MAGICS: microchips with high radiation resistance
MAGICS: microchips with high radiation resistance
Magics produces microchips that can withstand high levels of radiation. This Belgian innovation is revolutionising nuclear technology, nuclear robotics and space travel on a small scale.
Microchips resistant to cosmic radiation thanks to nuclear technology
Microchips capable of withstanding cosmic radiation during journeys deep into space? And which can also withstand the radiation at the heart of nuclear reactors, without any protection whatsoever? A scientist’s dream… which has become a reality!
After seven years of research as part of their PhDs in microelectronics, Jens Verbeeck and Ying Cao founded MAGICS Instruments, a spin-off from the University of Leuven and the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN).
These two young PhD students were able to rely on the support of their supervisors and the Centre for Nuclear Energy Research (SCK CEN). The SCK CEN carried out all the radiation tests in the BR2 research reactor and shared its extensive expertise with MAGICS Instruments. The result: revolutionary, cutting-edge Belgian technology.
Microchips that last 1,000 times longer
Exposure to high doses or prolonged radiation reduces the lifespan and reliability of electronic components. This is why electronic components are currently fitted with physical protection against radiation.
MAGICS Instruments’ robust microelectronics makes this protection unnecessary.
Jens Verbeeck explains how: “Imagine LEGO bricks. By replacing each small brick, individually, with a more robust, radiation-resistant version, the entire electronic system becomes much stronger. We say we’re making ‘golden LEGO’,” he smiles.
Applications? MAGICS chips are revolutionising nuclear robotics, research into the reactors of the future, the decommissioning of power stations and… space travel.
Did you know that...
… the MAGICS chip can withstand a radiation dose of 1 MegaGray? That’s 200 million times the dose you receive when having a full-body CT scan.
Mars is drawing nearer…
MAGICS’ slogan speaks for itself: “To boldly go where no electronics has gone before!” And why not into space?
Electronics for space applications must be resistant to cosmic rays. The longer the space journey, the more the electronics are exposed to radiation. The MAGICS chip offers a thousand times greater resistance than current space-grade components. As well as tolerating high radiation doses, the chips are also resistant to the singular effects of cosmic radiation. There is still further development and testing to be done, but our chips could, in theory, be used for future missions to Mars.
Super robots at the heart of reactors
Inside the core of nuclear reactors, robots are used to provide information that is both reliable and essential: distances, temperatures, pressure, radiation levels, etc. They are also used to carry out repairs and perform highly precise tasks. Control signals and sensor data are transmitted from the reactor to the control room via numerous cables.
Thanks to innovation from MAGICS Instruments, robots fitted with chips offering high resistance to radiation can transmit data via a limited number of cables. This is more efficient, very safe and more cost-effective. For many companies, MAGICS’ technology represents a major step forward in terms of efficiency.
“Nuclear technology may already seem outdated, but it will continue to give us many new and innovative applications. And we are a fine example of that.”
Belgian high technology supporting fusion reactors
Today, nuclear energy is generated through the fission of uranium. However, nuclear fusion is also undergoing rapid development. A research reactor is currently under construction in France as part of the large-scale international ITER project.
Inside the core of the ITER fusion reactor, space is limited and radiation levels are high. Human intervention is impossible there. Yet the machine requires highly precise information about the reactor core, and repairs must be carried out in highly exposed environments. How can this problem be solved?
This is where MAGICS Instruments comes in, in collaboration with Oxford Technologies, the University of Leuven and the European Commission (Fusion 4 Energy). The solution involves using radiation-resistant chips at the heart of the reactor to read the sensors and control the robotics. These will convert the sensors’ analogue data into a digital signal, which is then transmitted via a single cable. Yes, just one.
More efficient decommissioning
“Our technology has already proven itself repeatedly in the nuclear sector. It paves the way for numerous electronic applications in radioactive environments. Thanks to our chips, robots and electronic inspection tools can be used in nuclear power stations to carry out tasks that are dangerous, or even impossible, for humans,” says Jens.
Certain parts of nuclear power stations are difficult to access due to high levels of radiation. This is where robots come in.
Robots equipped with MAGICS chips offer two major advantages: they can operate for longer in irradiated areas and can access confined irradiated spaces, such as pipes, more easily.
The future looks bright for MAGICS
Oxford Technologies (United Kingdom) and SCK CEN are interested in MAGICS technology. Tecnubel, part of the ENGIE Group, also wishes to use MAGICS chips for the robotics required for the decommissioning of nuclear power stations.
“We’ve got our work cut out for us… Especially as our ambition is not just to market electronic components, but also integrated measurement modules,” says Jens Verbeeck. With its cutting-edge technology, the Belgian company is creating an entirely new global market within the nuclear industry.
And that’s not all. MAGICS chips also have a promising future in space technology. The start-up is in contact with the European Space Agency. But these are long-term projects. “In space navigation, things take an enormous amount of time; the testing phases take years,” explains Jens Verbeeck.
“Whenever we carry out development work for the nuclear industry, we seek out potential applications for space navigation.”