rad-hard

RH90: The Next-Generation Stateside Strategic Rad-Hard by Process Technology

By Rocket55 |

By A&D Business Unit Director Jim Will

SkyWater Technology, the leading U.S. foundry for radiation-hardened process technologies, is set to showcase its latest advancements in 90 nm FDSOI CMOS technology at the upcoming GOMACTech conference, taking place in San Diego from March 20-23, 2023.

In advance of the show, we sat down with SkyWater A&D Business Unit Director Jim Will to ask a few questions and learn how this developing platform enables a range of extreme environment applications. We invite you to read our quick Q&A below and bring your own questions to GOMACTech where members of our Aerospace and Defense team will be eager to talk with you about your project.

What type of rad-hard technologies does SkyWater design and fabricate?

SkyWater streamlines the path to commercialization for a variety of devices along the radiation-hardened spectrum from strategic rad-hard to radiation tolerant.

  • Strategic rad-hard components are designed using specialized materials and manufacturing processes that provide the highest levels of radiation hardness, ensuring that they can operate reliably in extreme conditions. These applications or systems are typically critical to national security, defense or space exploration.
  • Rad-hard components are also designed to withstand radiation, but they are not necessarily optimized for the most extreme environments. These components are still highly resistant to radiation-induced failure and are suitable for use in many defense and space applications.
  • Radiation tolerant components are designed to operate without failure in environments where the radiation levels are relatively low.

 

Head on view of a plane

 

Why is important to develop strategic rad-hard manufacturing capability in the United States?

Developing a strategic rad-hard capability is essential for the United States to uphold national security. Strategic rad-hard technology enables critical defense applications and infrastructure to withstand harsh radiation environments without failures or malfunctions — ensuring the safety and reliability of those systems. By having domestic strategic rad-hard capabilities, the U.S. reduces its dependence on foreign sources for critical components and ensures the security of its supply chain.

Why is SkyWater an ideal manufacturing partner for strategic rad-hard technology?

As a stateside commercial foundry, we put security first. SkyWater is ITAR-certified and a Category 1A Trusted manufacturer, which makes us an ideal partner for anyone who prioritizes security in their design projects.

In addition to security, we emphasize quality. Quality is essential in the precise work that SkyWater does — in the accuracy of our products and services — as well as its execution through certified processes. Read more about our commitment to quality and our certifications.

Why is ITAR certification important?

ITAR stands for International Traffic in Arms Regulations, which is a set of regulations that control the export and import of defense-related articles and services on the United States Munitions List, or USML. To be ITAR certified means that a company has been authorized by the U.S. Department of State to handle defense articles or services covered by ITAR.

Being ITAR certified allows a company to work on defense contracts and handle sensitive information or technologies that are covered by ITAR regulations. It also demonstrates a commitment to maintaining the highest levels of security and compliance with government regulations, which can be an important factor for customers who require trusted and secure partners for their critical defense projects.

What does it mean to be a DMEA Cat 1A Trusted manufacturer?

A semiconductor fab that is DMEA Cat 1A Trusted is one that has been approved by the Defense Microelectronics Activity, or DMEA, to handle sensitive military and government contracts. This certification is only given to facilities that meet the strict security requirements set forth by the DMEA.

Being DMEA Cat 1A Trusted means that SkyWater has implemented extensive security measures to protect against the potential theft, sabotage, or exploitation of sensitive information or technologies. These security measures may include physical security, background checks for employees, secure data storage and transmission and strict access control policies.

How does SkyWater help move technology from the lab to the fab?

SkyWater’s Technology as a Service business model addresses the Valley of Death by engaging our manufacturing capabilities early in the development process. With TaaS you’re beginning the foundry engagement at earlier technology readiness levels than the norm in the industry. This model supports co-creating differentiated solutions in an agile environment where engineering teams work with design teams to create an optimal end-state solution – a product that delivers differentiated value and is also highly manufacturable.

Read more about TaaS.

 

What is SkyWater’s 90nm Strategic Rad-Hard by Process Early Access Program and how do I get started?

SkyWater is collaborating with a select group of organizations through an Early Access Partner Program focused on the 90 nm Strategic Rad-Hard by Process technology.

By participating in this program, partners can take advantage of several benefits, including access to exclusive pre-market communications and program updates. Additionally, partners can represent their technology needs and contribute to the definition of design and platform IP requirements, as well as participate in design engagement planning.

The Early Access Partner Program offers a unique opportunity for partners to engage closely with SkyWater and provide valuable feedback on the development of this cutting-edge technology. The program allows partners to have an active role in shaping the future of strategic rad-hard technology and ensuring that it meets their specific needs and requirements.

