Extreme Environment Integrated Circuits Using SiC JFET Technology for Advanced NASA Venus Missions

Venus presents a significant thermal management challenge for any probe or lander. Vehicle, instrument and system designs must account for its corrosive, high-pressure, high-temperature (470°C) environment. The recent development of a silicon carbide (SiC) JFET process at NASA Glenn Research Center (NASA-GRC) demonstrates a much higher device operating temperature compared with those using a silicon (Si) technology. The breakthrough results achieved by the SiC JFET technology should improve the whole electronic system with much higher operating temperature and much better radiation hardness. Implementation of this technology can substantially reduce the cooling elements for the electronic systems and improve the robustness of vehicles, instruments and systems used in a Venus Mission. Working as a basic building block, SiC integrated circuits (ICs) based on the SiC JFET technology are expected to play a key role in fulfilling the needs of a variety of space exploration missions at NASA. This project aims to develop an Arkansas State research infrastructure so that the team eventually could tackle the grand technical challenge in SiC IC technology by developing transformative, cost-effective, high temperature SiC JFET devices. The research team includes two researchers from one Arkansas institution - University of Arkansas (UA) and one Arkansas local industry – Ozark IC (OzIC). The team will look to senior scientists, Dr. Glenn Beheim and Dr. Phil Neudeck, from NASA-GRC for guidance in the process migration. The research goal of this project is to launch a major research direction for the State of Arkansas in the area of developing innovative high temperature SiC ICs for extreme environments based on one of the breakthrough techniques originally developed by NASA-GRC. The research team will adopt this unique device processing technology and advance the SiC JFET process using the High-Density Electronics Center (HiDEC) facility at the UA campus. The achievement of this goal will lead the team to become one of the top groups in the world in this emerging field within the next three years. As a result, it will significantly contribute to and promote the development of a research capability of the state in areas of strategic importance to the U.S. - NASA missions, energy exploration and military engines. This goal will be implemented by replicating and providing SiC ICs processing for small and medium sized markets, based on the SiC JFET technology. OzIC and NASA-GRC have recently signed a licensing agreement, in which both parties agree to collaboratively transfer the SiC JFET process by leveraging the current fabrication capabilities at HiDEC together with the strong research expertise for materials and devices at the UA. Areas of planned collaboration include process development, device design, characterization, and data analysis. These collaborative activities will be performed in both NASA and UA facilities. In addition to the research activities, this project also includes intensive interactions between Arkansas researchers and NASA experts. The project aims not only to develop long-term partnerships with NASA research centers to contribute to NASA missions but also to promote state economic growth and work-force development through a technology transfer to local industry. The project will foster the growth of the overall research infrastructure and therefore enable the team to emerge as a nationally outstanding group that should obtain substantial support from sources outside of the NASA EPSCoR RRR program. Specific research objectives for this project include: a. SiC process module development (UA) b. Preliminary SiC JFET device simulation and development (UA, OzIC) c. Prototype SiC device characterization (UA, OzIC)

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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