D.J. Niedzwiecki
Goeppert LLC,
United States
Keywords: MoS2, MOCVD
Summary:
Continued scaling of transistors necessitates the integration of advanced materials, such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), using processes compatible with the back-end-of-line integration. Recently, low-temperature metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) has enabled wafer-scale monolayer MoS2 synthesis for silicon CMOS. This project advances the engineering development of an MOCVD furnace, focusing on (1) reproducing a terrestrial MOCVD system and optimizing its growth process, (2) redesigning it for use in the International Space Station or future commercial space ventures to exploit microgravity for superior quality films and defect engineering, and (3) developing a business case for scalable production. The reduced effects of sedimentation and convection in orbit allow for better control over vacancies and crystallinity. Initial results demonstrate reproducible wafer scale MoS2 films for high-density logic devices. Ongoing enhancements leverage variable gravity for custom defect profiles. This strengthens US leadership in strategic microelectronics supply chains while demonstrating the value of low-Earth orbit commercialization. The vision is an Earth-space foundry producing specialized two-dimensional semiconductors.