Page 60 - Plastics News November 2017

TECHNOLOGY

Powering small-satellite constellations with plastic integrated circuits

ntersil a Renesas Company, is launching three initial commercial off-the-shelf “radiation hardened” ICs
Iradiation-tolerant, plastic packaged ICs, which will help that are widely available today. Companies supporting
reduce the size, weight and power of small satellites. small-satellite technology are working to navigate
“These parts combine commercial-like performance, the fragmented GEO versus LEO market and develop
reliable packages and the radiation performance needed ways to “engage without dramatically changing their
for satellite constellation programs that are cost effective business model.” There also needs to be industry
and dramatically minimize program risks,” said Intersil. In specifications or quality standards to address the small-
addition to large satellite constellation programs, these satellite supplier base, said Intersil’s paper. “Seeing this
products are also suitable for other applications such as emerging need and convergence of requirements for
larger satellite constellations in higher LEO altitudes
sparked Intersil to engage its customer base. Through
in-depth engagements, Intersil has created a cost-
effective, radiation-tolerant product development and
manufacturing flow to address these emerging small-
satellite needs. The result is a new family of products
that are being released in small-form-factor, surface-
mount plastic packages, typically with nickel/palladium/
gold (Ni/Pd/Au) lead finishes,” said Intersil’s paper.
These ICs will have one-time characterization during
development and undergo harsher testing including a
military temperature range of -55° to 125°C.

“The parts will also be qualified on an AEC-Q100-like basis
with up to 2,000 hours of burn-in testing, exposure to
launch vehicles, medical equipment, high altitude avionics
(aircraft electronics) and nuclear power plants. Satellites 500 temperature cycles and package moisture sensitivity
testing. This is a significantly different development and
typically have long missions (15 to 20 years) and span a manufacturing flow compared with traditional radiation-
wide range of orbits, including geosynchronous Earth orbit hardened products, which have large ceramic packages,
(GEO) and deep spaceflight.
radiation assurance testing in the product screening
These large vehicles in deep space have high radiation flow, and temperature and burn-in testing on each part
level requirements and must meet stringent reliability and in production, all of which drives up the IC cost.” For
quality demands so that electronic integrated circuits (ICs) large constellations of small satellites in LEO, a single
aren't impacted by radiation. With the development of event effect (SEE) occurring would likely be lower than
small-satellite constellations that bring broadband Internet in GEO, but “is still of concern” for these satellites “at
access to every corner of the world, there is concern about an altitude close to or getting into the Van Allen Belt.
the length of time these small-satellite constellations can For heavy digital content ICs, like a microprocessor, an
endure the radiation they are subjected to in low Earth SEE is typically not a catastrophic event.
orbit (LEO).
However, when it comes to the device that is powering
These LEO small-satellite constellations—positioned below the microprocessor or processing sensor data signals to
the Van Allen radiation belt, where most of the destructive the microprocessor, this could be a different story.” If
particles are trapped have low radiation and less stringent a satellite’s power device or “operational amplifier are
reliability and quality requirements than their large cousins, impacted from a heavy ion or particle in such a way
according to a new white paper from Intersil Corp. The that its output is disturbed to unacceptable levels in a
paper explains how satellite makers are addressing market transient event, these devices can potentially damage
demands—GEO versus LEO small-satellite constellations— or destroy the device connected to the output, like
and compares new radiation-tolerant plastic ICs with the a microprocessor,” which could mean total “mission
failure” for the entire satellite.

Plastics News N ovember 2017 60