Penn State and onsemi Sign MOU to Boost Silicon Carbide Research in the United States

Onsemi has signed an MOU to establish the onsemi Silicon Carbide Crystal Center at Penn State's Materials Research Institute with $800k per year over the next 10 years.

Silicon carbide (SiC) is vital for enabling efficiency in electric vehicles (EVs), EV charging and energy infrastructure and contributes to the decarbonization of the global economy. Academic research in SiC made great advancements in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but has since diminished in the U.S. This agreement will put SiC crystal research in America back on the map.

In addition to conducting SiC research at SiC3, Penn State and onsemi will raise awareness about the increasing demand for tech jobs in the semiconductor industry. This is part of their efforts to enhance the share of U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. They also will partner on workforce development initiatives such as internship and cooperative programs and include SiC and wide bandgap crystal studies in Penn State’s curriculum. The relationship with Penn State is part of onsemi’s commitment to promoting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education, ranging from helping K-12 students in underserved communities to university collaborations that support the development of the workforce for today and the future.

Lora Weiss, Penn State senior vice president of research, noted that the Penn State-onsemi collaboration is a match that makes perfect sense given each entity’s demonstrated strengths.




“Onsemi is a proven innovator, delivering a comprehensive portfolio of intelligent power and sensing technologies to enable and accelerate sustainable solutions across multiple markets, at the same time, as per the National Science Foundation’s research expenditure rankings, Penn State is ranked first in materials science and second in materials engineering. We have world-class nanofab and characterization facilities that support research on thin films, silicon carbide and other materials used in semiconductors and other technologies. These complementary capabilities between onsemi and Penn State will have a strong impact on research and development, economic growth, and workforce development,” Weiss said.

Penn State’s capabilities make them an ideal academic partner for onsemi to advance the state of the art in silicon crystal growth.

“Penn State is uniquely positioned to rapidly establish a silicon carbide crystal growth research program. The university offers a wide breadth of capability based on its current materials research, wafer processing capabilities in its nanofab facility, and a comprehensive, world-class suite of metrology instrumentation,” said Pavel Freundlich, chief technology officer, Power Solutions Group, onsemi.

The relationship developed over a period of due diligence during which it became clear that their cooperative efforts would position Penn State and onsemi as leaders in SiC research.

www.onsemi.com

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