Wide Bandgap Monthly Insights – October 2026
Here’s a RoundUp of this month’s must-read news about silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), and Wide-Bandgap Materials!
SiC News
KERI team corrects 15-year error in global SiC power semiconductor standard
A South Korean research group has, for the first time in almost 15 years, disclosed inaccuracies in the global metric employed to identify flaws in ‘SiC (silicon carbide) power semiconductors’, essential for electric vehicles and renewable energy systems, and has suggested an alternative metric.
The Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) declared on the 25th that Senior Researcher Na Moon-kyung from the Next-Generation Semiconductor Research Center, in collaboration with a joint research team led by Hong Soon-gu at Chungnam National University, Horiba STEC Korea, and SK Siltron, has established a criterion for identifying defects within SiC semiconductors.
They effectively reestablished the “true color (specific emission wavelength)” of internal flaws in SiC semiconductors that the global community had misinterpreted for about 15 years. The findings of the study were disseminated in the global publication ‘Acta Materialia’ on September 8.
If “stacking faults” arise, where atoms become slightly misaligned as they accumulate layer by layer during semiconductor manufacturing, the power semiconductor fails to achieve optimal performance, requiring rigorous quality control.
In industry, “photoluminescence (PL) inspection” identifies flaws without damaging the semiconductor wafer. This technique relies on the principle that light emitted from flawed areas, when illuminated, has a different wavelength than that from pristine sections.
The research team found that “Frank-type stacking faults” are the most common defect type by analyzing data from over 100,000 problems across 207 commercial wafers. Frank-type stacking faults arise when an atomic layer within a semiconductor’s crystal lattice is missing or newly introduced. It resembles a cake made of alternating layers of sheets and cream, where an extra layer of cream replaces a sheet.
South Korea’s LX Semicon Sells More Than 60 Patents, Marking its Exits from SiC Market
South Korean semiconductor manufacturer LX Semicon has announced the divestiture of its silicon carbide (SiC) patents, marking its official exit from the SiC sector.
According to the details revealed, the firm is marketing more than 60 patents related to SiC power semiconductor devices and epitaxial wafers. The anticipated selling price is below KRW 1 billion.
The patents cover SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) technologies, including planar and trench-gate configurations, termination and gate-pad designs, and epitaxial wafer technologies. The portfolio spans South Korea, the United States, mainland China, Europe, Japan, and Taiwan, with several patents remaining in force until 2045.
Advanced Energy Unveils Centra Smart Hub for Improved Temperature Measurement in Next-Generation Semiconductor Tools
Advanced Energy Industries Inc. has unveiled the Centra
Smart Hub at SEMICON West in San Francisco today.
The Centra Smart Hub, paired with Advanced Energy’s innovative Remote Smart Sensors (RSS), delivers higher-precision wafer-temperature assessment and real-time temperature control for various lamp-heated Si and SiC thermal processes, including rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and Epitaxial (Epi) growth.
The result is a comprehensive, adaptable solution that delivers superior performance, achieving up to 40% greater accuracy than conventional solutions while measuring at 3.3 um or 5.2 um and operating at temperatures up to 1700°C. This is a significant advancement for novel and emerging semiconductor fabrication techniques, improving throughput, process consistency, and product quality. The Centra Smart Hub incorporates integrated ECAT and Ethernet protocols, enabling integration into modern system designs, accelerating time-to-market, and enabling innovative applications.
Centra’s hub-and-spoke design has been refined for semiconductor chambers. The Centra Smart Hub sits in an equipment rack and connects to the RSS. The RSS is affixed directly to the chamber and offers numerous measurement locations across the wafer at ambient temperatures up to 60°C.
Wolfspeed secures $1.5 billion conditional loan commitment from US defense department
Wolfspeed announced it secured a conditional loan commitment of up to $1.5 billion from the US Department of Defense to boost domestic manufacturing of silicon carbide materials and power devices, driving a 27% after-hours share gain.
Wolfspeed manufactures silicon carbide semiconductors that offer superior energy efficiency and are used in high-power conversion applications such as electric vehicles, solar inverters, and industrial power systems.
The firm said the contingent 30-year obligation, facilitated by the Department of Defense’s Office of Strategic Capital, reflects its efforts to strengthen its capital structure and financial base.
It intends to use the funding to advance its gallium nitride technology for advanced communications infrastructure and electronic warfare systems, as well as to develop radiation-hardening capabilities.