If you are interested in the Early Access Partner Program, request your spot today or stop by booth 404 at GOMACTech to chat with us.

What technologies does SkyWater offer to enhance rad-hard performance for aerospace and defense applications?

SkyWater is implementing VORAGO’s HARDSIL® technology into radiation-hardened and radiation-tolerant devices for commercial, aerospace, and defense applications. The partnership allows SkyWater to achieve high-reliability rad-hard electronic components without requiring costly design changes or modifications, ensuring the components can withstand exposure to ionizing radiation and extreme temperatures without malfunctions or failures. This innovative technology streamlines the manufacturing process, reducing time and costs associated with adjustments or modifications.

How does SkyWater’s program targeted for QML Class V help customers?

QML Class V are microelectronic components designed and tested to withstand harsh radiation of space. They meet strict requirements of the Defense Logistics Agency’s Qualified Manufacturer List and are used in mission-critical applications — such as such as strategic systems, satellites and deep space probes — where high performance and reliability are vital.

SkyWater’s RH90 technology is designed from the ground up to meet this rugged quality and reliability requirement. And we do it all in a commercial manufacturing facility, which means we can support your program from development through volume production.

Bring your questions and ideas to GOMACTech 2023. We’ll be in booth 404.

Start the path to commercialization by talking with our experts. We’d love to learn about your priorities and send you off with fun swag from our booth. If you are not able to attend GOMACTech this year, contact us to get started.

VORAGO Technologies to Move All its Manufacturing Stateside in Strategic Partnership with SkyWater’s Trusted Foundry

By Rocket55 |

SkyWater to implement VORAGO’s patented HARDSIL® technology that enhances performance of radiation-hardened and radiation-tolerant devices used in commercial, aerospace and defense applications

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. and AUSTIN, Texas – January 24, 2023 – SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ: SKYT), the trusted technology realization partner, today announced a strategic partnership with VORAGO Technologies, effectively moving VORAGO’s fabrication efforts stateside to SkyWater’s DMEA-accredited Category 1A Trusted Foundry. The partnership is based on SkyWater implementing VORAGO’s patented HARDSIL® technology, which is a cost-effective semiconductor processing method that enables devices to operate at higher temperature and radiation levels.

With this implementation, HARDSIL will be available to SkyWater customers as a design-enabled processing method for new or existing designs without any impact on die size, specification, and without redesign. HARDSIL will enhance SkyWater’s bulk 90 nm CMOS process for commercial use in space, aviation, industrial, and medical applications that require higher levels of radiation tolerance.

In contrast to standard commercial design and manufacturing processes, high-reliability radiation-hardened (rad-hard) electronic components must be designed and manufactured so that exposure to ionizing radiation and/or extreme temperatures does not result in malfunctions or catastrophic failure. VORAGO offers innovative technology which enables meeting rad-hard performance without requiring design changes – eliminating or reducing the need for costly and time-consuming adjustments or modifications.

Recently, the U.S. has made the strengthening of domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities a major priority. As the semiconductor industry experiences silicon shortages, SkyWater’s fab and VORAGO’s technology are positioned to domestically source these important components for use in commercial as well as aerospace and defense applications.

“Partnering with a U.S.-based pure-play foundry is an incredible milestone for us,” says Bernd Lienhard, CEO of VORAGO Technologies. “We’re excited to move all of our manufacturing to SkyWater, the foundry of choice for our next-generation of rad-hard processors. We’re proud to work with SkyWater to bring our patented HARDSIL technology to the aerospace and defense industry at large.”

“We are pleased VORAGO has chosen SkyWater as its preferred foundry,” said Thomas Sonderman, president and CEO of SkyWater. “Implementing their HARDSIL technology enhances our bulk 90 nm CMOS process by enabling applications in commercial and other markets that require high levels of radiation tolerance. VORAGO’s choice to move all their manufacturing to the U.S. is commendable as the nation continues its reshoring efforts for national and economic security.”

About HARDSIL® Technology
HARDSIL is a patented, node-, foundry- and product-agnostic solution utilizing a few additional implant modules based on standard fab equipment, allowing for the fabrication of rad-hard electronic components. Specialized design libraries or major process modifications are not necessary, allowing foundries to transparently re-use existing IP, design libraries and flows. HARDSIL easily incorporates exceptional rad-hard capability into standard semiconductor IC creation. HARDSIL is a cost-effective modification to commercial process flows that can be implemented quickly with minimal incremental mask and implant steps. VORAGO has developed multiple products using HARDSIL and it has been used under license by other leading semiconductor suppliers.

