GE Advances Silicon Carbide Power Tech with Axcelis

GE Aerospace and Axcelis Technologies have launched a joint development program to advance production-ready silicon carbide (SiC) power devices, utilizing Axcelis’ high-energy Purion XEmax ion implanter. This collaboration supports GE’s Advanced High Voltage Silicon Carbide Switches project within the Commercial Leap Ahead for Wide Bandgap Semiconductors (CLAWS) initiative led by North Carolina State University.

Their goal is to create 6.5 to 10 kV superjunction SiC power switches with enhanced performance and manufacturability. The Purion XEmax offers the industry’s highest beam currents and energy range—up to 15 MeV—enabling deep aluminum ion implantation and optimized device profiles, while reducing fabrication steps.

SiC wide bandgap semiconductors significantly outperform traditional silicon devices, offering higher voltage tolerance, greater operating temperatures, and faster switching frequencies. These efficiencies translate into reduced power consumption and smaller component footprints—ideal for aerospace, defense, and emerging tech sectors.

GE Aerospace brings over three decades of SiC research and IP to the table, already supplying SiC-based power solutions for aircraft and ground systems. The new technologies being developed through this partnership aim to support extreme environments, from hypersonic travel and space missions to electric propulsion systems.

By combining Axcelis’ ion implantation expertise with GE’s SiC capabilities, this collaboration could accelerate the adoption of high-voltage SiC switches across aerospace, autonomous vehicles, AI, quantum computing, and resilient power infrastructure.

This strategic alliance positions both companies at the forefront of silicon carbide power innovation, paving the way for more efficient, high-performance electronics in critical applications.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com