October 2006 •A publication of the Michigan SmallTech … · a Computer-Aided Design (CAD)...

At present, there is no way to make a nano-sized gearbox. Assembling atoms or moleculesinto such complicated nanostructures as gears,cranes, or other machines, admits Mark Sims --president and founder of Nanorex -- isstill the stuff of dreams: “But whenthat day comes, then there’s goingto be a big demand for softwarelike ours.”

So the short-term market planfor NanoEngineer-1,a Computer-AidedDesign (CAD) soft-ware package formodeling nano-scale

machines, includes free distribution of its beta ver-sion this fall. The aim is to help educators andresearchers teach nanotechnology and, in return,get feedback that will help Nanorex improve thesoftware until -- said Sims –the day when suchsoftware-designed nano machines might becomea reality.

For example, in January, Fouad Khoury wassearching the Internet for a modeling program tohelp graduate students understand the principles

and applications of chemical nanotechnology for acourse he’s planning for this fall at the University ofHouston. Khoury, an adjunct professor of chemicalengineering, contacted Nanorex to get an alpha-version of the software.

“The role of the program [in the course] will beto demonstrate what can be done, like maybebuild nano clusters, and try to see if we can predictsome of the nano clusters’ properties based onsimulation,” Khoury said. Because nanotechnolo-gy is an interdisciplinary field, “We have to intro-duce it based on the basics of nanotechnology,

including intermolecular forces, a littlebit of quantum

mechanics, andthen introducethe techniquesof nanotech-nology appli-cations.”Nanorex’s sci-

entific advisory boardhas been helping the

programming teamanticipate those interdis-

ciplinary requirements;the alpha-version software

has been underdevelopment for twoyears with chief tech-nical advisor, K. EricDrexler, providingthought leadership.

“He is the guru,” said Sims, “and he’s makingsure that we get critical features into the programthat are necessary for rapidly designing and ana-lyzing molecular machine systems.” But Sims hap-pily acknowledges that the back-and-forth com-munication with educators and academics is keyto ongoing software development.

“I’ve been communicating with them,” saidKhoury, “and they did mention that the programhas the ability to predict some properties such as

JournalIn this Issue

Expansion of SSIM

will double clean room space

at Wayne StateUniversity

Page 2

Finance pro Mark Lundquist

adviseson how

to balance control v. funding

Page 3

Tellurexheats up

cool cupholdermarket

Page 5

Focus on tech:MEMS

fabrication

page 6

October 2006 • A publication of the Michigan Small Tech Association

Continued on page 4

Small tech business assistance517.373.2022

MEDCwww.michigan.org/medc/ttc/

Updated small tech newswww.michigansmalltech.com

Growing the micro and nano industry

Computer-AidedDesign: ModelingNanostructuresBy Robert FrederickMichigan Small Tech Correspondent

Image courtesy of Nanorex

Motion is just one feature of NanoEngineer-1,this Drexler-Merkle Differential Gear can beviewed in the Nanorex online gallery.

29332 MichSmallTech 10/18/06 8:46 AM Page 1

As part of the Wayne State UniversityCollege of Engineering expansion, theSmart Sensors and IntegratedMicrosystems (SSIM) program will expandits facilities.

The SSIM, directed by Gregory Auner,professor of electrical and computer andbiomedical engineering, is devoted to theresearch and development of MEMS,microsystems, microsensors and nano andmicro integration technologies. Its currentfacilities, located in the college, occupymore than 12,000 square feet of laborato-ries overall, as well as containing class 10and class 100 clean room space.

The expansion will double the cleanroom space. When completed, the SSIM willhave more than 9,000 square-feet of cleanroom space, including one for specializedpackaging and laser micromachining,explained Auner. Expansion plans also callfor a new design center, which will include a

large computational simulation room forelectronics sensors and microsystems –“everything from materials research to sys-tems-integration-type design,” he said.

Driving the growth in facilities is thestrong growth of several SSIM research pro-grams, including one in robotics and theintegration of new fixtures, sensing systemsand augmented reality capabilities. In col-laboration with the Children’s Hospital ofMichigan, SSIM investigators provide surgi-cal robots with 3-D overlays of MRI and CTimages along with specialized Raman spec-troscopy sensing in order to help doctorsdistinguish cancerous from non-canceroustissue during surgery. This work is “syner-gistic with work we’re doing with NASA andthe Department of Defense, where we’readding these systems onto robots wherenone existed before,” Auner said.

