NASA SBIR 2003 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Xinetics Inc
115 Jackson Road
Devens ,MA 01432 - 4027
(978) 772 - 0352

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
John   Wellman
jwellman@xinetics.com
115 Jackson Rd
Devens ,MA  01432 -4027
(978) 772 - 0352
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Future NASA programs like Tertiary Planet Finder (TPF) require high density deformable mirrors with upto 16,000 actuators to enable direct imaging of planets around distant stars. Xinetics has been developing high density module actuator arrays that will enable deformable mirrors to be fabricated with array sizes upto 128 by 128. These monolithic actuator arrays have eliminated the need for descrete wires by using internal electrical conductors that teminate at the back of the module. Concepts for electrical attachment using Ball Grid Arrays (BGA), Pin Grid Arrays (PGA) and conductive epoxies have been developed to allow laboratory testing and evaluation, but reliable interconnect technology must be developed that will allow the module mirror technology to meet space qualification requirements. Environmental requirements for the interconnect include radiation, mechanical, thermal and life cycle loads. The interconnect must also survive subsequent assembly processes including thermal and coating vacuum cycles. We are proposing under Phase I to investigate electrical interface options, materials and processes for the module arrays compatible with future space qualificaiton requirements. During a follow on Phase II a high density interconnect for a full scale 128 by 128 mirror would be built and assembly processes qualified with rigous testing.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Photonex modules are also being developed which function at extreme cryogenic temperatures to support future NASA missions. The cryogenic format is 2.5-mm actuator spacing and features 3-microns stroke at both ambient and cryogenic conditions. Hexagonal arrays form the building blocks for an adaptive tertiary mirror compatible with segmented mirror phasing and fine mirror shape control.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Xinetics is also developing 2.5-mm modules in a 21 x 21 format that have 3.5-microns stroke and 5.0-mm modules in an 11 x 11 format that have 6-microns stroke for applications ranging from visual sciences to multi-conjugate adaptive optics.