Non-Volatile Memory for Extreme Environments

This DARPA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) solicitation seeks Direct to Phase II (DP2) proposals to develop and demonstrate a co-packaged, temperature-hardened (-250°C to +600°C) and radiation-tolerant NOR Flash non-volatile memory (NVM) system. Current commercial NVM technologies, such as MRAM and RRAM, are limited by temperature constraints and radiation-induced instability, creating a "Memory Wall" that bottlenecks high-performance computing in extreme environments. To bridge this technological gap, this program bypasses Phase I. Proposers must submit prior hardware and simulation data proving the feasibility of their proposed extreme-environment memory system. Phase II tasks focus on fabricating, packaging, and testing a 32Mb memory prototype. Over a 24-month period, performers must deliver ten packaged prototype units with interface boards, meeting strict performance metrics: an operating frequency greater than 1 MHz, bare die density exceeding 10^6 bits/mm², 10^6 read/write cycles, 2 Mrad Total Ionizing Dose (TID), and a dose rate survivability of 5x10^11 rad/s. Due to the dual-use nature of Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) technologies, proposers must address potential export controls (ITAR/EAR) and security classification impacts. Ultimately, Phase III aims to transition this resilient memory technology into military and commercial markets, supporting advancements in space exploration, nuclear energy, and strategic defense.