The funding aims to increase domestic capacity for producing optical-grade germanium and silicon crystals and to establish new processes for creating germanium metal from recycled sources.
This move is part of broader efforts to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers as China enforces export restrictions on germanium, a mineral identified by the US Geological Survey as critical for national security and economic development.
The DoWs Office of the Assistant Secretary for Industrial Base Policy is supporting firms like Lattice to address vulnerabilities in the supply chain for essential optical components used in defence systems.
Optical lenses, windows and mirrors produced by Lattice are incorporated into military equipment including airborne sensors, thermal weapon sights, missile guidance systems and other electro-optical/infrared applications.
Lattice applies expertise developed over three decades in the Czochralski crystal growth process to manufacture custom germanium and silicon crystals according to specifications required by defence projects.
The company uses specialised methods to achieve precise diameters, orientations and electrical resistivity in its products, adapting each batch to customer needs.
The $18.5m allocation forms part of funding provided through the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022, which advances Executive Order 14241 issued on 20 March 2025.
This order directs increased production of processed critical minerals and related products in the US.
Lattice Materials president Travis Wood said: “We’ve seen unprecedented demand for secure, US-made solutions across the industries we serve, especially within aerospace and defence.
“We are grateful for the DoW’s investment in expanding our production capacity, which will help strengthen domestic supply chains and ensure that the advanced technologies our components enable are available when and where they’re needed most.”
Earlier this year, TPC raised over $300m in capital to strengthen its financial position.
Alongside Lattice’s new award, these funds support ongoing efforts to expand TPC’s manufacturing operations, which supply mission-critical components to defence contractors, armed services and sectors including medical, aerospace, technology and energy.
