Honeywell High-Temperature Microelectronics Can Take the Heat

It’s probably not surprising that you can find Honeywell microelectronics gathering, processing and storing data on all kinds of aircraft and spacecraft exposed to high levels of radiation. But system designers are also finding other places to put our aerospace-grade sensors and integrated circuits, including in spots that are too hot for conventional electronic devices to handle.

“Our high-temperature microelectronics give system designers enormous flexibility when they need components that operate reliably under harsh conditions and extreme temperatures,” said Gordon Shaw, Engineering Manager for Honeywell’s Integrated Circuit Process and Device team. “For example, our circuits are used in downhole drilling because they can be placed near the drill bit, which can experience temperatures above 175 degrees Celsius, which is about 350 degrees Fahrenheit.”

In fact, Honeywell’s best-performing high-temperature microelectronics are designed to operate reliably at temperatures ranging from -55C to 225C for up to five years, according to Shaw. “But these circuits can actually withstand temperatures as high as 300C (572F) and still get the job done,” he said.

Delivering that kind of robust performance is all about the wafer process and packaging technology, Shaw continued. “We use silicon-on-insulator wafer process technology and ceramic packages for our high-temperature electronic components. This enables them to perform better and last longer in harsh environments than packages made of plastic, which can only tolerate temperatures up to about 175C. Ceramic packages not only withstand high temperatures better, they are extremely mechanically stable and robust.”

These properties make Honeywell high-temperature microelectronics are ideal for system designers looking for the right combination of performance, reliability and flexibility in the microelectronics that is so critical to their projects.

“Designers rely on our integrated circuits and sensors to perform many kinds of tasks,” Shaw said. “For example, an IC can be configured to convert analog readings to digital, so they can be fed into digital devices for computational analyses and decision-making. Our hardware lets designers choose the way the circuit operates and what it does… we provide them with a lot of options.”

High Temperature Microelectronics for Oil and Gas

In the oil and gas industries, Honeywell high-temp sensors monitor the exact position of drilling heads as skilled technicians search for hydrocarbon deposits thousands of feet underground or beneath the ocean’s surface. Oil companies also use our sensors to monitor producing wells for pressure and temperature and identify potential problems.

High Temperature Microelectronics for Aircraft Engines

High-temperature electronics are also used in aircraft engine-control systems and other critical aerospace applications, and Honeywell is working with automotive system designers on ways to improve the performance of car and truck engines using this advanced technology.

Honeywell continues to invest in new technologies and packaging techniques to improve the performance, reliability and flexibility of its family of high-temp microelectronics, though the bar is admittedly set pretty high.

“We’re not aware of a single time one of our high-temperature microelectronic components has failed in the field,” Shaw said. “They literally never stop working and customers only replace them when the devices reach the end of their five-year design life.”   

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