News from the U.C. Santa Barbara Nanofabrication Facility.
Die-Bonder & Wirebonder Installed at Protofab
We have installed a new Tresky Flip-chip/Die-bonder & F&S Wirebonder at the Protofab. The wirebonder allows fast automatic wirebonding, capable of hundreds of wirebonds in minutes. The die-bonder enables solder bonding chips to carriers/PCB's and related capabilities. Contact staff at the above wiki pages for training.
// Demis D. John 19:53, 3 October 2026 (UTC)
"Make Microchips!" - new book by Nanofab staff
Nanofab staff Demis D. John published an intro-level book for people wanting to learn about making microchips, it is available now on Amazon. The book compliments the Cleanroom Bootcamps and other workforce development efforts Demis has launched, to help people get into the semiconductor industry.
// Demis D. John 15:30, 22 August 2026 (UTC)
Carpinteria Highschool does Microchip Packaging
The SB Chamber of Commerce sponsored Carpinteria Highschool to do microchip packaging using their machine shop in the CHIP program! Under the mentorship of Nanofab staff Demis D. John and Ben Werner from PseudolithIC, 3 student teams designed the microchip packaging for micro-pressure sensors, MEMS chips made during the CC-PRIME cleanroom bootcamps. The SBSC Chamber released a video about the program here, you can learn more at this article.
// Demis D. John 10:00, 13 August 2026 (UTC)
Raith PicoMaster Direct-Write Installed
We have installed a new H-Line (405nm) Direct-write tool: The Maskless_Aligner_(Raith_PicoMaster_XF). The new tool is currently undergoing staff qualifications and we are developing operating procedures. // Demis D. John 19:02, 18 July 2026 (UTC)
ProtoFab Opening Summer 2026
The Nanofab is launching a Prototyping Facility called the "Protofab", which is located at UCSB's new OASIS building. Learn more at https://protofab.oasis.ucsb.edu
The new lab will enable taking your diced chips from the Nanofab, to the Protofab where you can wirebond, attach to PCB's/carriers, align+attach optical fibers etc., to make a real "prototype". The lab is expected to open in Summer 2026, with equipment currently being installed.
Access & model is similar to the Nanofab - anyone can pay an hourly fee to go into the Protofab, using key fobs for access. (OASIS "Membership" is not required to use the Protofab, unless you also want your own desk + private lab space at OASIS.)
Contact the Protofab lab manager Arin Abed for more information.
// Demis D. John 19:51, 27 May 2026 (UTC)
CS MANTECH Poster: "Machine Matching Methodology for Single-shot Lab to Lab Dry Etch Process Transfer"
Nanofab staff Foong Fatt, Noah Dutra and Brian Thibeault presented a poster at CS MANTECH (compound semiconductor manufacturing technology) in Portland Oregon. The paper describes using PDF Solutions Exensio analytics to do a single-shot dry etch process transfer from the UCSB Nanofab's Oxford Cobra ICP etcher to a different-configuration ICP etcher at UC San Diego's, reproducing etch rate and sidewall profile in a single-shot. The technique used complimentary L9 DOE's at each site to map out the process space, allowing for single-shot matching. See the full paper here.
// Demis D. John 15:53, 22 August 2026 (UTC)
Video: Scalable R&D Tips from Nanofab Staff
Demis D. John presented a seminar to the CA DREAMS Microelectronics Commons Hub detailing common methods and thought-processes for making novel, advanced microchips as fast and low-cost as possible. See the Seminar titled "Scalable Manufacturing in an R&D Lab: Supporting Startup/Research Success in a high-mix environment" on Youtube
// Demis D. John 02:13, 12 June 2026 (UTC)
