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Members of the onsemi and Penn State leadership teams in April 2023 celebrated the signing of a memorandum of understanding toward an $8 million strategic collaboration that includes the establishment of the onsemi Silicon Carbide Crystal Center at Penn State. From left to right: Geanie Umberger, associate vice president for research and director, Office of Industrial Partnerships; Sudhir Gopalswamy, onsemi senior vice president and general manager, Advanced Solutions Group; Daniel Lopez, Liang Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and director of the Nanofabrication Lab; Catherine Côté, onsemi vice president and CEO chief of staff; Tracy Langkilde, dean of the Eberly College of Science (front); Justin Schwartz, executive vice president and provost (back); Scott Allen, onsemi vice president of university relations (back); Zoubeida Ounaies, acting director, Materials Research Institute (front); Joshua Robinson, professor, materials science and engineering; Hrishikesh Das, onsemi senior director, Materials Group Leader (front); Anthony Atchley, acting dean of the College of Engineering (back); Priya Baboo, senior director of corporate and industry engagement (front); Phil Savage, interim associate vice president for research (back); and Tom Maatta, interim senior director of Development and Alumni Relations.
Newswise — UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State and onsemi, a leader in intelligent power and sensing technologies, have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding toward an $8 million strategic collaboration that includes the establishment of the onsemi Silicon Carbide Crystal Center (SiC3) at Penn State’s Materials Research Institute. Over the next 10 years, onsemi will fund SiC3 with $800,000 per year.
Silicon carbide (SiC) is vital for enabling efficiency in electric vehicles (EVs); EV charging and energy infrastructure; and contributes to the decarbonization of the global economy. Academic research in SiC made significant advancements in the late 1990s and early 2000s but has since diminished in the United States.
This agreement will put SiC crystal research in America back on the map.
In addition to conducting SiC research at SiC3, Penn State and onsemi will help raise awareness about the increasing demand for tech jobs in the semiconductor industry. This is part of the partnership's efforts to enhance the share of U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. They also will partner on workforce development initiatives such as internship and cooperative programs and include SiC and wide bandgap crystal studies in Penn State’s curriculum. The relationship with Penn State is part of onsemi’s commitment to promoting STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) education, ranging from helping K-12 students in underserved communities to university collaborations that support the development of the workforce for today and the future.
Lora Weiss, Penn State senior vice president for research, noted that the collaboration is a match that makes perfect sense given each entity’s demonstrated strengths.
“Onsemi is a proven innovator, delivering a comprehensive portfolio of intelligent power and sensing technologies to enable and accelerate sustainable solutions across multiple markets,” Weiss said. “At the same time, as per the National Science Foundation’s research expenditure rankings, Penn State is ranked first in materials science and second in materials engineering. We have world-class nanofab and characterization facilities that support research on thin films, silicon carbide and other materials used in semiconductors and other technologies. These complementary capabilities between onsemi and Penn State will have a strong impact on research and development, economic growth and workforce development.”
Penn State’s capabilities make it an ideal academic partner for onsemi to advance the state of the art in silicon crystal growth, according to Pavel Freundlich, chief technology officer, Power Solutions Group, onsemi.
“Penn State is uniquely positioned to rapidly establish a silicon carbide crystal growth research program,” said Freundlich. “The university offers a wide breadth of capability based on their current materials research, wafer processing capabilities in their nanofab facility, and a comprehensive, world-class suite of metrology instrumentation.”
The relationship developed over a period of due diligence, during which it became clear that their cooperative efforts would position Penn State and onsemi as leaders in SiC research.
“Over the next decade, this collaboration will enable Penn State to become the nation’s leading resource for semiconductor crystal science and workforce development,” said Justin Schwartz, Penn State executive vice president and provost. “And this would not be possible without the relationship-building efforts of Priya Baboo, senior director of corporate and industry engagement, and the technical expertise of Joshua Robinson, professor of materials science and engineering, and their counterparts at onsemi.”
Scott Allen, vice president for university relations at onsemi, added that “Penn State’s expansion of their curriculum to offer specialty courses in SiC and wideband gap technology will play a key role in meeting onsemi’s strategic workforce development goals and help to meet American semiconductor workforce goals, as outlined in the recently signed CHIPS and Science Act.”
Learn more about onsemi at onsemi.com.
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