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Monolithic Silicon Carbide Power Amplifier for Munition Links

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Air Force
Contract: FA8651-04-C-0241
Agency Tracking Number: F041-169-1889
Amount: $98,921.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: AF04-169
Solicitation Number: 2004.1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2004
Award Year: 2004
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2004-04-20
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2004-10-20
Small Business Information
6920 Bowman Lane NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
United States
DUNS: 028456932
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Robert Sternowski
 Principal Investigator
 (319) 431-0314
 bobs@softronicsltd.com
Business Contact
 Robert Sternowski
Title: President
Phone: (319) 431-0314
Email: bobs@softronicsltd.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Future "intelligent" loitering weapons require a communications link with an efficient, flexible, high power radio power amplifier matched to the weapon's demanding size, weight, and power efficiency requirements. The short operating life, low cost, linear amplification, and wide range of frequency and modulations together comprise a challenging specification for such an amplifier. However, attaining these capabilities will result in proliferation of communications-equipped loitering weapons, which will result in a very significant increase in lethality and military effectiveness by virtue of increasing the weapon's situational awareness and precision. Softronics offers a novel approach based on Silicon Carbide (SiC) technology, and specifically a monolithic, direct-coupled power amplifier spanning 0-4 GHz. The superior thermal characteristics of SiC, combined with its 10 GHz cutoff frequency, radiation hardness, and very small die sizes, allow a small MMIC to be economically built using existing 2 inch wafer processing facilities. Softronics will generate and simulate a candidate design, in preparation for a proof-of-concept fabrication run in Phase II.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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