Physical Optics Corporation — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: DMEA132-002

Description

To address the DMEA need for an accurate identification and analysis of semiconductor materials with high-resolution imaging of integrated circuits (ICs), Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Nano-Resolution Three-Dimensional Integrated Circuit Reconstruction System (NEOTERIC) for in situ full reverse engineering of ICs based on swing nano-laminography and a novel X ray filtered multispectral imaging (XFIMSI) technique, both providing simultaneous 3D IC imaging and identification and 3D localization of nano-material structures of ICs. These innovations will enable the NEOTERIC to perform full 3D scanning of 1x1-mm^2 ICs with a spatial resolution of less than or equal to 40 nm in ~2 hr. As a result, this technology offers access to high-performance 3D nano capabilities and fast throughput for timely IC material identification and reverse engineering efforts, which directly address the DMEA requirements. In Phase I, POC will conduct a proof-of-concept study to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed NEOTERIC by developing key NEOTERIC hardware components, developing appropriate image processing and reconstruction software, and verifying the operation on a scaled-up prototype setup. In Phase II, POC plans to build a functional NEOTERIC prototype capable of performing high-resolution and practical full IC reverse engineering in accordance with DMEA performance specifications.