Modern life depends heavily on electronics that can survive in extreme environments.
Satellites that provide TV broadcasts, GPS signals, phone services and internet must operate reliably for many years in space, where they are constantly bombarded by cosmic radiation.
Even here on Earth, medical devices like CT scanners expose electronics to high-energy X-rays that can weaken components over time.
Radiation can create memory errors, cause temporary malfunctions, or slowly damage circuits, making long-lasting and dependable electronics essential.
However, building radiation-resistant chips is a major challenge, especially for smaller companies and research groups.
Designing electronics that can survive a decade or more in harsh conditions requires detailed knowledge about how semiconductor components behave under radiation.
Many small organizations simply do not have access to this information, which is often proprietary or expensive. As a result, they are sometimes unable to use the latest technology or build highly robust systems.
Researchers at Fraunhofer IIS and partner institutions are working to change that through a project called FlowSpace.
Their goal is to create an open-source tool that gives chip designers the information they need to build long-lasting and radiation-hard electronics. Roland Jancke, Head of Design Methodology at Fraunhofer IIS, says the aim is to make circuit design more accessible and reliable by sharing key data openly.
A key part of the solution is an open process design kit, or PDK. A PDK acts as a bridge between the engineers who develop semiconductor components and the designers who create circuits using those components.
With an open PDK, designers can access detailed, freely available information about how each part behaves, including how it ages or reacts to radiation. This transparency allows them to plan ahead and design circuits that stay functional for many years, even in high-radiation environments.
Jancke’s team at Fraunhofer IIS is working to simulate how different semiconductor components respond to years of radiation exposure. In the lab, they use mathematical models and experimental data to predict how a component will age over a period of ten years.
This helps designers understand whether a specific part will still operate correctly after long-term exposure in space or inside radiation-heavy medical equipment.
Today, many radiation-tolerant circuits are built with redundancy—multiple backup components that take over if one fails.
While effective, this method takes up valuable space on a chip. As semiconductor technology advances, components are becoming smaller and more sensitive, and there is less room for bulky safety features. The new FlowSpace tool can help developers design more efficient chips, reducing the need for redundant elements while maintaining safety and reliability.
Smaller chips are especially beneficial for satellites and space probes, where every gram of weight matters. More compact, energy-efficient radiation-resistant electronics could make space missions lighter, cheaper, and more capable.
By opening up access to critical data, the FlowSpace project could help universities, small companies, and researchers worldwide develop durable electronics for the next generation of space and medical technologies.
