Low Cost Rad-Hard CMOS Gate Arrays for Low Power Analog and Mixed Signal Applications

Many spaceborne electronic systems sensors are used to collect data on the environment or to determine whether an action is required. While computation is always performed with digital circuits, the sensor interface generally requires analog signal conditioning. Size, weight, and power consumption could be minimized (and performance could be increased) by integrating both the analog and digital circuitry on the same die, but it is prohibitively expensive to make such mixed-signal devices rad-hard, especially in small to medium quantities. Tanner Research is proposing to develop a manufacturing technology and system that can produce rad-hard analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits (ICs) that are affordable in any volume. Furthermore, our process will be fast, delivering fabricated devices within three weeks from physical design signoff. We have already developed and demonstrated all but two of the key components for this process. We are currently enhancing and refining one of these two remaining technologies, and we are herein proposing to develop and demonstrate the remaining technology in Phase I.