Radiation-hardened microelectronics could reduce spacecraft weight | R&D Mag

By Editor, R&D Magazine, Posted 09/29/09

Link: http://www.rdmag.com/News/2009/09/Materials-Radiation-Hardened-Microelectroni...

"Space environments can deliver a beating to spacecraft electronics. For decades, satellites and other spacecraft have used bulky and expensive shielding to protect vital microelectronics including microprocessors and other integrated circuits, from space radiation.

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are developing ways to harden the microchips themselves against damage from various types of cosmic radiation. With funding from NASA and other sponsors, a Georgia Tech team is investigating the use of silicon-germanium (SiGe) to create microelectronic devices that are intrinsically resistant to space-particle bombardment. "