BAE Systems Secures Phase 2 Contract for DARPA Thermal Cooling Project

The research, conducted at the company’s Microelectronics Center in Nashua, New Hampshire, centers on material and process enhancements designed to handle extreme heat at the device scale. Principal investigator Isaac Wildeson noted that the successful completion of the initial phase validates the team's current trajectory toward unlocking greater performance for warfighters. By optimizing thermal management, the program aims to nearly triple the effective range of existing radio frequency hardware.

To meet these technical milestones, BAE Systems is coordinating a multi-institutional effort. The team includes Modern Microsystems alongside researchers from Penn State University, Stanford University, the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Texas at Dallas. This collaborative framework leverages the company’s status as a Category 1A Trusted Supplier to integrate advanced gallium nitride and gallium arsenide circuits into next-generation defense architecture.