TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OPPORTUNITY -- High Mobility Transport Layer Structures for Rhombohedral Si/Ge/SiGe Devices: LAR-17841-1

NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA solicits inquiries from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. NASA provides no funding in conjunction with these potential licenses. THE TECHNOLOGY: Scientists at NASA Langley Research Center have developed fabrication method for high mobility layer structures of rhombohedrally aligned SiGe on a trigonal substrate. The invention utilizes C-plane (0001) sapphire with a triangle plane, and a Si (Ge) (C) (111) crystal or an alloy of group TV semiconductor (111) crystal grown on the sapphire. The innovation builds off NASA's IP portfolio for making high-quality crystalline SiGe thin films grown on sapphire substrates. In this case, a distinct layer structure is used to create quantum well structures to provide a very high mobility pathway for both p-type and n-type charge carriers. The primary intended application of this technology is for solar cells where the band gap structure and charge carrier mobility combine to provide the potential for highly efficient solar cells. Furthermore the layer structure enables back-side illumination such that the effective solar cell area for light capture is maximized. Conversion efficiency is expected to be on the order of 30% or greater. NASA is seeking to license this technology commercially. US Patent pending. To express interest in this opportunity, please respond to [email protected] with the title of this Technology Transfer Opportunity as listed in this FBO notice and your preferred contact information. Please also provide the nature of your interest in the technology along with a brief background of your company. For more information about licensing other NASA-developed technologies, please visit the NASA Technology Transfer Portal at http://technology.nasa.gov/ . These responses are provided to members of NASA Langley’s Office of Strategic Analysis and Business Development “OSACB” for the purpose of promoting public awareness of NASA-developed technology products, and conducting preliminary market research to determine public interest in and potential for future licensing opportunities. If direct licensing interest results from this posting, OSACB will follow the required formal licensing process of posting in the Federal Register. No follow-on procurement is expected to result from responses to this Notice.