| Abstract Scope |
The United States faces a strategic vulnerability in semiconductor manufacturing, particularly in upstream crystalline materials essential for advanced power, RF, space, and defense systems. While investments have focused on advanced logic fabrication, substrate production remains dominated by East Asia. As transistor scaling approaches physical limits, system performance is increasingly constrained by materials quality, with crystalline defects limiting yield, reliability, and lifetime—especially for wide‑bandgap and compound semiconductors. Microgravity offers a unique pathway to overcome these constraints by suppressing convection and sedimentation, enabling diffusion‑dominated crystal growth that reduces defects and improves uniformity. Low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) manufacturing is not intended for volume production but as a high‑leverage capability to produce superior materials that enhance downstream performance, reduce costs, and strengthen supply chain resilience. GaN and SiC represent the most immediate opportunities, followed by select III–V materials and diamond, while two‑dimensional materials remain longer‑term, capability‑driven targets. |