Radiation Survivability Assessment Method (RSAM)

Mission critical Missile Defense Agency (MDA) microelectronics must survive harsh radiation environments. Current test protocols that assure MDA asset survivability against gamma and beta environments are time consuming and expensive to conduct. The need for innovative, cost effective, solutions for radiation testing of microelectronics is at an all-time high. A 2017 National Aeronautics and Space Administration report noted that the number of facilities available for testing is decreasing and the wait time is increasing while more systems that must survive a radiation environment are being developed and deployed. These environments and the effect on microelectronics, call for an innovative technical method for identifying degradation and overall microelectronics survivability. Nokomis Radiation Survivability Assessment Method (RSAM) will provide increased acuity in understanding the effects of radiation on microelectronics in terms of type of radiation exposure and tolerances for radiation accumulation. The RSAM test methodology focuses on the effects of radiation on the piece part level and analyzes the resulting effects and how the function of the part degrades for various design applications. By emphasizing the functional degradation relationships and early indicators of degradation through radio frequency (RF) emissions analysis Nokomis’ method provides a breakthrough approach for understanding radiation survivability in system design. Approved for Public Release | 24-MDA-11906 (16 Sep 24)