US defense and aerospace corporation Northrop Grumman is opening up a new direction in the field of military microelectronics by testing the use of artificial diamonds to manufacture semiconductor components.
This material is thought to be only common in jewelry, but it possesses many outstanding properties for high-tech applications.
At a company's semiconductor manufacturing facility, engineers are developing diamond-based devices with extremely small sizes, even smaller than a grain of sand.
These components are designed to protect signal receivers in radar systems and radio frequency (RF) equipment, which are very sensitive components to large voltage pulses.
According to Northrop Grumman, initial tests have created a device capable of handling power exceeding 100 watts, double that of popular solutions today.
This is a notable step forward, because modern military systems increasingly require higher power while still ensuring stability and durability.
The biggest advantage of diamonds lies in their extremely high heat conductivity and heat resistance, along with superior mechanical durability.
These characteristics help components operate stably in harsh environments, while protecting the system from signal pulses that may cause damage.
Compared to traditional materials such as silicon or nitride gallium, diamonds show superior performance in many tests.
Dr. Ugonna Ohiri, a systems engineer at Northrop Grumman's Microelectronics Center, said that diamonds are an almost permanent material, capable of withstanding very large impacts, suitable for advanced military missions. According to him, this is a key factor in improving the durability and lifespan of electronic devices.
Research on this material was started by Northrop Grumman in 2019. To date, diamond chips have reached a size of about 1 mm, small enough to integrate into many different platforms, from airplanes to space systems.
In addition to performance, compact size also helps reduce the overall device size, allowing for the integration of more functions in the same space.
To accelerate development progress, Northrop Grumman is cooperating with several units to expand production scale and improve technology.
Although more testing time is still needed before being widely deployed, initial results show the great potential of diamonds in the military microelectronics industry.
This technology not only helps improve efficiency but also opens up the possibility of application in space missions and aerial platforms.
According to experts, the shift from silicon to new materials such as diamonds may mark a turning point in electronic device design, especially in the context of increasingly stringent requirements for power, durability and size.
Northrop Grumman expects that in the future, diamond chips will not only be limited to military but also expand to many other high-tech fields.
