H NU Photonics LLC SBIR Phase II Award, September 2023

The XTG (pronounced “ex-tag”) smart tag system, provides individual device authentication, traceability, and a higher standard of security with an information rich system able to record, view, and analyze each tagged product’s full provenance production history.  The XTG system serves as a holistic solution, capable of combining and incorporating device level traceability data across both microelectronic component and defense system production ecosystems to provide necessary component level and full assembled system level provenance and tracking solutions for key microelectronic devices in many defense systems and throughout the defense supply chain.  In this Phase II, HNu seeks to demonstrate extended XTG traceability directly to the source OEM manufacturers of critical microelectronic components and their distributors.  The effort aims to demonstrate how utilizing the XTG tracking system can ensure that OEM manufacturer customers receive authentic microelectronic components that meet the desired requirements and specifications while also demonstrating cradle-to-grave tracking capabilities of individual components and systems provided by the XTG system.  OEM manufacturers of programmable microelectronics see benefits of incorporating individual device traceability.  Traceability data with XTG enhances both their and their customer’s competitiveness in the market by ensuring delivery of products with enhanced quality.  XTG product traceability provides a value-added service allowing customers to ensure authenticity upon product delivery and product integration. It also allows customers to maintain tighter device manufacturing controls with improved product tracking in their production operations.  Working directly with manufacturers and their distributors will ensure broad XTG adoption.