Northrop Demonstrates Compact Radiation Testing System for Space Nuclear Microelectronics

Northrop Grumman has demonstrated a secure laboratory-based system designed to accelerate radiation testing of microelectronics used in space missions and nuclear facilities.

The demonstration was conducted under the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Advanced Sources for Single-event Effects Radiation Testing program, which aims to reduce reliance on large heavy-ion radiation facilities. Microelectronics deployed in radiation-intensive environments must be radiation-hardened and tested to prevent malfunctions, but access remains constrained, with only four heavy-ion testing facilities available in the United States.

This new approach could cut the time required to design, test and deploy radiation-hardened microelectronics by a factor of ten. The system enables testing in a compact and portable laboratory environment and is intended to reduce testing backlogs that can delay programs for years.

The technology can simulate the randomized radiation effects experienced in space and nuclear environments, allowing engineers to assess device resilience and operability prior to fielding. DARPA’s ASSERT program is focused on developing laboratory-scale alternatives capable of delivering comparable radiation effects.

The company is working with Vanderbilt University and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to use laser plasma accelerator technology, a compact high-energy electron beam source. This enables testing of packaged and stacked devices, including three-dimensional heterogeneous microelectronics, which current laser-based and surrogate testing methods cannot fully evaluate.

Engineers from Northrop Grumman’s Adaptive Optics Associates-Xinetics programs supported development of the prototype by conducting environmental testing to verify performance under harsh conditions, drawing on experience from space and national security missions.

Northrop Grumman said it designs, manufactures, tests and packages millions of microelectronic components annually for defense and commercial systems, with radiation-hardened devices supporting space operations, nuclear infrastructure, and defense supply chains.