News: Microelectronics
26 February 2025
Penn State granted $4.3m of US CHIPS Act funding via MMEC
Penn State University aims to enhance its R&D capabilities in next-generation semiconductor technology thanks to $4.3m in infrastructure funding and in-kind support through its membership of the Midwest Microelectronics Consortium (MMEC), of which Penn State is a charter member.
Initiated by private non-profit applied science and technology development company Battelle of Columbus, Ohio, as part of an initiative under the US Department of Defense’s Microelectronics Commons effort under the federal US CHIPS Act, MMEC is a non-profit consortium of regional partners that unites industry, academia and government to drive innovation in domestic microelectronics, advancing technologies for commercial and defense applications while strengthening the US supply chain.
The funding will help Penn State to establish an advanced lab for semiconductor thin films and device research in the Materials Research Institute’s (MRI) facilities in the Millennium Science Complex at University Park.
“We were very fortunate to be included in the original MMEC proposal,” says Joan Redwing, lead investigator on the infrastructure project and distinguished professor of materials science and engineering and director of MRI’s Two-Dimensional Crystal Consortium, a US National Science Foundation Materials Innovation Platform and national user facility. “The proposal included infrastructure investment for training and workforce development. The funding will allow MRI to build capacity for next-generation semiconductor thin films and devices, which includes new equipment that will allow us to scale up fabrication and create prototype devices.”
At the heart of the new facility will be an AIXTRON metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system that will enable the simultaneous deposition of semiconductor thin films on multiple wafers with a diameter of up to 4-inches. The tool is unique in its ability to grow both wide-bandgap semiconductors such as gallium nitride (GaN) and two-dimensional (2D) materials. Gallium nitride and 2D materials have applications in high-performance power electronics and energy-efficient computing, which are critical technologies for applications including electric vehicles and artificial intelligence.
“This tool will allow students and early career researchers to gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art thin-film deposition equipment used by industry for compound semiconductor thin-film manufacturing,” says Redwing. “It will also provide new capabilities for scaling up thin-film materials for device research, particularly for advanced semiconductors including wide-bandgap and 2D materials.”
The lab will also house several other specialized pieces of equipment. One is a Jupiter XR atomic force microscope (AFM) from Oxford Instruments Asylum Research for fast scanning and full-wafer mapping, which will help to enhance quality control and characterization of thin-film materials. Another is an evaporator for the deposition of specialized contact metal stacks for devices fabricated using 2D materials. This tool will support research by Suzanne Mohney, professor of materials science and engineering, and Saptarshi Das, professor of engineering science and mechanics, in addition to other faculty.
The equipment will be available for use by researchers inside and outside Penn State as a user facility with shared process know-how. The lab’s capabilities will provide opportunities for a range of Penn State researchers, including faculty working on power electronics and 2D device development.
“This new lab connects us more closely with MMEC and provides a unique opportunity to support training and workforce development as well as collaborative research with universities and industry partners across the consortium,” Redwing concludes.
Penn State gains $3m DARPA grant for GaN-on-silicon project with Northrop Grumman