About VORAGO Technologies
VORAGO Technologies is a privately held, high technology company based in Austin, Texas with over 15 years of experience in providing radiation-hardened and extreme-temperature solutions for the Hi-rel marketplace. VORAGO’s patented HARDSIL® technology uses cost-effective high-volume manufacturing to harden any commercially designed semiconductor component for extreme environment operation, and has created a number of solutions throughout Aerospace, Defense and Industrial applications, with a proven flight heritage. VORAGO has been named as one of Inc.’s 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in the US. VORAGO Technologies opens up a new world of possibilities for your designs, no matter how hostile the environment. www.voragotech.com

About SkyWater Technology
SkyWater (NASDAQ: SKYT) is a U.S.-owned semiconductor manufacturer and a DMEA-accredited Trusted supplier. SkyWater’s Technology as a ServiceSM model streamlines the path to production for customers with development services, volume production and heterogeneous integration solutions in its world-class U.S. facilities. This pioneering model enables innovators to co-create the next wave of technology with diverse categories including mixed-signal CMOS, ROICs, rad-hard ICs, power management, MEMS, superconducting ICs, photonics, carbon nanotubes and interposers. SkyWater serves growing markets including aerospace & defense, automotive, biomedical, cloud & computing, consumer, industrial and IoT. For more information, visit: www.skywatertechnology.com.

SkyWater Technology Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements that are based on the Company’s current expectations or forecasts of future events, rather than past events and outcomes, and such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Key factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to be different than expected or anticipated include, but are not limited to, factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and in other documents that the Company files with the SEC, which are available at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

VORAGO Technologies Contact: Hadley Hempel | hhempel@voragotech.com
SkyWater Company Contact: Tara Luther | 952.851.5023 | tara.luther@skywatertechnology.com
SkyWater Media Contact: Lauri Julian | 949.280.5602 | lauri.julian@skywatertechnology.com

Congresswoman Betty McCollum Visits SkyWater’s Minnesota Facility for a Tour and Discussion on the US Semiconductor Industrial Base and the CHIPS Act

By Rocket55 |

Under Secretary of Defense Heidi Shyu joins Rep. McCollum on tour of various facilities in Twin Cities with an impact on the defense industry, national security and the Minnesota economy

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – October 10, 2022 – SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ: SKYT), the trusted technology realization partner, today announced it hosted Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) on October 7th for a tour of its Minnesota facility and a discussion on the U.S. semiconductor industrial base and the investments Congress has made in microelectronics with the CHIPS Act. As Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense (HAC-D), McCollum welcomed Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering/DOD Chief Technology Officer Heidi Shyu and the DOD’s Principal Director for Microelectronics Dr. Devanand Shenoy to join her on the tour of Twin Cities companies, including SkyWater.

During the visit to SkyWater, the discussion focused on the company’s value chain for both Department of Defense and commercial technologies and how it is leveraging public-private partnerships at its semiconductor manufacturing sites. The delegation toured the DOD-funded expansion of SkyWater’s Trusted facility which added clean room area and supporting infrastructure to enable radiation-hardened and complementary technologies. Recently, the DOD determined that SkyWater has successfully completed the base prototype project and awarded the company an additional $99M for productization and qualification of its 90 nm rad-hard process.

In addition, SkyWater presented its Technology as a ServiceSM (TaaS) business model, which enables funded technology development projects in the same facility that it runs manufacturing, allowing for a seamless transfer of developed technology into production and is a unique model in the industry.

“We very much appreciate the interest in SkyWater by Representative McCollum and Under Secretary Shyu and the time they spent with us to learn more about our mission and value drivers for the DOD,” said Thomas Sonderman, SkyWater president and CEO. “We will continue to be a strong partner for the DOD, contributing to the national security of our country. SkyWater has been making significant progress with our RH90 technology roadmap to broaden onshore production capabilities for strategic rad-hard electronics.”

Sonderman continued, “We look forward to supporting efforts that stem from the CHIPS Act by leveraging our commercial, government and academic partners to bolster U.S. manufacturing, develop the nation’s workforce and improve our country’s competitiveness.”

Earlier in the day, McCollum and Shyu participated in a roundtable event at St. Thomas University in St. Paul where more than 85 business, tech, and startup executives discussed the role national security plays in Minnesota’s economy; how the Twin Cities is uniquely suited to leverage its collective commercial and academic talent to contribute to national security priorities.

