MACOM Technology Solutions Inc. has been awarded a high-profile contract by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to spearhead the development of advanced semiconductor technology using gallium nitride (GaN) on silicon carbide (SiC). This innovative project, funded under the CHIPS and Science Act, will push forward GaN-based technology for radio frequency (RF) and microwave applications, aiming to deliver high-voltage, high-frequency solutions that enhance the performance of these critical components in defense and telecommunications.
MACOM will join forces with North Carolina State University, Adroit Materials, and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) as a member of the CLAWS Microelectronics Commons Hub, part of a larger federal initiative to advance microelectronics manufacturing within the U.S. For the first year, the project's funding stands at $3.4 million, with potential expansions based on its success.
The project builds on MACOM’s prior collaborations with the DoD, which have driven significant advancements in GaN technology. In 2021, MACOM transferred a 0.14-micron GaN-on-SiC process, originally developed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), to its U.S. Trusted Foundry in Massachusetts. This project laid the groundwork for a subsequent $4 million AFRL contract awarded in 2023 to further refine GaN technologies for millimeter-wave (mmW) applications. Additionally, MACOM received a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) award valued at up to $10.1 million to enhance heat dissipation in high-power devices. Earlier this year, MACOM also received an $11.4 million CHIPS-funded contract for GaN development.
According to MACOM President and CEO Stephen G. Daly, the new contract aligns with MACOM’s mission to increase U.S.-based production of state-of-the-art RF and microwave power technologies. “Our strategy is to support our military’s RADAR and sensing needs while enabling the next generation of telecommunications networks,” Daly said. “The technologies developed under these contracts will help keep the United States and MACOM on the leading edge.”
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