A new research and manufacturing space operating in Goleta will allow scientists and regional tech startups to convert raw microchips into functional prototypes, expanding the local technology footprint beyond traditional university labs.
The facility, known as Protofab, occupies more than 4,000 square feet at the OASIS research and development hub in Goleta. It begins opening a suite of advanced equipment for general research use this month, targeting a step in semiconductor design long viewed by experts as a primary hurdle for commercialization.
Microchip creation at facilities like UC Santa Barbara’s Nanofabrication Facility requires a secondary packaging stage to connect microscopic components with lasers, housing, and electrical wiring. Without local equipment to complete this step, researchers and small businesses often rely on third-party vendors, creating delays and adding significant expense. Protofab addresses this bottleneck by offering hands-on access to packaging equipment, allowing users to build testable prototypes on their own schedules.
To streamline the transition from chip creation to final assembly, a direct fiber-optic network connection was installed this spring to link the Goleta prototyping site directly to the campus Nanofab facility two miles away. The system unifies operational procedures and equipment access across both locations, creating a seamless workflow for researchers and commercial users.
Protofab is managed by Arin Abed and features specialized infrastructure designed to protect sensitive components, including electrostatic dissipating floors and a modular Class 10,000 cleanroom. Active tools inside the facility include automated wire bonders with integrated pull and shear testing, stations for plasma cleaning and epoxy dispensing, and a digital confocal microscope for optical inspections.
Upcoming hardware installations will further expand the facility's technical capabilities. Protofab plans to add a high-precision motorized die bonder capable of placing components with sub-micron accuracy, alongside automated fiber-alignment systems designed to bond and test photonic integrated circuits.
The facility will also house a 3D rapid nanoprinting system based on two-photon photolithography, designed for optical microlens packaging and photonic wirebonding. This advanced tool was funded through a $1.15 million grant from the National Science Foundation awarded to electrical and computer engineering professor Galan Moody, who leads the project alongside co-principal investigators Marley Dewey, Andrew Jayich, Sumita Pennathur, and Andrea Young. The equipment will support multidisciplinary research spanning fluid analysis, biomaterials, and quantum photonics.
Initial funding to establish Protofab was provided by Uplift Central Coast’s Catalyst Program through a regional economic development grant. The prototyping hub is part of a broader vision for the OASIS facility, which is slated to add wet lab incubator space to support early-stage companies and foster public-private partnerships across Santa Barbara County.
More than 500 students, academic researchers, and industry scientists utilize UCSB's open-access Nanofab facility annually to develop microchips used in quantum communications, medical devices, and clean energy applications. University officials anticipate that providing localized packaging resources in Goleta will help retain high-paying technology jobs and accelerate the timeline for bringing academic research into commercial production.
