Silicon Carbide Research and Fabrication Facility Secures Tool Essential to Chip-Making Process

The U of A research team working to develop the Multi-Use Silicon Carbide Research and Fabrication Facility crossed an important milestone last month when it commissioned Deposition Technology to build a high-volume manufacturing tool critical to the silicon carbide chip-making process.

The tool will be remanufactured to match the unique specifications U of A researchers need for the Multi-Use Silicon Carbide Research and Fabrication Facility, a one-of-a-kind facility that will train the next generation of semiconductor researchers and engineers on cutting-edge equipment by providing an infrastructure of research experts focused on silicon carbide semiconductor devices, sensors and integrated circuits.

In 2020-21, the Multi-User Silicon Carbide Research and Fabrication Facility received nearly $18 million from the National Science Foundation and $5.4 million from the Army Research Laboratory. 

Alan Mantooth, Distinguished Professor of electrical engineering, is principal investigator for the Multi-Use Silicon Carbide Research and Fabrication Facility. Co-principal investigators on this project are Greg Salamo, Distinguished Professor of physics; Zhong Chen, associate professor of electrical engineering; Shannon Davis, business and operations manager in the Department of Electrical Engineering; and John Ransom, managing director of the Multi-Use Silicon Carbide Research and Fabrication Facility.

The group is working with Deposition Technology, a subsidiary of Dalrada Financial Corporation, to build a plasma-enhanced, chemical-vapor-deposition tool that is used to deposit insulating films on silicon carbide chips.

A full news release is available on Business Wire.

The facility will develop new electronics to address areas of national defense and create more energy-efficient and heat-resistant devices. The project also will fabricate superior integrated circuits for compact and robust electronic devices for branches of the U.S. military.

Students at all degree levels will be given research opportunities and be exposed to an area of high need in the science and technology workforce. The research will engage underrepresented students in this new and burgeoning area of electronics.

For more information on the Multi-Use Silicon Carbide Research and Fabrication Facility, contact John Ransom at SiCfab@uark.edu.