Low-Power, Rad-hard Reconfigurable, Bi-directional Flexfet™ Level Shifter ReBiLS for Multiple Generation Technology Integration for Space Exploration, Phase II

ReBiLS utilizing ASI Flexfet^TM CMOS provides significant performance improvements and broader multifunctional use. Multiple marketing channels are open for non-NASA commercialization of this technology. ASI is a pure-play foundry currently supporting multiple customer requirements for advanced SOI CMOS wafer fabrication. ReBiLS provides a desirable core-cell for inclusion in the Flexfet^TM CMOS cell library. This cell can be marketed for foundry customer use in new designs to meet a wide variety of system on chip requirements for high-altitude, space and commercial applications. The stand-alone ReBiLS IC components are valuable products. ASI is a foundry services company, but can commercialize this high-performance IC level shifter design by licensing the product to fabless or IDM component suppliers. Licensing to major ASI customer can integrate the product into an established supply channel for military/aerospace and commercial applications. The licensee will provide foundry loading for ASI and can utilize the standard IC for a variety of military/aerospace and commercial level shifting requirements demanding low power and high performance. The ReBiLS core-cell is an independent design solution with IP value. Licensing IP cell designs to ASI customers independent of wafer fabrication services can provide a revenue stream in addition to ASI foundry services. Rad-hard reconfigurable bi-directional level shifter (ReBiLS) development will provide needed component integration improvement. Dr. Ashok Sharma, NASA, determined there are no off-the-shelf components available to meet NASA requirements for low voltage level shifting. The current need is handled by designing new ICs specific for each application. Desirable current and next generation standard IC's employ low voltage CMOS and often require an independent Level Shifter IC be designed specific to their utilization. This Phase II contract will generate prototypes of stand-alone and embedded rad-hard ReBiLS highly versatile level shifters. These will provide NASA with space environment capable level shifters to integrate IC's from a variety of different generations employing dissimilar operating voltages. Stand-alone applications include utilization of a ReBiLS Level Shifter IC standard product to integrate current NASA and COTS IC's. Embedded applications will utilize ReBiLS as a standard core cell available to NASA and designers for integration in new advanced IC's as part of the Flexfet^TM foundry CMOS fabrication service. Discussions with Ashok Sharma, Pen-Shu Yeh, and Jody Gambles determined a great opportunity for immediate implementation of a current CAMBR generated NASA design with ReBiLS in Flexfet^TM CMOS as a solution for the CULPRiT Reed-Soloman Encoder. A prototype of this IC as well as the stand-alone level shifter is included in Phase II. More »