Graphene Sensors Eliminate Shielding Requirement
Paragraf
This matters because radiation tolerance turns the sensor package itself into a simpler, lighter part, which is often more valuable in space and nuclear systems than the sensor chip alone. Silicon sensors in radiation exposed systems usually need extra protective packaging and shielding because ionizing dose and neutron exposure can shift their behavior. Paragraf’s graphene Hall sensors have been tested by NPL at neutron dose rates far above typical ISS conditions while remaining functional, which means system designers can remove shielding mass and avoid bulky rad hard packaging.
-
In practice, shielding is not just a materials cost. It adds grams, volume, assembly steps, and failure points. For satellites, every extra gram reduces payload flexibility, so a sensor that can sit closer to the radiation source without a protective enclosure changes the system tradeoff in a very direct way.
-
The product fit is concrete for Hall sensors because they are used to read magnetic fields for current sensing, motor control, and field mapping. Paragraf positions graphene where silicon breaks down, including cryogenic, very high magnetic field, and radiation heavy environments, rather than trying to win on lowest cost in standard automotive or industrial use.
-
This is also why the company can charge a premium. Incumbents like Infineon, Allegro, and AKM win when customers want cheap, qualified silicon parts. Graphene wins when the alternative is not another sensor, but added shielding, amplification, replacement cycles, or mission risk in environments where silicon performance degrades.
The next step is a shift from niche qualification to design in at the platform level. If graphene sensors keep proving they can survive radiation without shielding, they move from specialty components into baseline architectures for satellites, nuclear instrumentation, and high altitude systems where lower weight and longer service life compound into clear economic advantage.