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Integration of Superconducting Electrical and Thermal Circuits for Microscale Cooling

Award Information
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Branch: N/A
Contract: NNG06LA44C
Agency Tracking Number: 050018
Amount: $99,950.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: STTR
Solicitation Topic Code: T4.02
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2005
Award Year: 2006
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2006-01-23
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2007-01-22
Small Business Information
1367 Camino Robles Way
San Jose, CA 95120-4925
United States
DUNS: 938515913
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Ben Helvensteijn
 Principal Investigator
 () -
 bhelvensteijn@atlasscientific.com
Business Contact
 Ali Kashani
Title: Program Director
Phone: (408) 507-0906
Email: akashani@atlasscientific.com
Research Institution
 San Francisco State University
 Not R Available
 
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132
United States

 (415) 338-7091
 Domestic Nonprofit Research Organization
Abstract

Microcalorimetry is an enabling technology for many NASA space science missions because it permits detection of single photons at high rates with unprecedented energy resolution and efficiency. This remarkable technology relies upon superconducting devices that must be cooled below 100 mK. We propose to construct a doubly-integrated circuit in which critical features of microcalorimeter pixels on micromachined thermal isolation structures are cooled by microscale refrigerators that exhaust heat into the substrate at 300 mK. In Phase 1 we will demonstrate a new process for fabricating suspended thermal isolation membranes that is planar and fully photolithographic. A parallel Phase 1 activity will be to design a self-contained "omni-orientable" sorption refrigerator as a 300 mK heat sink that can be started and operated in any orientation in order to facilitate retrofitting microcalorimeters to existing materials analysis systems.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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