Also driving the need for expansion isthe enhanced efficiency and collaborationthat comes from having all design and sim-ulation work done under one roof ratherthan in various labs and offices around thecollege. Additional clean room space isneeded for the SSIM’s rapidly growingExcimer and other laser capabilities. Thenew clean room will enable specializedpackaging for high-frequency, high-powerand biological devices, including nano-embossing systems for fluidic and otherstructures.

More than two dozen full-time staff sci-entists and engineers work on SSIM proj-ects and programs. Currently 37 faculty fromacross the university participate, includingsurgeons, physicists, chemists and engi-neers, said Auner.

Auner founded the SSIM abouteight years agowith two col-leagues. “Weexpanded fromone small labto five majorlabs and a newclean room,”he said. Todayhe is the princi-pal investigatoror co-PI on sev-eral projects, including the Raman spec-troscopy workas well as the development ofa “smart pixel” sensing array for early-stage

breast cancer detection. The technology,which incorporates advanced materials,uses ultrasound to generate highly-definedimages of tissue. The high-sensitivity, ultra-fast, piezoelectric array communicates withan integrated silicon processing chip. It hasbeen tested in animals and, more recently,Auner has been applying it to pancreaticcancer detection.

He is also the PI on a neural implant pro-gram to develop treatments for vision andhearing loss and Parkinson’s disease. Theprogram includes work on controlled neu-ronal growth on implantable devices so thatthe body doesn’t reject them and so sens-ing capabilities are not forfeited. Theresearch is novel, he said, “and reallyshows the integration of nanoscience

with micro-systems.”

Early fund-ing for theSSIM came inpart from anNSF grant forsmart sensorsand integrat-ed devices.Over the yearsa d d i t i o n a l

funds have come from research contractswith the Department of Defense, theNational Institutes of Health, National

2 Michigan Small Tech Journal

By Kimberlee RothMichigan Small Tech Correspondent

Wayne State’sSSIM to expand

Continued on page 7

Dr. Greg Auner is the Director of SSIM and ECE,BME Professor at Wayne State University.

photo courtesy of WSU

SSIM researchers have controlled the growthof neurons using nanotechnology.

“Delphi is a technology drivencompany, and SSIM allows us totest a lot of ‘what if’ scenarios sothat we can get to market fastwith a good product.”

Joseph Mantese,Delphi Research Laboratories


One of the biggest worries for compa-nies considering private financing optionsis what they will be asked to give up inexchange for funding. During this contem-plation time entrepreneurs balance theneed for money against an imagined lossof control. Frequently, business ownerschoose to self-fund their company with lim-ited finances rather than risk losing controlby accepting large cash infusions. Is this agood plan? Let’s examine a few of the mostcommon myths that companies face whenseeking investment.

Myth 1: You will lose controlof your company

It depends. In order to properly deter-mine the correct response to this myth, onemust insert the missing adjective: somecontrol, no control or all control. The goodnews is that virtually no investor takescomplete control of a company. Therefore,the remaining choices range from no con-trol to some control.

Investors invest in companies becausethe reward outweighs the risk and, ulti-mately, the reward will hopefully pay offbetter than traditional investments. Theserewards typically take the form of intereston the investment (usually deferred forsome period of time) and some percentageof ownership in the company that willhopefully accrue in value as the companygrows. The payback for investment comes

when the investor cashesout, is bought out or thecompany goes public.

Business owners shouldexpect private financiers todemand a percentage own-ership in the company. Thelevel of ownership reflectsthe level of investment com-pared to the realistic invest-ment by the original

founders. Cash helps companies grow. Theultimate question is: Would you ratherhave ten percent ownership in a $200 mil-lion company or one hundred percent in a$200,000 company?

Myth 2: You must have an exit strategy

Wrong. The answer depends on thetype of investor and their expectations forpay back.

Angel investors range from very handsoff to those that want direct involvement inthe direction of the company. Matching theneeds of the angel investor and the busi-ness owner is just as critical as the money.Find the right partner and the relationshipworks well for everyone.

Venture capitalists on the other hand

earn their money by investing wisely, grow-ing a company quickly and effectively, andthen nearly always exiting the marketthrough merger, sale or initial public offer-ing (IPO). If a business owner is searchingfor venture capital they should expect tosell off their company in four to sevenyears. The business plan should reflectpotential exit strategies and anticipatedtiming.

Myth 3: I’ll never have anothergreat idea, so I must make thisone count

This is one of the hardest myths tocrack. Most people believe they have only asingle chance to write one great book, cre-ate one great masterpiece or invent onegreat product. The reality I see contradictsthis myth. Most business owners I haveinterviewed admit an entirely new prob-lem: too many new ideas and not enoughtime. Starting a company frees the mind.Quickly new ideas appear: spin-offs, newapplications, related products, differentmarkets.

