News: Suppliers
21 May 2024
Penn State and Morgan Advanced Materials partner on silicon carbide R&D
Penn State and UK-based Morgan Advanced Materials (which provides ceramics and carbon materials) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to catalyze R&D of silicon carbide (SiC). The agreement includes a new five-year, multi-million-dollar initiative and a commitment by Morgan to become a founding member of the Penn State Silicon Carbide Innovation Alliance (SCIA, launched in early April), as well as to supply the graphite materials and solutions needed for SiC development to Penn State for use by internal and external partners.
The initiative is a coalition of industry leaders, academic institutions and government support led by materials science & engineering professor Joshua Robinson, acting associate dean for research in Penn State’s College of Earth and Minerals Sciences.
“Partnerships like this will maximize our impact in next generation SiC crystal research and workforce development,” says Robinson.
Photo: Morgan Advanced Materials visited Penn State to sign the MOU. From left: Fernando ‘Nando’ Vallejos-Burgos, global testing labs manager at Morgan Advanced Materials; Michael Wade Smith, senior VP & chief of staff at Penn State; Joe Abrahamson, lead at Morgan Advanced Materials’ Carbon Center of Excellence; Andy Goshe, director of strategy for Morgan Advanced Materials’ Performance Carbon Division; David Fecko, director of industry collaborations in the Materials Research Institute at Penn State; Thomas Connolly, global technology director & chief technology officer for Morgan Advanced Materials’ Performance Carbon Division; Wendy Pryce Lewis, president of Morgan Advanced Materials’ Performance Carbon Division; Neeli Bendapudi, president of Penn State; Andrew Read, senior VP for research at Penn State; Ashley Chan, director of corporate engagement at Penn State; Josh Robinson, acting associate dean for research in earth and minerals sciences & director of the Silicon Carbide Crystal Center; Aleksandra Slavkovic, associate dean for research and innovation, Eberly College of Science at Penn State; Tonya Peeples, Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering and professor of chemical engineering at Penn State; Lee Kump, John Leone Dean of College of Earth and Minerals Science and professor of geosciences at Penn State; and David Lieb, interim VP development and alumni relations at Penn State. (Photo: Christie Clancy/Penn State.)
The MOU outlines how the partners aim to advance carbon research and evaluate how Morgan’s carbon material product impacts SiC wafer fabrication.
Silicon carbide crystals are grown at temperatures greater than 3600°F in a physical vapor transport (PVT) furnace that utilizes a significant amount of carbon to maintain the temperature during the growth process. Carbon materials made by Morgan act as insulating layers that reduce heat loss and the amount of electricity needed to keep the furnaces running during the weeks-long process.
Morgan Advanced Materials has been manufacturing carbon- and graphite-based materials essential for growing SiC crystals since the 1990s. Morgan established a Carbon Science Centre of Excellence in Innovation Park in 2016 that has fostered several collaborations with Penn State researchers.
“The new agreement with Penn State seamlessly aligns our goal of establishing Morgan as a key player in the silicon carbide market — we are not only advancing our own graphite competencies but also contributing to the development of high-value products in the market,” says Morgan Advanced Materials’ Thomas Connolly chief technology officer.
A new SiC growth facility in Penn State’s Academic Activities Building at University Park, funded via support from Penn State’s Office for the senior VP for research and the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (through award #FA9550-23-1-0561), is expected to be fully operational by the beginning of 2025. This will house a pilot-scale facility that will emulate the entire SiC bulk crystal growth supply chain.
The Corporate Engagement Center played a key role in expanding Morgan’s commitment to Penn State. The center’s leadership anticipates that the alliance will attract additional industry partners.
“Partnerships with public and private entities have allowed Penn State to be the first university in decades to house SiC equipment from boule to wafer processing,” notes Andrew Read, senior VP for research at Penn State. “We greatly appreciate Morgan’s continued commitment to Penn State.”
Affiliate colleges and units in this partnership include the Eberly College of Science, the College of Earth and Minerals Sciences, the College of Engineering, the Materials Research Institute and the Applied Research Laboratory. Access to the PVT furnace will give researchers from these units and beyond the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the parameters that impact crystal growth and to identify, investigate and address challenges facing the market, driving innovation and progress.
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