Penn State and Battalion Advanced Technology ink $6 million research deal

The three-year research agreements, which took effect July 16, provide $1 million annually per project to support work led by Penn State's Materials Research Institute. The collaboration focuses on dual-use technologies intended to strengthen American industrial and defense capabilities, with U.S. Senator Dave McCormick highlighting the initiative as a boost to the region's innovation economy.

Joan Redwing, a distinguished professor of materials science and engineering, leads the semiconductor effort. Her team is investigating the use of atomically thin interlayers to bond gallium nitride to high-conductivity substrates like diamond. This approach seeks to bypass the thermal and electrical limitations inherent in traditional silicon-based electronics. Simultaneously, Douglas Wolfe, associate vice president for research, is spearheading the development of advanced refractory metal alloys. By utilizing computational modeling and new manufacturing architectures, his team aims to protect tungsten, molybdenum, and niobium components from the rapid material degradation typically caused by high-temperature, high-speed environments.

Battalion Director R. Michael Jones noted that the partnership allows for the immediate acceleration of these sophisticated material solutions. The research leverages the University’s interdisciplinary facilities to address real-world constraints in aerospace, nuclear systems, and industrial sensing.