Vermont Tech Hub Awarded Nearly $24M For Semiconductor Innovation

GaN is short for Gallium Nitride, a semiconductor compound. Semiconductor devices are built on substrates, think of the substrate as the dough disk below a pizza. Semiconductor devices that are built on GaN substrates have different properties than devices built on the more common silicon substrates, and these properties give them significant advantages in many applications.

GaN based semiconductors are in a class of materials called “Wide Bandgap Semiconductors” These materials can handle much higher voltage differences across them. This property makes them ideal for power conversion and motor controller applications. The first consumer product use of GaN devices is in the much smaller, but much faster wall chargers that mobile phone makers introduced about three years ago. Power devices made on GaN are smaller, more efficient, more powerful, and less expensive than equivalent devices made on traditional silicon.

The second property that helps GaN devices excel is known as ‘High Electron Mobility.’ Simply put, this means that the electrons in the atoms making up the semiconductor are not as tightly bound to their atoms as they would be in a silicon device. This property provides two valuable advantages. First, it results in more efficient transmission, meaning less heat production and higher electrical efficiency. Second, it means that GaN devices are capable of higher switching speeds, meaning that they can be turned on and off much faster than a traditional semiconductor. This makes them valuable for radio frequency (RF) devices like amplifiers and switches.

The US Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Agency launched the Tech Hub Program in 2023 to strengthen U.S. economic and national security with investments in regions across the country to make them globally competitive in the technologies and industries of the future. The program’s 31 Hubs will bring together diverse private, public, and academic partners into a collaborative consortium focused on driving inclusive regional growth.

Tech Hubs can apply for up to $75 million in grant funding by submitting proposals for projects in any of four eligible activities: workforce development, business and entrepreneur development, technology development and maturation, and related infrastructure activities. The Tech Hub will work with partner organizations to create projects and write proposals for up to eight projects by February 29, 2024. All projects must help the Tech Hub move toward fulfilling its mission. Organizations interested in creating or participating in a project should read the “Phase 2 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)” on this website.

If your organization has a project idea or believes it may be a useful partner in a project, please fill out our ‘Contact me’ sheet and we will follow up with you shortly.