Micron Technology, Inc. has claimed the industry’s highest-density, radiation-tolerant single-level cell (SLC) NAND product. It is the first device in a new portfolio of space-qualified NAND, NOR, and DRAM solutions.
Extending its expertise beyond rugged industrial and automotive markets, Micron is increasing its focus on solutions for aerospace missions as edge AI computing enables spacecraft to analyze sensor data, detect anomalies, and make decisions autonomously. The 256-Gbit radiation-tolerant SLC NAND flash is the first in its class to be offered by any major memory manufacturer, according to the company.
Space components need to withstand harsh environmental conditions, including extreme temperatures, shock and vibration, vacuum pressure, and radiation exposure from solar energetic particles, and galactic cosmic rays.
(Source: Micron Technology, Inc.)
Micron’s radiation-tolerant SLC NAND undergoes extended quality and performance testing. This includes NASA’s PEM-INST-001 Level 2 flow, which subjects components to a yearlong screening and 590 hours of dynamic burn-in; radiation characterization for total ionizing dose (TID) testing, which meets the MIL-STD-883 TM1019 condition D, measuring the cumulative amount of gamma radiation that a product can absorb in a standard operating environment in orbit and remain functional; and radiation characterization for single event effects (SEE) testing, meeting ASTM F1192 and JEDEC JESD57, which evaluates the impact of high-energy particles on semiconductors and verifies they can operate safely and reliably in harsh radiation environments.
While this is Micron’s first officially space-qualified product, the company’s NAND flash is already designed into space systems. For example, Mercury Systems uses Micron memory in its solid-state data recorders (SSDRs) that captures and stores scientific and engineering data critical for missions. These SSDRs are currently aboard NASA’s Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT), an imaging spectrometer built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and launched to the International Space Station in 2022.
As the only U.S.-based memory manufacturer, Micron can provide the end-to-end supply chain needed for aerospace and government sectors, the company said. It recently announced plans to modernize its facility in Manassas, Virginia, expanding its portfolio of NOR, SLC NAND, and DDR3, with longevity supply of DDR4 and LPDDR4 for critical applications such as aerospace.
Micron is also optimizing a manufacturing process for aerospace solutions, and plans to introduce additional space-qualified memory and storage solutions in the coming year for space-mission applications.
The post Micron unveils space-qualified SLC NAND flash appeared first on Electronic Products.
