Supremacy in electron devices is crucial to supremacy on the digitized battlefield. A superior, versatile, innovative program in electron device S&T is essential to the broad Army vision of (1) decisive force multiplication with a minimum number of platforms and personnel, (2) avoidance of potentially disastrous technological surprise on the battlefield, and (3) complete situational awareness on the battlefield. Power on the battlefield is a cornerstone to battlefield effectiveness. The technology supports the Army’s five modernization objectives, STOs, and ATDs. Requirements of Army systems such as EW, radar, and C⁴I translate into component requirements, which may include performance, weight, size, radiation hardness, interoperability, cooling, power consumption, maintainability, and survivability. This technology area represents over 40 percent of the procurement cost of many military systems. Military purchases of semiconductor electronics have increased annually. Semiconductor electronics were one of very few areas to experience significant growth. Fielding of weapons systems that meet present requirements, that can be upgraded to meet future requirements, and that have affordable life–cycle costs will demand exploitation of commercial electronics whenever possible, plus development of the special technologies here for Army systems that need unique capabilities.

The objective of the EO subarea is to develop critical EO components such as lasers, focal plane arrays (FPAs), amplifiers, detectors, photonic devices, fiber optics, and low power displays for application in Army tactical and strategic systems.

Near–term goals include support of development of high–resolution, full–color displays for land warrior head–mounted vision systems, realization of multispectral FPAs with adjacent LADAR, fiber–optic distributed sensors, and on–chip, optical interconnects.

Mid–term goals include development of smart multicolor staring FPAs for robust seekers and acquisition sights, integrated optoelectronic staring laser radar (LADAR), nonlinear optical devices for sensor protection and improved phosphors and materials for miniature flat panel displays.

Long–term goals include development of integrated multidomain (LADAR and multispectral FPA) smart sensor elements, miniature hybrid optical image processors, real–time smart vision systems, portable high–power tunable laser sources, and new display technologies. DARPA is currently supporting the Army’s interest in uncooled FPA technology, miniaturized, high–resolution flat–panel displays and optical interconnects. (This support is noted by the symbol [*D] in Table IV–20.)

Technical challenges include the development of more reliable, higher efficiency, higher frequency, longer wavelength solid–state lasers; optical signal processors; cost–effective modules for information systems and IRFPAs; receive–architecture for optically fed phased–array radar; new low–power flat–panel display.

Specific technical challenges include:

Near–term goals are to insert affordable monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC) into low–cost expendable decoys, low–cost moving target indicator (MTI) radar, and smart munition seekers; to develop mature and affordable MMW integrated circuit (IC) technology for next–generation, target acquisition systems and MMW satellite communications.

Mid–term goals are to continue cost reduction and increase the density and functional capabilities of MMIC assemblies and packages, extend microwave power module (MPM) technology to the MMW frequency regime, and provide common, secure, jamproof, affordable wireless communications, and battlefield IFF.

Long–term goals are to achieve unprecedented levels of integration of diverse RF sensors into common apertures to reduce system size and weight by an order of magnitude while meeting military cost, performance, reliability, and radiation hardness requirements. In brief, the overall goal is to own the battlefield electromagnetic spectrum.

Among the technical challenges in millimeter–wave components are the achievement of high power, high efficiency, large dynamic range, wide bandwidth, flexible manufacturing modeling and simulation, to enable first–pass success of components, modules, and arrays, and process integration necessary for high–yield, low–cost multifunctional solid–state devices and vacuum tubes. All these attributes must be provided at an affordable cost.

Near–term goals include development of scalable manufacturing processes and cluster and lithography tools for flexible fabrication of integrated compound semiconductor devices, advanced process synthesis technology, novel devices for very high throughput digital signal processors, integration of electronic combat and combat–support functions, wide–bandgap semiconductor devices for high–temperature electronics, pulse power electronics, nonvolatile memories, and microscale electromechanical components.

Mid–term goals include development of lithography and fabrication capabilities for low–volume, affordable integrated microwave, digital, and optical processors.

Long–term goals include flexible and affordable fabrication capabilities for concept demonstrations of fully integrated, nanometer feature size, ultra–dense circuits for revolutionary warfighting sensor and information systems capabilities.

Among the technical challenges are creating new wide–bandgap semiconductor devices for high–temperature electronics and for low–leakage, high–breakdown, highly linear power devices; high–quality, radiation–hardened devices of diverse technologies; mixed–signal operation of nanoelectronics with on–chip millimeter–wave and EO components; very low power circuits, and affordable custom nanoscale semiconductor processing for unique military applications–specific circuits. An overall major challenge is the development of high–performance, low–power electronic systems for a substantial reduction in battery requirements and associated weight and size penalties.

The objectives of this program are to lighten the soldier’s burden, provide critical steady– and pulse–power components, and reduce logistical and disposal costs. This can be done by applying chemistry, energy conversion, electronics, and signature suppression to improve existing power systems and to enable the development of newer, more advanced batteries, fuel cells, capacitors, and electromechanical (including engines and permanent magnet alternators) components and systems.

The general goal is to develop small, lightweight, low–cost, environmentally compatible power sources with high power and energy densities for communications, target acquisition, combat service support applications, miniaturized displays, and microclimate cooling for the Future Soldier System.

Specific near–term goals are:

Specific mid–term goals are:

Specific long–term goals are:

Nonflammable, high–conductivity electrolytes, more energetic cathode materials, and lower–cost manufacturing methods for Li batteries, compact hydrogen generators, improved fabrication methods for metal hydride cells, higher voltage and more capacitive electrode materials for electrochemical capacitors, improved polymer exchange membranes and electrocatalysts for fuel cells, spectrally matched emitters and photocells for TPV systems, and higher efficiency combustion of and greater reliability/life for man–portable/man–handleable engine driven generator sets.

The roadmap of technology objectives for Electron Devices is shown in Table IV–20. (The symbol [*D] denotes DARPA supported programs.)

The influence of this technology area on TRADOC FOCs is summarized in Table IV–21.