The financing depends on due diligence, final agreements, government approvals, and additional stipulations.
Under the proposed terms, Wolfspeed would need to provide the department with warrants to acquire up to 7.5% of its fully diluted stock.
Infineon and Eaton leverage silicon carbide technology to advance solid-state transformers for 800 VDC AI data center power architectures
Infineon Technologies will supply silicon carbide (SiC) power components to Eaton, a business specializing in intelligent power management, for integration into its medium-voltage solid-state transformer (MVSST) 2.0 platform intended for implementation throughout the APAC region. The partnership improves the efficiency and reliability of the power conversion needed to connect AI data centers to the electrical grid. It focuses on 800 Volts direct current (VDC) power distribution frameworks for data centers.
The rapid proliferation of AI data centers and rising energy demands are driving the need for more effective ways to connect high-density computing facilities to the power grid. At the same time, advances in medium-voltage DC distribution technologies are driving demand for next-generation power conversion solutions that improve efficiency, power density, scalability, and reliability.
Eaton’s MVSST 2.0 technology, tailored for high-density computing environments and novel 800 VDC AI data center power distribution systems, reduces conversion stages compared with traditional topologies, improving efficiency, power density, and deployment flexibility. As one of the first medium-voltage solid-state transformer systems to receive IEC certification, it integrates cutting-edge silicon carbide technology with Eaton’s power distribution and conversion expertise to support next-generation energy infrastructure.
Eaton and Infineon are investigating next-generation SST platforms using 2.3 kV and 3.3 kV SiC power modules to enable higher system voltages, improved efficiency, and greater reliability for upcoming AI data centers, grid modernization, and renewable energy initiatives.
Wolfspeed Expands 200 mm Silicon Carbide Portfolio with New Premium Power Substrates
Wolfspeed has announced the market launch of its new Premium 200 mm n-type silicon carbide substrate, expanding its 200 mm SiC materials range with a superior-quality foundational material designed to increase yield by minimizing defects and improving wafer-shape stability.
As the silicon carbide device sector advances toward higher voltages and larger die sizes, material quality and wafer consistency have become key differentiators.
By eliminating variability from the initial material, Wolfspeed’s superior substrate gives silicon carbide device producers a more consistent, higher-yielding foundation, increasing the likelihood of successful first-time designs and minimizing qualification delays as the margin for error shrinks.
Wolfspeed’s high-quality 200 mm n-type SiC substrate has fewer than 0.01 micropipes per square centimeter, or fewer than three micropipes per wafer, as confirmed by X-ray topography using the industry-standard technique, along with minimal threading screw dislocations. When integrated with Wolfspeed’s established wafer configuration and lot-to-lot uniformity, this superior bare-wafer quality directly improves epitaxial performance and remains fully compatible with customers’ current epitaxy methodologies.
GaN News
Infineon and NVIDIA Expand GaN Power Collaboration for AI Data Centers
Infineon Technologies declared an enhanced partnership with NVIDIA regarding AI data center power distribution at NVIDIA’s GTC developer conference in Berlin. The two firms will collaborate to develop high-voltage intermediate bus converter (IBC) solutions using gallium nitride (GaN) power components for 800V direct current (800V DC) systems.
The enhanced partnership builds on the firms’ 800V DC power supply project, initiated in 2025. It focuses on power transformation for high-capacity AI racks and will also support maintenance of hot-swappable server racks.
The high-voltage IBC is a crucial element in the AI data center’s power distribution system. Using its CoolGaN product range, Infineon will address various conversion setups, such as 800V-to-50V and 800V-to-12V, using high-frequency switching technology. The solutions are designed for NVIDIA’s MGX open modular reference framework for AI factories.
The power architecture targets AI computer systems with a maximum power consumption of 1 MW per rack, with deployment expected to begin incrementally in 2027.
Infineon and NVIDIA initially revealed their partnership on 800V DC data center power transmission in May 2025. The preliminary project encompassed both silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) technologies.
The most recent expansion prioritizes GaN for intermediate bus conversion. The solutions aim to increase power density, minimize power losses across the supply chain, and reduce the need for cooling hardware. They are engineered to enable regulated pre-charging and discharging of server motherboards, as well as hot-swapping while the rack is active, minimizing the likelihood of service interruptions during data center upkeep.
Beyond GaN-based IBCs, Infineon is providing SiC devices, power protection elements, and other power solutions for NVIDIA’s 800V DC ecosystem, including the power delivery chain from the grid to AI processors.
Atomera Has Signed a Joint Development Agreement With IQE to Bring High-Performance, Cost-Effective RF GaN-on-Silicon to Volume Markets
Atomera, a company specializing in semiconductor transistor materials and technology licensing, has announced a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with IQE plc, the leading global provider of compound semiconductor wafer products and advanced material solutions, to bring high-performance, cost-efficient RF GaN to market.
The partnership combines Atomera’s newly revealed implementation of Mears Silicon Technology (MST®) on silicon substrates for RF GaN with IQE’s expertise in compound semiconductor epitaxy. Under the agreement, the firms will collaborate to demonstrate GaN epitaxy on Atomera’s MST-enhanced silicon wafers. The project initially focuses on RF GaN-on-silicon applications, aiming to demonstrate superior linearity and minimal loss for high-demand RF sectors.
Atomera and IQE foresee a multi-phase development process, with engineering teams from both organizations collaborating to refine the multi-layer architecture and identify the most efficient RF material. The JDA also allows the companies to broaden their efforts, both to improve RF GaN and to explore alternative GaN applications, such as power electronics.
The initiative will focus on fabricating and evaluating MST-enabled GaN-on-silicon substrates, aiming to quickly identify the optimal MST-enabled GaN-on-silicon material and provide samples for foundry, IDM, and fabless client engagement.
MST is a quantum-engineered epitaxial silicon substrate that improves transistors by delivering markedly enhanced performance while reducing die size and lowering costs. In GaN epitaxy, it improves RF GaN performance on silicon substrates.
Atomera’s proprietary material technology aims to enable more efficient, controlled current flow, advancing device performance and energy efficiency across applications.
Guerrilla RF Expands GaN Design Support and Begins Sampling New High-Power Devices
Guerrilla RF, Inc. announced new nonlinear simulation models for its GRF0005 and GRF0012 gallium nitride (GaN) power transistors in the Modelithics COMPLETE Library. The Company also revealed it is testing three novel high-power GaN-on-Silicon Carbide (GaN-on-SiC) devices for the commercial and Aerospace & Defense sectors.
The devices’ wide bandwidth makes them well-suited for Tactical Radio, UAS (Drone), and C-UAS (counter-drone) applications. Modelithics offers measurement-derived RF and microwave simulation models that engineers use in electronic design automation software to evaluate component performance before hardware construction. The latest GRF0005 and GRF0012 models improve design support across Guerrilla RF’s GaN range from 5 W to 150 W.
The GRF0005 and GRF0012 are rated at 5 W and 12 W, respectively, and operate from DC to 12 GHz.
These transistor cores inherently support 40 V operation and also work with 28 V supply rails. Together with the six GaN models unveiled earlier this year, the two new models expand customer access to simulation tools that support design-in efforts, shorten development timelines, and promote adoption of Guerrilla RF’s high-power GaN offerings.
AVL and VisIC: High-Power GaN Traction Inverter in Action
VisIC Technologies takes pride in its involvement with the groundbreaking AVL Tesla Demonstrator Vehicle, a platform developed to showcase forthcoming electric-propulsion innovations. In the car’s sophisticated GaN traction inverter, AVL chose VisIC’s automotive-grade D³GaN power module technology, showcasing the effectiveness of high-power GaN semiconductors in a practical electric-vehicle setting. AVL says the demonstration includes a high-efficiency GaN inverter that uses VisIC power modules within its sophisticated electric drivetrain framework.
The initiative brings together AVL, NXP Semiconductors, and VisIC Technologies to explore how advanced power electronics can improve efficiency, performance, and sustainability in electric vehicles.
A key benefit of GaN technology is its markedly lower switching losses than traditional SiC-based alternatives, especially at high switching frequencies. This advantage matters most in real-world driving, when electric vehicles typically operate at partial load rather than peak power.
Lower switching losses let the inverter maintain high efficiency during the driving cycle, reducing energy waste and cooling demands. The result is a more efficient powertrain that can extend driving range, boost system efficiency, and enable more compact power-electronic designs.
