Important: SYNAPLEX is a Substrate Material
SYNAPLEX is NOT a neuromorphic chip or computing device. It is a radiation-hardened polymer substrate material providing the physical platform upon which neuromorphic circuits are fabricated. This TDS describes the substrate material properties—not device performance.
Material Overview
Radiation-hardened polymer substrate for neuromorphic circuit fabrication
| Material Identification | |
|---|---|
| Product Name | SYNAPLEX Neuromorphic Substrate |
| Material Type | Radiation-hardened polymer substrate |
| Material Class | Substrate material (NOT a computing device) |
| Space Heritage | ISS/JAXA-Kibo Experiment ID 8071 |
| Technology Readiness Level | TRL 6 (System/subsystem validated in relevant environment) |
Radiation Tolerance
| Parameter | Value | Test Method |
|---|---|---|
| Total Ionizing Dose (TID) | >500 kGy (Si equivalent) | Co-60 gamma irradiation (ASTM F1249) |
| Proton Radiation | >1×1014 p/cm² (50 MeV) | Proton beam facility testing |
| Heavy Ion Exposure | No degradation at GEO fluence levels | ISS/JAXA-Kibo Experiment ID 8071 |
| Single Event Effects (SEE) | Substrate material immune to SEE | N/A (not applicable to substrate material) |
| Radiation-Induced Conductivity | <10 pS/cm at 500 kGy | In-situ conductivity measurement |
Substrate Physical Properties
| Property | Value | Test Method |
|---|---|---|
| Substrate Material | Radiation-hardened polymer composite | — |
| Substrate Thickness | 25-200 μm (customizable) | Micrometer measurement |
| Surface Roughness (Ra) | <5 nm RMS | AFM measurement |
| Thermal Expansion Coefficient | 3.5×10-5 /°C | TMA (ASTM E831) |
| Glass Transition Temperature | >280°C | DSC (ASTM D3418) |
| Thermal Conductivity | 0.21 W/m·K | Laser flash method |
| Dielectric Constant (1 MHz) | 3.2 ± 0.1 | Impedance analyzer |
| Dissipation Factor (1 MHz) | <0.005 | Impedance analyzer |
| Volume Resistivity | >1016 Ω·cm | ASTM D257 |
| Tensile Modulus | 2.8 GPa | ASTM D882 |
| Tensile Strength | 85 MPa | ASTM D882 |
| Elongation at Break | 18% | ASTM D882 |
Demonstrated Device Performance
Note: The following performance metrics demonstrate neuromorphic circuits fabricated on SYNAPLEX substrate. These are device-level specifications, not substrate material properties.
| Device Parameter | Demonstrated Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Energy per Synaptic Event | <10 fJ/event | Measured on fabricated neuromorphic circuits |
| Synaptic Density | >109 synapses/cm² | Achievable with standard lithography |
| Operating Voltage | 0.8-1.5 V | Circuit design dependent |
| Switching Speed | <10 ns | Memristive device on SYNAPLEX substrate |
| Retention Time | >10 years (projected) | Accelerated aging at 125°C |
| Fashion-MNIST Accuracy | 97.3% | 10×10 neuromorphic array demonstration |
| CIFAR-10 Accuracy | 92.1% | 32×32 neuromorphic array demonstration |
Environmental Qualification
| Test | Condition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Thermal Cycling | -150°C to +150°C (500 cycles) | No degradation observed |
| Vacuum Stability | 10-6 torr, 1000 hours | Total mass loss <1% |
| UV Exposure | Unfiltered solar spectrum (10,000 ESH) | No mechanical or electrical degradation |
| Atomic Oxygen | 8×1020 atoms/cm² (LEO equivalent) | Surface erosion <100 nm |
| Humidity Resistance | 85°C/85% RH (1000 hours) | No delamination, ΔR <5% |
| Vibration | 20-2000 Hz, 14.1 Grms | No mechanical failure |
| Shock | 1500 G, 0.5 ms half-sine | No mechanical failure |
Space Heritage Validation
ISS/JAXA-Kibo Experiment ID 8071
SYNAPLEX substrate material was deployed aboard the International Space Station through the JAXA-Kibo External Experiment Platform, providing space-heritage validation under actual space environment conditions.
Mission Duration
18 months on-orbit exposure (2023-2024)
Radiation Environment
Total dose: ~45 kGy (Si equivalent) accumulated
Thermal Extremes
-120°C to +130°C (>8000 thermal cycles)
Performance Retention
100% electrical functionality maintained
Post-Flight Analysis: Comprehensive material characterization post-retrieval confirmed no degradation in substrate electrical properties, mechanical integrity, or surface morphology.
Manufacturing & Availability
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Available Substrate Sizes | 100 mm, 150 mm, 200 mm diameter wafers; Custom sizes available |
| Thickness Range | 25 μm to 200 μm (±5 μm tolerance) |
| Surface Treatment Options | Plasma cleaned, adhesion promotion layer, custom metallization |
| Lead Time | 8-12 weeks for standard specifications; Custom orders quoted individually |
| Minimum Order Quantity | 10 wafers (100-150 mm); Custom for 200 mm |
| Manufacturing Location | United Kingdom (ITAR-free) |
| Quality Certification | ISO 9001:2015 (in progress) |
| Export Classification | UK Export Control Act 2002 applicable; Contact for specific classification |
Recommended Applications
Space Systems
LEO/MEO/GEO satellites, CubeSats, deep space missions requiring radiation-hardened edge AI
Nuclear Environments
Reactor instrumentation, nuclear medicine, particle accelerator facilities
Medical Devices
Implantable neural interfaces, radiation therapy systems, medical imaging near radiation sources
Industrial IoT
Predictive maintenance in harsh environments, high-temperature edge AI
Defence Systems
EMP-hardened AI systems, nuclear event survivability, contested space operations
Autonomous Systems
Edge perception processing, real-time decision-making with minimal power consumption
Request Technical Support
Contact our materials engineering team for detailed specifications, integration guidance, and custom substrate requirements.
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