RAD Hard by Design (RHBD)
Abstract
(U) This program developed, characterized, and demonstrated microelectronic design technologies to enable fabrication of radiation hardened electronic components using leading-edge, commercial fabrication facilities. The current mainstream approach for fabricating radiation-hardened electronics depends on specialized process technologies and dedicated foundries that serve this military market niche. While commercial semiconductor fabrication is not explicitly radiation hardened, recent trends in deeply scaled fabrication such as very thin oxides, trench isolation, and multiple levels of metal are resulting in semiconductor devices that are inherently more tolerant of radiation than older generations. This program pursued development of design-based technologies to enable pure commercial fabrication technologies to attain radiation hardened electronics equivalent to those from the dedicated foundries. The design technology developed under the Radiation Hardening by Design (RHBD) program is planned for transition to the Air Force and to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) at the end of Phase II. Specific design libraries for hardened circuits will transition through the defense electronics design industry, which are being supported largely by DTRA and the Air Force.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2011
- Source ID
- a6dd9b4623770c4c0e1b710618f0ae25