NewsRelease
Japanese Start-up demonstrated a radiationresistant FPGA Using semiconductor technologyof the FinFET generation.
Tokyo, Nov 6, 2023 - NanoBridge Semiconductor, Inc. (NBS*1), Upcoming

Japanesestart-up,

which

possesses

theNanoBridge(R)technology, a domestically developed semiconductor technology
knownforenhancingradiation

resistanceandreducing

power

consumption in electronic devices, has collaborated with the Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA*2) to develop and demonstrate
thebasicoperation(NBFPGA*3)

usingofaradiation-resistantsemiconductor

NanoBridge

technologyoftheFPGA
FinFET

generation*4.

NBS is a venture company established by NEC researchers in
September 2019. NanoBridge is a technology to control the creation
or elimination of nanometer sized metal bridges in a solid electrolyte
through the application of voltage, thereby realizing on and off -switch
status. It is attracting attention as an ideal technology for FPGA (*4)
and memories that can repeatedly rewrite circuits. This is because
NanoBridge consumes less power, as it does not require power tomaintain an on or off status, and is hig hly resistant to both radiationand extreme temperatures. In the future, it is expected to be a green
innovation for aerospace applications and low -power applications.
NBS has been working on commercializing NanoBridge technology *5.
Inthisendeavor,

NBS

has

developed

NanoBridge

application

technology for the FinFET generation of semiconductors, which isessentialinradiation-resistant

areas

1

such

as

aerospaceandcommunication infrastructure. NBS has also produced prototype
NanoBridge

FPGAchips

forsmall-scale

information

processing,demonstrating the basic functionality.
To enhance the radiation resistance of miniaturized semiconductor
devices, NBS has incorporated JAXA's Radiation Hardened by Design(RHBD*6)

technology,

characteristics

oftheimproving

thesemiconductor

radiation

circuitry.

By

resistancecombining

NanoBridge technology with RHBD technology, NBS can create
NBFPGA with excellent radiation resistance. In the future, NBS plansto further develop larger-scale NBFPGA based on this technology andexpand the NanoBridge business for a wide range of applications,
including aerospace and manufacturing industries both domesticallyand internationally.
The details of the developed technology were presented at The
Microelectronics Workshop (MEWS36), which took place in Tsukuba,Ibaraki, Japan on October 16-17, 2023.
（ Program： https://ssl.tksc.jaxa.jp/mews/jp/index.html?top ）The results have been achieved by “Research and development ofinnovative FPGA for satellite digitalization”, the Ministry of Education,Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), JAPAN.
NBS is actively recruiting semiconductor device/circuit researchers
andengineers

tofurtherexpand

thepotentialofNanoBridge

technology.
（ Contact： https://nanobridgesemi.com/?page_id=463）<Technical Background>In space, the environment is harsh for electronic circuits due to
direct exposure to intense radiation from space. One of the particularchallenges is the malfunctioning of semiconductor components.

2

Currently, a significant portion of high-functionality LSIs with highradiation resistance, which are used as core components in large andmedium-sized domestically produced artificial satellites, are imported
from overseas. There is a desire for domestic production to enhance
economic and security considerations.
NanoBridgeFPGA(NBFPGA)

isalogicintegrated

circuitwithextremely high radiation resistance. Its foundational technology wasdemonstrated

duringtheInnovative

Satellite

Technology

Demonstration 1st Unit Small Demonstration Satellite 1st Unit
(RAPIS-1*7),

andthedevelopment

phase

hastransitionedto

practical use. With this development, NanoBridge can now be applied
to even more miniaturized generations of semiconductors, making it
possible to provide larger-scale NBFPGA.

(*1) Headquarter： Tsukuba, Ibaraki, CEO ： Tadahiko Sugibayashi(*2) Headquarter： Headquarters: Chofu, Tokyo, Chairman: Hiroshi Yamakawa(*3) NEC has spun off a company based on its unique technology, NanoBridge,
creating an FPGA that achieves a 90% reduction in power consumption.
httphttps://jpn.nec.com/rd/special/202101/index.html(*4) A Fin Field-Effect Transistor (FinFET) is a type of MOSFET (Metal -OxideSemiconductor Field-Effect Transistor) that introduces a three -dimensional channelstructure. It is called "FinFET" because the shape of the channel resembles the"fin" of a fish. This technology is commonly introduced in logic technology nodes
starting from the 16nm generation and beyond. In this context, the technology isbeing utilized in the 16 -12nm technology nodes.
(*5) Series-A2 round,
https://nanobridgesemi.com/?page_id=7(*6) In the presence of radiation, soft errors (bit -flip errors caused by radiation)
can occur. The collective term for the technology to mitigate these errors throughcircuit design is known as "radiation hardening."（ Radiation Hardening By Designing ：RHBD）

3

(*7) Innovative FPGA（ NBFPGA：NanoBridge based Field Programmable Gate Array）
https://www.kenkai.jaxa.jp/kakushin/kakushin01.html

About NanoBridge Semiconductor, Inc.
NanoBridge Semiconductor, Inc. (NBS) was established in 2019 atTsukuba to “Deliver ICT applications everywhere with Nanobridgetechnology”. NBS provides low-power and rad-hard programmable
AIoT terminals and nonvolatile memory through NanoBridge. At NBS,
customers come first. NBS strives to build deep relationships withcustomers and works together for opening up Carbon Neutral Society.
For more information, visit NBS at https://nanobridgesemi.com/4