NASA SBIR SUCCESS STORY  Goddard Space Flight Center  
1994 Phase II 

High Temperature Gallium Nitride-Based Sensors and Electronics  

Advanced Technology Materials, Inc. 

Danbury, CT 
 

INNOVATION 
    Developed high quality GaN materials that demonstrate great potential for light emitting and electronic devices.
GaN/AIN MISFET Structure on SIC Substrates
GaN/AIN MISFET Structure on
SIC Substrates
Optional Powerpoint file
ACCOMPLISHMENTS 
    • Developed high quality GaN on SiC.
    • Developed the growth technology of MIS capacitors and MISFETs on GaN using an insulating AIN epitaxial layer.
    • Developed an x-ray simulation program for hexagonal lattice materials.
    • ATMI has developed and patented processes that allow the manufacture of high-purity GaN wafers 50mm and larger in diameter.
COMMERCIALIZATION 
    • GaN epitaxial films on SiC have been made commercially available with the support of the SBIR program.
    • Based on recent epitaxy and substrate successes, ATMI has committed significant additional funding for continued GaN wafer development and pilot manufacturing capacity.
    • Jointly developing with an industrial partner a high temperature piezoelectric sensor module to measure gas pressure in high temperature engines.
    • Several jobs created to support this new technology.
GOVERNMENT/SCIENCE APPLICATIONS 
    • ATMI has recently been awarded contracts totaling nearly $4M from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the Ballistic Missile Defense Operation (BMDO) to further develop GaN wafers for electronic and optoelectronic devices.
    • GaN materials are key to the development of amplifiers operating at > 350 degrees C.  The amplifiers are the basis for various applications not currently accessible using Si-based electronics such as in aircraft engine sensors, and ground-vehicle motor control.
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