With funding from NASA’s In-Space Production Applications program, United Semiconductors produced semimetal semiconductor composite crystal on the International Space Station. Testing showed yield and device performance improvement compared with material manufactured terrestrially. Credit: United Semiconductors
SAN FRANCISCO – British startup Space Forge and U.S.-based United Semiconductors announced an agreement Sept. 23 to develop capabilities for space-based manufacturing of semiconductors used in electromagnetic sensors and quantum computing.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) follows more than a year of collaboration between the two companies and comes less than a week after Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft delivered United Semiconductor’s second experiment to the International Space Station.
Under the MoU, Space Forge will design and develop processes and equipment for advanced-materials deposition compatible with its ForgeStar manufacturing satellite. United Semiconductors will design equipment for in-space manufacturing, identify suitable materials and perform wafer processing and testing.
“This partnership marks an exciting evolution in our mission to establish a robust U.S. semiconductor manufacturing footprint that onshores reliable and resilient supply chains here at home,” Space Forge President Michelle Flemming said in a statement. “By combining our terrestrial and microgravity manufacturing capabilities with United Semiconductors’ deep expertise in crystal growth and wafer processing, we’re creating a powerful collaboration that can demonstrate the commercial viability of space-based semiconductor production.”
Geeta Rajagopalan, United Semiconductors president and CEO, said in a statement the partnership “brings together key technical expertise that is essential for the rapid development of semiconductor materials manufacturing in space and its potential for commercialization for next generation terrestrial and space microelectronics.”
Heightened Performance
Analysis of United Semiconductors’ first space-based experiment, sent into orbit in a SpaceX cargo Dragon in November, showed improved yield compared with terrestrial applications. Magnetic field sensors produced with the new crystals also showed greater sensitivity.
“We have proven that the materials are not just interesting looking compared to terrestrial material, but they will have a significant impact on the performance of devices,” Partha Dutta, United Semiconductors chief technologist, told SpaceNews. Independent testing demonstrated the space-grown crystals performed twice as well as crystals grown on Earth, Dutta added.
After producing the semiconductor crystals terrestrially for 20 years, United Semiconductors won funding to begin microgravity testing in 2023 from NASA’s In-Space Production Applications program. Axiom Space advised the company on low-Earth orbit manufacturing. Redwire served as United Semiconductors’ payload-integration partner and helped run the ISS experiments from the ground.
During the upcoming flight, United Semiconductors will produce more semimetal-semiconductor crystals than on the previous flight, “so that we can make a larger number of devices for our customers,” Dutta said.
Once the payload is returned, United Semiconductors will deliver raw materials produced in space to customers “so they can see the uniqueness of the materials and how that translates into end-application performance,” Dutta said.
If the initial experiment is any guide, “the performance of the devices used in end applications is going to make a strong case for in-space manufacturing,” Dutta said.
Debra Werner is a correspondent for SpaceNews based in San Francisco.
Debra earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. She is a recipient…
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