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Completed TRL 3 (started at 2, targeting 3)
This assessment will identify analog semiconductor technologies capable of operation in extreme cold lunar night and polar environments (50K to 100K). Silicon based devices can be unstable at low temperatures. We will assess the SOA alternate semiconductor materials that are more suited to cold operation. We will also assess modeling and simulation tools with emphasis on accurate simulations. We will compile this information to form set of draft guidelines for the selection, design and testing of analog technology for extreme cold lunar environments. An analog circuit will be designed and used to validate the guidelines
The assessment will provide semiconductor characteristics for analog devices in extreme cold and modeling, simulation, and test guidelines. The assessment and guidelines are intended to aid developers build electronics that are stable and reliable in the extreme cold of the lunar night and lunar polar environments. This technology enables lunar robots to passively survive the night and reactivate at lunar dawn when temperatures are at their coldest. This provides a low cost low risk means of enabling robotic units to survive and operate over many lunar cycles.
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