Coherent has secured $15m of CHIPS Act funding
US-based Coherent Corp has received a funding boost from the US government to accelerate the development of its wide and ultrawide bandgap semiconductors for defence purposes.
The firm has confirmed that it has been awarded USD 15 million from the Chips and Science budget. This is as a result of its membership of the Commercial Leap Ahead for Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors (CLAWS) Hub based in North Carolina. It will now work towards launching wide (silicon carbide) and ultrawide (single-crystal diamond) bandgap semiconductors.
Both types of chip are in high demand. Coherent says silicon carbide power electronics are recognised for their potential to improve the energy efficiency of AI and traditional hyperscale data centres. Meanwhile single-crystal diamond promises to exceed the performance of silicon carbide and support the development of quantum computing, quantum encryption, and quantum sensing.
“We are excited to be recipients of funding from the CHIPS Act,” said Sohail Khan, Executive Vice President, Wide-Bandgap Electronics. “Wide and ultrawide bandgap semiconductors enable the electrification of transportation, including road vehicles, high-speed trains, and mobile industrial machinery. They also enable smart power grids to efficiently respond to fluctuations in energy demands by regulating the delivery of electricity from conventional and renewable sources to distribution networks, as well as to and from utility-scale power storage and microgrids.”
