoimprint Lithography
Amount: $1,099,973 Topic: 07a
Near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) is a powerful and unique approach to characterize the chemical, physical and potentially biochemical properties of materials with the nanometer scale resolution in real-time. A key element for NSOM systems that combine optical spectroscopy with scanning probe microscopy, is the actual probe itself. While many commercial vendors offer off-the-shelf metal-coated tips, only one in ten tips offers enough field enhancement to start performing spectroscopic measurements. There is a critical need for the development of reliable, efficient, and broadband near-field probes. “Campanile” near-field probe has been proven to show superior spatial resolution and optical throughput and eliminate unwanted background signals. HighRI Optics, Inc. in collaboration with Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), proposes to develop manufacturing technology to commercialize campanile probes based on nanoimprint lithography. The final product will be offered in two platforms; an optical fiber and AFM cantilever to maximize compatibility with the most commercial AFMs. The fundamental spatial resolution for optical based techniques is limited to a few hundred nanometers due to the diffraction limit and is not capable to probe and distinguish spatially varying properties of matter at the nanometer scale. This revolutionary imaging tool will circumvent this limitation and will be used in a broad range of applications including solar cells, new hard drives, and artificial proteins.
Tagged as:
STTR
Phase II
2020
DOE