Pyrotechnic Initiator

Several new technologies are available that use semiconductor devices to create high temperature plasmas for igniting explosive materials. An invention by Dr. Tom Baginski utilizes diffused pn junction diodes in combination with a silicon substrate to fabricate an explosive initiation device that is capable of standing off high voltages for long periods of time, thereby ensuring their safety from inadvertent initiation by electrostatic discharge and RF radiation. These devices can meet the DoD safety criteria defined in MIL-STD-1901 while using readily available, moderate voltage solid state electronic components. These principles allow significant reductions in the size and cost of exploding foil and exploding bridgewire fire sets that must operate at several thousand volts. This proposed effort would fabricate simiconductor junctions that operate above 500 volts and package the new initiator into an electronic ignition safety device that can meet the requirement of MIL-STD-1901 by directly initiating BKNO3. In addition to the work with pyrotechnic initiation, devices with insensitive explosives such as HMX and PETN will be fabricated and tested.