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.”
About Penn State
Penn State is a multi-campus, land-grant, public research University that educates students from around the world, and supports individuals and communities through integrated programs of teaching, research, and service. We are an R1 university, a classification given by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Higher Education to the very best research universities in America, reaching a record $1.034 billion in research expenditures during fiscal year 2021-22. Our discovery-oriented, collaborative and interdisciplinary research and scholarship promote human and economic development, global understanding and advancement in professional practice through the expansion of knowledge and its applications in the natural and applied sciences, social and behavioral sciences, engineering, technology, arts and humanities, and myriad professions. Our instructional mission includes undergraduate, graduate, professional, continuing and extension education, offered through both resident instruction and distance learning. Our educational programs are enriched by the talent, knowledge, diversity, creativity and teaching and research acumen of our faculty, students and staff. As Pennsylvania’s land-grant university, Penn State provides unparalleled access to education and public service to support the citizens of the commonwealth and beyond. We engage in collaborative activities with private sector, educational and governmental partners worldwide to generate, integrate, apply and disseminate knowledge that is valuable to society.
About onsemi
Driving disruptive innovations to help build a better future, onsemi focuses on automotive and industrial end-markets, accelerating change in megatrends such as vehicle electrification and safety, sustainable energy grids, industrial automation, and 5G and cloud infrastructure. Offering a highly differentiated and innovative product portfolio, onsemi delivers intelligent power and sensing technologies that solve the world’s most complex challenges and lead the way to creating a safer, cleaner and smarter world. It is recognized as a Fortune 500 company and included in the S&P 500 index. The Nasdaq stock ticker for onsemi is ON. Learn more about onsemi at www.onsemi.com.
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