In her opening remarks at the roundtable event, McCollum stated, “The DOD needs to leverage the entirety of our commercial sector, from startups and small businesses all the way up to the primes, if we are going to stay competitive with our adversaries. But that means engaging with areas of the country that may not be traditional defense industrial states.”

McCollum added, “Congress is going to continue to invest in research and development – the innovations that will strengthen our whole community, including our commercial and our academic sectors. This is a critical time in history, and we are living through events that will fundamentally reshape the world we live in for the rest of our lives. We need everyone – all of our workforce talent – in industry, in academia, and in the public sector, to step up together and meet the challenges we face.”

About SkyWater Technology
SkyWater (NASDAQ: SKYT) is a U.S.-owned semiconductor manufacturer and a DMEA-accredited Trusted supplier. SkyWater’s Technology as a ServiceSM model streamlines the path to production for customers with development services, volume production and heterogeneous integration solutions in its world-class U.S. facilities. This pioneering model enables innovators to co-create the next wave of technology with diverse categories including mixed-signal CMOS, ROICs, rad-hard ICs, power management, MEMS, superconducting ICs, photonics, carbon nanotubes and interposers. SkyWater serves growing markets including aerospace & defense, automotive, biomedical, cloud & computing, consumer, industrial and IoT. For more information, visit: www.skywatertechnology.com.

SkyWater Technology Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements that are based on the Company’s current expectations or forecasts of future events, rather than past events and outcomes, and such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Key factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to be different than expected or anticipated include, but are not limited to, factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and in other documents that the Company files with the SEC, which are available at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

SkyWater Company Contact: Tara Luther | 952.851.5023 | tara.luther@skywatertechnology.com
SkyWater Media Contact: Lauri Julian | 949.280.5602 | lauri.julian@skywatertechnology.com

U.S. Department of Defense Awards SkyWater up to $99M in Additional Funding to Advance Rad-Hard Technology to Productization and Qualification

By Rocket55 |

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – September 27, 2022 – SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ: SKYT), the trusted technology realization partner, today announced the Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded the company up to $99 million as a continuation of the previous initiative to broaden onshore production capabilities for strategic radiation-hardened (rad-hard) electronics. The DOD recently determined that SkyWater has successfully completed the base prototype project for its 90 nm rad-hard process (RH90), part of the previously announced $170 million investment. This additional award enables the move to productization and qualification, which is already underway.

During the RH90 base program phase, SkyWater worked with partners to establish components of the RH90 ecosystem, including an initial PDK, the multi-project wafer (MPW) shuttle program coupled with an Early Access Partner Program, and engaged with IP providers to develop SRAM compilers and embedded FPGA IP needed to make designing into RH90 easier. The next step is qualification – a rigorous effort including radiation and reliability testing. Further development of IP design libraries will enable ecosystem design and manufacturing partners to produce processors, security engines, memory, interface devices application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and other mission-critical strategic products.

According to SkyWater President and CEO Thomas Sonderman, “This is one more milestone in our RH90 technology roadmap and speaks to the viability of our Technology as a Service business model and the open ecosystem we are creating with our unique technology foundry offering. SkyWater’s mix of defense and commercial business provides viability to meet long-term system procurement timeframes.”

SkyWater’s RH90 process is expected to be qualified by the end of 2024 and added to DOD’s Defense Logistics Agency’s (DLA’s) qualified manufacturers’ list, with a classification V designation (QML-V). These listings are necessary to deploy systems and meet the mission profile required for hardness and reliability.

About SkyWater Technology
SkyWater (NASDAQ: SKYT) is a U.S.-owned semiconductor manufacturer and a DMEA-accredited Trusted supplier. SkyWater’s Technology as a ServiceSM model streamlines the path to production for customers with development services, volume production and heterogeneous integration solutions in its world-class U.S. facilities. This pioneering model enables innovators to co-create the next wave of technology with diverse categories including mixed-signal CMOS, ROICs, rad-hard ICs, power management, MEMS, superconducting ICs, photonics, carbon nanotubes and interposers. SkyWater serves growing markets including aerospace & defense, automotive, biomedical, cloud & computing, consumer, industrial and IoT. For more information, visit: www.skywatertechnology.com.

