According to the Financial Express - The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore has received government approval to set up a foundry worth Rs. 3,000 Crore (Approx $500 Million) to produce gallium nitride (GaN) for next-generation strategic technologies, including radar and communication systems. The proposed foundry, under the supervision of associate professor Srinivasan Raghavan will be developed around an existing facility for producing GaN transistors on silicon wafers, at the IISc’s Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE).
Inaugurated in 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the CeNSE facility aims to create a GaN electronics ecosystem, spanning materials, devices and systems. CeNSE is already selling GaN-based transistors to researchers across the country. The development of the foundry will only help the industry demands for emerging technology. Gallium nitride conductors are an answer to the to the much needed efficient energy consumption and since countries like China have been investing in such strategies, India too needs to do so.
The proposal to set up a foundry at the IISc for producing GaN is a good development. Gallium nitride technology will substantially help in the development of next-generation radars, seekers and communication systems, and will be useful in systems like Light Combat Aircraft. It can also be used in phased-array radar for electronic warfare, such as active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars that are fitted on modern fighter jets.
