CRANE, Ind. – U.S. Navy radiation-hardened electronics experts needed equipment to help them produce and acquire strategic radiation-hardened trusted microelectronics. They found their solution from L3Harris Applied Technologies Inc. in San Leandro, Calif.
Officials of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane (NSWC) Division in Crane, Ind., announced a $21.7 million contract to L3Harris on Wednesday for a Flash X-Ray machine, a Short-Pulse Gamma Ray machine, and a radiation shielding design, installation, and training.
These devices and services are to enhance the Navy's capability to produce and acquire strategic radiation hardened trusted microelectronics. The contract is to support of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane's Radiation Testing Modernization Program, Navy officials say.
Related: The evolving world of radiation-hardened electronics
Flash X-ray machines, which normally are for non-destructive testing of electronic chips and printed circuit boards, irradiate these components and can simulate some of the effects of a nuclear explosion. Short-pulse gamma rays also result from nuclear explosions.
One of the responsibilities of NSWC-Crane is to select microcircuits with the performance, reliability, and radiation-hardness capabilities to survive and work through a radiation event like a nuclear explosion.
Officials there need the ability to simulate radiation to evaluate the ability of microelectronics to operate and survive in a radiation environment.
In particular, experts try to evaluate the sensitivity of a microelectronics device to radiation total ionizing dose, dose-rate, single-event upsets, displacement damage, and other factors.
Experts also are interested in the statistical process controls and qualification conformance inspection procedures for specific microelectronics devices to maintain critical process and design parameters in a radiation environment.
On this contract L3Harris will do the work in San Leandro, Calif.; and in Crane, Ind., and should be finished by December 2022. For more information contact L3Harris Applied Technologies online at www2.l3t.com/ati, or the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Crane at www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NSWC-Crane.