SkyWater Technology Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements that are based on the Company’s current expectations or forecasts of future events, rather than past events and outcomes, and such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Key factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to be different than expected or anticipated include, but are not limited to, factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and in other documents that the Company files with the SEC, which are available at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

SkyWater Company Contact: Tara Luther | 952.851.5023 | tara.luther@skywatertechnology.com
SkyWater Media Contact: Lauri Julian | 949.280.5602 | lauri.julian@skywatertechnology.com

SkyWater Receives Funding from DOD, Partners with Google to Facilitate Open Source Design for its new 90 nm Technology Offering

By Rocket55 |

Open source program enables a pipeline for IP creation, accelerates innovation and provides a pathway to volume production

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – July 28, 2022 – SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ: SKYT), the trusted technology realization partner, today announced it is receiving $15 million in funding from the Department of Defense (DOD) to facilitate open source design for its 90 nm process offering, part of the previously announced $27 million investment. To enable this initiative, SkyWater has partnered with Google, through Google Public Sector and company-wide engineering teams, to build on its commitment to open source silicon. SkyWater previously announced a partnership with Google to enable open source design of custom application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) on its 130 nm mixed-signal CMOS process through the open source SKY130 PDK.

SkyWater’s new commercial SKY90-FD open source offering is based on MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s 90 nm fully depleted silicon on insulator (FDSOI) CMOS process technology. Through this latest government funded program at SkyWater, innovation that is enabled by open source design is focused on commercial use of this technology.

According to Dr. Matthew Kay, DOD program manager for this project, “Investments in commercial endeavors such as the partnership between SkyWater and Google is another example of how the Department of Defense can leverage technology advancements within the open source community to effectively and efficiently improve our defensive posture for the future.”

The DOD is using many OSS (Open Source Software) programs which play a growing role in mission-critical systems and defense applications that must perform repeatedly and reliably. Open source accelerates innovation through cumulative efforts and fosters trust due to its transparency, which enables identification of design flaws and malicious code, something that is not always possible with proprietary software. This use of open source has greatly improved technology and furthered the state of the art in the defense of the United States.

Google has a long-standing history of supporting open source silicon as both a founding member of the RISC-V Foundation and the Linux Foundation’s CHIPS Alliance project, along with an active role in the Open Compute Foundation. The open source model taps into a talent pool of software engineers to design chips in code and run design simulations that test, optimize, and validate specific chip designs. As a result, chip designers are able to iterate and innovate faster, and they have more frequent tape-outs than previously realized through more traditional models. Google became involved in open silicon with the goal of driving down cost over time and reducing barriers to entry for hardware startups and small businesses.

“Through this important investment from the DOD and collaboration with Google, we will enable open source design for our commercial SKY90-FD process technology, creating an IP pipeline and pathway to commercial volume manufacturing,” said SkyWater President and CEO Thomas Sonderman. “This will expand our 90 nm foundry offering as a platform for innovation and productization here in the U.S.”

“Our public-private partnership with the DOD and SkyWater enables a new era in accessible, collaborative chip design that will be driven by an open source ecosystem,” said Will Grannis, CEO of Google Public Sector. “Our collaboration will help address the historical limitations of chip design and production for national defense by improving accessibility for researchers and developers to innovate faster and at lower costs. Google provides the compute, engineering know-how and platform that accelerates chip design; SkyWater provides the next-gen chip design system and fabrication in a secure commercial environment; and the DOD investment makes this all scalable and accessible.”

For technical information on the SkyWater-Google open source initiative, please visit: Google Open Source Blog (googleblog.com).

About SkyWater Technology
SkyWater (NASDAQ: SKYT) is a U.S.-owned semiconductor manufacturer and a DMEA-accredited Trusted supplier. SkyWater’s Technology as a ServiceSM model streamlines the path to production for customers with development services, volume production and heterogeneous integration solutions in its world-class U.S. facilities. This pioneering model enables innovators to co-create the next wave of technology with diverse categories including mixed-signal CMOS, ROICs, rad-hard ICs, power management, MEMS, superconducting ICs, photonics, carbon nanotubes and interposers. SkyWater serves growing markets including aerospace & defense, automotive, biomedical, cloud & computing, consumer, industrial and IoT.  For more information, visit: www.skywatertechnology.com.

SkyWater Technology Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements that are based on the Company’s current expectations or forecasts of future events, rather than past events and outcomes, and such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Key factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to be different than expected or anticipated include, but are not limited to, factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and in other documents that the Company files with the SEC, which are available at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

SkyWater Company Contact: Tara Luther | 952.851.5023 | tara.luther@skywatertechnology.com
SkyWater Media Contact: Lauri Julian | 949.280.5602 | lauri.julian@skywatertechnology.com

SkyWater Announces Availability of SRAM Memory Compiler for 90 nm Strategic Rad Hard by Process Offering

By Rocket55 |

Mobile Semiconductor provides IP for SkyWater’s customers developing strategic space, defense and high reliability programs

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. and SEATTLE, Wash. – June 9, 2022 – SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ: SKYT), the trusted technology realization partner, today announced a new component of its RH90 IP ecosystem to enable 90 nm strategic rad-hard by process solutions for microelectronic devices used in harsh environments. Mobile Semiconductor will provide two static random-access memory (SRAM) compilers for SkyWater customers developing products on its maturing RH90 platform.

