IBM continues work to establish trusted semiconductor foundry technology for U.S. military applications
McCLELLAN PARK, Calif. – High-reliability computer chip designers at IBM Corp. will continue work to design and implement trusted fabrication flows in the company's semiconductor manufacturing facilities under terms of a $576 million 10-year contract announced Wednesday.
Officials of the U.S. Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA) in McClellan Park, Calif., are asking IBM in Armonk, N.Y., to enable an evidence based trusted enclave in a commercial manufacturing environment supporting the Trusted Foundry Access III – Manufacturing Contract.
This will enable a wide range of advanced semiconductor technologies and services to create a DMEA-accredited trusted supply chain with IBM, U.S. military officials say.
DMEA manages the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Trusted Foundry program, which seeks to provide a cost-effective way to assure the integrity and confidentiality of integrated circuit (IC) devices during design and manufacturing, while providing the U.S. government with access to leading-edge microelectronics technologies for trusted and non-sensitive applications.
In this case, trusted refers to confidence in securing national security systems by certifying the people and processes that design and manufacture national security-sensitive microelectronics components.
Trusted sources provide an assured chain of custody for classified and unclassified ICs; assure that no reasonable threats will disrupt supply; prevent intentional or unintentional IC modification or tampering; and protect ICs from unauthorized attempts at reverse engineering, exposure of functionality, or evaluation of their possible vulnerabilities.
The DOD Trusted Foundry program provides the U.S. government with guaranteed access to leading-edge trusted microelectronics services for typically low-volume military and government manufacturing. Leading-edge foundry services including multi-project wafer runs, dedicated prototypes, and high- and low-volume production.
Related: DMEA to make integrated circuits in-house in new flexible foundry
This contract to IBM provides an additional layer of security to commercial IC manufacturing processes that gives government access to advanced technology manufacturing capabilities for trusted and classified programs.
In addition, the contract provides expertise and consulting to help establish and certify new facilities and processes in advanced semiconductor technologies. IBM's contract includes five task orders.
On this contract IBM will do the work in Burlington, Vt.; East Fishkill and Malta, N.Y.; and Bromont, Quebec. For more information contact IBM online at www.ibm.com/us-en, or the Defense Microelectronics Activity at www.acq.osd.mil/asds/dmea.
John Keller | Editor-in-Chief
John Keller is the Editor-in-Chief, Military & Aerospace Electronics Magazine--provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronics and optoelectronic technologies in military, space and commercial aviation applications. John has been a member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since 1989 and chief editor since 1995.
