Cree wins more government contracts
Cree’s contribution to Thrust I is focused on the development of high quality 4 inch semi-insulating substrates in support of SiC MESFET and GaN HEMT microwave devices. Also included is work directed toward development of new, highly uniform SiC MESFET and GaN HEMT epitaxial processes on larger diameter wafers and studies correlating material advances with device performance. The GaN-related work will be performed as a joint effort between the microwave groups at Cree in Durham, NC, and Cree Lighting in Goleta, CA.
The second contract is worth up to $5.6 million over 18 months for work on SiC high voltage, high power switching devices as part of the initiative s second major thrust area, the "Thrust II" effort. This is directed to high power conversion and distribution technology.
The Thrust II effort at Cree is aimed at the development of low defect density 4 inch, n-type 4H-SiC substrates that would allow the fabrication of large area high current, high voltage power devices. Cree will also work to develop more uniform, thick epitaxial processes required for the fabrication of devices with blocking voltages in excess of 10 kV. Additionally, Cree will pursue device development focused on high reliability, high voltage SiC pin rectifiers and MOSFETs based on these materials.
The contracts include options that, if exercised by ONR, would extend the work six months and provide additional funding of up to $2.9 million under the Thrust I contract and $1.8 million under the Thrust II contract.
Cree has successfully bid for DARPA backed projects in the past and in March this year was awarded a contract for the development of UV emitters for biological agent detection (see related story).
John Palmour, director of Advanced Devices at Cree, said, "These programs represent an acknowledgement by DARPA of both the tremendous potential of wide bandgap semiconductors in the areas of high power microwave and power switching devices, as well as the technical leadership Cree exhibits in these areas."
Chuck Swoboda, president and CEO of Cree added, "The DARPA efforts funded under these contracts are ideally aligned with our product roadmap, and we believe the work will aid us greatly in further developing our microwave and power product offerings. The technology we are creating in these efforts should not only benefit the military systems that drive the DoD funding but also benefit the development of devices for a variety of non-military applications."
