Angeline Leishman
CAES and semiconductor foundry services provider SkyWater have partnered with the goal to transform the design and manufacturing process for radiation-hardened microelectronic components for defense applications.
The two companies aim to expand SkyWater’s onshore supply chain network for integrated circuits and encourage industry partnerships in support of national security missions, according to a joint statement released Monday.
Mike Kahn, president and CEO of CAES and a 2021 Wash100 Award recipient, said the company intended to apply its rad-hard design and qualification experience “to help strengthen the strategic, Trusted supply chain with products designed and manufactured here in America.”
SkyWater, which operates a Department of Defense-accredited microelectronics wafer fabrication facility, seeks to qualify and productize its 90-nanometer process for radiation tolerant chips.
The Bloomington, Minnesota-based microlectronics company secured $80 million in initial funding in 2019 as part of a potential $170 million DOD investment to expand its rad-hard semiconductor production capacity.
