Boise State’s RAVEN Center: Pioneering Extreme-Environment Microelectronics

Boise State Secures $2.7 Million Award to Establish RAVEN Center

Boise State University has been awarded $2.7 million through NextFlex, the U.S. Department of Defense’s flexible hybrid electronics manufacturing institute, to launch the Center for Reconfigurable Analog van der Waals Engines for Non-von-Neumann Sensing (RAVEN).

Beginning in October 2026, the 15-month project is a collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory.

RAVEN aims to develop the necessary personnel, governance, and instrumentation to advance two-dimensional materials for use in extreme environments, such as the heat, radiation, vibration, and particulate exposure faced by Air Force sensors in the field.

Addressing a Critical Challenge

The RAVEN Center’s primary focus is on tackling the issue of advanced sensors on unmanned aircraft generating more data than can be efficiently processed or transmitted by the platform’s computing hardware. By leveraging two-dimensional quantum materials, RAVEN aims to create sensors that can perform computations at the point of data collection, reducing power consumption and reliance on potentially unreliable data links.

The award builds upon Boise State’s existing capabilities, including the AIXTRON close-coupled showerhead 2D metalorganic chemical vapor deposition reactor, acquired with previous NextFlex and AFRL support. RAVEN will enhance the reactor’s capabilities with advanced optical metrology, material inks for direct-write printing of sensors, and a mobile testbed for field deployment.

David Estrada, professor of materials science and engineering at Boise State and director of the RAVEN Center, highlighted the significance of establishing this center for advancing research relevant to the Department of Defense.

“Collaborating with Boise State on RAVEN is a crucial step in advancing microelectronics for extreme environments and aligning with key Department of Defense priorities,” said Dan Gamota, executive director of NextFlex.

The award establishes RAVEN as a shared user facility, providing access to researchers from other institutions and industry.

Empowering the Future Workforce

The RAVEN program includes opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to participate in equipment installation and process development, offering valuable hands-on experience in defense microelectronics. Recruitment efforts will target students from various programs to build a skilled workforce for the future.

Emily Heckman, principal research engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory, emphasized the importance of advancing sensing systems for challenging environments and commended AFRL’s support for the RAVEN program.

The RAVEN leadership team, with extensive experience in advanced materials and microelectronics research, has managed over $20 million in federal programs at Boise State.