Comptek Solutions, a developer of advanced passivation technology, has installed a new 200 mm wafer pilot line with funding from the European Innovation Council. The line integrates the company’s Kontrox passivation technology with other techniques such as atomic layer deposition for a scalable solution for industrial manufacturing specifically targeting power electronics and optoelectronic applications. The pilot line will also be used to optimize chip performances and optimize yields in semiconductor applications, from sidewall passivation layers for microLEDs to complex gate stack dielectrics for power transistors. Comptek’s new 200 mm wafer pilot line. Courtesy of Comptek Solutions. BOULDER, Colo. — LongPath Technologies has finalized a $162.4 million loan from the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office to expedite the deployment of its nationwide methane emissions monitoring network. The network is expected to prevent methane emissions equivalent to at least six million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually by enabling subscribers to identify and respond to methane leaks quickly. The financing will support the deployment of 24,000 sq mi of coverage across California, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. The Black Hornet 4 drone. Courtesy of Teledyne FLIR Defense. BOSTON — Teledyne FLIR Defense has won a five-year contract worth up to $91 million to provide its Black Hornet 4 personal reconnaissance systems to the U.S. Army under Phase II of the Soldier Borne Sensor program. The Black Hornet 4 system is designed to be lightweight, launch quickly, and provide video and images back to the operator. Teledyne FLIR has already received $25 million in initial orders that will cover delivery of the first tranche of Black Hornet 4 drones, as well as controllers, spare parts, and training. iLoF’s staff. Courtesy of iLoF. LONDON — Hamamatsu Ventures has made a strategic investment in deep tech digital health company iLoF to accelerate the deployment of iLoF's Optomics AI-powered medical photonics platform technology and expanding its presence in the U.S. and Japanese markets. The companies will also drive the development of new AI methodologies through optical data analysis, advancing precision diagnostics, and patient stratification. This comes after iLoF won the Outstanding Graduate Award worth $400,000 at this year’s Luminate NY Accelerator Competition. SILVERWATER, Australia — BluGlass, a semiconductor developer, has secured an AUD $1.2 million (~$796,000) order for the first of a three-phase joint development agreement with Uviquity, a venture-backed integrated photonics start-up. The agreement will see the development of photonic chips that combine complementary technologies for the production of heterogeneously integrated photonic integrated circuits (HIPICs). The three-phase joint development agreement includes the execution of a follow-on master supply agreement to produce the HIPIC devices six months before the completion of the development phases and the potential for a minimum of two additional phases of nonrecurring engineering. DENVER — AI network company Lumen has entered into a partnership with Meta to increase Meta's network capacity and help drive its AI development. The expanded network will provide dedicated interconnection for Meta's infrastructure and includes dedicated access to existing fiber routes and new routes between data centers. OXFORD, England — Quantum Dice, a University of Oxford spin-out, has signed a memorandum of understanding with SCI Semiconductor, a developer of high-integrity silicon devices. The collaboration will develop joint solutions for advanced security systems across sectors including smart energy and critical infrastructure, aerospace and defense, telecommunications, automotive, industry 4.0, and medical domains. The partnership will leverage Quantum Dice’s quantum random number generator technology and SCI Semiconductor’s CHERI technology to create secure, memory-safe semiconductor solutions tailored for long-term protection. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Boeing was awarded a $277 million contract to support the Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Electro-Optics Division's advancement of the nation's space superiority capabilities. Boeing will be developing electro-optics and directed energy technologies for the division with an expected completion date of Oct. 20, 2033. NEW YORK — Light and vision control technology developer Gauzy has been selected by Ferrari to become a strategic supplier, resulting in Gauzy serially producing its suspended particle device (SPD) smart glass technology for the Ferrari SUV’s panoramic roof. The SPD smart glass uses an electrical voltage to change the transparency of the glass and reduce glare and heat from direct light exposure, and has already been used in sunroofs of car manufacturers such as McLaren, Mercedes, and Cadillac. MONMOUTH JUNCTION, N.J. — Princeton Infrared Technologies, Inc. has been selected by the Space Development Agency for a phase I Small Business Innovation Research contract to advance an imaging technology aimed at enhancing hyperspectral imaging capabilities. The project will focus on developing an ultra-broadband high-definition imager capable of detecting a spectrum of wavelengths, ranging from NIR to MWIR.