FlexTech, a SEMI Technology Community, today issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to advance flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) technologies, including the development of advanced materials and additive processing. Selected projects will receive cash awards ranging from $250,000 to $1 million. The program is funded by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL). ARL funding will be matched with contributions by grant recipients to cover total project cost.
The RFP seeks proposals targeting FHE advances in the following areas:
- Development of Novel Materials, Additive Processing, and Printed Electronics for Harsh Environments
- Advancement in High-Density, Multi-Layer Interconnect Technology for Ultra-Narrow Linewidth and Spacing, FHE and Hybrid Electronics Packaging
- Advanced Design and Modeling Tools for FHE
- FHE Manufacturing, Standards, and Reliability
- Other (Restricted Open Topics)
- Sensing
- AI/ML Applications
- Thermal Management
Organizations submitting proposals will be evaluated based on their capabilities, experiences, and strengths including team diversity. See the SEMI FlexTech 2024 Request for Proposals for more details on the evaluation process.
White Paper Submissions
White paper submissions, the first step in responding to the RFP, are due July 21, 2024. Following the review of white papers by the RFP review committee, FlexTech will invite selected organizations to submit full proposals. The committee consists of FlexTech Council members and other subject matter experts (SMEs). Evaluation criteria include:
- Rationale
- Budget
- Collaboration value
- Dual-use (industry and military) applicability
- Relevance to the FHE ecosystem
- Schedules and milestones
- Reasonable and stretch deliverables
- Overall proposal quality
Request for Proposals Webinar
To help organizations craft their proposals, FlexTech staff will review the RFP topics and the submission and review process during a live webinar on June 24, 2024, at 10:00am PDT. A recording will be available for registrants unable to attend the event. Register for the webinar.
About FlexTech RFPs
FlexTech RFPs support technical approaches that are revolutionary or have a significant element of risk, as well as approaches that are evolutionary improvements upon existing capability, which tend to be less risky and involve shorter development and delivery intervals.
The community encourages partnerships among industrial companies, R&D organizations, and university teams. Development partners retain ownership of intellectual property developed under FlexTech contracts.
FLEX Conference
The FHE community, including companies, universities, and U.S. government representatives, will again gather at the FLEX Conference, co-located with SEMICON West 2024, July 9-11, 2024, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Register for both events.
The FLEX Conference will also provide opportunities for attendees to network and engage with representatives from the FlexTech, NBMC, and NextFlex federal funding programs.