Space Forge, the globally leading aerospace company that is pioneering the production of semiconductor crystals in microgravity has made great efforts to do that. This past December, the company successfully activated an orbital furnace on its ForgeStar-1 satellite. This cavernous furnace produced the super-hot plasma that is key to producing the best quality semiconductor crystals. With this cutting-edge approach, they hope to leapfrog current methods and create the production of materials key to next-gen electronics and power devices.
This first satellite, aptly named ForgeStar-1, takes the bold challenge of leveraging the unique conditions of space. Its main objective is growing semiconductor crystals. With a focus on gallium and aluminum nitride or silicon carbide substrates, Space Forge’s goal is to overcome the limitations of crystal growth influenced by Earth’s gravity. The firm is convinced that microgravity offers a more consistent atmosphere ideal for better crystal growth.
Space Forge’s co-founder and CEO, Joshua Western, is bullish on the prospect of space-grown materials. He states that from just one kilogram of semiconductor produced in space, manufacturers on Earth could generate tons of high-performance materials.
The Technology Behind Space Forge’s Orbital Furnace
Space Forge’s orbital furnace is specifically designed to produce highly pure seed crystals that act as the building blocks for other semiconductor substrates. The furnace is designed to work in microgravity, which can provide the ideal conditions for crystal growth. This removes the issues introduced by Earth’s gravity.
Within microgravity environments over 500 kilometers altitude impurities like nitrogen are greatly minimized. Second, Western notes that nitrogen is abundant on Earth at a concentration around 10^-11. That concentration drops to a mere 10 to the -22 in space. This decrease in contaminants allows the formation of better quality crystals.
“On Earth, you have trouble that, perhaps, some crystals grow around the interior of the reactor and not in other parts because the process between hot and cold is influenced by gravity.”
In addition to these pictured deployments, the ForgeStar-1 satellite will deploy a prototype of a novel heat shield during its planned de-orbit maneuver later this year. This step will help demonstrate the satellite’s capability to repeatedly maintain the manufacturing environment required for the chemistry processes needed for growing superconducting crystals.
The in-orbit manufacturing market is projected to reach $28.19 billion by 2034. It is a strong indicator of just how enthusiastic and committed we are to creating this new, space-based production technology. Sending materials to space is still very expensive, with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launches costing an estimated $1,500 per kilogram. Even with these costs, companies like Space Forge believe the long-term benefits with the investment.
Market Potential and Economic Considerations
Matt Francis, a semiconductor expert, reflects on the changing dynamics of cost efficiency in semiconductor production:
As those costs go down, there is more interest on the production side about using these space-grown substrates to increase the production yield. E. Steve Putna highlights the implications for advanced technologies:
“While I remember paying $20k a wafer in the early days, we are down in the hundreds of dollars range in volume markets like power.”
This ability to drive substantial new efficiencies has the potential to be a force-multiplier across all sectors of the economy from artificial intelligence to telecommunications. Putna is confident that using materials grown in space will lead to significant energy savings. This potential is particularly acute for large infrastructure deployments, such as 5G towers.
“If a space-grown substrate increases the yield of a $10,000 high-end AI processor from 50 percent to 90 percent or allows a quantum computer to function closer to room temperature rather than near absolute zero, the launch cost becomes a negligible fraction of the total value created.”
Space Forge completed several Orbital Test Flights to demonstrate its return technology, including three tests already this year with further tests planned throughout 2023. The public benefit company was founded in 2018. The goal is to revolutionize the production of manufacturing materials in space, leading to new breakthroughs on Earth from enhanced electronics and pharmaceutical research.
Future Prospects and Ongoing Research
Anne Wilson, a materials scientist, expresses caution regarding the broad applicability of microgravity manufacturing:
Space Forge is actively pursuing other specialized applications where production in microgravity could make a step change in production efficiency and product quality. As they continue down their research and development path, the possibilities for space-grown semiconductor crystals are exciting to consider.
“I don’t think that microgravity is going to be ideal for the manufacture of bulk materials. However, niche materials for specific applications might be worth the investment.”
Space Forge continues to explore specialized applications where microgravity could significantly impact production efficiency and product quality. As they advance their research and development efforts, the potential benefits of space-grown semiconductor crystals remain promising.