Doubly Self-Aligned DMOSFET in SiC for Microgravity Manufacture

Abstract

The need exists for power electronics capable of operation at high temperatures in a high radiation environment, such as in deep space. There is a rationale for fabricating such devices from materials already in situ, such as building very large phased array antennas. Device manufacture on human-staffed microgravity platform presents a challenge to the tight lithographic alignment required for traditional fabrication methods. Presented here for the first time is a process sequence to produce high-mobility DMOS FETs with no masking steps requiring critical alignment, yet yielding channel lengths of 0.15 micron. The fabrication process is further designed to utilize and recycle materials expected to be available on certain classes of asteroids and within extinct comets, with minimal need for reagents from earth. One application is manufacture of the tens of millions of MMIC power amplifiers required for wireless power transfer to terrestrial customers from solar power satellites in geostationary earth orbit.