Polar Collaborates with IC-Link by imec to Manufacture 8-inch GaN Technology
Polar Semiconductor and IC-Link by imec have announced a partnership to enable 8-inch manufacturing of enhancement-mode (e-mode) devices. GaN devices are intended for essential sectors such as AI data centers, automotive, aerospace and defense, and the industrial grid.
The latest product is supported by a licensing transfer deal with imec for its GaN-on-Si technology, devices, and epitaxy, allowing Polar to produce e-mode GaN devices at its premier power and sensor fabrication facility in Bloomington, Minnesota. The preliminary accord focused on voltage intervals between 40 and 650V, with plans to extend to both lower and higher voltages, enabling Polar to produce across the GaN power spectrum and address market trends like the shift from 800V to 12V in data centers.
Through IC-Link, imec’s design and production sector, clients can gain early access to GaN technology, accelerating development now and transitioning seamlessly into comprehensive manufacturing services. The technology developed by imec, together with the services offered by IC-Link and the manufacturing prowess of Polar, will deliver an unparalleled service from prototyping to high-volume production. IC-Link’s combined design-to-manufacturing services, along with Polar’s marketing strength and manufacturing superiority, will deliver a cohesive solution to their shared clientele.
XMax to Acquire Hexa Creation, Developer of 1200V Vertical GaN Power Semiconductor Technology
XMax Inc., a distributor of modern furniture and AI software services, has declared that it has finalized a share purchase agreement to obtain complete ownership of Hexa Creation Inc. (“Hexa Creation” or “HexaGaN”), a U.S. firm specializing in 1200V vertical gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductor technology for AI data center power systems and other high-voltage uses.
XMax is acquiring Hexa Creation to expand its AI strategy into power infrastructure for AI computing and other high-voltage applications. The organization contends that the purchase aligns with its overarching objective of diversification and sustainable wealth generation.
Hexa Creation’s technological strategy centers on a proprietary 1200V vertical GaN trench MOSFET for high-voltage, high-power applications that exceed the 650V threshold common in the current commercial GaN sector. Hexa Creation holds a unique license to specific patents and associated intellectual property from one of the largest public institutions in the United States, which underpins its high-voltage vertical GaN technology platform.
As next-generation AI data centers transition to elevated-voltage power frameworks, such as novel 800VDC systems, XMax anticipates a surge in demand for high-efficiency, 1200V-class power semiconductor components. Hexa Creation is focusing on these nascent AI power-infrastructure applications, as well as electric vehicles, energy storage, ultra-fast charging, and other high-voltage sectors.
The Company anticipates that Hexa Creation’s technological trajectory may shift from discrete power devices to power modules and broader power-system solutions.
Mivium Achieves Breakthrough in GaN Nanoparticle Production: Opening New Pathways for High-Performance Semiconductors
Mivium Inc. has reached a notable milestone in materials science: effectively synthesizing high-purity, submicron gallium nitride (GaN) particles using its proprietary, protected technology platform (which also covers other wide-bandgap and advanced semiconductor materials such as gallium oxide and boron nitride).
This innovation addresses a major limitation in wide-bandgap semiconductor production, enabling novel device designs and integration methods once deemed financially impractical.
Independent external evaluation verifies that Mivium has produced phase-pure hexagonal wurtzite GaN particles with a particle size range of 300-500 nanometers, enabling new processing avenues for GaN thin-film applications and substrate manufacturing. The substance demonstrates:
- Homogeneous particle size distribution within the submicron spectrum
- Phase-pure polycrystalline configuration (hexagonal wurtzite)
- An elevated faceted morphology indicating consistent crystal integrity.
Capacity for industrial-scale production. Chandra Deshpandey, PhD, Mivium’s CTO and an emeritus professor of Materials Science and Engineering at UCLA, said no one has proven they can manufacture submicron GaN particles of this quality and scale. The excitement lies not only in attaining submicron particle dimensions but also in establishing phase purity and homogeneity that satisfy semiconductor-grade standards. This creates opportunities for novel device architectures and integration methodologies that were previously unattainable. We are empowering the sector to venture into completely uncharted domains.
In July 2026, Mivium secured $4.23 million through a private-placement financing, elevating its total capital raised to over $10.5 million. The financing facilitates ongoing research and development, materials analysis, thin-film innovation, and collaboration with prospective commercial and strategic allies.
