Description:
TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics, Sensors, Space Platforms
OBJECTIVE:
Develop RHBD products and Intellectual Property (IP) based on on-shore 22nm FinFET technology to meet long term performance and availability needs for defense applications in natural and hostile radiation environments.
DESCRIPTION:
This topic seeks to leverage the current 22nm on-shore production capability and its inherent Total Ionizing Dose (TID) hardness by:
- Developing RHBD mitigation approaches to known susceptibilities to low energy particle exposure to allow for long term design solutions across platforms.
- Developing U.S. based IP for the RHBD designs which allows for easy modification by various government programs depending on the intended application.
- Conducting additional hardening and testing of the RHBD 22nm FinFET technology for performance in hostile environments to provide an even greater depth of its use across platforms and applications.
It is critical to the development and sustainment of defense programs to identify, invest in, and advance secure, on-shore manufacturing and packaging of RHBD technology and IP, including characterizing the technology in radiation environments. 22nm FinFET technology is a proven commercial technology with current on-shore production, allowing for advanced size, weight, and power considerations in new designs.
PHASE I:
Design radiation insensitive component(s), simple circuit(s), and/or 3D fabrication technique(s) using 22nm FinFET technology. Provide analysis substantiating proposed component(s), simple circuit(s), and/or 3D fabrication technique(s) can survive and operate through realistic radiation environments (both natural space and weapon induced). Fabricate simple proof of principle prototypes and establish baseline performance parameters. Conduct initial operational and evaluation testing in prompt dose-rate radiation environments. Characterize survivability and operability in realistic natural space and prompt dose rate radiation environments, and against standard military temperature cycling specification environments.
PHASE II:
Optimize design(s) to improve baseline performance and increase survivability and level of operability in realistic natural space and weapon-induced radiation environments. Fabricate and test optimized parts in realistic natural space and prompt dose rate radiation environments and against standard military temperature cycling specification environments. Work with a vendor, trusted foundry, fabrication house, and/or military prime contractor on part(s) manufacturability and producibility. Incorporate hardened parts in a representative space avionic subsystem/system application and test in a realistic space radiation environment.
PHASE III:
Team with a vendor, trusted foundry, fabrication house, and/or military prime contractor to develop and space qualify the radiation hardened parts. Work with the transition partner to establish a pathway to inserting the technology into an existing or planned missile defense application.
KEYWORDS: Radiation, RHDB, 22nm, microelectronics, state-of-the-art, foundry, on-shore, defense, sensors
References:
1. Lee, H.J et al., Intel 22nm FinFET (22FFL) Process Technology for RF and mm Wave Applications and Circuit Design Optimization for FinFET Technology, IEEE-2018 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM).
2. Guillorn, M. et al., FinFET performance advantage at 22nm: An AC perspective, Guillorn, M. et al., IEEE-2008 Symposium on VLSI Technology.
3. Royer, Pablo et al., Evolution of radiation-induced soft errors in FinFET SRAMs under process variations beyond 22nm, IEEE-Proceedings of the 2015 IEEE/ACM International Symposium on Nanoscale Architectures (NANOARCH'15).
4. Sanjana S.R. et al., Design and Performance Analysis of 6T SRAM Cell in 22nm CMOS and FINFET Technology Nodes, IEEE-2017 International Conference on Recent Advances in Electronics and Communication Technology (ICRAECT).Approved for Public Release 20-MDA-10521 (2 Jul 20)
