For Todd Otanicar, professor and associate dean for research affairs in the College of Engineering, the science of heat is everything. His research focuses on understanding how energy moves through objects, fluids or gases, and his current work could solve a critical challenge in one of Boise’s largest industries: semiconductor manufacturing. With support from a new TRANSFORM seed grant, funded by the National Science Foundation’s Accelerating Research Translation award, Otanicar is developing a novel technology to help manufacturers reduce defects and improve efficiency.
This efficiency challenge is caused by diffuser plates, sometimes called showerheads, used during semiconductor processing. These plates distribute gas over silicon wafers, but achieving a perfectly uniform flow is notoriously difficult. Uneven gas distribution creates hot spots and inconsistencies that can ruin a wafer. To address this, Otanicar is scrapping traditional diffuser plate designs in favor of his novel, porous, 3D-printed structure. By engineering a structured lattice with variable-sized holes inside the plate, his team can control gas flow with mathematical precision, preventing the non-uniformity that plagues current methods.
Otanicar’s work is being propelled by the TRANSFORM seed grant program, a cornerstone of Boise State’s recent $6 million award from the National Science Foundation. The NSF’s Accelerating Research Translation program was created to do exactly what its name suggests, increase the scale and pace of advancing academic discoveries into tangible solutions that benefit the public. While traditional grants often focus on basic science, the TRANSFORM program is designed specifically to help faculty bridge the gap between academic theory and market realities. It aims to build a thriving translational research ecosystem at the university by providing the resources, training and infrastructure necessary to turn lab innovations into commercial products.
The funding will support Otanicar in the collection of preliminary data needed to pursue larger federal grants and, eventually, to build and test physical prototypes over the next three years. Crucial to this effort is his research partnership with NxEdge, a company that fabricates diffuser plates for the industry. Otanicar notes that while his lab understands the physics of flow, NxEdge provides the “nitty gritty” insight into fabrication constraints and customer expectations. This industry alignment is a key component of the TRANSFORM seed grant program’s strategy to ensure research is relevant to real-world needs.
The ultimate measure of success is utility. “At the end of the day, I want to see things have an impact on the market,” Otanicar said. “That’s really what I’m after, finding real solutions for real problems.”
His current work highlights a broader cultural shift at Boise State. Otanicar, who has been at the university for seven years, has witnessed a dramatic rise in innovation on campus. He points to programs like NSF I-Corps and the support of the Office of Technology Transfer as key drivers that encourage faculty to think more about how their work can make an impact outside of the university.
“I would love to see Boise State become a place where there’s a vibrant ecosystem at the university spinning out technology that’s really meaningful for the Treasure Valley,” he said.