Axcelis and GE Aerospace Launch Joint Program to Advance High-Voltage Silicon Carbide Devices

Axcelis Technologies and GE Aerospace have announced a Joint Development Program (JDP) aimed at accelerating the production of high-voltage superjunction power devices, a move that could reshape the future of electric propulsion, hypersonic flight, and space systems. The collaboration centers on Axcelis’ Purion XEmax™ high-energy ion implanter, which delivers beam currents up to 15 MeV, currently the broadest energy range in the industry.

Silicon Carbide: The Next Frontier in Aerospace Power Systems

The partnership supports GE Aerospace’s “Advanced High Voltage Silicon Carbide Switches” initiative, part of the CLAWS (Commercial Leap Ahead for Wide Bandgap Semiconductors) Hub led by North Carolina State University. At the heart of the effort is Silicon Carbide (SiC), a wide bandgap semiconductor material that offers superior voltage tolerance, thermal stability, and switching speed compared to traditional silicon.

For aerospace applications, these properties translate into lighter, more efficient power systems with reduced cooling requirements and enhanced reliability. SiC devices are already being deployed in avionics and electric power systems aboard commercial aircraft and ground vehicles. GE Aerospace’s research team in Niskayuna, New York, has built a formidable IP portfolio in SiC over the past three decades, and is now pushing the envelope toward extreme environments, including hypersonic travel and space exploration.

Purion XEmax: Precision Meets Scalability

Axcelis’ Purion XEmax platform is engineered to optimize implantation profiles in depth and concentration, enabling more cost-effective manufacturing by reducing process steps. It excels in channeling aluminum implants to depths over 7 microns, a capability critical for high-voltage device fabrication.

This level of precision is essential for aerospace-grade components, where electrical integrity and thermal performance must be maintained under intense operational stress. The system’s flexibility also supports rapid iteration, a key advantage as aerospace programs increasingly adopt agile development cycles.

Powering the Future of Flight

Dr. Ljubisa Stevanovic, Chief Engineer at GE Aerospace Research, noted that high-voltage SiC devices are “an important enabler for a wide array of critical emerging applications,” including electric propulsion and space systems. His statement underscores a broader industry shift: as aerospace platforms become more electrified and autonomous, power electronics are no longer peripheral, they are foundational.

This joint effort between Axcelis and GE Aerospace reflects a convergence of semiconductor and aerospace innovation. It’s a reminder that the future of flight will be shaped not just by aerodynamic breakthroughs, but by the invisible architecture of electrons and ions.