This is the latest step in SkyWater’s RH90 technology roadmap. The company has leveraged the $170 million investment by the Department of Defense (DOD) to broaden onshore production capabilities for strategic rad-hard electronics. Through the DOD’s support, SkyWater also provides complementary technologies for commercial applications in extreme environments such as space and medical imaging.

Mobile Semiconductor’s 90 nm strategic rad-hard single port SRAM and dual port SRAM memory compilers are built on a soft error resistant fully depleted silicon on insulator (FDSOI) technology. Strategic rad-hard performance is achieved using dual interlocked storage cell elements (DICE). These compilers incorporate additional innovative rad-hard by design (RHBD) techniques including triple mode redundancy (TMR), DICE latches, and critical charge analysis to reduce single event transients (SET) and single event upset (SEU), as well as bit separation to reduce multi-bit upset (MBU). Optional multi-bit error detection and single-bit error correction is available to reduce soft error rates even further.

SkyWater’s RH90 platform is based on MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s 90 nm FDSOI CMOS process technology with enhancements including dual gate transistors and copper dual damascene interconnect. Early access multi-project wafer (MPW) and dedicated product development engagements are available for customers to develop next generation products.

According to Brad Ferguson, SkyWater’s SVP/GM of aerospace and defense business and chief government affairs officer, “We continue making strides toward maturing and qualifying our Trusted, onshore RH90 foundry technology to support high reliability strategic defense programs. SRAM is a foundational building block for this platform, and our partnership with Mobile Semiconductor has enabled us to offer an SRAM compiler developed specifically to meet our RH90 customers’ performance requirements.”

Mobile Semiconductor’s CEO, Cameron Fisher said, “Mobile Semiconductor has been providing radiation hardened memory compilers to the aerospace industry for over 14 years. We are excited to be working with SkyWater as they set a new standard for hardened microelectronics. I am confident that the performance of these two new rad-hard memory compilers will be of great value to SkyWater’s RH90 customers.”

For more information on SkyWater’s RH90 and Mobile Semiconductor’s SRAM compilers, please visit: Rad-Hard EAP – Skywater Technology.

About Mobile Semiconductor
Mobile Semiconductor, located in Seattle, Washington, is 100 percent U.S.-based and ITAR compliant. The company offers SRAM, ROM and Register File memory compilers optimized for applications requiring small area, ultra-low power, low leakage and/or ultra-high performance. Several of these compilers are RHBD (Rad Hard by Design) and are currently in use in space applications. Mobile Semiconductor’s customers differentiate their products by using these application-optimized memories to meet their high performance and ultra-low power product requirements. For more information, visit: www.mobile-semi.com/.

About SkyWater Technology
SkyWater (NASDAQ: SKYT) is a U.S.-owned semiconductor manufacturer and a DMEA-accredited Category 1A Trusted Foundry. SkyWater’s Technology as a ServiceSM model streamlines the path to production for customers with development services, volume production and heterogeneous integration solutions in its world-class U.S. facilities. This pioneering model enables innovators to co-create the next wave of technology with diverse categories including mixed-signal CMOS, ROICs, rad-hard ICs, power discretes, MEMS, superconducting ICs, photonics, carbon nanotubes and interposers. SkyWater serves growing markets including aerospace & defense, automotive, biomedical, cloud & computing, consumer, industrial and IoT. For more information, visit: www.skywatertechnology.com.

SkyWater Technology Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements that are based on the Company’s current expectations or forecasts of future events, rather than past events and outcomes, and such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Key factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to be different than expected or anticipated include, but are not limited to, factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and in other documents that the Company files with the SEC, which are available at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

Mobile Semiconductor Company Contact: Mike Phipps | michael.phipps@mobile-semi.com
SkyWater Company Contact: Tara Luther | 952.851.5023 | tara.luther@skywatertechnology.com
SkyWater Media Contact: Lauri Julian | 949.280.5602 | lauri.julian@skywatertechnology.com

SkyWater Achieves AS9100, the International Quality Management System for the Aviation, Space and Defense Industries

By Rocket55 |

Achievement for the company’s Minnesota facility benefits customers by streamlining procurement process and manufacturing operations

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – November 4, 2021 – SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ: SKYT), the trusted technology realization partner, today announced its Minnesota facility has completed certification to AS9100, the standardized quality management system for organizations that design, develop or provide aviation, space and defense products and services. The designation is the result of passing stringent audit requirements and evaluations of the facility’s manufacturing processes to achieve this standard of quality. This achievement streamlines customer engagement with SkyWater in a number of technology categories, including readout integrated circuits, radiation hardening and a range of other customized solutions.

