GeneSiC wins SBIR and STTR grants from DoE
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 ofmulti-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.
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 unrealised largely due to the limitations of contemporary silicon-based technologies, the firm says.
GeneSiC says it is capitalising 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.