Don’t let myths rule your decisions

Myths abound in the investment worldbecause most people have never lived in it.Before you allow fear of the unknown ruleyour decisions, seek out professional help,meet with government-sponsored advise-ment organizations, or talk to other busi-ness people with real experience in startingcompanies. Then launch your company. Bewilling to give up something to get thefinancing to make it grow. You can decideon the future of your company if you choosethe right investor partner. Keep the faiththat this will not be your only invention.

Mark Lundquist, Founder, President &CEO of Fulcrum Edge Inc., business adviso-ry and consulting firm. He cut his teeth inthe aerospace and defense industriesbefore shifting to executive roles in theautomotive and industrial marketplace.The company helps individuals; organiza-tions and businesses realize their greaterpotential.

3Michigan Small Tech Journal

Guest Column: Mark Lundquist

What should I be willing to give up?

Cash helps companiesgrow. The ultimate

question is: Would yourather have ten percent

ownership in a $200million company or one

hundred percent in a$200,000 company?

Mark Lundquist, CEO ofFulcrum Edge, held seniorleadership positions withinthe aerospace and defenseindustries before shifting toexecutive roles in theautomotive and industrialmarketplace.


temperature and from temperature you canget the energy and things like that.” Khouryhas in mind several additional features andhe said Nanorex is very good at communi-cating and is interested in incorporating sug-gestions. “So I’m still trying to determinewhat we can do with [the program]. But it’sevolving, and they keep sending us new ver-sions, including new features as we go.”

“We have a lot of people from the edu-cation and academic markets that are look-ing at the software for courses,” said Sims.“One of the things our software is very goodat is introducing the fundamentals ofmolecular modeling and simulation.” Simshas the competition at the tip of his tongue,admitting that there are other programs onthe market, “But with those kinds of pro-grams you’re typically interested in model-ing a very simple system -- a couple of mol-ecules at the most with each molecule hav-ing a few dozen atoms. And those programsare geared towards modeling how thosemolecules willreact.”

What separatesNanoEngineer-1 from thecompetition, said Sims, isthat the software “is morefocused on modeling larger systems withliterally tens of thousands or hundreds ofthousands of atoms in them. You can imag-ine if you had to do that in one of theseother programs, where each button clickrepresents a new atom that you add to thestructure, you’d be sitting there for a very

long time.”With NanoEngineer-1, Sims said they’ve

incorporated features found in traditionalCAD and parametric modeling programs.“For instance, you take a molecular frag-ment and you want to build a rod out of it.So you just select it and extrude or add alength dimension interactively, or you can

type in the length dimen-sion and it will adjust

to that size.”Sims said

that includingsuch fea-tures makesthe model-b u i l d i n gmore intu-

itive for stu-dents and

researchers alike,and that both will

appreciate publication-quality graphics. Whether there

will be an eventual market for such featuresin the business market is, for now, an edu-cated guess. “It’s a double-challenge really.Most companies just have to build a prod-uct because there’s a market that is alreadythere. We don’t have that luxury. We have to

not only create a product, we have to createa new market for this product. And that’sone of the reasons why we’ve gone thisroute: making our product free and makingit open source.”


Michigan EconomicDevelopment Corporation

The Michigan Economic Develop-

ment Corporation (MEDC) is the most

effective economic and business

development organization in the nation.

Its mission is keeping good jobs in

Michigan and attracting more of them.

The MEDC is focused on growing the

small tech sector in Michigan by

providing research assistance to

universities and business support to

companies.

MEDC can be reached at

517-373-9808 or

300 N. Washington Sq.

Lansing, MI 48913

Visit our Web site at

www.michigan.org.

‘Nanorex’ from page 1

Image courtesy of Nanorex

NanoEngineer-1 includes both a sophisticated CAD module and a molecular dynamics modulefor simulating the movement and operation of mechanical nanodevices.

Images courtesy of Nanorex

NanoEngineer-1 toolsmakes model buildingmore intuitive forstudents andresearchers alike.


Several recent announcements fromTellurex Corp. of Traverse City likely meanbusiness will be heating up in the comingmonths and years. The 20-year-old compa-ny develops and manufactures solid statethermoelectric power generation and heat-ing and cooling technologies for automo-tive, medical, military and food serviceapplications.

In June DaimlerChrysler unveiled its2007 Sebring, complete with a center con-sole cup heater/cooler from Tellurex. Theproduct, which uses Tellurex’s Z-Max ther-moelectric module, chills beverages to 40degrees below the interior temperature ofthe car. When an occupant moves the rock-er switch to heating mode, beverages arewarmed up to 140 degrees.