“Achieving the AS9100 certification for our Minnesota operation reflects SkyWater’s further commitment to meet the critical requirements of our aerospace and defense customers and next, we intend to pursue this certification for our advanced packaging facility in Florida,” said Thomas Sonderman, SkyWater president and CEO. “We believe advanced packaging is a growing part of the end-to-end semiconductor value chain that both the U.S. government and industry customers want to expand domestically. This certification opens up new missions and market segments for SkyWater to serve – and as a U.S.-based, DOD-Trusted facility, this level of quality management will benefit all of our customers, regardless of market.”

AS9100 is a widely adopted and standardized quality management system for the aerospace industry. It was released in October 1999, by the Society of Automotive Engineers and the European Association of Aerospace Industries. The certification aims to improve product quality and on-time delivery, more efficient labor utilization and increased customer satisfaction in supplier-customer relationships.

About SkyWater Technology

SkyWater (NASDAQ: SKYT) is a U.S.-owned semiconductor manufacturer and a DOD-accredited Trusted supplier. SkyWater’s Technology as a ServiceSMmodel streamlines the path to production for customers with development services, volume production and advanced packaging solutions in its world-class U.S. facilities. This pioneering model enables innovators to co-create the next wave of technology with diverse categories including mixed-signal CMOS, read-out ICs, rad-hard, power discretes, MEMS, superconducting ICs, photonics, carbon nanotubes and interposers. SkyWater serves growing markets including aerospace & defense, automotive, biomedical, cloud & computing, consumer, industrial and IoT. For more information, visit: www.skywatertechnology.com.

SkyWater Technology Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements that are based on the Company’s current expectations or forecasts of future events, rather than past events and outcomes, and such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Key factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to be different than expected or anticipated include, but are not limited to factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the prospectus the Company filed with the SEC on April 22, 2021, its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 4, 2021 and in other documents that the Company files with the SEC, which are available at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

SkyWater Company Contact: Tara Luther | tara.luther@skywatertechnology.com
SkyWater Media Contact: Lauri Julian | media@skywatertechnology.com

SkyWater is Now Accepting Design Submissions for its 90 nm ROIC Multi-Project Wafer Program

By Rocket55 |

New S90ROIC flow includes low noise performance transistors and features that enable infrared imaging and other sensor array applications

BLOOMINGTON, Minn., – September 3, 2021 – SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ: SKYT), the trusted technology realization partner, today announced it is accepting design submissions for its 90 nm readout integrated circuit (S90ROIC) multi-project wafer (MPW) program, which enables quick and low-cost prototyping and design enablement, including support for ITAR designs. The program is targeted for specialized aerospace and defense applications, LIDAR and LADAR (Light or Laser Detection and Ranging) and other applications ranging from automotive sensing, microbolometers and medical x-ray to augmented reality, industrial machine vision and security, among others. Design submissions for SkyWater’s initial enhanced S90ROIC MPW shuttle are now being accepted with a GDS-II cutoff date in November 2021.

SkyWater’s updated S90ROIC platform provides low noise performance buried channel transistors as well as native transistors, seven layers of metal interconnect, MIM capacitors (oxynitride and high-k), and both room temperature and cryogenic models (77-150K), which are necessary for use in space, aviation, and other high-performance applications. For production designs or dedicated tape-outs, the process also supports stitching for large-format imagers, topside planarized contacts, through-silicon vias for in-pixel backside contact and radiation-tolerant options. Volume ROIC manufacturing is available at SkyWater’s ISO 9001, ITAR-compliant and DMEA-accredited Trusted U.S. production facility.

“We are pleased to offer our S90ROIC MPW program to provide secure design support for customers to achieve prototyping, device characterization, and IP validation quickly,” said John Kent, EVP, technology development and design enablement at SkyWater. “Our MPW program addresses our growing aerospace and defense customer demand and provides a secure avenue for creating critical applications for national defense. The program also offers commercial customers the reliability, IP security and high-quality manufacturing that we provide in our U.S.-owned and operated facility.”

For more information on how to submit a design or if you have questions regarding SkyWater’s ROIC MPW program, please visit: https://www.skywatertechnology.com/mpw/.

