awarded National Science Foundation STTR Phase I Award
Summary
ITHACA, N.Y. – September 2, 2021 – Soctera Inc. has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant for $256,000 to conduct research and development (R&D) on the scaling of power amplifiers that utilize aluminum nitride (AlN)-based semiconductors, increasing power output and performance while improving heat management over traditional materials. Soctera’s innovative use of AlN has the potential to decrease operating temperatures and increase the maximum range of high-frequency radar and next-generation (6G) telecommunication base stations. The company plans to expand from this initial product and monolithically integrate other AlN-enabled electronics, creating a new platform for future high-power, high-frequency systems. Soctera is a member of the Praxis Center for Venture Development, Cornell’s on-campus incubator for startups in engineering, digital and physical sciences. The company is led by co-founders Austin Hickman and Reet Chaudhuri, recent Ph.D. graduates in the field of electrical and computer engineering at Cornell University.