Multipaction Resistant RF Components for Satellites

Satellite RF components suffer from an additional design limitation that does not concern their terrestrial counterparts: multipaction, an electron avalanche effect that can reduce performance or permanently damage devices under certain conditions. To avoid the onset of this effect, the traditional options are increasing the component size (more specifically, gap widths) or reducing operating power. Given the cost per weight to deploy satellite systems, both of these options result in exponential increases in the price per watt of transmission. Nokomis proposes to develop technology for multipactor-resistant components, allowing for increased power handling and performance with improved reliability. The key is that the multipactor mitigation technology utilized will allow for this component performance improvement in a smaller form factor device, enabling the realization of industry-wide performance gains.