Microelectronics Innovation for National Security and Economic Competitiveness (MINSEC) Innovation and Development

Abstract

This project supports the DoD microelectronics strategy by ensuring the availability of and access to the advanced, assured microelectronics that are critical for DoD and national security systems. It will support the development and delivery of tools to protect the intellectual property (IP) confidentiality and integrity for a broad range of systems and missions and will provide a path for the production of these articles. It will allow the DoD to 1) maintain technological leadership and a secure domestic microelectronics ecosystem; 2) promote access to all necessary current and future semiconductor technologies, including design, fabrication, packaging, and testing, from a robust base of suppliers; 3) provide multiple options for programs and the defense industrial base to quickly upgrade microelectronic components; 4) create a competitive industrial base of microelectronics suppliers that can rapidly adjust to the dynamics of the industry including the initiation of modernization pilots with DoD programs and industry to deliver new capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI) processors, co-development of advanced commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) programmable devices, and addressing select IP obsolescence risks; and 5) provide DoD’s captive specialty needs suppliers and dedicated facilities with cost-effective upgrade capabilities and resources so they can deliver advanced technologies. This project supports a broader national strategy to focus resources, policies, and incentives to enhance current and next generation defense capability by 1) maintaining access to U. S. domestic production of state-of-the-art (SOTA) technology; 2) enhancing state-of-the-practice (SOTP) foundries in the U.S. to produce more advanced technologies to better serve low-volume customers in the aerospace and defense community; 3) investing in research and development (R&D) for the next generation of microelectronics for new materials, devices, architectures, and designs in coordination with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Electronics Resurgence Initiative (ERI); 4) promoting threat awareness, proactive protection, and supply chain security to ensure these investments continue to benefit the U.S.; 5) exploring incentives for market growth through dual-use technologies, piloting acquisition reforms, partnering with industry, and providing incentives for cooperative R&D and trade; and (6) establishing innovation hub pilots with industry. MINSEC activities are categorized into the following focus areas: next generation disruptive R&D; capture and secure microelectronics R&D; new microelectronics development, demonstration, and capability insertion; COTS programmable integrated circuit (IC) co-development; microelectronics obsolescence and replacement; microelectronics-focused workforce development; radiation hardening by process (RHBP) and radiation hardening by design (RHBD); and radio frequency (RF) and optoelectronic (OE) microelectronics. This project has received funding in FY 2020 to support MINSEC efforts in the following focus areas: capture and secure microelectronics R&D; new microelectronics development, demonstration, and capability insertion; RHBP and RHBD; and RF and OE microelectronics.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Project
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2020
Source ID
647_0604294D8Z_4_0400_PB_2020

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Engineering

Readers

  • Cybersecurity.
  • Defense Technology Research and Development.
  • Integrated Circuit Design and Technology.

Technology Areas

  • AI & ML
  • AI & ML - DoD AI Strategy
  • Microelectronics
  • Space

Related Documents