German chip maker Infineon is introducing radiation-tolerant memory products for use on low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, part of the rapidly growing so-called new-space market.

Nearly 10,000 LEO satellites circle the planet, delivering internet access, earth observation, communications, weather information and more data back to earth. Compared with traditional geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) systems, LEO satellites are launched in larger numbers to achieve sufficient coverage and operate in a less severe radiation environment. As such LEO satellites require different electrical components than their traditional GEO counterparts.

New-space refers to the commercialisation of space exploration by private companies and start-ups, often with less governmental oversight than traditional space programmes. Driven by the rising demand for global connectivity (direct-to-cell), new-space initiatives aim to combine LEO satellite constellations with the IoT to create a more connected and efficient world. These missions typically rely on smaller satellites, ranging from nano-sats to 250kg sats, and are shorter in mission duration and less expensive, enabling the deployment of large-scale LEO constellations.

With lower launch costs and reduced radiation exposure in LEO, many new-space applications can benefit from commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components that deliver robust performance without requiring traditional military or aerospace qualifications.

Infineon’s new-space memory portfolio includes three product families: low-power, radiation-tolerant FRAMs; QSPI NOR flash memories with 256 and 512Mbit densities; and 256 and 512Mbit pseudo-static RAM (pSRAM). These devices combine performance and reliability while supporting reduced size, weight, power and cost benefits. The FRAMs operate across a military temperature range of -55 to +125˚C, while the NOR flash and pSRAM devices support a range of -40 to +125˚C.

Radiation tolerance demonstrates a total ionising dose (TID) rating of 50krad (Si) for the FRAMs, 30krad (Si) for the NOR flash and 100krad (Si) for the pSRAM. Additional benefits include single lot date code and 100 per cent electrical testing to ensure reliable mission operation. With these characteristics, the memory products are suitable for short-duration, high-redundancy and large-scale LEO constellations.

Infineon’s pSRAM are the first of their kind for new space, offering a unique memory type, whose memory array is structured like DRAM internally but presents itself like SRAM externally. The pSRAMs are a low-power, high-performance and low pin-count option for high-throughput data buffering applications.

In addition to the new-space memories, Infineon’s IR HiRel group offers a broad portfolio of radiation-tolerant power devices for the commercial space market. Combining decades of experience in aerospace and automotive, the portfolio features reliable, cost-effective power mosfets for two-to-five-year LEO missions.

Available in 60 and 150V n- and p-channel variants, these devices are qualified to AEC-Q101 and come in a rugged plastic package, with options for surface-mount and through-hole mounting. The devices are rated for a TID of 30krad (Si), supporting radiation requirements of modern LEO missions.

The new-space memory and power products are available through distribution partners Arrow and Avnet. Further information is available at www.infineon.com/hirelmemory.

Infineon (www.infineon.com) has around 58,060 employees worldwide and generated revenue of about €15bn in 2024.

• Swiss company ST Microelectronics is also targeting the new-space market with the Leopol 1, a point-of-load step-down converter for LEO deployments in North America, Asia and Europe. The device is radiation hardened by design to withstand the hazards encountered in LEO altitudes, leveraging STM’s space-proven BCD6-SoI (silicon-on-insulator) technology. Hardness parameters include 50krad (Si) TID and 3.10¹¹ proton/cm² total non-ionising dose (TNID). Single-event effects (SEE) performance is characterised up to 62MeV.cm²/mg.

For more information on STM’s LEO rad-hard ICs, visit www.st.com/leo.