Researchers at the Institute of Science, Tokyo, have developed a new 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi receiver chip capable of withstanding ultra-high radiation doses of up to 500 kilograys (kGy).<\/p>\n
The goal of this new chip is to solve the cable problem at sites like Fukushima Daiichi, where restrictive wiring currently prevents multiple robots from working efficiently in hazardous areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch tolerance addresses the requirements of nuclear power plant decommissioning, which involves exposure to intense gamma radiation emitted from fuel debris,\u201d said Atsushi Shirane, Associate Professor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fukushima_Daiichi_Nuclear_Power_Plant#\/media\/File:Fukushima_Daiichi_04780015_(8388174045).jpg\" "\\"Nuclear"){kind=spacer}
<\/figure>\nOvercoming wireless challenges<\/h2>\n
At sites like the\u00a0Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant<\/a>, decommissioning is a slow, multi-decade crawl.<\/p>\n Operators currently rely on\u00a0robots<\/a>\u00a0connected by heavy LAN cables.<\/p>\n However, the tethers are a logistical issue because they often snag on jagged fuel debris, snap in confined spaces, and limit the number of robots that can work together.<\/p>\n Interestingly, this new Wi-Fi chip could finally enable the wireless control needed to make these dangerous cleanups faster and safer.<\/p>\n \u201cIntroducing such a wireless system eliminates the need for complex cabling and enables efficient and seamless operation of a large number of robots,\u201d said Shirane.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n So, how do you make silicon survive a nuclear storm? You simplify it.<\/p>\n The team realized that radiation kills chips by trapping electrical charges in transistors\u2019 insulating layers. It causes leakage, where electricity flows where it shouldn\u2019t, drowning out signals in a sea of static.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n To enhance\u00a0radiation<\/a>\u00a0resistance, researchers re-engineered the Wi-Fi receiver chip by reducing its transistor count, thereby minimizing the surface area vulnerable to electrical leakage and charge buildup.<\/p>\n Key modifications included replacing radiation-sensitive active transistors in the variable-gain and radio-frequency amplifiers with inductors. These passive components that remain stable under intense gamma bombardment.<\/p>\n This streamlined architecture maintains high-performance signal processing across low-noise amplification and baseband conversion. It ensures the circuitry survives environments that would typically destroy standard electronics.<\/p>\n Moreover, the \u201cedge-related\u201d leakage paths typically caused by radiation were minimized by increasing the length and width of these components while reducing the number of parallel segments (or \u201cfingers\u201d).<\/p>\n This structural scaling suppressed unwanted charge trapping and leakage currents, ensuring the chip remains electronically stable even under intense, high-dose gamma exposure.<\/p>\n In performance tests, the chip demonstrated resilience after a massive 500 kGy radiation dose and maintained a high-quality signal with only a marginal 1.4 dB loss in gain.<\/p>\n Its noise levels and power consumption remained stable.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the chip\u2019s communication capabilities stayed on par with standard commercial Wi-Fi receivers, validating its readiness for real-world\u00a0nuclear<\/a>\u00a0and space applications.<\/p>\n Of the 423 nuclear power reactors currently in service, roughly half are projected to begin decommissioning by 2050, according to data from the IAEA.<\/p>\n \u201cBy realizing Wi-Fi chips that operate stably even under ultra-high-dose radiation environments, wireless remote operation using robots and drones will be promoted, enabling reductions in worker radiation exposure risk and advances in work sophistication,\u201d\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0Shirane in the press release.<\/p>\n Interestingly, the chip\u2019s ability to withstand radiation levels well above those of standard space-grade electronics makes it an ideal backbone for future deep-space exploration.<\/p>\nRadiation-hardened design could help nuclear decommissioning robots<\/h2>\n