About SkyWater Technology

SkyWater (NASDAQ: SKYT) is a U.S.-owned semiconductor manufacturer and a DOD-accredited Trusted supplier. SkyWater’s Technology as a ServiceSM model streamlines the path to production for customers with development services, volume production and advanced packaging solutions in its world-class U.S. facilities. This pioneering model enables innovators to co-create the next wave of technology with diverse categories including mixed-signal CMOS, read-out ICs, rad-hard, power discretes, MEMS, superconducting ICs, photonics, carbon nanotubes and interposers.  SkyWater serves growing markets including aerospace & defense, automotive, biomedical, cloud & computing, consumer, industrial and IoT. For more information, visit: www.skywatertechnology.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements that are based on the Company’s current expectations or forecasts of future events, rather than past events and outcomes, and such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Key factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to be different than expected or anticipated include, but are not limited to factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the prospectus the Company filed with the SEC on April 22, 2021, its quarterly report on Form 10 Q for the quarter ended July 4, 2021 and in other documents that the Company files with the SEC, which are available at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

SkyWater Company Contact: Tara Luther | tara.luther@skywatertechnology.com
SkyWater Media Contact: Lauri Julian | media@skywatertechnology.com

CAES and SkyWater to Expand US Strategic Radiation Hardened Semiconductor Platform

By Rocket55 |
  • CAES provides expertise in 90 nm RadHard design and technology qualification
  • Engagement advances an on-shore, Trusted ecosystem for the microelectronics industry

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. and BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – June 14, 2021 – CAES, a pioneer in advanced electronics design and manufacturing of secure and trusted solutions for aerospace and defense, announced today an agreement with SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ: SKYT) to advance the design and manufacturing of SkyWater’s strategic radiation hardened integrated circuits and systems-in-package. The evolution of this strategic RadHard microelectronic design and manufacturing ecosystem will strengthen SkyWater’s DOD-accredited Trusted, on-shore semiconductor supply chain.

CAES leverages its expertise in the design, testing, qualification and manufacturing of RadHard high reliability ICs and SiPs to enable ecosystem partners to collaborate on furthering U.S. national security missions.

Thomas Sonderman, president and CEO of SkyWater said, “CAES’ 90 nm process qualification expertise for the U.S. government is unique in the industry and will be a key milestone for the modernization of U.S. strategic systems while increasing performance and lowering risk. By partnering with CAES, we expect to accelerate our on-shore, Trusted ecosystem for strategic defense missions that require extremely specialized, radiation-immune microelectronic process technologies.”

“CAES is excited to partner with SkyWater and provide our expertise in trusted radiation hardened design and qualification to help strengthen the strategic, Trusted supply chain with products designed and manufactured here in America,” said Mike Kahn, president and CEO of CAES. “We look forward to playing our part in close collaboration with SkyWater to meet the most demanding national security missions.”

Qualification and productization of SkyWater’s 90 nm RadHard process technology (RH90) and the development of intellectual property design libraries enable CAES and ecosystem design and manufacturing partners to produce processors, security engines, memory, interface devices application-specific integrated circuits and other mission critical strategic products.

About CAES

CAES is a pioneer of advanced electronics for the most technologically challenging military and aerospace trusted systems. As the largest provider of mixed-signal and radiation-hardened technology to the aerospace and defense industry, CAES delivers high-reliability RF, microwave and millimeter wave, microelectronic and digital solutions that enable our customers to ensure a safer, more secure planet. On land, at sea, in the air, in space and in cyberspace, CAES’ extensive electronics and enhanced manufacturing capabilities are at the forefront of mission-critical military and aerospace innovation. www.caes.com

About SkyWater

SkyWater is a U.S.-owned and U.S.-based pure play semiconductor foundry and is a DMEA-accredited Trusted supplier, specializing in custom technology development services, volume manufacturing and advanced packaging capabilities. Through its Technology Foundry model, SkyWater’s world-class operations in Bloomington, Minnesota and Kissimmee, Florida provide unique processing capabilities to enable quality production and advanced packaging for mixed-signal CMOS, power, rad-hard and ROIC solutions. SkyWater’s Advanced Technology Services empower development of superconducting and 3D ICs, along with carbon nanotube, photonic and MEMS devices. The company serves customers in growing markets such as aerospace & defense, automotive, biomedical, cloud & computing, consumer, industrial and IoT. Please visit www.skywatertechnology.com/ for more information.

CAES Company/Media Contact: Colleen Cronin | colleen.cronin@caes.com
SkyWater Company Contact: Tara Luther | tara.luther@skywatertechnology.com
SkyWater Media Contact: Lauri Julian | media@skywatertechnology.com