At the heart of the cup cooler/heater is athermoelectric module comprised of anarray of bismuth telluride semiconductorpellets. The pellets are doped so that eitherthe positive or negative charge carrier han-dles the majority of the current. Metalizedceramic substrates provide the platform forthe pellets and conductive tabs that con-nect them. The modules range from 30- to50-square mm and are about 3 to 4 mmhigh. The result is a solid state heat transferdevice, explained Peter Schmitz, the com-pany’s sales manager, that can change froma heating to a cooling device by flipping aswitch and reversing the flow of electricity.

The modules can also generate electric-ity when exposed to a temperature gradi-ent, making them attractive in military andother applications that require power gen-eration in off-the-grid situations. “With thelimits of battery technology, our technologycan enhance battery life by being the alter-nator, if you will, for a lot of devices,” saidSchmitz.

And therein lies one of the company’s

main challenges, he added. “There are atremendous number of opportunities, andour challenge is to build a broad customerbase that allows us to pursue a lot of differ-ent applications. We also want to remainfocused on a few key industries so that weserve our existing customers well.”

To date Tellurex has focused on theautomotive andtrucking industrieswith aftermarketand other prod-ucts, such as theThermaWave cup heater/cooler. Medicalapplications include keeping blood andother sensitive biomaterials at the propertemperature during processing and analy-sis. Thermoelectric modules also coolmicroprocessors in computers and testequipment and other optical devices.Although consumer applications abound,Schmitz says that “the challenge [with con-sumer applications] is pricing. If someonecan find something that’s cheaper and‘good enough,’ that’s not a market we wantto spend a lot of time pursuing. We’re look-ing for those that desire performance andreliability.”

The technology can control temperaturewithin a wide range, from about 20 below 0to 100 to 120 degrees Celsius. “We’re agreat alternative because of the reliability --there are no moving parts or fluids,”

Schmitz said. Within that range, the ther-moelectric “sweet spot” is between 30 and50 degrees Celsius. “That’s the area wherewe can be a slam dunk application for cus-tomers.”

Tellurex recently received a Phase IISmall Business Innovation Research grantfrom the U.S. Department of Defense Office

of Naval Researchto continue workon the develop-ment of new bulkthermoelectric

materials. The new materials incorporatenanostructural elements. Tellurex is workingwith Michigan State University’sDepartment of Chemistry, MichiganTechnological University’s Institute ofMaterials Processing and Sandia NationalLaboratories on the $750,000, two-yearproject, which could eventually have a sig-nificant impact on vehicle fuel efficiencyand the ability to power silent, micropowergenerators.

“Nanomaterials for thermoelectrics is anew idea in this field,” said MercouriKanatzidis, a professor of chemistry at MSUand renowned thermoelectrics expert. “Wehave shown that enhanced thermoelectricperformance, i.e. higher thermal to electri-cal conversion efficiency, can be achievedwith nanostructured semiconductor materi-als. The addition of nanomaterials enables


By Kimberlee RothMichigan Small Tech Correspondent

Business heats upfor Traverse Citythermoelectricsdeveloper

Photo courtesy of Tellurex

The Tellurex thermoelectric device produces a solid state heat transfer that heats or cools a devicedepending on the flow of electricity.

Continued on page 7



Focus on technologyMEMS fabrication

Silicon Surface MicromachiningDirectly evolved from integrated circuitmanufacturing, silicon surfacemicromachining uses the same IC fabricationpractices of depositing materials to createpatterns on a silicon platform. On the surfaceof a silicon wafer, thin layers of structuraland sacrificial material are deposited andpatterned. When complete, sacrificial materialis removed and a completely assembled micromechanical device remains.

What is it?The fabrication of MEMS, microelectro-mechanicalsystems, is rooted in the integrated circuit (IC)industry dating back to the post-WWII era. Thetechnology uses concepts and materials similar to itssemiconductor big brother, silicon or glass waferplatforms, photolithography to attain fine detail, cost-efficient batch manufacturing and precise creationmethods.

MEMS are manufactured in clean rooms, which arecontrolled environments with filtered, recirculated airto remove free-floating particles. Workers wear specialspace-like suits to prevent contamination fromclothing, breath and human skin.

The manufacture of MEMS is intricate, and uniformfoundry applications do not yet exist. Each companyinvolved in microsystems development has a uniqueway of making them using a handful of fabricationprocesses. Lack of universal standards hinders theMEMS industry.Research by Tom McGannonIllustration by David Edgington

Fabricationprocesses

Silicon BulkMicromachining (wet)Used to create a large number of tinystructures inexpensively. Silicon bulkmicromachining’s “wet” etch processproduces angular details in silicon. It isreliant upon the atomic form of thecrystal and creates a pyramid-like effectin silicon using chemicals like potassiumhydroxide as an etchant. This processbest produces beams, cantilevers, andmembranes for sensors.

