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NASA RESEARCHERS EXTEND LIFE OF HOT TEMPERATURE ELECTRONIC CHIP
CLEVELAND - NASA researchers have designed and built a new circuit chip
that can take the heat like never before.
In the past, integrated circuit chips could not withstand more than a
few hours of high temperatures before degrading or failing. This chip
exceeded 1,700 hours of continuous operation at 500 degrees Celsius - a
breakthrough that represents a 100-fold increase in what has previously
been achieved. The new silicon carbide differential amplifier integrated
circuit chip may provide benefits to anything requiring long-lasting
electronic circuits in very hot environments.
Such highly durable integrated circuitry and packaging are being
developed to enable extremely functional but physically small circuitry
for hot sections of jet engines. In the future, such electronics will
enhance sensing and control of the combustion process that could lead to
improved safety and fuel efficiency as well as reduced emissions from
jet engines. Similar benefits are also possible for automotive engines.
Additional potential benefits of long-lasting high temperature
integrated circuitry extend to oil and natural gas well drilling and
anything requiring long lasting electronic circuits in very hot
environments, including robotic exploration on the hostile surface
environment of Venus.
"It's really a significant step toward mission-enabling harsh
environment electronics," said Phil Neudeck, an electronics engineer and
team lead for this work by the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. "This new capability can
eliminate the additional plumbing, wires, weight and other performance
penalties required to liquid-cool traditional sensors and electronics
near the hot combustion chamber, or the need to remotely locate them
elsewhere where they aren't as effective."
This successful project is a combined effort of the Aviation Safety and
Fundamental Aeronautics programs under NASA's Aeronautics Research
Mission Directorate. For more information, visit:
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/SiC
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