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26 October 2007

 

GeneSiC wins SBIR and STTR grants from DoE

GeneSiC Semiconductor Inc of Dulles, VA, USA says that it has recently won three Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants from the US Department of Energy (DoE).

Founded by Dr Ranbir Singh as president in 2004, privately held firm GeneSiC develops high-temperature, high-power, and ultra-high-voltage silicon carbide devices for rad-hard and sensor applications, including high-temperature rectifiers, field-effect transistors (FETs), bipolar devices as well as particle and photonic detectors. The firm’s initial focus is on government-centered customers but, as commercial applications are identified, it will focus on commercial markets.

The DoE grants allow GeneSiC to demonstrate high-voltage SiC devices for energy-storage, power grid, high-temperature and high-energy physics applications.

The projects are as follows:

• A Phase II SBIR grant from the DoE’s Office of Science for the development of multi-kV SiC power devices for high-voltage power supplies used in high-power RF system applications (following on from a Phase I SBIR grant in fiscal 2006).

• A Phase I SBIR award focused on high-current, multi-kV thyristor-based devices oriented towards energy-storage applications.

• A Phase I STTR award addressing optically gated high-voltage, high-frequency SiC power devices for environments rich in electro-magnetic interference, such as high-power RF energy systems or directed-energy weapon systems.

“These projects will enable GeneSiC to develop industry-leading SiC devices through its unique device solutions,” says Singh.

Collectively, the devices being developed in these projects promise to provide critical enabling technology to support a more-efficient power grid, and will open the door to new commercial and military hardware technologies that have remained unrealized largely due to the limitations of contemporary silicon-based technologies, the firm says.

GeneSiC says it is capitalizing on its core competencies in device and process design to develop SiC devices, and is backing this up with access to a suite of fabrication, characterization and testing facilities. In support, the firm recently relocated to expanded laboratory and office space in Dulles, VA with significantly upgraded equipment and personnel infrastructure. GeneSiC is also hiring adding key personnel experienced in device fabrication, power device design and semiconductor detector designs.

“Being awarded this significant Phase II follow-on, along with the new grants in high-visibility applications such as energy-storage and management, is an important validation of GeneSiC’s core competencies,” concludes Singh.

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Visit: www.genesicsemi.com