Weapons Systems

hypersonics, munitions and projectiles, directed energy

Electronic quality ferroelectric III-Nitride epitaxy for device heterostructures

A244 PHase I

Since 2019 there have been demonstrations of ferroelectric III-Nitride semiconductors with potential to impact future electronic and photonic applications due to their extraordinary properties. However, the only epitaxial growth process that produces single crystal thin films has been molecular beam epitaxy [1-3] and these films have already shown tremendous potential.

The alloys primarily focused upon so far are centered around incorporating scandium (Sc) in the AlGaN system. The opportunity for other group IIIb based alloys such as Yttrium has also been shown and may have merit to improve certain properties of the ferroelectrics [4,5]. Although the Army has started a MURI program based upon this subject, the use of MOCVD is complementary to that effort and requires novel precursors to grow the thin films [6,7]. Such MOCVD thin films would constitute the most easily manufacturable solution for larger wafer scale processes [6,7].

Thus, the aim is to develop them in parallel to some basic research for easy technology transition. Four inch or larger wafers are quite common to MOCVD reactors but are not possible in research grade MBE systems. The material science innovative research and development from this topic can enable useful product development at manufacturing for ferroelectric III-Nitride devices. Examples of this include high operating temperature electronic memory, high temperature electronic circuits, and integrated nonlinear optical photonic circuits for UV-visible wavelengths.

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Joining of Dissimilar Materials for Hypersonic Applications

STTR Topic

The U.S. Army must develop highly maneuverable hypersonic weapons that can survive high-G shock loads and harsh aerothermodynamic environments in a GPS-denied environment. To enable these requirements new materials and new manufacturing methods must be developed. There has been increasing desire to develop vehicles and projectiles that travel at the speed of sound and beyond.

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Modeling Tools for Hypersonic Flight

STTR Topic

The United States Army has a need to develop high-fidelity, computationally efficient solvers for the aerodynamic analysis and design of vehicles ranging from rotary-wing aircrafts to medium/long-range hypersonic projectiles. The CREATETM -AV Kestrel team has been developing a comprehensive suite of codes with a combined on-body/off-body computational approach for the prediction of flows around such vehicles for over a decade.

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Development of pyrolysis optimization methodology for carbon/carbon materials

STTR Topic

Carbon-carbon composites (CCCs) have been utilized for hypersonics applications for decades. For much of that time, the state of the art in source materials, particularly for the matrix phase, has advanced slowly or not at all. Recently, however, a spate of new potential materials (particularly polymer resins) has been developed and are being evaluated as possible precursors for CCCs.

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