China launches new compact radiation detection chip for semiconductor self-reliance
- Chinese company develops new compact radiation detection chip
- The chip measures only 15 mm x 15 mm x 3 mm and consumes 1 milliwatt during operation
- The chip could be placed in phones and drones for everyone
Amid escalating efforts to boost national semiconductor self-reliance, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), a state-owned nuclear company, has unveiled the development of a groundbreaking radiation detection chip.
According to CNNC’s official statement on its WeChat channel, the chip can monitor radiation doses in a wide range of environments and adapt to multiple environments, including nuclear workplaces, personnel monitoring and environmental safety inspections.
This chip measures dose rates from 100 nanoSievert (nSv) per hour to 10 milliSievert (mSv) per hour, allowing it to cover various usage scenarios, from monitoring natural background radiation (typically 60-200 nSv/h) to more specific industrial scenarios.
Versatile applications and high sensitivity
The chip can also detect radiation energies between 50 kiloelectron volts (keV) and 2 mega electron volts (MeV). This range includes both x-rays and gamma rays, making it useful for industries such as healthcare, nuclear energy and environmental monitoring.
The chip measures just 15mm x 15mm x 3mm and its power consumption is just 1 milliwatt. Despite its miniature form, the chip offers sensitivity comparable to that of traditional Geiger-Muller counters, which are commonly used for measuring environmental radiation.
The company announced that mass production of the chip has now begun, marking a major milestone in China’s technological progress in radiation sensing applications.
This achievement is seen as part of the broader strategy to overcome trade and technology restrictions imposed by the United States, especially in the semiconductor sector.
Speaking to China’s state news agency Xinhua, Chinese President Xi Jinping said during his visit to the southeastern high-tech center of Hefei: “High-tech development cannot be begged; we must accelerate the realization of high-level technological self-reliance and self-improvement.”
CNNC envisions broader applications beyond industrial use, saying the chip can be integrated into consumer devices such as smartphones and drones. This could enable smart devices to provide real-time radiation detection, opening new possibilities for consumer and environmental safety applications.
The development of this chip spanned the full cycle of semiconductor manufacturing, including chip design, tape-out, packaging and testing. Mass production was outsourced to ‘authorized factories’, although details about these partners were not disclosed.
Via S.C.M.P