FORTITUDE: A Fortress of Innovation
FORTITUDE is a robust, multifunctional microchip developed by Northrop Grumman, built on gallium nitride (GaN) to deliver accuracy and speed when conventional electronics fall short.
At the heart of advanced sensors, FORTITUDE powers essential detection systems, including radar and surveillance technologies, delivering faster, more precise information when every detail matters. Engineered in high- and low-power variants, it enhances military radars with superior clarity and faster switching, while supporting equipment in extreme conditions such as outer space. This technology is poised to enable ultra-high-frequency communications, opening new spectrum for satellite communication, advanced wireless networks (6G and beyond), and other applications.
FORTITUDE derives its robustness from its proprietary “superlattice” architecture, built like a castle wall, fitting its fortress namesake. Composed of numerous exceedingly thin layers of aluminum-GaN and GaN, each tens of thousands of times thinner than a human hair, it has three components: source, gate, and drain. The gate, resembling a crenelated fortress parapet, regulates electron flow from source to drain, enabling FORTITUDE to retain over 10 times the charge of conventional GaN devices and 100 times that of silicon chips.
Conventional GaN and silicon semiconductors dissipate energy due to resistance, like water flowing sluggishly through constricted, uneven pipes; FORTITUDE integrates GaN’s benefits with advanced silicon-derived structural design to mitigate this loss. This castle design enables effective signal transmission, minimizing energy loss, reducing distortion, and decreasing errors.
The result: clearer signals, better separation of overlapping transmissions, and the ability to manage wide, high-frequency ranges, essential for advanced radar and communication technologies.
Skyworks Completes Combination with Qorvo
Skyworks announced it has completed its merger with Qorvo. The deal’s completion establishes a U.S.-headquartered, worldwide frontrunner in high-performance radio frequency (RF), power management, and analog and mixed-signal semiconductor technologies.
The merger creates a more extensive, diverse semiconductor enterprise by integrating complementary RF, analog, and power technologies and adding technical resources, including over 8,000 engineers and more than 12,000 granted and pending patents.
In mobile, the merger expands its RF front-end offerings, enabling the firm to capitalize on growing RF complexity. As 5G-Advanced progresses and the sector transitions to 6G, smartphones are expected to support additional frequency bands, new spectrum, and AI-enhanced capabilities, increasing the need for sophisticated RF solutions.
Beyond mobile, the amalgamation more than doubles Skyworks’ addressable market and creates a foundation spanning physical AI and connected edge, military and aerospace, data center and networking, and automotive. It expands the technological repertoire to include RF GaN, low-voltage power, and wired broadband.
Skyworks will benefit from an expanded end-market scope, enhanced domestic production capabilities, and annual cost synergies of over $500 million, expected within 24 to 36 months after the merger is finalized and the firms are fully integrated.
The deal is expected to promptly boost non-GAAP EPS while preserving a strong capital structure. Skyworks will offer financial projections at its fiscal fourth-quarter news conference on November 3.
WBG News
World’s First Ampere-Level Vertical Gallium Oxide MOSFET Developed
Gallium oxide is attracting interest for high-voltage, high-efficiency power devices because of its wide bandgap, high breakdown field, and low conduction losses. Nonetheless, obstacles in p-type doping have persistently impeded its advancement for high-power applications and market viability.
Vertical gallium oxide MOSFETs have typically faced limitations in current capacity, breakdown voltage, and leakage current. Jiachi Power Technology, located in Shanghai, has lately reached a significant milestone in this domain. Based in Shanghai’s fourth-generation semiconductor manufacturing hub, the company has completed the initial phase of wafer production and validation for its vertical gallium oxide MOSFET chips.
The team claims to have created the world’s first enhancement-mode vertical gallium oxide MOSFET, with an on-state current exceeding 1 A and a breakdown voltage above 900 V, setting new benchmarks across key performance parameters according to publicly available data.
Consistent, manageable p-type doping has long posed a major global obstacle for high-power gallium oxide MOSFETs. Consequently, earlier research publications and industrial analyses did not report vertical gallium oxide MOSFETs with on-state currents above 1 A, hindering commercialization.
To address this issue, Jiachi has improved both device design and manufacturing techniques. The team developed proprietary MOSFET cell and termination architectures, carefully controlling internal device geometry and electric-field distribution to improve stability and breakdown performance.
