Posted: 30.10.2009 Go Back Print This Article

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IQE receives TriQuint GaN contract

IQE awarded contract with TriQuint Semiconductor to develop GaN products for US government NEXT defence and aerospace programme.

IQE has announced that it has been contracted by RF products and foundry service provider TriQuint Semiconductor to provide its Gallium Nitride (GaN) wafer products for the creation of complex, high dynamic range circuits for future defence and aerospace applications.

IQE's New Jersey operation sub-contract Gallium Nitride (GaN) wafer products to TriQuint as part of an $16.2 million Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) multi-year Gallium Nitride (GaN) R&D contract. The programme aims to advance GaN research and develop new generations of compound semiconductor circuits through the Nitride Electronic NeXt-Generation Technology (NEXT) program.

"GaN is already recognized for its ability to handle more power per square millimeter than other semiconductor technologies like gallium arsenide, and much more so than silicon. Yet even with the advances TriQuint has pioneered, today’s analogue GaN technology has frequency and power limits.

“NEXT circuits will be `game-changing` technology that could radically improve performance in defence and aerospace applications like phased array radar and communications. NEXT calls for complex digital GaN circuits that also have very high breakdown voltages-something that silicon can’t do, and that is also beyond the scope of today’s other semiconductor processes," said TriQuint's Principal Investigator, Senior Fellow Dr. Paul Saunier.

 Alex Ceruzzi, VP and General Manager of IQE’s New Jersey facility commented, “IQE and TriQuint have enjoyed a close relationship over many years and our role in this programme clearly demonstrates IQE’s ability to provide world class materials across a broad RF product portfolio.

“The four and half  year NEXT programme lead by TriQuint will utilise IQE’s GaN wafer product expertise with the ultimate aim of developing and producing advanced semiconductor chips with operating frequencies up to 500GHz.”

IQE’s New Jersey facility is the leading GaN HEMT epi foundry, and provides a complete portfolio of RF products, ranging from high volume HEMTs, HBTs and BiFETs to advanced GaN based products. The Group’s Gallium Nitride production capability was recently increased through the acquisition of UK-based NanoGan Limited announced earlier in October 2009.