Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) will establish an advanced semiconductor lab as part of the MMEC, a microelectronics consortium, that was established as part of a broader initiative bolstered by the CHIPS and Science Act.
The $4.3 million infrastructure funding and support into the lab will focus on semiconductor thin films and device research in the Materials Research Institute’s (MRI) facilities.
MMEC is a non-profit consortium that has industry, academia and government working together to drive innovation in microelectronics for both commercial and defense purposes. The lab will also help to strengthen the overall U.S. chip supply chain.
“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,” said Joan Redwing, a professor at Penn State.
The lab
The main aspect of the facility will be a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) tool. This is manufactured by AIXTRON SE. This tool works by heating a chamber in a controlled manner where chemical gases are introduced. These gases react and break down on a hot surface like a chip wafer, depositing a thin, even layer of material.
The tool will help in the precise layering of advanced technologies like semiconductors, the university said.
According to Penn State, the instrument can allow for the deposition of semiconductor thin films on multiple wafers at sizes up to 4-inches in diameter. It also can grow both wide bandgap semiconductors like gallium nitride (GaN) and 2D materials used in ultra-thin chips for logic and power electronics. These materials are critical for:
- Artificial intelligence
- Electric vehicles
- High performance computing
- Energy-efficient computing
- Renewable energy
“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,” Redwing said. “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.”
Special instruments
Penn State said the MOCVD tool will house several specialized instruments including a Jupiter XR atomic force microscope from Oxford Instruments Asylum Research. This tool is used for fast scanning a full wafer mapping.
The other tool is an evaporator for deposition of specialized contact metal stacks for devices fabricated using 2D materials. It will help professors in the material science and engineering sectors of the university.
“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 said.
