Radiation Resistance Enhanced Class AB Amplifiers for Space Coronagraphic Instruments

Space electronics must feature a certain radiation tolerance to meet a missions life span. In addition, the size, weight, and power (SWaP) are usually constrained. Modern HV electronics are usually built with integrated circuits (ICs) that contain high-voltage (HV) MOS transistors whose threshold voltages will shift negatively if exposed to ionizing radiation, resulting in malfunction of the electronics. This project aims at developing radiation-resistant device-matched class AB HV amplifier-array ICs. Class AB operation will ensure low-static dissipation and high driving efficiency, which will make it feasible to integrate over 100 HV amplifiers in a single chip. Device-matched amplifier configuration is a newly developed design that its operation is insensitive to the threshold-voltage shifts, thus such amplifier-array ICs are expected to be radiation-resistant, and these ICs are needed to build a miniaturized deformable mirror (DM) driver for a space coronagraphic instrument (CGI). Two radiation-resistant HV amplifier-array ICs will be prototyped by this Phase II effort, each contains 128 HV amplifiers, one for driving MEMS actuators, and the other one for driving stacked PMN actuators. Various internal coronagraphic instruments (CGIs) have been developed for directly imaging exoplanets. High-actuator count deformable mirror (DM) is an essential component for a space CGI to achieve high-contrast detection of Earth-like exoplanets, which posts a technical challenge to DM driving electronics due to thousands of high-voltages (HVs) are required to energize thousands of actuators. Besides, electronics in space must be radiation tolerant suitable for a mission life span, and the size, weight, and power (SWaP) are often constrained. HV electronics are usually built with integrated circuits (ICs) that contain HV MOS transistors whose threshold voltages will shift negatively if exposed to ionizing radiation, resulting in malfunction of the electronics. Based on a newly configured device-matched class AB HV amplifier that is insensitive to the threshold-voltage shifts, what proposed is a radiation tolerance enhanced HV amplifier-array IC, featuring low-static dissipation and class AB driving efficiency, which will make a low-SWaP DM driver feasible for space applications. This project aims to develop two radiation-tolerant class AB HV amplifier array ICs for driving MEMS and PMN DMs for NASA’s future exoplanet exploration missions. Each IC will contain 128 amplifiers, featuring low static dissipation, class AB driving efficiency, bipolar output option, and enhanced radiation-resistance, which will make it feasible to build radiation-resistant low-SWaP  DM drivers for space applications. Therefore, in Phase II, there are two main technical objectives: Prototyping a radiation-resistant IC that contains 128 class AB HV amplifiers (200V) for driving MEMS actuators (<100pF). Prototyping another radiation-resistant IC that contains 128 class AB HV amplifiers (100V) for driving stacked PMN actuators (<100nF). By the end of Phase II, the promised deliverables will be: One evaluation PCB mounted with fabricated IC containing 128 HV amplifiers for driving MEMS actuators. Another evaluation PCB mounted with fabricated IC containing 128 HV amplifiers for driving stacked PMN actuators.

The to be developed two radiation-resistant class AB HV amplifier-array ICs can be used to build miniaturized DM drivers for space-based coronagraphic instruments which will be included in NASA’s space missions such as Roman Space Telescope, HabEx and LUVOIR. The to be developed HV amplifier array IC will be a potential candidate to be selected for building a DM driver in an adaptive optics system where the size, weight, power, and radiation tolerance are a concern. Such systems include but are not limited to space-based optical communication.

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