Transitioning RF SiGe Designs from R&D into Production for Defense Systems

A common model throughout microelectronics is to have groups dedicated to the pursuit of R&D. In the defense market, those groups partner with government agencies such as DARPA to come up with revolutionary new ideas that push the limits of existing technology. The goal is to transition these innovations out of R&D and into products that go into fielded systems. In this talk we will consider this process, looking specifically at SiGe RF Mixed Signal Integrated Circuits as an example. We will consider design for manufacturing and test, RF measurement and screening, inventory management, and user support. We will also look at the measures of readiness, such as Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL).