Penn State to set up advanced semiconductor lab

Penn State researchers aim to enhance the University's research and development capabilities in next-generation semiconductor technology thanks to USD 4.3 million in infrastructure funding and in-kind support through the University’s membership in MMEC, a consortium of regional partners focused on microelectronics research and development. 

The funding from MMEC, part of a broader initiative under the Department of Defense Microelectronics Commons effort under the federal CHIPS Act, will help the University establish an advanced lab for semiconductor thin films and device research in the Materials Research Institute’s (MRI) facilities in the Millennium Science Complex at University Park, according to a report published on the University’s website. 

“We were very fortunate to be included in the original MMEC proposal,” said Joan Redwing, lead investigator on the infrastructure project and distinguished professor of materials science and engineering and director of MRI’s Two-Dimensional Crystal Consortium, a U.S. National Science Foundation Materials Innovation Platform and national user facility. “The proposal included infrastructure investment for training and workforce development. The funding will allow MRI to build capacity for next-generation semiconductor thin films and devices, which includes new equipment that will allow us to scale up fabrication and create prototype devices.” 

At the heart of the new facility, made possible by the funding, will be a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) tool, manufactured by AIXTRON SE, a multinational technology company. The MOCVD tool works by heating a chamber in a highly controlled manner where special chemical gases, containing the elements needed for the material, are introduced. These gases react and break down on a hot surface, such as a semiconductor wafer, depositing a thin, even layer of material. This precise layering allows for high-quality materials used in advanced technologies like semiconductors. 

“This tool will allow students and early career researchers to gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art thin film deposition equipment used by industry for compound semiconductor thin film manufacturing,” Redwing said. “It will also provide new capabilities for scaling up thin film materials for device research, particularly for advanced semiconductors including wide bandgap and 2D materials.” 

In addition to the MOCVD tool, the lab will house several other specialized instruments, including a Jupiter XR atomic force microscope from Oxford Instruments Asylum Research for fast scanning and full-wafer mapping; and an evaporator for deposition of specialized contact metal stacks for devices fabricated using 2D materials.