Development and Packaging of Radiation Immune Nano-Diamond Integrated Circuits for Advanced Interceptor Avionics

SBIR MDA09-006

The goal of this program is to develop nanosacle electronics and packaging technology that is hardened to space and nuclear radiation. Vanderbilt University is in partnership with AET in the development of packaging technologies for lateral emission-based diamond devices characterized for temperature insensitivity and radiation hardness. A laterally configured diamond emission device can offer significant advantages for IC-compatible high-speed and RF applications from its low input and negligible parasitic capacitance features, lithography controlled sub 100nm interelectrode gap and versatile emitter geometry, and monolithic integration of multiple device electrodes, all achieved using simple microfabrication process steps.

AET has developed a new vacuum packaging technology for the lateral emission-based diamond devices. This technology uses a high power laser to supply a very accurate amount of heat energy to seal the package. The system has been built and packages have been sealed and proven to be leak free.

The Vanderbilt University Diamond Laboratory built the first diamond lateral emitter device. They have now developed a consistent fabrication technique, paralleling IC process technology for nanodiamond lateral field emission devices, operable at very low electric fields and voltages, generating high currents. Diodes and transistors form the major building blocks of an integrated circuit. Monolithic vacuum diodes and triodes have been developed with the nanodiamond lateral field emitter, using consistent and conventional microelectronic processing techniques. The capability of patterning thousands of these devices monolithically on the same substrate has been demonstrated. These low-voltage operating diamond devices can be suitably developed and interconnected, achieving silicon IC equivalent and compatible logic gates.