Mar 25, 2026 - Technology

Northrop testing diamonds for military chips

Northrop Grumman is growing and testing diamonds, capable of withstanding power and heat spikes, for use in microelectronics.

Why it matters: Outside the lab, this could improve the performance of larger, multimillion-dollar systems, like satellites and radars.

Driving the news: Northrop on Tuesday announced the successful test of a "diamond-based receiver-protection component."

It handled more than 100 watts of power — "more than double the current wattage today's devices can withstand," the company said.
Many more tests of the material are expected.

Context: Diamond development kicked off in 2019 as a research-and-development effort.

"Diamond's vast potential as a material is undeniable, and we're moving ever closer to taking it from design and development to full scale deployment," Ugonna Ohiri, a staff systems engineer at Northrop's Microelectronics Center, said in a statement.
The gemstones, he added, "can function in outer space and survive traveling at warp speed."

The bottom line: Diamonds are more than a girl's best friend.

Go deeper: Northrop eyes Norway as it works on Tritons for Australia