2423366
Cooperative Agreement
Overview
Grant Description
SBIR Phase II: Sonic Lift-Off (SLO) for lower cost wide bandgap devices
The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will be to accelerate the adoption of next generation semiconductor power devices based on gallium nitride.
Gallium nitride (GaN) devices, compared to legacy silicon devices, offer much increased performance and energy efficiency across a wide range of applications, including those essential for the nation’s future energy, transportation and communications infrastructure.
The project is impacting the adoption of GaN devices by significantly lowering the production costs.
It is estimated that replacing power conversion devices based on silicon with GaN (and SiC, another advanced material) will be able to save 120 TWh/year, corresponding to the energy consumption of a whole country like Switzerland.
In addition to energy savings, GaN devices will furthermore allow further miniaturization of power supplies, car chargers, and other everyday consumer and industrial appliances.
The ability to re-use GaN wafers during the manufacturing process in addition lowers energy consumption and pollution in the manufacturing process of these devices.
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop a process that allows multiple re-use of GaN wafers for advanced power electronics.
GaN wafer costs are very high and dominate the cost of power devices manufactured from it.
The objective is to develop a process that uses sound energy in combination with stressing the wafer material to precisely cut the semiconductor material and release a thin layer from the surface of a GaN wafer leaving the wafer for subsequent reuse, possibly multiple times.
This cuts the material cost per device manufactured significantly.
The development of this process involves optimization of the materials used to generate the stress in the wafer, the acoustic energy delivery system, and determination of ideal process parameters.
The desired outcome of the project is the demonstration of a reproducible process to lift-off thin (on the order of twenty micrometers) layers of GaN from a thick (500 micrometers) semiconductor wafer leaving a low roughness, damage-free surface for processing the next device layer.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Subawards are not planned for this award.
The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will be to accelerate the adoption of next generation semiconductor power devices based on gallium nitride.
Gallium nitride (GaN) devices, compared to legacy silicon devices, offer much increased performance and energy efficiency across a wide range of applications, including those essential for the nation’s future energy, transportation and communications infrastructure.
The project is impacting the adoption of GaN devices by significantly lowering the production costs.
It is estimated that replacing power conversion devices based on silicon with GaN (and SiC, another advanced material) will be able to save 120 TWh/year, corresponding to the energy consumption of a whole country like Switzerland.
In addition to energy savings, GaN devices will furthermore allow further miniaturization of power supplies, car chargers, and other everyday consumer and industrial appliances.
The ability to re-use GaN wafers during the manufacturing process in addition lowers energy consumption and pollution in the manufacturing process of these devices.
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop a process that allows multiple re-use of GaN wafers for advanced power electronics.
GaN wafer costs are very high and dominate the cost of power devices manufactured from it.
The objective is to develop a process that uses sound energy in combination with stressing the wafer material to precisely cut the semiconductor material and release a thin layer from the surface of a GaN wafer leaving the wafer for subsequent reuse, possibly multiple times.
This cuts the material cost per device manufactured significantly.
The development of this process involves optimization of the materials used to generate the stress in the wafer, the acoustic energy delivery system, and determination of ideal process parameters.
The desired outcome of the project is the demonstration of a reproducible process to lift-off thin (on the order of twenty micrometers) layers of GaN from a thick (500 micrometers) semiconductor wafer leaving a low roughness, damage-free surface for processing the next device layer.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Subawards are not planned for this award.
Awardee
Funding Goals
THE GOAL OF THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, "NSF SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH PHASE II (SBIR)/ SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAMS PHASE II", IS IDENTIFIED IN THE LINK: HTTPS://WWW.NSF.GOV/PUBLICATIONS/PUB_SUMM.JSP?ODS_KEY=NSF23516
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Phoenix,
Arizona
85003-1020
United States
Geographic Scope
Single Zip Code
Crystal Sonic was awarded
Cooperative Agreement 2423366
worth $1,000,000
from National Science Foundation in September 2024 with work to be completed primarily in Phoenix Arizona United States.
The grant
has a duration of 2 years and
was awarded through assistance program 47.084 NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships.
The Cooperative Agreement was awarded through grant opportunity NSF Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase II Programs (SBIR/STTR Phase II).
SBIR Details
Research Type
SBIR Phase II
Title
SBIR Phase II: Sonic Lift-Off (SLO) for Lower Cost Wide Bandgap Devices
Abstract
The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will be to accelerate the adoption of next generation semiconductor power devices based on Gallium Nitride. Gallium Nitride (GaN) devices, compared to legacy Silicon devices, offer much increased performance and energy efficiency across a wide range of applications, including those essential for the Nation’s future energy, transportation and communications infrastructure. The project is impacting the adoption of GaN devices by significantly lowering the production costs. It is estimated that replacing power conversion devices based on Silicon with GaN (and SiC, another advanced material) will be able to save 120 TWh/year, corresponding to the energy consumption of a whole country like Switzerland. In addition to energy savings, GaN devices will furthermore allow further miniaturization of power supplies, car chargers, and other everyday consumer and industrial appliances. The ability to re-use GaN wafers during the manufacturing process in addition lowers energy consumption and pollution in the manufacturing process of these devices.
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop a process that allows multiple re-use of GaN wafers for advanced power electronics. GaN wafer costs are very high and dominate the cost of power devices manufactured from it. The objective is to develop a process that uses sound energy in combination with stressing the wafer material to precisely cut the semiconductor material and release a thin layer from the surface of a GaN wafer leaving the wafer for subsequent reuse, possibly multiple times. This cuts the material cost per device manufactured significantly. The development of this process involves optimization of the materials used to generate the stress in the wafer, the acoustic energy delivery system, and determination of ideal process parameters. The desired outcome of the project is the demonstration of a reproducible process to lift-off thin (on the order of twenty micrometers) layers of GaN from a thick (500 micrometers) semiconductor wafer leaving a low roughness, damage-free surface for processing the next device layer.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Topic Code
S
Solicitation Number
NSF 23-516
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 9/25/24
Period of Performance
9/15/24
Start Date
8/31/26
End Date
Funding Split
$1.0M
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$1.0M
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
2423366
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Small Business
Awarding Office
491503 TRANSLATIONAL IMPACTS
Funding Office
491503 TRANSLATIONAL IMPACTS
Awardee UEI
H3PSKD4G2HB7
Awardee CAGE
8CUV9
Performance District
AZ-03
Senators
Kyrsten Sinema
Mark Kelly
Mark Kelly
Modified: 9/25/24