Additionally, the firm devised a self-aligned ion implantation technique for the MOSFET channel, addressing challenges in accurate channel formation and consistent dopant control. This study instituted a specialized process flow for high-power gallium oxide devices, succeeded by a comprehensive initial fabrication cycle and electrical assessment.
Quantitative findings showed a threshold voltage of 3.9 V, enabling stable enhancement-mode operation. The device achieved an on-state current of 1.2 A and an on-resistance of 33 mΩ·cm².
Sapphire-grown semiconductor film sets bandgap record
Semiconductors with broader bandgaps may enable more compact, efficient electronic devices that can handle much higher voltages; however, as the bandgap widens, controlling the material’s electrical conductivity becomes increasingly challenging. A research team led by Darrell Schlom at Cornell University has shown that incorporating silicon into aluminum gallium oxide thin films can maintain this control at bandgaps wider than any previously reported semiconductor. The study was published in Nature.
Aluminum gallium oxide is a particularly advantageous substance. By varying the aluminum-to-gallium ratio, researchers can tune the bandgap between 5.4 and 8.6 electronvolts (eV), the broadest range of any recognized semiconductor. However, as aluminum concentration increases, it becomes significantly harder to provide the material with free electrons. Up to this point, aluminum-dense films have shown significantly lower electrical conductivity than gallium-dense films, making them unsuitable for electronic applications.
Schlom’s team addressed this difficulty by employing a meticulous production method utilizing a sapphire substrate. To grow the oxide films, they used molecular-beam epitaxy, which builds a material incrementally, one atomic layer at a time.
As they deposited each film layer on the sapphire, they incorporated small amounts of silicon, whose atoms provide additional electrons to the material. Ultimately, they assessed the bandgaps and electrical characteristics of the films and evaluated their performance within two essential electronic devices: a diode and a transistor.
The silicon-doped films exhibited electrical conductivity at bandgaps over 7 eV, surpassing the former record set by cubic boron nitride. With bandgaps exceeding 6 eV, a range the scientists call “colossal bandgap,” the films showed electrical conductivity at ambient temperature almost 100 million times higher than any prior findings. The diode and transistor functioned effectively with these wide-bandgap materials.
The method may make producing next-generation semiconductors significantly more feasible. Unlike other ultra-wide-bandgap substances such as diamond and cubic boron nitride, sapphire is abundant, inexpensive, and currently produced in high quality and in large quantities.
Hybrid diamond chip strengthens interactions between light and quantum bits
To control interactions between photons and quantum information carriers, researchers created and demonstrated a unique hybrid photonic platform that combines quantum emitters with photonic devices. By connecting quantum devices over long distances, the chip-based platform, which combines gallium phosphide (GaP) with a diamond substrate, may help make quantum networks practical.
Connecting quantum memories, or qubits, over long distances is necessary to scale quantum technology and build communication networks. Converting qubit information into optical photons that can travel through the network is a major challenge, even though fiber-optic networks offer a promising way to do this.
Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Washington University, led by Kai-Mei C. Fu, describe their new hybrid platform in the journal Optica Quantum. They also describe a scalable fabrication process to solve a long-standing problem in producing diamond-based photonic devices. Using this method, they created over 600 GaP nanophotonic cavities on a diamond substrate with a 99.5% yield.
Nuclear Diamond Batteries, Inc. (OTC: NDBI) Announces Second Issued U.S. Patent, Strengthening Intellectual Property Portfolio for Next-Generation Nuclear Diamond Battery Technologies
Nuclear Diamond Batteries, Inc. (OTC: NDBI) (“NDBI” or the “Company”), an innovative energy technology firm specializing in next-generation nuclear diamond batteries and proprietary nanomaterials, has today revealed that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) has granted a second U.S. patent to its subsidiary, AtomiQ Inc. (“AtomiQ”), thereby augmenting the Company’s intellectual property portfolio pertaining to nuclear-voltaic power systems, advanced carbon materials, and energy storage technologies.
The recently granted U.S. Patent No. 12,759,882 B2, entitled “Synthesis of Carbon Nano-Onions by Nanodiamond Annealing and Functionalization of Carbon Materials,” was granted on October 13, 2026, and includes 18 claims covering the synthesis and functionalization of advanced carbon nanomaterials.
The invention succeeds the Company’s first U.S. invention No. 12,394,534 B2, titled “Nuclear Voltaic Power-Source,” which pertains to a diamond-centric nuclear-voltaic framework intended to transform energy emitted by radioisotope decay into functional electrical power.
