Northrop Grumman is pioneering a new wave of microelectronics with a $7 million contract to create diamond-cooled chips that deliver higher power, faster speeds, and dramatically enhanced performance for military radar and communications.
The award marks Phase 2 of DARPA’s Technologies for Heat Removal in Electronics at the Device Scale (THREADS) program, an effort to integrate diamond-based heat-dissipation technology into next-generation semiconductors.
Today, RF systems operate well below their limits to prevent overheating, which reduces power, shortens chip life and increases the risk of circuit failure in demanding missions. Diamonds extract heat better than any other material, conducting heat five times faster than copper and far outperforming silicon carbide and gallium nitride, which are used today for high-performance applications. A diamond cooled‑chip spreads heat more efficiently, letting it run longer without overheating.
Power density could also jump tenfold. In DARPA THREADS Phase 1, Northrop boosted power by 3.3x; Phase 2 will push it further, delivering stronger RF transmitters for military communications and satellite links.
“Temperature has long capped what microelectronics can do, even Gallium Nitride (GaN), which is a standard today," said Ben Heying, director of microelectronics at Northrop Grumman's Space Park Foundry. "Embedding diamond directly into chips works like a turbocharged cooling system. It keeps the chips cool so we can crank up the power without risk of burnout. This breakthrough lets Northrop Grumman’s diamond-cooled chips push beyond traditional heat limits and unlocks a new generation of fast, reliable RF electronics.”
At the company’s Microelectronics Center, microscopic diamonds are added directly into chips, removing heat away from RF circuits. Northrop recently completed successful high-power tests using diamond as a semiconductor material. This breakthrough keeps devices cooler, boosts speed and reliability, and lets them handle higher power levels without throttling, ultimately delivering faster, more dependable performance for critical military systems.
Northrop Grumman engineers manufacture new microchips cooled with diamond to help defense and commercial systems run faster and last longer.Northrop Grumman
Drawing on the company’s open-access business model, Northrop partnered with Stanford University to embed diamond by growing a layer on the backside of the device within its microscopic channels. The diamond-filled channels transfer heat away from hotspots, keeping the device cool even at maximum power.
In Phase 2, Northrop plans to make these diamond-enhanced chips more than three times as powerful, delivering more capability while taking up less space. This could unlock far stronger RF transmitters, enhancing military communications, next-generation satellite links, and a broad spectrum of future applications.
