Domestic Liquid Phase Epitaxy of Yttrium Iron Garnet Films for Resilient Microwave Filter Supply Chains

SBIR topic DAF27BZ02-DV026 (U.S. Department of Defense – Air Force), Phase I and II. Open to U.S. small businesses. Opens: December 2, 2026. Closes: January 6, 2027. This topics seeks proposals to design, procure, and commission a fully domestic LPE growth facility capable of producing device-grade YIG films on gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) substrates across the 10–150 µm thickness range. Efforts shall demonstrate system integration, process optimization, and material qualification sufficient for insertion into operational microwave filter architectures. Required technical performance thresholds include film thickness uniformity of ±5% across 1-inch wafers, surface roughness below 5 nm RMS, and saturation magnetization (4πMs) values within ±50 Gauss of specification. Offerors shall employ a systematic process characterization approach — such as design-of-experiments (DOE) methodology — to establish repeatable, production-ready growth processes governing flux composition, growth temperature, rotation rate, and cooling profile.Proposed solutions shall include a structured material qualification program incorporating X-ray diffraction (XRD), profilometry, vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and FMR spectroscopy. Qualified films shall be suitable for delivery to government-designated filter manufacturers and laboratories for device-level insertion and performance verification.Successful Phase II performance shall result in a domestic LPE production capability with documented process controls, material qualification data packages, and a clear transition roadmap to Phase III commercialization and direct supply to DoW prime contractors. This topic directly supports the AFRL strategic priority of eliminating foreign single-source dependencies for critical electronic materials and establishing a sovereign U.S. industrial base for high-performance garnet magnetic films. Official solicitation: https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/