The Full Service Foundry division of ams AG (SIX:AMS), a leading
provider of high performance analog ICs and sensors, Fraunhofer
Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS and the Space Research Institute
(Institut für Weltraumforschung, IWF) of the Austrian Academy of
Sciences (Österreichische Akademie der Wissenshaften, OeAW) today
presented the very promising results of its highly accurate measurements
of the Earth’s magnetosphere from space.
As part of NASA’s „Magnetospheric Multiscale“ mission launched in March
2015, four identically equipped satellites are performing highly
accurate three-dimensional measurements of the Earth’s magnetosphere.
The ambitious goal of this mission is to explore the dynamics of the
magnetosphere, measuring with extreme accuracy very small variations in
the Earth’s magnetic field. The research effort spearheaded by the Space
Research Institute (based in Graz, Austria) is focused on the so-called
magnetic reconnection, which is a physical process in which the Earth’s
magnetic energy is converted to kinetic energy, thermal energy, and
particle acceleration. Magnetic reconnection is one of the mechanisms
responsible for the aurora, as well as for temporary disturbances in the
Earth's magnetosphere.
Like all measurement instruments and equipment in satellites, the Space
Research Institute’s magnetometer has to be as small and light as
possible, while consuming very little power. In addition, it must offer
very high accuracy under harsh conditions such as very low temperatures
and radiation.
Developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in
co-operation with the Space Research Institute, a tiny custom
application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) enables the satellites’
digital flux-gate magnetometer (DFG) to acquire highly accurate
three-dimensional measurements of the magnetosphere while drawing
ultra-low current. The DFG sensor was supplied by the University of
California, Los Angeles. Operating at a resolution of 10 picoTesla,
which is several thousand times more sensitive than a conventional
electronic compass, the device is able to sense the smallest variations
in magnetic flux.
The Fraunhofer ASIC was fabricated by ams on its specialty 0.35µm CMOS
(C35) process techno-logy, which allows for the design of complex
analog/mixed-signal integrated circuits. Based on a unique process
architecture, the rad-hard C35 technology is very well suited for use in
space and
aerospace applications. The Fraunhofer and Space Research Institute
design team also benefited from ams’ turnkey solutions for IC design,
which include a comprehensive Process Development Kit (PDK) and IP block
portfolio, advanced process technologies as well as product
qualification services and supply chain management capabilities. These
enable ams’ foundry customers to significantly mitigate their
development risks and to reduce the duration of the development cycle.
“The ams specialty 0.35µm CMOS process enabled the team of researchers
and scientists at Fraunhofer IIS to develop a complex
analog/mixed-signal integrated circuit that impressively outperformed
our expectations in all respects – performance, power consumption, die
area and reliability”, said
Johann Hauer, project manager for ASIC Development at Fraunhofer IIS.
“After two months in space, we are very proud to confirm that the
chip-based magnetometer significantly surpasses the requirements of
accuracy and stability”, commented Werner Magnes, deputy
director at the Graz Space Research Institute.
„During almost 25 years of co-operation with Fraunhofer IIS, ams has
successfully developed a vast number of complex integrated circuits for
both research as well as industrial programs. We are happy that
integrated circuits manufactured by ams now operate reliably in outer
space and contribute to a better understanding of the Earth’s physics”
stated Markus Wuchse, general manager of ams’ Full Service Foundry
division.
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