Axcelis and GE Aerospace Collaborate on Superjunction Power Devices Development

Axcelis Technologies has announced a Joint Development Program with GE Aerospace to develop production-worthy 6.5 to 10kV superjunction power devices on Axcelis' Purion XEmax implanter. The JDP supports the 'Advanced High Voltage Silicon Carbide Switches' project, which aims to improve the performance of power switches in emerging applications. Silicon Carbide wide bandgap semiconductors offer higher voltages, operating temperatures, and frequencies compared to traditional Silicon devices.

Axcelis Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACLS) has announced a Joint Development Program (JDP) with GE Aerospace, focusing on the development of production-worthy 6.5 to 10kV superjunction power devices. The collaboration will leverage Axcelis' Purion XEmax™ high energy implanter, which provides the industry's highest beam currents over the broadest energy range, up to 15MeV [1][2][3].

This JDP supports the 'Advanced High Voltage Silicon Carbide Switches' project led by GE Aerospace, as part of the Commercial Leap Ahead for Wide Bandgap Semiconductors (CLAWS) Hub, headed by North Carolina State University. The project aims to enhance the performance of power switches in critical emerging applications [1][2][3].

Silicon Carbide (SiC) wide bandgap semiconductors offer higher voltages, operating temperatures, and frequencies compared to traditional Silicon (Si) devices. These advancements enable reduced power consumption and smaller packaging of critical systems in the aerospace and defense sectors. On the commercial side, high voltage wide bandgap semiconductors are expected to play a pivotal role in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, autonomous vehicles, and a more resilient power grid [1][2][3].

Russell Low, President and CEO of Axcelis, expressed pride in collaborating with GE Aerospace, stating, "We are proud to collaborate with GE Aerospace in this endeavor, which has the potential to accelerate superjunction technology adoption. Axcelis is committed to providing equipment and process expertise that enables our customers' superjunction device roadmaps" [1][2][3].

Axcelis' Purion XEmax™ provides maximum flexibility in energy ranges to optimize the profile in depth and concentration, enabling a more cost-effective approach by reducing the number of application steps. It also excels in channeling over 7µm of aluminum implanted depth [1][2][3].

GE Aerospace, through its Research Center in Niskayuna, NY, has built up a world-leading IP portfolio in SiC technologies over more than three decades and sells SiC-based electric power products today to support the avionics and electrical systems aboard commercial aircraft and ground vehicles. More recently, GE Aerospace researchers have been focusing SiC developments to enable future flight operations in extreme environments such as hypersonic vehicles and space travel, as well as electric propulsion [1][2][3].

Dr. Ljubisa Stevanovic, chief engineer at GE Aerospace Research, stated, "High voltage SiC power devices are an important enabler for a wide array of critical emerging applications and future endeavors, including hypersonic travel, electric propulsion, and space exploration. We are excited to partner with Axcelis on this project, due to their expertise in ion implantation for Silicon Carbide power devices, and their market-leading portfolio of Purion high energy ion implanters" [1][2][3].

Axcelis Technologies, headquartered in Beverly, Mass., has been providing innovative, high-productivity solutions for the semiconductor industry for over 45 years. The company is dedicated to developing enabling process applications through the design, manufacture, and sale of systems, one of the most critical and enabling steps in the IC manufacturing process [1][2][3].

References:
[1] https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/axcelis-announces-joint-development-program-ge-aerospace-development-high-voltage
[2] https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/axcelis-announces-joint-development-program-120000597.html
[3] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/axcelis-announces-joint-development-program-with-ge-aerospace-for-the-development-of-high-voltage-superjunction-power-devices-302533766.html