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Microelectronic Hybrids

National Air and Space Museum

Object Details

Manufacturer
General Electric Space Systems Division
Summary
These artifacts are engineering test samples of microelectronic hybrids, specialized devices that combined electrical components and circuits arranged in layers on top of an alumina wafer. These hybrids were essential components on some types of science and communications satellites in the 1980s and 1990s.
The technique of layering helped reduce the weight and size of spacecraft electronics. The number of circuit layers in a device ranged from three to eight, depending on its function. The buried conducting layers provided additional pathways for connecting the electrical devices on the hybrid's top layer. A completed hybrid was an ingenious puzzle in which many chips and devices were integrated through as many as several thousand connections.
This design approach represented the state of the art in miniaturization for microelectronic hybrids as of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Lockheed Martin donated this artifact to the Museum in 1998.
Credit Line
Gift of Lockheed Martin
Inventory Number
A19980312003
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
EQUIPMENT-Miscellaneous
Materials
Overall: Alumina, copper, aluminum, gold, glass, plastic, steel, graphite, paint
Dimensions
3-D: 6.4 x 4.4 x 0.3cm (2 1/2 x 1 3/4 x 1/8 in.)
Country of Origin
United States of America
See more items in
National Air and Space Museum Collection
National Air and Space Museum
Record ID
nasm_A19980312003
Metadata Usage (text)
Not determined
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9798abfe4-7282-4d66-acaa-e18066b8354e

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There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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