STMicroelectronics and MACOM Technology Solutions announced the successful production of radio-frequency Gallium-Nitride-on Silicon (RF GaN-on-Si) prototypes.
ST said the prototype wafers and devices have achieved cost and performance targets that would allow them to effectively compete with the incumbent laterally-diffused metal-oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) and GaN-on-SiC technologies on the market. RF GaN-on-Silicon offers high potential for 5G and 6G infrastructure. The long-term incumbent RF power technology, laterally-diffused metal-oxide semiconductor (LDMOS), dominated early-generation RF power amplifiers (PAs). GaN can offer superior RF characteristics and significantly higher output power than LDMOS for these RF PAs.
“We believe that the technology has now reached performance levels and process maturity where it can effectively challenge the established LDMOS and GaN-on-SiC and we can offer attractive cost and supply-chain advantages for high-volume applications, including Wireless Infrastructure,” said Edoardo Merli, Power Transistor Sub-Group General Manager and Executive Vice President of STMicroelectronics. “Commercializing RF GaN-on-Silicon products are the next big milestone in our collaboration with MACOM and with continued progress, we look forward to fully realizing the potential of this exciting technology.”
“Together, we continue to make good progress in moving the GaN-on-Si technology towards commercialization and high-volume production,” said Stephen G. Daly, MACOM President and CEO. “Our collaboration with ST is an important part of our RF Power strategy and I am confident that we can win market share in targeted applications where the GaN-on-Silicon technology meets the technical requirements.”
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