NASA researchers have announced a new type of integrated circuit chip built on Silicon Carbide (SiC) technology capable of operating in environments of up to 600° C (1,112° F). In testing, an SiC processor was capable of running at 500° C for up to 1,700 hours without failing. NASA is calling this a major breakthrough, and a full hundredfold increase over current processors.
The benefits to such processor technology are potentially tremendous. Processors built on SiC technology could be deployed in a number of environments where current processors struggle to perform adequately, including industrial machinery, spacecraft, and jets. As noted by Network World, NASA expects the SiC chips to bring about an increase in power density, a reduction in heatsink requirements (and therefore weight), as well as allowing for higher frequency operation than current standard processors can handle.
In terms of direct benefit to the space industry, SiC processors should be capable of handling higher amounts of radiation as well as higher temperatures, and can be more easily integrated into future technology developments. SiC processors might one day be capable of driving exploration in a hostile environment such as Venus—an area where no modern processor could survive.