BAE Systems completes Phase 1 of transitioning USAF’s short-gate GaN technology to Advanced Microwave Products Center

BAE Systems has completed a Phase 1 effort to transition short-gate gallium nitride (GaN) technology developed by the US Air Force to its Advanced Microwave Products (AMP) Center in Nashua, NH, USA. It has also been selected by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for Phase 2 of the program.

The GaN technology provides high efficiency and broad-frequency bandwidth capabilities in a compact form that can be integrated into a variety of systems to enable next-generation radar, electronic warfare (EW) and communications.

As part of Phase 2, the BAE Systems FAST Labs R&D team and the AMP Center will collaborate to further develop and advance the readiness of the technology. Specifically, the project will scale the 140nm GaN monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) technology to 6-inch wafers and increase its manufacturing level of maturity as part of the validation process, which will include optimizing performance, ensuring process stability, and maximizing wafer-to-wafer uniformity and wafer yields. Custom MMIC design company ENGIN-IC will support the design activities, including process design kit (PDK) validation. This technology will transition to a foundry service product, available through BAE Systems’ open foundry service, at the end of Phase 2, where the technology can be leveraged more broadly across different government initiatives.

“Our foundry is a trusted partner to the defense community because it is dedicated to the design, creation and implementation of vital technologies such as short-gate GaN,” says Chris Rappa, product line director for Radio Frequency, Electronic Warfare, and Advanced Electronics at BAE Systems FAST Labs. “GaN technology fills a unique need for the Department of Defense for low-cost, high-performance amplifier technology, and Phase 2 of this effort brings us one step closer to successfully manufacturing and bringing AFRL’s technology to market,” he adds.

BAE Systems is researching and developing microelectronic technologies, including GaN, in its 70,000ft2 Microelectronics Center (MEC) in Nashua, NH. The MEC has been an accredited DoD Category 1A Trusted Supplier since 2008, and fabricates integrated circuits in production quantities for critical DoD programs.

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US Air Force’s GaN technology to be transferred to BAE Systems’ Advanced Microwave Products Center

Tags: GaN MMIC

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