UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – The Penn State Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) was recently awarded $4.4 million from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop a domestic supply of gallium oxide (Ga2O3) semiconductor wafers.
Gallium oxide is a groundbreaking material because it is an ultrawide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductor that can be efficiently manufactured. Unlike silicon, which has a bandgap of 1.12 eV, gallium oxide has a bandgap exceeding 4.8 eV, resulting in a theoretical critical electric field that is significantly higher and in a notably lower on-resistance. Additionally, gallium oxide is unique as it can be produced at a larger scale and substantially lower cost than alternative materials.
“There is a growing move to Ultra-Wide Bandgap Semiconductors and this award builds on five years of previous funding at ARL from AFRL to develop and scale up gallium oxide,” said principal investigator David Snyder, Ph.D., a research faculty member in ARL’s Electronic Materials and Devices Department (EMDD). “We are excited to work on the development of these wafers with the Air Force and develop both a low cost and domestic supply of four inch wafers with these unique ultrawide bandgap properties.”
ARL has partnered with Luxium Solutions, a global leader and supplier of specialized high-performance crystals utilized in photonics and radiation detection applications. Together, they will further advance Luxium Solutions’ edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) method, already employed in the production of gallium oxide crystals. ARL will be exploring Vertical Bridgman (VB) as an alternative growth technique.
“Being able to work on the development of gallium oxide semiconductors is an exciting opportunity” said Katie Burzynski, Ph.D., Air Force Program Manager for this effort. “This initiative underscores our commitment to advancing technology for critical DoD applications, and we look forward to the progress and impact this collaboration will bring.
“We are honored to collaborate with ARL on this technically demanding project,” said John Frank, director of R&D and engineering, Luxium. “The contract to develop β-phase gallium oxide substrates using cost effective crystal growth methods aligns perfectly with our advanced capabilities in material science and crystal growth techniques. This work is pivotal for the next generation of high-power electronic devices, enabling superior thermal and electrical performance.”
The program is led by principal investigator David Snyder, Ph.D. and co-principal investigators Robert Lavelle and Daniel Erdely. The Luxium Solutions team, based in Hiram, OH, and Milford, NH, will be led by Drew Haven, Ph.D., for this project, alongside subject matter experts in crystal growth and materials science: David Joyce, Paul Guggenheim, and Kale Geddis.
2” gallium oxide ultrawide bandgap wafer manufactured by Luxium Solutions, LLC
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com
About Penn State Applied Research Laboratory
The t Penn State State Applied Research Laboratory (ARL), a University Affiliated Research Center, was established in 1945 at the request of the U.S. Navy. ARL supports national security, economic competitiveness, and quality of life through education, scientific discovery, technological demonstration and successful transition to application.
For more information, visit arl.psu.edu
About Luxium Solutions
Headquartered in Hiram, Ohio, Luxium is recognized as a worldwide technology leader and provider of single crystal scintillation materials for radiation detection applications, as well as sapphire and garnet substrates for photonics and power electronics. The Company differentiates itself with capabilities and know-how in crystal growth, packaging and integration, and unique intellectual property supported by a portfolio of greater than 170 patents. With 400+ employees across production facilities in the US, France, and India, and sales offices in China and Japan, Luxium serves a global base of 650+ customers across a diverse set of applications across medical imaging, security and border protection, semiconductor, aerospace and defense, oil and gas and other industrial markets.
For more, information visit luxiumsolutions.com
Contacts
AFRL
Dr. Katherine Burzynski
Materials Engineer, Functional Systems Manufacturing Branch
Materials and Manufacturing Directorate
Air Force Research Laboratory
Katherine.burzynski.1@us.af.mil
Penn State Applied Research Laboratory
Dr. David Snyder
Principal Investigator, WBG and UWBG Materials and Devices
dws13@arl.psu.edu
Luxium Solutions
Keith Lewis
Vice President, Marketing
klewis@luxiumsolutions.com