BAE Systems Advances to Phase Two of DARPA THREADS Program

BAE Systems has advanced to the second phase of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Technologies for Heat Removal in Electronics at the Device Scale program, which seeks to resolve thermal limitations in advanced radio frequency electronics. This continued research focuses on improving heat dissipation within gallium nitride devices, a critical technical requirement for extending the power and range of military radar, electronic warfare, and communications networks.

Mechanisms for Device-Scale Heat Removal
The operational capacity of radio frequency electronics is frequently constrained by temperature limits at the transistor scale, particularly within high-power-amplifying functions. Conventional gallium nitride transistors generate substantial thermal energy during operation, which degrades both immediate performance and long-term component lifecycle. By introducing material architectures and manufacturing processes designed to diffuse this heat efficiently, the thermal management approaches developed under the Technologies for Heat Removal in Electronics at the Device Scale (THREADS) program aim to bypass these intrinsic thermal bottlenecks. Overcoming these barriers enables radio frequency systems to operate closer to their theoretical electronic capacities rather than being throttled by thermal degradation.

Enhancing Military Radar and Communications Range
Effective thermal management directly impacts the physical capabilities of deployed military systems. The material and process enhancements validated during the initial phase of the program are projected to nearly triple the effective range of radio frequency platforms. In practical application, this extended range increases the engagement and sensing distances for military personnel, allowing electronic warfare and radar systems to detect and interact with targets from safer standoff distances. "The progress we’ve made during Phase 1 validates our approach to material and process enhancements and brings us closer to unlocking the full potential of RF-based systems for our warfighters," stated Isaac Wildeson, principal investigator at the BAE Systems FAST Labs research, development, and production organization.

Collaborative Development and Integrated Circuit Manufacturing
Research and manufacturing for the device-scale heat removal initiative are conducted at the BAE Systems Microelectronics Center in Nashua, New Hampshire. This facility operates as an accredited Department of Defense Category 1A Trusted Supplier, providing established manufacturing infrastructure for advanced gallium nitride and gallium arsenide integrated circuits. To accelerate the research and integration of these thermal management materials, the company is collaborating with academic and industry partners, including Modern Microsystems, Penn State University, Stanford University, the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Texas at Dallas.

Additional Context:
This section details technical specifications and competitive benchmarking not included in the original product announcement

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency established the THREADS program to achieve specific, quantifiable improvements in thermal dissipation for monolithic microwave integrated circuits. The overarching technical benchmark for the program is to achieve an eightfold reduction in thermal resistance while demonstrating a power density of 81 watts per millimeter for X-band transistors. During the completed first phase of the program, participants demonstrated approximately a fivefold increase in radio frequency power density compared with existing state-of-the-art devices. BAE Systems operates in this space alongside competitors such as Raytheon, which was awarded a parallel $15 million contract under the same program to develop high-power-density gallium nitride sensors. Both contractors are tasked with reducing thermal boundary resistance at the near-junction region where Joule heating is concentrated, utilizing advanced substrate materials and interface engineering to sustain heavy-duty performance without increasing the physical footprint of the electronic components.

Edited by Natania Lyngdoh, Induportals editor, assisted by AI.

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