Overview

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is developing silicon carbide (SiC) to enable intelligent sensing and control electronic subsystems into extreme aerospace (including 600°C [1,112°F]—hot enough to glow red!) that are beyond the physical capabilities of conventional silicon technologies. Silicon carbide’s ability to function in high temperature, high power, and high radiation conditions enables important performance enhancements across aircraft, spacecraft, power, automotive, communications, and energy production industries.

SiC Research at NASA Glenn

NASA Glenn continues to build on its pioneering SiC electronics history, dating back to the growth of single-crystal layers that formed the basis of early SiC diode and transistor demonstrations. NASA Glenn’s advancements in SiC technology helped establish today’s global SiC wafer and power device industry for conventional applications (typically under 200°C)

Work With NASA Glenn SiC Technology

Could your system benefit from long-duration sensors and integrated circuits (IC) capable of operating in extreme environments?

Recognizing the importance of accessibility and commercialization for technology infusion, NASA Glenn prototypes developmental SiC IC designs for interested external partners and is exploring a transition to commercial wafer foundries. The NASA Glenn 500°C Durable Junction Field-Effect Transistor Technical User Guide aims to inspire exploratory design, simulation, and layout of application-specific SiC ICs by new technology users.

This guide enables qualified electrical engineers to design SiC ICs for potential inclusion in future developmental fabrication runs at NASA Glenn.

To explore partnership or licensing opportunities for NASA Glenn’s SiC electronics and sensors, please contact Jeanne King at the NASA Glenn Research Center Technology Transfer Office (jeanne.m.king@nasa.gov, 216-433-2095).

Glenn Discoveries

NASA Glenn has long been a leading driver of SiC technology, as it was one of the first U.S. government agencies to fund and carry out SiC research work. The core SiC research team was founded around 1980 by NASA Glenn Hall of Fame inductee J. Anthony Powell. Over the years, NASA Glenn research team has contributed several significant discoveries to the emerging high-technology silicon carbide field. These discoveries include the following

• First large-area epitaxial growth of silicon carbide on silicon wafers (1982).
• First kilovolt (1991) and multi-kilovolt (1993) SiC rectifier devices.
• Site competition effect widely utilized for SiC dopant control (1993).
• Identification of micropipes as crystal defects that limit the performance of SiC power devices (1993).
• First semiconductor logic gate operation at 600°C (1996)
• First SiC ohmic contacts stable for 1000 hours at 600°C in air (2000).
• First Semiconductor Integrated Circuits to Operate for Thousands of Hours at 500°C (2007).
• First Electronics to Function for Weeks in Venus Surface Atmospheric Conditions (2016).
• First Semiconductor Integrated Circuits to Operate Above 900°C (2017).
• First Medium-Scale Integrated Circuits to Operate Over a Year at 500°C (2018).

Sponsored Offsite SiC Research

NASA Glenn sponsored research (through contracts to industry and grants to universities) has also resulted in several pioneering advancements in silicon carbide technology. For example, NASA Glenn sponsored the early stages of SiC power MOSFET development at Cree in the early 1990’s under NASA Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program. Cree/Wolfspeed is now recognized as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of SiC power MOSFETs that are enabling higher-efficiency power conversion and management circuits.

Today, NASA Glenn remains in a unique position to make crucial advancements to silicon carbide technology. The continuing importance and relevance of NASA Glenn SiC research is reflected in the strong support of our research customers and collaborators. The NASA Glenn SiC team is also collaborating with the NASA Glenn Chemical Sensors team towards developing hostile-environment SiC-based gas sensors.

Contact

Area of Expertise	Name	Email
Technical Lead	Gary Hunter	gary.w.hunter@nasa.gov
SiC Transistors and Integrated Circuits	Philip Neudeck	neudeck@nasa.gov
SiC Sensors and Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS)	Robert Okojie	robert.s.okojie@nasa.gov
SiC Device Fabrication	Shamir Maldonado-Rivera	shamir.maldonado-rivera@nasa.gov
SiC Device Fabrication	Srihari Rajgopal	srihari.rajgopal@nasa.gov
SiC Device Fabrication	David Spry	david.j.spry@nasa.gov
SiC Circuit Design	Mike Krasowski	michael.j.krasowski@nasa.gov
SiC Circuit Design	Norman Prokop	norman.f.prokop@nasa.gov
SiC Circuit Design and Testing	Christina Adams	christina.m.adams@nasa.gov