Low Cost Fabrication of Radiation Hardened Electronics

NanoSonic would develop low cost manufacturing methods for producing radiation hardened nonvolatile Chalcogenide based Random Access Memory (RAM) and magneto-resistive RAM with BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin to improve near term and next generation MDA programs including Theatre High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), Miniature Kill Vehicles (MKV), and the Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS). The DoD's most promising solution for radiation hardened, miniaturized, high density memory lies in solid state devices such as BAE's Chalcogenide based RAM (phase change materials) and MRAM rather than electronic storage. NanoSonic has manufacturing capabilities to lower cost and improve performance of state of the art memory products including: tailored nanoparticle syntheses (up to 20L), expertise in the art of self assembly (on severely curved and large 12" substrates), rapid prototyping via ink-jet printing (drop size 10 pL), and maskless lithography (10 nm). Hexagonal arrays of oxidatively stable, discrete nanoparticles are formed within multifunctional ultrathin films via self assembly. This technology would be combined with advanced polymers and tailored architectures are used to prevent aggregation and intergrain particle interactions through ligand exchange processes. The Chalcogenide and MRAM devices would be tested in Lockheed Martin and BAE products during Phase II.