Penn State, technology company to create crystal center

Penn State and onsemi, an intelligent power and sensing technologies company, recently signed of a memorandum of understanding to create the onsemi Silicon Carbide Crystal Center (SiC3) at Penn State’s Materials Research Institute.

onsemi will fund SiC3 with $800,000 annually over the next 10 years.

Silicon carbide is used in electric vehicles as well as the vehicles’ charging and energy infrastructure.

“Onsemi is a proven innovator, delivering a comprehensive portfolio of intelligent power and sensing technologies to enable and accelerate sustainable solutions across multiple markets,” Lora Weiss, Penn State senior vice president for research, 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 and onsemi also will help raise awareness about the increasing demand for tech jobs in the semiconductor industry, will partner on work force development initiatives, and will include SiC and wide bandgap crystal studies in Penn State’s curriculum.