HARDENING GALLIUM ARSENIDE MONOLITHIC MICROWAVE INTEGRATED CIRCUITS AGAINST ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE...

THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP TECHNIQUES FOR PROTECTING GALLIUM ARSENIDE MONOLITHIC MICROWAVE INTEGRATED CIRCUITS FROM DAMAGE DUE TO THE RECEPTION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSES ON THEINPUT SIGNAL LINES. PROTECTION DEVICES ARE TO BE BUILT ON TO THE MONOLITHIC CHIPS CONTAINING FRAGILE RECEIVER CIRCUITS. THE RESULTS OF DAMAGE MECHANISM STUDIES ON UNPROTECTED CIRCUITS WILL BE APPLIED TO THE DESIGN OF THESE PROTECTION DEVICES. IN THIS PROJECT, MISSION RESEARCHCORPORATION WILL STUDY THE DAMAGE MECHANISMS AND, JOINTLY WITH PACIFIC MONOLITHICS INCORPORATED, WILL DESIGN THE PROTECTION DEVICES. THE DEVICES WILL THEN BE FABRICATED BY A FOUNDRY SELECTED BY PACIFIC MONOLITHICS. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS/POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS - HARDENED MONOLITHIC MICROWAVE INTEGRATED CIRCUITS WILL BE USED IN MILITARYSYSTEMS WHEREVER MICROWAVES ARE PRESENTLY EMPLOYED. THESE APPLICATIONS INCLUDE RADAR, COMMUNICATIONS, ELECTRONIC WARFARE, ELECTRONIC COUNTERMEASURES, AND IFF EQUIPMENT. IN ADDITION, THE HARDENING OF GAAS MMICS WILL MAKE PRACTICAL NEW APPLICATIONS SUCH AS PHASED ARRAY RADAR, WHICH, UNTIL NOW, HAVE BEEN TOO BULKY AND EXPENSIVE FOR FIELD USE. THERE WILL ALSO BE SPINOFFS TO THE CIVILIAN SECTOR IN CELLULAR PHONES, CABLE TV, AND APPLIANCE REMOTE CONTROL DEVICES.