Space Forge announced it has successfully powered on an orbital furnace on board its ForgeStar-1 satellite— a major milestone for producing semiconductor crystals in space. The creation of the innovative plasma furnace will allow the production of super-hot plasma, making it possible for semiconductor crystals to grow in microgravity conditions. The effort might eventually produce better electronics, better pharmaceuticals and other benefits that would illustrate the promise of materials made in space.
This was done historically with only about 160 total semiconductor crystals grown in microgravity between 1973 and 2016. According to these researchers, 86 percent of these space-grown crystals had better qualities than those produced on Planet Earth. They were bigger, more homogeneous, and showed better activity, indicating the benefits of having crystals grow in a microgravity setting.
E. Steve Putna, a local luminary in the research field, stresses that these crystals have exhibited indeed orders of magnitude greater electron mobility. This novel biomimetic feature has the potential to improve switching efficiency by 20-40 percent compared to conventional Earth-grown materials. The technology implications are huge, enabling thinner, less power hungry, and more robust electronic devices.
Advantages of Microgravity Crystal Growth
Microgravity provides unique conditions for crystal formation. In our laboratory studies when growing crystals in a terrestrial environment, factors that may interfere with crystal growth, like the concentration of nitrogen in solution, are much higher. Joshua Western elaborates on this advantage:
“For example, if you’re worried about nitrogen interfering with your growth process, on Earth [in a vacuum chamber] nitrogen might be present at a concentration of around 10 to the -11. In space, above 500 kilometers altitude, it’s naturally present at 10 to the -22.”
This step helps create more consistent growth by reducing the nitrogen concentration. Western further notes the potential energy savings associated with these advancements:
“There is potential for significant energy savings, perhaps as much as 50 percent within large infrastructure installations such as [5G] towers.”
The potential for improved efficiency goes far beyond telecom. Putna describes the broader implications for artificial intelligence data centers, where cooling costs present significant challenges:
“a game-changer for [AI data centers] where cooling costs are a primary bottleneck.”
The absence of convection currents, sedimentation, and strain increases the quality of semiconductor crystals grown in the microgravity environment. It drives the creative breakthroughs across every sector.
Challenges and Market Dynamics
Even in the face of exciting advancements in semiconductors grown in space, there are barriers that must be addressed. Matt Francis, CEO of Ozark Integrated Circuits, helps illustrate these market dynamics that could limit the adoption of space-grown materials. He highlights the drastic drop in silicon substrate prices, which makes it less appealing for infrastructure operators to invest in more expensive alternatives from space:
“When they were a prized commodity, maybe sending to space made sense. While the cost of space is decreasing, it’s not decreasing faster than the cost of producing wafers.”
Western believes that, over the long term, space manufacturing will be an enormous opportunity. He acknowledges that while there might be some degradation in quality over time and generations of growth, the benefits could outweigh these concerns:
“There will be a level of degradation over time and over generations of growth, but it will be multiple growth runs before the quality degrades to the point of the current state of the art.”
Space Forge’s ForgeStar-1 satellite, which has remarkable manufacturing capabilities. In addition to semiconductors, it’s capable of making seed crystals for gallium, aluminum nitride and silicon carbide substrates. This adaptability might give terrestrial producers the ability to make large volumes of advanced materials. They would be able to get this done with as little as one kilogram of semiconductor produced in space.
Future Prospects and Market Potential
In fact, the projected potential market of in-orbit manufacturing is huge, expected to be upwards of $28.19 billion by 2034. This remarkable growth is a testament to the increased demand across sectors. They are excited about taking advantage of the specialized benefits of materials developed in microgravity environments. Photo courtesy of Varda Industries California-based startup Varda Industries recently raised $329 million to produce stockpiles of pharmaceuticals in space. This decision further shows the increasing reach of the industry.
Anne Wilson, from the National Academies’ Committee on the Space Economy, introduces a key viewpoint about the broader applications of microgravity manufacturing. She suggests that while microgravity may not be ideal for producing bulk materials, it could be beneficial for niche applications:
“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.”
The continued pursuit of materials grown in space fuels the innovation. It’s a huge step in the right direction toward a future where we regularly manufacture things outside of the Earth’s atmosphere.