The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the feasibility of a new class of electronic devices called solid state vacuum devices (SSVD
TMs), a highly enabling technology for extreme high temperature radiation hard electronics. SSVD
TMs merge solid state semiconductor technology, including process fabrication techniques, with vacuum electronics, and, in this case, specifically thermionic vacuum electronics. SSVD
TMs have already been demonstrated for highly demanding high frequency applications. Thermionic SSVD
TMs, in which vacuum transport is by thermionically emitted electrons, are especially promising due to their intrinsic internal high temperature operation and radiation hardness. SSVD
TMs are extremely well suited for extreme environments that, for example, exist on or near Venus. InnoSys proposed and successfully demonstrated in Phase I of this SBIR project SSVD
TM triodes/field effect transistors and the associated assembly and sealing to meet the requirements needed for extreme high temperature electronics. In particular, SSVD
TM electronics were successfully experimentally demonstrated fully operational at 500C. In addition, radiation insensitive SSVD
TM electronics were also successfully experimentally demonstrated during Phase I of this SBIR project. Small scale extreme temperature, radiation insensitive SSVD
TM integrated circuits (ICs) will be developed during Phase II of this SBIR project. Currently no other existing electronics can address this extreme environment.
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