The patents collectively provide intellectual property protection for synergistic technologies related to nuclear-voltaic energy conversion and advanced carbon materials that may be used in electrodes, supercapacitors, and specialized energy storage solutions.
NDBI is confident that its growing portfolio of granted patents and pending applications could support future technology licensing, strategic collaborations, joint development agreements, and niche energy products.
Michigan State University Receives $20 Million NSF Grant For Space And Semiconductor Research Facility
Michigan State University has been awarded a $20 million grant by the U.S. National Science Foundation to create the Integrated Diamond and Carbon Research in Space Applications facility, known as IDiCaRS, which will serve as a collaborative research center concentrating on semiconductor technologies for harsh environments.
The center will integrate cutting-edge research on diamond and carbon materials, electronic device manufacturing, and high-energy radiation evaluation to accelerate the development of electronics suited to space and extreme conditions.
Space radiation threatens traditional semiconductor equipment, complicating spacecraft operation beyond low Earth orbit and upcoming missions venturing farther into space. IDiCaRS will establish a comprehensive research framework to advance diamond and related carbon materials, manufacture electronic devices, and evaluate their radiation response.
Wen Li, a Distinguished Professor at the MSU Research Foundation in the College of Engineering and executive director of the Fraunhofer USA Center Midwest, will lead the effort. High-energy radiation examinations will use heavy-ion beams at Michigan State University’s Facility for Rare Isotope Beams.
Ultrahigh Interfacial Thermal Conductance across GaN/BAs Interfaces via Atomic-Level Engineering
Combining gallium nitride (GaN) with boron arsenide (BAs) substrates, which have ultrahigh thermal conductivity, offers a potential path to next-generation high-power devices. Thermal dissipation in these integrated systems is primarily governed by thermal conduction at GaN/BAs interfaces, with buffer layers like Al2O3 commonly used to address lattice mismatches and promote heterointegration. Nonetheless, the atomic-level structural elements that influence thermal transport at GaN/BAs interfaces remain poorly understood, hindering advances in interfacial thermal conductance.
The authors present an approach to achieve atomic-scale interfacial structural homogeneity to enhance ultrahigh thermal conductance at GaN/BAs interfaces, using molecular dynamics simulations supplemented by machine-learning interatomic potentials. We show that interfacial structural consistency matters more than individual bond strength in determining thermal transport at the examined GaN/BAs interfaces.
For example, the As-N-terminated coherent interface shows the greatest interfacial structural consistency and achieves an exceptional interfacial thermal conductance of around 2000 MW·m−2·K−1, an almost eightfold improvement over the experimentally observed Al2O3-mediated interface (250 MW·m−2·K−1).
Finite-element analysis suggests that this atomic-scale optimization directly transfers into device-scale performance, resulting in a considerable boost in overall heat dissipation efficiency. These results indicate that improving interfacial structural consistency is a viable approach to achieving superior thermal management efficiency in future high-power electronic systems.
Perspectives and progress on wurtzite ferroelectrics: Synthesis, characterization, theory, and device applications
Wurtzite ferroelectrics are a novel class of materials that enhance the capabilities and application potential of wide-bandgap semiconductors. Binary wurtzite semiconductors offer significant, adjustable spontaneous polarization; direct band gaps ranging from infrared to ultraviolet; high thermal conductivity and acoustic wave speed; high electron and hole mobility; and minimal optical losses.
The ability to invert polarization in ternary wurtzite semiconductors at ambient temperature enables memory and analog functionality, as well as quasi-phase matching in optical devices, thereby enhancing the wurtzite semiconductor ecosystem, provided the requisite property combinations are achieved for specific applications.
This article reviews progress in designing, synthesizing, and characterizing wurtzite ferroelectric materials and devices. Key features encompass: the direct and quantitative examination of polarization reversal of approximately 135 μC/cm2 charge in Al1−xBxN through electron microscopy, Al1−xBxN ferroelectric domain configurations poled to a width of 400 nm via scanning probe microscopy, and complete polarization retention following more than 1000 h at 200 °C, alongside a twofold increase compared to ZnO in the nonlinear optical response of Zn1−xMgxO.
This work provides an overview of the primary trade-offs, obstacles, and prospects in thin-film deposition, heterostructure design and characterization, and device fabrication.
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