High-temperature subsystems and components for long-duration (months) surface operations: Robust electronic circuits based on layered materials

Objectives: The objective is to develop a new material platform for miniaturized, lightweight and low-cost transducers operating in harsh environment, which can be used for probing the surface and interior structures of Venus. The harsh environment on Venus surface limits the lifetime and capability of the electronic instruments on landers. Wide bandgap semiconductor materials, especially Silicon Carbide (SiC), have been successfully developed for integrated electronic circuits in the high temperature environment above 470 degree centigrade. Sensors with ceramic, laminate and nanostructured materials have been developed for measuring temperature, heat flus or mechanical strain in a high temperature and corrosive environment. However, those sensing devices based on existing material libraries are hard to etch/process/integrate, which could limit their implementation in a robust instrument. Recently, 2D layered materials have emerged as new platform for multi-functional sensing devices. Giving the chemical stability and temperature endurance of a few 2D materials, they can certainly expand their versatile capabilities for high temperature operation. Hybrid integration of those layered materials on the developed SiC electronic platform at NASA can dramatically expand the capability of Venus landers towards months-long operation in the extreme environment. Graphene is densely packed single carbon atom layer in a honeycomb lattice, which can effectively prevent even the smallest molecular of proton to penetrate through. Its high temperature endurance (up to 1000 degree centigrade), flexibility and chemical stability enables robust and high-performance electronic devices on arbitrary substrates. Also, combinations of two dimensional (2D) materials’ properties have enabled new transducing mechanism, such as acoustic wave sensor, photodetector, bolometer, pressure sensor etc., potentially suitable for high temperature applications. Methods/techniques: Recently, we had experimentally verified dramatically improved thermal stability of semiconductor 2D materials with graphene’s protection, characterized through a combination of non-invasive optical spectroscopy and atomic structural imaging. We plan to extend current experimental plans to other stacked 2D materials, fabricate transistors and transducers, and characterize those electronic devices through in situ measurement at high temperature. Understanding towards the carrier mobility, material degradation/oxidation, metal migration into the semiconductor 2D materials will be developed through in-situ measurements. Significance and NASA relevance: The proposed efforts on studying sensing devices based on robust materials align with NAS Glenn Research Center (GRC) Smart Sensors and Electronics Systems Branch’s work on SiC semiconductor integrated electronics. The new sensor devices developed through the proposed effort can integrated on those robust electronic processors and thus dramatically expand the capabilities of miniaturized and low cost instruments operating on Venus surface. This proposed work closely aligns with NASA’s Venus Technology Plan ‘Development of high-temperature electronics, sensors and the thermo-electric power sources designed for operating in the Venus ambient would be enabling for future missions..’, and several objectives in NASA’s 2018 Strategic Plan, such as GRC’s strategic goal ‘… and use expert knowledge in materials to develop and test electronics for extreme environments such as surface conditions on Venus’.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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