About United Semiconductors

November 4th, 2024 marked the dawn of a new era for United Semiconductors LLC (USLLC). The first of its kind semiconductor crystal manufacturing experimental payload headed to the International Space Station (ISS) launched on the SpaceX-31 commercial resupply mission at 9:29 p.m. EDT from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. In-Space manufacturing leveraging microgravity conditions has numerous technological potentials based on scientific research conducted over the past 5 decades. However, there remains many technical gaps for translating scientific success into large scale manufacturing efforts. Through a NASA funded In-Space Production Applications (InSPA) grant, supplemented by a National Science Foundation (NSF) SBIR funding, USLLC is addressing key challenges and feasibility of microgravity manufacturing. This will pave the path for long term development of critical tools and processes for high throughput production of semiconductor-based materials leveraging the beneficial effects of microgravity. The company plans to deploy crystals manufactured in space for potential use in next generation semiconductor technologies, including autonomous systems, sensing, artificial intelligence, aerospace, and defense components. The use of microgravity is expected to boost performance, yield and reliability of devices fabricated with space manufactured materials.

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USLLC’s SpX-31 payload is for production of a novel class of Semimetal-Semiconductor Composite Bulk Crystals. The investigation will be conducted in the NASA-owned Solidification Using a Baffle in Sealed Ampoules (SUBSA) furnace. Partners on this investigation include payload implementation partners, Redwire Space Technologies, Inc. and CSS, Inc., Axiom Space and third-party validation partner, AFRL’s Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB). The learnings generated from this project will lay the groundwork for the development of an in-space manufacturing platform for semiconductors. This will enable a robust commercial space economy in low-Earth orbit (LEO) that will stimulate sustainable non-NASA utilization of future commercial LEO destinations (CLDs) and orbital platforms such as the Axiom Space Commercial Space Station.

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According to Dr. Partha Dutta, an internationally renowned crystal grower, the principal investigator (PI) of this project and chief technologist at USLLC, “this mission is focused on microgravity enabled semiconductor manufacturing and will leapfrog prior science investigations in the SUBSA furnace to a commercial scale process development on ISS”. USLLC is leveraging its two decades of proven track-record in terrestrial III-V compound semiconductor alloy bulk crystal production and component designs for its microgravity materials development. “Our company has been instrumental in leveraging the InSPA program for critical workforce development (WFD) initiatives for training engineers, technicians and engaging STEM students for the emerging semiconductor industry in alignment with the priorities of the “CHIPS for America” WFD plans” says Dr. Geeta Rajagopalan, President and CEO of United Semiconductors LLC. Key institutions in the WFD include Cal State University Long Beach and Chapman University. A beneficiary of the WFD program, Ms. Candy Dang, a materials engineer and the payload fabrication lead at USLLC, highlights that “the NASA InSPA and NSF programs enable effective engagement of STEM majors into an emerging field of space manufacturing and have been instrumental in job training via hands-on experience in a real-world corporate setting.” USLLC’s WFD activities are focused on women, underserved minorities and veterans. “Being a women owned business with predominantly women workforce, USLLC strives to develop STEM women leaders through a variety of WFD educational platforms” says Dr. Rajagopalan.