A new semiconductor plant at Honeywell International, MorrisTownship, N.J. (honeywell.com), will be the industry's first to produce application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) that are radiation hardened and have 150-nm textures. Nearly four times more transistors sit on the ICs than in previous generations. "This will significantly increase data computing volume and speed of computer chips for military and aerospace systems," says Ed Wheeler, vice president and general manager, Honeywell's Defense & Space Electronic Systems business, Plymouth, Minn.
Radiation-hardened ICs are produced using silicon-oninsulator technology and can withstand the extreme operating environments of space. The ASICs will serve in advanced flight-control and navigation systems, satellite data processing, high-speed communications, and space-based radar equipment.