5N Plus gets $7.3m to close US GaAs supply-chain gap
The US Department of War has awarded $7.3m to 5N Plus Inc, a producer of specialty semiconductors and materials, headquartered in Montréal, to establish US production of GaAs components for defence applications.
With no qualified domestic source of GaAs electro-optical components currently available, US defence contractors rely on foreign suppliers. The proposed award would help address this critical supply chain gap by establishing a qualified US source at 5N+’s production facility in St. George, Utah, strengthening domestic supply security and supporting an immediate defence requirement.
“Our selection by the US government recognises 5N+ as a trusted strategic partner to the US defence industrial base, with the proven expertise and ability to support critical national security priorities,” said Richard Perron, president and CEO of 5N+. “This award will enable us to establish a secure domestic source for an immediate defence requirement, while also creating a scalable platform to pursue significant long-term market opportunities across a broader range of defence and space applications over time.”
Building on its existing capabilities, 5N+ intends to expand its Utah operations by adding crystal-growth and GaAs compounding equipment, and implementing the necessary process controls and inspection capabilities.
The company will work with defence firm Lockheed Martin as an initial customer, to complete product qualification before advancing to controlled, low-rate production, with a potential path to a follow-on production agreement.
The capabilities that will be developed at the company’s Utah facility could also support future production of GaAs substrates and other advanced semiconductor materials for additional defence and space applications, including space solar cells and high-frequency semiconductor devices.
