Aerospace Division: the technology of the future
For ten years now, Optoi has been pursuing a path of technological innovation to become a reference point for the production of optoelectronic components in the European aerospace context.
By leveraging its know-how as a manufacturer of optoelectronic components for industrial encoders, in 2007, Optoi started a collaboration with the French space agency CNES to create a custom 8-channel monolithic phototransistor for aerospace encoders. This development project was followed by others aimed at designing photodiode arrays and optical photo-couplers in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI).
By leveraging its know-how as a manufacturer of optoelectronic components for industrial encoders, in 2007, Optoi started a collaboration with the French space agency CNES to create a custom 8-channel monolithic phototransistor for aerospace encoders. This development project was followed by others aimed at designing photodiode arrays and optical photo-couplers in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI).
Class 1000 Cleanroom
In 2012, Optoi adapted its cleanroom to Class 1000 (according to FED STD 209E) or ISO 6 (according to UNI EN ISO 14644-1:2008), which is necessary for microelectronic assemblies intended for the aerospace market. The reference standards in manufacturing are MIL-STD-883, MIL-STD-750 and the visual inspection standard ESCC Basic Specification No. 2045000.
These protocols require specific intermediate evaluation criteria during the assembly, such as the total absence of reprocessing, the measurement of airtightness of the component, and a series of ageing tests designed to ensure the component reliability under operating conditions and simulate an actual mission in orbit, thereby also including tests for the evaluation of radiation damage.
The activities carried out in the aerospace sector and the investments made in the production infrastructures have allowed Optoi to obtain significant improvements in the quality of all microelectronic products also for the industrial market.
These protocols require specific intermediate evaluation criteria during the assembly, such as the total absence of reprocessing, the measurement of airtightness of the component, and a series of ageing tests designed to ensure the component reliability under operating conditions and simulate an actual mission in orbit, thereby also including tests for the evaluation of radiation damage.
The activities carried out in the aerospace sector and the investments made in the production infrastructures have allowed Optoi to obtain significant improvements in the quality of all microelectronic products also for the industrial market.
Publications
- Paper - ISROS 2019: Delta-evaluation of a European optocoupler for space applications
- Paper - ISROS 2016: Conference paper presented at the ISROS 2016 conference in Otwock (Warsaw), Poland, concerning the development of photodiodes for encoders for aerospace use.
- Paper - ISROS 2014: Conference paper presented at the ISROS 2014 conference in Toulouse.
- Paper - ICSO 2014: Development and ESCC evaluation of a radiation-tolerant monolithic silicon phototransistor array for aerospace optical encoders (ESA project within the scope of the European Component Initiative; phase3).
- Paper - ICSO 2014: Development and ESCC evaluation of a European optocoupler for aerospace applications (ESA project within the scope of the European Component Initiative; phase 2)