Award Data

EO/IR elements of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) responsible for detecting and tracking ballistic missile threats encounter extraordinarily challenging threat and scene phenomenology. Specifically, non-stationary clutter characteristic of airborne and satellite-based sensor systems, along with dim target signatures, closely-spaced objects, and dense debris clouds typical of ballistic ...

IAI with University of Michigan proposes an innovative HIC software modeling and integration framework built around objectively quantified cognitive models of human operators i) Executive-Process/Interactive Control (EPIC) and ii) GOMS (Goal Operator Method and Selection rules) Language Evaluation and Analysis (GLEAN). The framework provides ability to model existing or futuristic operator workst ...

A goal of Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) is to use computer simulation of complex systems to make scientifically informed assessments for high-consequence decisions. Because end-to-end empirical data is difficult to obtain for the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS), computer simulation provides the best method for understanding BMDS capabilities against a wide range of threats. Numerica Co ...

Phase I objective is to demonstrate the feasibility of our proposed passivation approach to minimize the dark current noise and improve the quantum efficiency in the GaSb based type II superlattice detectors. Phase I goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of our technology to fabricate photodiodes with cut-off wavelength in excess of 10µm, quantum efficiency exceeding 70% and dark current density ...

Antimony containing III-V semiconducting compounds are particularly attractive for the fabrication of a wide variety of electronic and optoelectronic devices such as photo detectors operating in the long wave infrared wavelength (12-32µm) range. The production of epi quality GaSb wafers still remains one of the important problems for rapid commercialization of GaSb devices. Sinmat Inc. proposes a ...

Aegis BMD 5.0 CU will expand and update the Baseline 9 MRBM and IRBM threat set, while Aegis BMD 5.1 will have capabilities against more sophisticated short to intermediate range ballistic missiles. An ability to discriminate this wider set of increasingly sophisticated threats is essential. Technology Service Corporation (TSC) and the Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI) propose to identify fe ...

There may be no more important mission for the US military than protection from ballistic missile attack. For any configuration of sensors, it is therefore extremely important to make the most of the collected sensor data. Specifically, this proposal describes how this objective can be accomplished by using artificial intelligence techniques to implement human-quality reasoning on object feature ...

Inlustra Technologies and the University of Notre Dame propose a Phase I STTR program that, combined with a subsequent Phase II effort, will result in methods for the scalable production of semi-insulating non-polar GaN substrates. These substrates will be utilized in the fabrication of high-power/high-frequency AlGaN-GaN electronic devices capable of reliable operation under high thermal load. ...

Gallium Nitride (GaN) substrates are ideal materials for fabrication of high-power and high-frequency devices based on III-V materials. The current state-of-the-art Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) methods are plagued by several challenges, including, surface charge affects due to surface contamination, and sub-surface damages, which can limit the quality of III-V devices. Furthermore, there is ...

The primary objective of the proposed research is to develop proof of concept of a software programmable X-Band radar system using low cost antenna array technology with digital beamforming architecture based on multiple receiver channels. The performance objectives will aim at a minimum of 400 MHz instantaneous bandwidth and a minimum instantaneous dynamic range of 52 dB. The objective of the t ...