The MST group is always looking for applied engineering problems that can be solved by students for senior design or MS thesis projects. Corporate partnerships give students the opportunity to apply engineering principles towards solving real world problems.
Let us solve one of these problems for YOU!
- Prototyping & proof-of-concepts
- Materials analysis
- Reliability testing
- Cost reduction
- Design for sustainability
Corporate Partners
Applied Materials (Santa Clara, CA): components for physical vapor deposition
Asylum Research (Santa Barbara, CA): mechanical properties of thin films by nanoindentation
AGS Plasma Systems (San Jose, CA): reactive ion etching processes for thin films
Applied Technology (Paso Robles, CA): characterization of germanium for multi-junction solar cells
Cla-Val/Griswold Industries (Newport Beach, CA): metallurgical analysis of NiTi SMA thin-films
Coventor (Cary, NC): modeling software for electrical, thermal and mechanical behavior of MEMS
Everest Interscience (Tucson, AZ): bonding process for high-brightness LED heat sink
Evans Analytical Group (Sunnyvale, CA): XPS analysis of thin films of NiTi
General LED (San Luis Obispo, CA): characterize phosphor coatings for white LEDs
HMC Analytical (Livermore, CA): verification of RoHS compliance using portable XRF
Innov-X Systems (Woburn, MA): quantification of thin-film composition using XRF
Laurel Technologies (North Wales, PA): spin coatings of photo polymers and PDMS
Lawrence Livermore National Labs (Livermore, CA): fabrication of micro-pressure sensor arrays
MKS Instruments (San Jose, CA): RF generators, vacuum systems and measurement technology
Nanoscale Surface Systems (Alameda, CA): characterize nano-scale glass coatings on polymers
Olympus (Atlanta, GA & Tokyo, Japan): characterize electrostatic actuated micro-mirror arrays
OptiSolar (Hayward, CA): autonomous robotics system for maintenance on solar panel arrays
Photon Dynamics (San Jose, CA): conductive nanocrystalline materials for flat panel displays
Raytheon (Goleta, CA): characterize Sn-whisker formation in surface mount devices
Raytheon (El Segundo, CA): quantum dots as spectral converters to enhance solar cells
Teradyne (Agoura Hills, CA): surface mount device compatibility with dielectric heat transfer fluid
Intellectual Property
Cal Poly is willing to work with corporations to protect their intellectual property rights. Confidentiality agreements are acceptable and ownship of technical concepts can be retained by corporate partners. Please contact to discuss your requirements.
Cal Poly’s intellectual property policy addresses the rights to, interest in, and protection and transfer of intellectual property created by University faculty, staff or students. The purpose of this policy is to encourage, support, and reward research and scholarship, and to recognize the rights and interests of the inventor or creator, the public, the external sponsor, and the University. The Dean of Research and Graduate Programs implements and administers this policy, including the evaluation of patentability or other forms of intellectual property protection, filing for patents, negotiation of use rights, and the pursuit of infringement actions.
Financial
Senior projects run for an entire academic year (3 quarters) and typically require a donation of $15,000 plus material expenses. For smaller projects student research time can be funded for $15/hr. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.
