RADIATION INDUCED THERMOMECHANICAL RESPONSE DAMAGE

THIS PHASE I SBIR EFFORT WILL ESTABLISH THE FEASIBILITY OF USING STRUCTURAL ANALYSES AND GOOD STRUCTURAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES TO HARDEN ELECTRONICS COMPONENTS (E.G., CHIPS OR CHIP PACKAGES) AGAINST THERMOMECHANICAL RESPONSE DAMAGE INDUCED BY ENERGY DEPOSITIONS FROM NEUTRAL PARTICLE BEAM (NPB) DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS (DEWS), OR NUCLEAR WEAPONS EFFECTS (NWE; I.E., X-RAYS, GAMMA RAYS, AND NEUTRONS), AND THEREBY IMPROVE U.S. SYSTEMS SURVIVABILITY AGAINST USSR DEW NPB AND NUCLEAR THREATS. THE MAIN QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED THROUGH THIS PHASE I EFFORT ARE (1) "WHAT CAN BE DONE THROUGH STRUCTURAL DESIGN/ ANALYSIS TO HARDEN ELECTRONICS COMPONENTS (E.G., CHIP OR CHIP PACKAGE) MANUFACTURERS INCORPORATE INTO THEIR PRODUCTS SUCH STRUCTURAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR HARDENING?" THE PROGRAM APPROACH WILL BE TO SURVEY CURRENT PRACTICES, DESIGN HARDEN REPRESENTATIVE FABRICABLE COMPONENTS, DEVELOP STRUCTURAL DESIGN HARDENING GUIDELINES/PRINCIPLES,IDENTIFY POTENTIAL MANUFACTURERS OF HARDENED COMPONENTS, AND PREPARE THE SBIR PHASE II DESIGN, ANALYSIS, FABRICATION AND TEST PLANS.