Description: The overall goal of the SBIR program is to develop a new Application Specified Integrated Circuit (ASIC) driver to be used in driver electronics of a deformable mirror (DM) system in order to reduce power dissipation, improve controllability, enhance preciseness, and to significantly reduce the form factors of the entire DM system, thus making it suitable for space-based deployment. A unique capability is being enabled through this SBIR program that allows selection from various DM vendors a best DM to be integrated with the driver ASIC in order to build an extremely high contrast, compact, and low-mass coronagraphs and nulling interferometer system onto a space-based telescope. Given its superior performances namely (1) low power dissipation, (2) high control preciseness, (3) tiny chip estate and low mass, (4) minimal number of needed cables, and (5) universal capability in driving various piezoelectric actuator loads, the proposed ASIC driver technology holds the promise of enabling ultimate deployment of low power, low payload, low cost, and high-performance adaptive optics (AO) systems into NASA's space-based platforms. The feasibility of the proposed Phase II approach is demonstrated through eight major technical objectives: (1)packaging and characterizations of the Phase I 8x8 driver ASIC, and based on the test results, (2) design optimization and simulation of the Phase II 32x32 switch array driver ASIC, (3) layout, simulation verification, and tape out for ASIC manufacturing, (4) packaging and basic characterizations of the driver ASIC, (5) ASIC UBM (Under Ball Metallurgy) fabrication, (6) building ASIC PC communication interface and PC software development, (7) fabrication of capacitive load arrays made of different piezoelectric materials, and (8) characterizations of the final Phase II 32x32 switch array driver ASIC in integration with load/actuator arrays.

Benefits: The driver ASIC and a DM will work together to enable NASA's applications including adaptive optics systems for correction of aberrations in large-aperture, space-deployed optical interferometers and telescopes (e.g. for nulling coronagraph), and for high-resolution imaging and communication through atmospheric turbulence. Differentiating itself from traditional driver solutions is its ultralow power dissipation, control preciseness, compactness, lightweight, and low cost. Should these features be demanded by a specific AO system to serve NASA's wavefront correction needs, the proposed ASIC will be worthy of considerations by working on four implementation levels: ASIC dies, standalone ASIC, programmable driver board, and programmable DMs.

Future non-NASA applications for ASIC-DM integrated deformable mirrors include laser beam shaping, ophthalmology and other microscope applications. For the Department of Defense, if needed, we would build prototype ASIC-DM integrated module based on the Phase II results and apply these to military seekers, FLIRs and commercial adaptive optical systems. For MEMS industry, the ASIC circuit could be combined with piezoelectric and electrostatic microactuators to serve a large variety of device applications including those in optical MEMS, RF MEMS and Bio MEMS. For telecommunication industry, the low-power, high voltage, high-speed, and the multi-channel capabilities of the ASIC driver holds promise of penetrating into the supply chains of fiber optics component markets by providing multi-channel drivers to E/O based components such as VOAs, tunable filters, and optical switches. For traditional piezoelectric actuator markets, the ASIC driver technology can provide a unique solution for applications where a large array of piezoelectric transducers needs to be actuated by a cost-effective multi-channel driver board.