Evidencing and enabling the market for silicon carbide technology.

先进炉技术（AFT）是一家拥有40年历史的公司，在III-V型半导体生长炉中使用的所有类型的石墨组件的涂层和清洗方面取得了成功。为了应对过去几年碳化硅（SiC）行业的快速发展，AFT一直在开发一种新的碳化钽（TaC）薄膜涂层，该涂层可用于延长SiC外延生长腔内组件的寿命。这是一项创新技术，将延长单个组件的使用寿命，减少停机时间和维护周期。因此，这项技术的成功实施将确保降低SiC供应链关键部分的成本，从而有助于提高电动汽车效率和价格的前沿技术的采用。随着涂层技术接近成熟，并已提交专利以涵盖核心理念，AFT现在需要外部资源来推出新的产品线。在这个项目中，AFT将遵循两条轨道，这将使TaC业务更接近启动。首先是两家英国中小企业Exawatt Ltd和PGC Consultancy Ltd的参与，在SiC行业的特定背景下开发TaC涂层价值主张。Exawatt专有的SiC市场预测和需求模型将为TaC涂料提供更清晰的潜在市场图景，而SiC技术和供应链专家PGC咨询公司将与AFT合作，根据该领域的技术数据开发机会范围和价值主张。第二个轨道将通过引入材料科学研究人员来加快实验开发期。研究人员将被聘用6个月，并可选择在合同结束时成为永久研究员。该个人将完全负责TaC涂层项目，而不是与核心业务活动共享，因此加快了开发时间表。长期来看，随着TaC项目的发展和商业化，他们将培训和管理一支新的工艺技术团队。

Advanced Furnace Technology (AFT) is a 40 year old company with a successful business coating and cleaning all types of graphite components used in III-V semiconductor growth furnaces. In reaction to the fast expansion of the silicon carbide (SiC) industry in the last few years, AFT has been developing a new tantalum carbide (TaC) thin film coating that could be used to extend the life of components within a SiC epitaxial growth chamber. This is an innovative technology, which will extend the lifetime of individual components, reducing downtime and maintenance cycles. Successful implementation of this technology will therefore ensure reduced costs in a critical part of the SiC supply chain, thereby helping to increase adoption of a technology that is at the forefront of making electric vehicles more efficient and affordable.With the coating technology approaching readiness, with a patent submitted to cover the core idea, AFT now require external resource to launch the new product line. In this project AFT will follow two tracks that will bring the TaC business closer to launch. The first is the engagement of two UK SMEs, Exawatt Ltd and PGC Consultancy Ltd, in the development of the TaC coating value proposition in the specific context of the SiC industry. Exawatt's proprietary SiC Market forecasts and demand models will provide a clearer picture of the addressable market for the TaC coatings, while experts in SiC technology and supply chain, PGC Consultancy will work with AFT in developing the scope of opportunity and value proposition, based on technical data from the field. The second track will expedite the experimental development period by bringing a materials science researcher onto the project. The researcher will be engaged for 6 months, with the option to become permanent at the end of their contract. This individual will be fully resourced to the TaC coating project and not shared with core business activities, therefore speeding up development timelines. Longer-term, they will train and manage a new team of process technicians as the TaC project grows and is commercialised.