Atomera Inc. (NASDAQ:ATOM) experienced a 2.1% uptick in after-hours trading Tuesday after the PowerAmerica Institute accepted the company’s concept paper on Gallium Nitride on Silicon (GaN-on-Si) technology to proceed to the proposal stage. The development marks a step that could make the project eligible for PowerAmerica funding if the proposal is approved.
The document submitted by the semiconductor materials and technology licensing company lays out a plan for collaboration with industry and scientific partners. Central to the paper is Atomera’s Mears Silicon Technology (MST), which the company says improves the material quality of GaN when formed on silicon compared with GaN films produced on standard silicon.
If the project moves successfully through the proposal review and is approved for funding, Atomera would have access to PowerAmerica resources to further develop and scale its GaN-on-Si manufacturing approach using MST. The company says the intended focus is on refining manufacturing processes to achieve higher wafer-level yields and enhanced device-level performance specifically for power electronics applications.
Company perspective
Scott Bibaud, CEO of Atomera, emphasized the importance of the technology and the manufacturing challenges it addresses. "Compound semiconductors, and GaN specifically, are important for the continued advancement of wide bandgap semiconductors," he said. "One of the major challenges is low yield numbers, making it very expensive and inefficient to manufacture. At Atomera, we’re working diligently to improve wafer-level yield with MST and to reduce die cost for more widespread adoption of GaN."
Program context
PowerAmerica’s stated mission is to accelerate commercialization and adoption of wide-bandgap power semiconductor technologies. Such technologies are designed to enable electronic components that are smaller, faster, and more efficient than comparable silicon-based devices. Atomera’s move into the proposal stage underlines its active engagement with this ecosystem through collaboration with industry and academic partners.
At this stage, the proposal acceptance represents progress but not a guarantee of funding. The project must clear the proposal review and approval steps to become eligible for PowerAmerica funding and proceed to the development and scaling activities described in the concept paper.