Axiom Space pitches idea to produce chipmaking materials in space, plans trials aboard ISS

Axiom Space is an American company specializing in space missions and the only commercial entity whose modules are connected to the International Space Station. According to Focus Taiwan, the company recently visited Taiwan to pitch an intriguing idea to produce certain semiconductor materials in space. Axiom believes that the unique conditions of a low-Earth orbit (LEO) environment could enable the production of ultra-pure materials.

Dr. Koichi Wakata, Axiom Space's Asia-Pacific Chief Technology Officer and a former ISS commander from Japan, emphasized the potential of microgravity and vacuum environments to improve semiconductor manufacturing. These conditions, he explained, enable defect-free crystal growth, resulting in higher-quality materials that are difficult to produce on Earth due to gravity and atmospheric impurities.

Divya Panchanathan, Axiom's global head of semiconductor commercialization, elaborated that Earth's gravity causes imperfections in crystal structures, while LEO's microgravity allows for more uniform growth. Additionally, the vacuum of space facilitates containerless processing, minimizing contamination and enabling the production of larger, higher-performing crystals for semiconductors.

Axiom proposed partnering with Taiwanese companies to conduct initial experiments aboard the ISS, with plans to transition manufacturing to Axiom's commercial station after 2030. The company envisions a scalable process in which successful experiments lead to full-scale production in dedicated space modules.

Axiom executives never disclosed which crystals they were referring to, but from the context, they are most likely single-crystal materials (e.g., silicon, gallium nitride, gallium arsenide, etc.), which are used in semiconductor manufacturing as foundational substrates upon which chips are built. Compound semiconductors (such as GaN or GaAs) and other next-generation materials can be especially sensitive to impurities and defects introduced by gravity and environmental factors on Earth. In microgravity, the melt and any dopants can distribute more uniformly, potentially leading to higher-quality wafers.

However, there are practical considerations associated with the production of anything in space. Launching materials to space and maintaining an orbital facility are extremely expensive. At present, it costs around $3,000 to launch a kilogram into space (one silicon wafer weighs 100 to 150 grams and costs $100 to $200), but the use of Falcon Heavy is expected to reduce the cost to $2,000 per kilogram and below. Even if the wafers are of higher quality, the price of producing them off-planet might outweigh the gains, at least with current launch costs. Over decades, manufacturers have optimized Earth-based crystal growth, and for the most part, chipmakers are happy with the balance of quality and price. Hence, for now, it hardly makes sense to make wafers in low-Earth orbit.

Perhaps, once the microelectronics industry moves to sub-angstrom process technologies, it will need ultra-pure wafers, which might justify their production in low-Earth orbit. However, companies specializing in making silicon, GaN, or GaAs ingots, as well as their suppliers, would need to develop appropriate technologies. Still, even in this case, it is more likely that the wafers will be made on Earth, albeit in 'modified' environments.

Interestingly, Axiom identified additional industries that could benefit from space-based manufacturing beyond semiconductors. These include biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and the 3D printing of artificial organs.