The National Science Foundation Office of Integrative Activities awarded Boise State University $282,012 on January 15, 2027, under the Integrative Activities program (CFDA 47.083) to support an EPSCOR Research Fellows project on wafer-scale fabrication and packaging of magnetic planar inductors on silicon carbide for extreme-environment microelectronics.
The project delivers a fellowship to an assistant professor at Boise State and training support for a graduate student, conducted in collaboration with researchers at the University of Arkansas. The work focuses on developing compact inductors with magnetic cores capable of operating reliably at high temperatures, particularly for integration with silicon carbide electronics in power converters used in energy and propulsion systems. Research activities will quantify how elevated temperature, thermal cycling, and self-heating affect thermo-mechanical, electrical, and magnetic properties governing inductance and quality factor. The project will advance fabrication and packaging design rules for thermally-stable magnetic core inductors integrated with silicon carbide, targeting operation beyond 300 degrees Celsius. The effort will establish new fabrication and testing capabilities at Boise State and expand workforce development in high-temperature microelectronics for applications in energy, transportation, defense, and scientific exploration.
Performance occurs at Fayetteville, Arkansas. The period of performance runs from the award date through December 31, 2028.