Nitride Global to Partner on NASA Contract to Grow Aluminum Nitride Crystals in Space

Wichita, KS - August 6, 2024 - Nitride Global, a leader in Aluminum Nitride technology, today announced that it will partner with United Semiconductor, LLC and Axiom Space on a NASA-funded Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant titled "Physical Vapor Deposition Reactor Design and Validation for In-Space Manufacturing of Aluminum Nitride Single Crystals." The contract is set aside for small businesses that support the development of innovative technologies with potential aerospace applications.

The consortium, led by United Semiconductor, a manufacturer of advanced semiconductor materials, will work on designing and validating a physical vapor deposition reactor for producing high-quality aluminum nitride single crystals in a microgravity environment. This aligns with NASA's interest in in-space manufacturing capabilities that could enable novel materials and devices for autonomous systems, networked sensing, and other emerging aerospace technologies.

"We are thrilled to partner with United Semiconductor and Axiom Space on this groundbreaking project supported by NASA's SBIR program," said Mahyar Khosravi, CEO of Nitride Global. "The development of in-space manufacturing technologies for aluminum nitride single crystals represents a major leap forward for both aerospace and semiconductor industries. At Nitride Global, we have always been at the forefront of Aluminum Nitride innovation, and this collaboration will enable us to explore new frontiers in materials science while contributing to NASA's mission of advancing autonomous systems and networked sensing in space."

The contract award is a Phase I SBIR and is expected to fund the collaboration for one year, with possible follow-on funding should the program show early success.