Partnerships

Built around
your challenge.

We don't hand you a service catalog. Every SAMI engagement starts with a conversation about what you're trying to build, what's standing in the way, and what the right partnership looks like.

Development partnerships Analytical intelligence Defense & federal
Core partnership model
01

Materials Development Partnerships

The hardest materials problems don't get solved by submitting a sample to a lab. They get solved when deep analytical expertise is embedded directly in your development process — understanding your constraints, interpreting results in context, and helping your team make faster, better materials decisions.

SAMI partners with R&D teams as a working member of the development effort. We bring the materials science expertise. You bring the product vision. Together we move from problem to prototype to qualified material.

  • Materials selection and qualification for new product development
  • Process development and optimization from lab through scale-up
  • Failure analysis and root cause investigation
  • Materials roadmap development for next-generation products
  • Technical interpretation of analytical results in development context
  • Cross-industry knowledge transfer — applying solutions from adjacent sectors
Discuss a development challenge
What this looks like in practice
Battery & energy storage
Electrode material selection, electrolyte interface analysis, degradation mechanism investigation for Li-ion and solid-state systems.
Semiconductor materials
Wafer purity qualification, process contamination sourcing, trace impurity analysis for next-generation device materials.
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Medical device materials
Biocompatible material development, surface treatment verification, implant coating characterization for regulatory submission.
Aerospace coatings & structures
Anti-corrosion coating development for turbine engines, structural material qualification, extreme environment performance analysis.
Analytical techniques we apply
NAA
Neutron Activation Analysis
Trace elemental to sub-ppb. No sample prep. The only practical approach for insoluble polymers and ceramics.
XPS
X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
Surface chemistry, chemical bonding state, quantitative elemental composition at 5–10nm depth.
SEM
SEM / EDS
High-resolution imaging with elemental mapping. Essential for failure analysis and morphological characterization.
SIMS
SIMS · RBS · ICP-MS
Depth profiling, near-surface composition, ultra-trace detection — matched to your specific analytical question.
Supporting capability
02

Analytical Intelligence

When your development process needs deep characterization, we don't just run a test and send you the output. We select the right technique for your specific question, oversee the full analysis process, and translate every result into a development decision.

This is analytical intelligence — not analytical services. The distinction matters. A testing lab gives you data. SAMI gives you understanding.

  • Technique selection tailored to your specific analytical question
  • Analysis coordinated through verified analytical facilities
  • Expert interpretation aligned to your development or regulatory context
  • Results formatted for internal R&D, federal submission, or regulatory review
  • Follow-on guidance — what the data means for your next development step
View our analytical capabilities
Defense & federal
03

Defense Industry Partnerships

SAMI partners with defense contractors and primes to solve hard materials problems — the kind that block program advancement, fail qualification testing, or require new materials that don't yet exist. We are a technical partner in the development effort, not a compliance consultant.

We bring deep expertise in the materials that defense programs depend on — advanced coatings, sensitive detector materials, accident-tolerant nuclear fuel, structural armor materials — and we understand how to work within the federal technical environment.

  • Advanced materials development for DoD program requirements
  • SBIR technical partnership — we bring the science, you bring the proposal
  • Materials qualification support for defense supply chain
  • Sensitive detector material development (neutron, radiation)
  • Anti-corrosion coating solutions for aerospace and defense platforms
  • SAM.gov registration and federal program navigation support
Partner on a defense challenge
Defense materials we work on
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Sensitive detector materials
Neutron-sensitive materials for detection applications — a niche expertise area with direct SAMI depth.
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Anti-corrosion coatings
Turbine engine and aircraft structural coatings — development, characterization, and qualification.
Nuclear materials
Accident-tolerant nuclear fuel development and materials characterization for nuclear energy programs.
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SBIR technical support
Materials science technical depth for SBIR proposals and program execution — Phase I through Phase II.
Industries we serve

Where we focus — and why.

We chose these sectors because they share a common challenge: materials science is the gating factor between an idea and a product that works. That's where SAMI's expertise creates the most value.

Semiconductors

From silicon wafer purity to next-generation device substrate materials, semiconductor manufacturing is unforgiving about trace contamination. We bring NAA-grade trace elemental analysis and surface chemistry expertise directly to your process development challenges.

Wafer purityProcess contaminationTrace impurityDevice substrates
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Medical Devices

Biocompatible material selection, surface treatment verification, and implant coating characterization — with results documented and interpreted for regulatory submission. We understand both the science and the standards.

BiocompatibilitySurface treatmentImplant coatingsRegulatory-grade
Aerospace & Defense

Turbine engine coatings, structural material development, corrosion resistance solutions, and defense-grade materials qualification. We partner with primes and contractors on the materials challenges that block program advancement.

Turbine coatingsStructural materialsDoD qualificationCorrosion analysis
Battery Technology

Li-ion polymer, solid-state electrolytes, electrode material development, and battery safety analysis. We bring deep materials expertise to the next generation of energy storage — from fundamental material questions to production-scale qualification.

Li-ion polymerSolid-stateElectrode materialsSafety analysis
Hydrogen & Solar

Hydrogen production materials, fuel cell components, photovoltaic material characterization, and catalyst development for clean energy systems. SAMI brings hands-on industrial experience from funded hydrogen production research projects.

H₂ productionFuel cell materialsPhotovoltaicsCatalyst dev.
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More coming

Advanced ceramics, quantum device substrates, nuclear materials, and next-generation polymer systems are on the SAMI roadmap as the practice grows.

Advanced ceramicsQuantum substratesNuclear materials
How we engage

From conversation to results.

A straightforward engagement model built around your challenge, your timeline, and your goals — not a standard lab workflow.

1
Conversation
We learn about your challenge, your materials, and what success looks like for your program or product.
2
Partnership design
We define the right engagement model — development partner, analytical intelligence, or defense support.
3
Active partnership
We work alongside your team — conducting analysis, interpreting results, and guiding development decisions.
4
Sustained value
We remain your materials science partner as your program evolves, grows, and encounters new challenges.
Tell us about your materials challenge.
For all partnership inquiries — contact us and we will respond promptly.
Start the conversation