Silicon BulkMicromachining (DRIE)Another form of silicon bulkmicromachining, DRIE (Deep ReactiveIon Etching) is a process that allowsfor the creation of deep walled MEMSproducts. It is widely used to formbeams, holes and grooves with itsgeometric freedom. It provides abetter etch and control rate in siliconthan its wet version counterpart.

LIGAAn acronym fromGerman words forlithography“lithographie”,electroplating“galvanoformung”,and molding“abformung”, LIGA isa micromachiningprocess popular inEurope dating back tothe early 1980s. X-rays are shot througha 2-D mask toproducemicrostructures withextremely smallfeatures such as gearswith micron-sizedteeth and highvertical walls.

1.Mask

2. Exposedand developedresist

3. Electro-formedmold

4.Filledmold

5. Extractedparts


Science Foundation, NASA and industrycollaborators, including Delphi Corp. In2003 Delphi donated close to $7 million(replacement cost) in clean room equip-ment, which helped bring the lab to six-inchwafer capability.

Delphi is currently work-ing throughSSIM in theareas of powerelectronics forhybrid vehicles,cooling of elec-tronics and low-cost infrared sen-sors for nightvision. Delphi’s“open innova-tion” processallows it to collaborate with suppliers, start-ups and universities to investigate newtechnology platforms and potentially devel-op applications not only for automotive butadjacent markets. Those include consumerelectronics and the medical market, saidJoseph Mantese. Mantese heads materials,components and packaging for Delphi

Research Laboratories; he also sits on theMISTA advisory board.

“Elements of the technology from ourpower electronics and cooling of electron-ics work have very nicely been integrated

into systems developedby Delphi divisions,” hesaid.

“Some of the con-cepts explored in theSSIM facility havealso been utilized inour automotiveproducts and sys-tems.” One exam-ple includes the tai-loring of the flow ofmagneto-rheologi-cal fluids for actua-

tors and dampers. The technology will soonemerge in some Delphi products, Mantesesaid.

“Delphi is a technology driven compa-ny, and SSIM allows us to test a lot of ‘whatif’ scenarios so that we can get to marketfast with a good product.”

Auner expects the groundbreaking on

the new facility to begin in the next severalmonthsand be completed two yearslater.


‘SSIM’ from page 2

the thermoelectric device to maintain ahigher temperature difference than other-wise possible. By doing so, the device canconvert a higher fraction of heat into elec-tricity,” he explained.

Tellurex’s work may be a little easiernow, since the company moved into a22,000-square-foot facility in Traverse Cityin November 2005. Traverse City has beenhome since Tellurex was founded, but themove provides additional capacity for theanticipated growth, according to Schmitz.Currently Tellurex employs a staff of abouttwo dozen. Schmitz says the new buildingshould allow for at least three times thatnumber and for multiple shifts to be imple-mented.

It’s not just the beauty of Grand TraverseBay that’s kept Tellurex in the state for somany years. “We’ve had a great relation-ship with Michigan State University -- theirthermoelectric expertise has been benefi-cial to us. Particularly right now, we seeMichigan as a great opportunity. There’s a

lot of technical know-how available in thestate….And there’s an emphasis right nowto foster and develop entrepreneurialism

and technology. The incentives to keep[businesses like Tellurex] in the state makeit desirable.”

‘Tellurex’ from page 5

Michigan Small Tech Journal is a publication of the Michigan Small TechInitiative in conjunction with theMichigan Economic DevelopmentCorporation.

For editorial and association matters,contact: John Bedz [email protected]

Contributors:David EdgingtonRobert FrederickMark LundquistKimberlee RothJulie Yeiter

Michigan Small Tech300 N. Washington Sq.Lansing, MI 48913

Copyright 2006 by Michigan Small Tech. All rightsreserved. No part of this publication may be repro-duced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmittedin any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording, or otherwise without theprior written permission of the publisher. Printed inthe USA.

Photo courtesy of Tellurex

Tellurex’s THERMOWAVE device can be integrated to bring its features to the trucks, boats,industrial equipment or even a golf cart as shown here.

Photo courtesy of WSU

The SSIM placed the MISTA logo on a wafer.The device shown here is thermal oxide onsilicon, with Lansing, Detroit and the freewaysystem deposited in gold.


Michigan SmallTech Association300 N. Washington Sq.Lansing, MI 48913

Printed on recycled paper.

Presorted StandardU.S. Postage

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