Apply now for Silicon Carbide (SiC) Packaging Prize

The three-phase $2.25 million Silicon Carbide (SiC) Packaging Prize—launched by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Electricity—invites competitors to propose, design, build, and test state-of-the-art SiC packaging prototypes that move the industry beyond its current state.

Donor Name: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

State: All States

County: All Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 08/31/2024

Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000

Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned

Details:

This prize establishes a final goal of developing 10-kV, 2,000-A rated SiC power modules that expand the state of the art in semiconductor packaging. Silicon carbide devices have become prime candidates for future high-performance power electronics due to their high breakdown voltage, low switching loss, and high-temperature operation. However, conventional packaging techniques limit the performance of SiC power modules because of parasitic inductance and heat dissipation issues. To enable grid-based applications, SiC power module capabilities need to be expanded to handle higher voltage and higher current than commercially available products. Toward this end, the DOE Office of Electricity established the American-Made SiC Packaging Prize as a three-phase contest to achieve the goals stated above.

Program Goal Requirements
Only submissions relevant to the goals of this program are eligible to compete. The Prize Administrator must conclude that all the following statements are true when applied to your submission:

The proposed solution is related to the SiC Semiconductor packaging industry.
The majority of activities that are described in and support the submission package are performed in the United States and have the potential to benefit the U.S. market.
The proposed solution represents an innovation that will move the industry beyond its current state.
The proposed solution is not dependent on new, pending, or proposed federal, state, or local government legislation, resolutions, appropriations, measures, or policies.
The proposed solution does not involve the lobbying of any federal, state, or local government
office
The proposed solution is based on fundamental technical principles and is consistent with a
basic understanding of the U.S. market economy
The submission content sufficiently confirms the competitor’s intent to commercialize early-stage technology and establish a viable U.S.-based business in the near future with revenues that do not solely depend on licensing fees of intellectual property

Phases and Prizes

Phase 1 – Design Study
- Competitors will describe their team, their plan to make progress toward SiC packaging, showcase their current prototypes, and provide evidence of their current metrics that are in alignment with the goals of the prize. The goal of this phase is to develop a set of design documents for a Phase 2 prototype which adheres to the requirements set.
- Prizes- Up to 10 winners of $50,000 each
Phase 2 – Initial Demonstration
- In Phase 2, winners from Phase 1 will showcase and demonstrate the advancements made during the prize competition in packaging solutions for SiC modules, meeting, exceeding, or making progress toward the Phase 2 performance metrics as outlined in the rules. This phase is designed to act as a milestone towards achieving the Phase 3 target with the goal of innovating towards an improvement over state-of-the-art packaging and creating transformative solutions.
- Prizes- Up to 4 winners of $250,000 each
Phase 3 – Final Demonstration
- Competitors will demonstrate an advancement in packaging solutions for SiC modules, meeting or exceeding the Phase 3 performance metrics as outlined in the rules. The goal of the final phase is to achieve the high voltage and high current targets, while continuing to innovate towards an improvement over state-of-the-art packaging and creating transformative solutions.
- Prizes- Up to 1 winner of $750,000

Eligibility Criteria

The competition is open only to private entities (for-profits and nonprofits); nonfederal government entities such as states, counties, tribes, and municipalities; academic institutions; and individuals, subject to the following requirements:
- Private entities must be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States.
- Academic institutions must be based in the United States.
- An individual prize competitor or group of competitors who are not competing as part of an incorporated private entity must all be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. Individuals competing as part of an incorporated private entity may participate if they are legally allowed to work in the United States.
DOE employees, employees of sponsoring organizations, members of their immediate families (e.g., spouses, children, siblings, or parents), and persons living in the same household as such persons, whether or not related, are not eligible to participate in the prize.
Individuals who worked at DOE (federal employees or support service contractors) within 6 months prior to the submission deadline of any contest are not eligible to participate in any prize contests in this program.
Federal entities and federal employees are not eligible to participate in any portion of the prize.
DOE national laboratory employees cannot compete in the prize.
Entities and individuals publicly banned from doing business with the U.S. government such as entities and individuals debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participating in federal programs are not eligible to compete.
Individuals participating in a foreign government talent recruitment program1 sponsored by a country of risk2 and teams that include such individuals are not eligible to compete.
Entities owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a government of a country of risk are not eligible to compete.