DARPA program aims to solve thermal challenges limiting
electronic warfare systems
MERRIMACK, N.H., May 14, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA) has awarded BAE Systems' (LON: BA) FAST LabsTM
research and development organization a $12 million contract for the Technologies for
Heat Removal in Electronics at the Device Scale (THREADS)
program.
BAE Systems will leverage its
expertise in developing and manufacturing advanced microelectronics
for the program.
The DARPA THREADS program aims to overcome the temperature
limits at the transistor scale inherent to power-amplifying
functions. With new materials and approaches to diffusing the heat
that degrades performance and mission life for monolithic microwave
integrated circuits (MMICs), THREADS aims to resolve the thermal
management challenges of today's gallium nitride (GaN) devices.
Many military systems leverage radio frequency (RF) electronics
and have historically operated at powers well below their
theoretical limits because the GaN transistors get too hot. Solving
this challenge will improve the range of RF-based systems by nearly
threefold. This will expand engagement distances for
warfighters—taking them further out of harm's way.
"Excessive heat in electronics has been a long-standing
challenge in the aerospace and defense industry," said Caprice Gray, director of Device Materials and
Manufacturing Research at BAE Systems' FAST Labs. "With material
and process enhancements, we are on the verge of overcoming this
challenge and doing so will unleash the hidden potential in mission
critical electronic warfare and other RF-based systems."
BAE Systems will leverage its expertise and track record of
developing and manufacturing advanced microelectronics for the
program at its Microelectronics Center (MEC) located in
Nashua, New Hampshire. The MEC is
an accredited DoD Category 1A Trusted Supplier and manufactures GaN
and gallium arsenide integrated circuits in production quantities
for critical Department of Defense programs.
Work on the THREADS program includes collaboration with Modern
Microsystems, Penn State University,
Stanford University, University of Notre Dame, and University of Texas at Dallas.
For more information, please contact:
Paul Roberts, BAE Systems
Mobile: 603-521-2381
paul.a.roberts@baesystems.us
www.baesystems.com/US
@BAESystemsInc
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SOURCE BAE Systems, Inc.