News / Press Releases
RNT Awarded $1 Million in SBIR Funds by National Science Foundation for Development and Commercial Expansion of it's Patented NANOFOIL®
Hunt Valley, MD – April 11, 2006 – RNT, developer and manufacturer of its patented NanoFoil®, which precisely controls the instantaneous release of heat energy for joining and reaction initiation applications, has been awarded $1 million by the National Science Foundation (NSF), a federal agency with a goal of promoting scientific progress. The award, presented in two $500,000 grants, will be used to continue development and commercial expansion of its material and process technology.
The NSF awards are Phase II-B awards from the agency’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. One award is for the development of NanoFoil for ‘Reactive Multilayer Joining of Metals and Ceramics’; the other designates funds towards the development of NanoFoil for ‘Reactive Mounting of Heatsinks’ for Thermal Interface Management (TIM).
“With increasing demand for our NanoFoil technology, the NSF grants will be instrumental in allowing us to complete some outstanding development and expand commercial delivery of our product,” noted Timothy P. Weihs, Ph.D., RNT Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer. “We are very pleased that the NSF, whose goal is to promote scientific progress, has recognized the significant benefits NanoFoil technology has for reaction initiation and joining applications and is actively supporting further development.”
Activities possible as a result of the NSF funding are the automation of bonding of electronic components using NanoFoil; as well as the fabrication of a fully integrated TIM product for mass-scale manufacture for CPU and other chip cooling applications.
About RNT
Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, RNT was founded in 2001 by engineering veterans Timothy P. Weihs, Ph.D., who now serves as Chief Technical Officer, and Omar M. Knio, Ph.D., who is RNT’s Senior Vice President. The company develops and manufactures NanoFoil® to precisely control the instantaneous release of heat energy for reaction initiation and joining applications that current technology can not effectively or economically address. RNT has also developed its patented NanoBond® joining process to ensure the benefits of NanoFoil are maximized.
Commercial distribution of NanoFoil for energetics and joining applications is taking place from RNT’s onsite manufacturing machinery. The company is utilizing its financial backing from a variety of sources – including over $4.5 million in grants from the National Science Foundation – to develop additional manufacturing sites and craft its patented technology for additional applications. RNT has also signed licensing agreements with a number of Fortune 500 Companies. Its breakthrough technology has earned several prestigious awards including the 2005 “R&D 100” from R&D Magazine, the 2005 Nano 50™ from NASA Nanotech Briefs Magazine and recognition in The National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategic Plan in December 2004. For more information please visit www.rntfoil.com.
About the National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense.” With an annual budget of about $5.5 billion, it is the funding source for approximately 20 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America's colleges and universities. In many fields such as mathematics, computer science and the social sciences, NSF is the major source of federal backing. For more information please visit: http://www.nsf.gov