Transphorm Inc, a leader in high-voltage (HV) GaN semiconductors, has become a US-based dedicated production source and supplier of GaN epiwafers for the US DoD and commercial RF/mm-wave and power electronics applications. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Naval Research (ONR) has exercised a three-year $15.9 million option on an existing $2.6 million base contract with the company. The program’s core objective is to commercialize nitrogen polar (N-polar) GaN, a breakthrough technology beyond the incumbent Ga-polar GaN. N-polar GaN holds significant promise for the continued advancement of GaN-based electronics, in today’s RF electronics and future power conversion systems. The technology, exclusively licensed to Transphorm, was invented under ONR and DARPA sponsorship at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) by the team of Professor Umesh Mishra, Distinguished Professor at UCSB and Transphorm’s Co-founder, CTO and Chairman.
According to Dr. Mishra, the N-polar orientation of the material is reversed from the traditional Ga-polar GaN currently being widely used in base station and DoD applications. The flip produces radical benefits in output power along with groundbreaking efficiencies to frequencies as high as 94 GHz. Applications span the frequency range of interest for 5G, 6G and beyond and also fill a critical technological void for DoD systems.
At 94 GHz, Mishra’s UCSB team has demonstrated mm-wave devices with record power densities and high efficiencies. These devices simplify RF electronic systems by reducing the need for power combining multiple components and devices while also simplifying cooling systems, ultimately resulting in higher performance at reduced cost.
Leveraging Transphorm’s Well-established MOCVD/GaN Epi Capability
Currently in production with several customers, Transphorm stands as a leading supplier of high quality, high reliability (Q+R) HV GaN FETs. The company’s success is driven by a vertically-integrated business approach, expertise, IP, and, particularly, a solid MOCVD Epi growth platform with production scale. With this ONR program, the company will address Epi capability on multiple platforms including SiC, Si, and Sapphire substrates ranging from 4-inch to 6-inch and ultimately 8-inch wafers. In the RF and mm-wave area, Transphorm will be a pure play epiwafer supplier focused solely on GaN materials.
As with all Transphorm GaN products, the epiwafer offerings will be backed by, rapid development, production scalability, uniform, high yielding wafer products, statistical process control manufacturing.
Design Resources and Support
- Ga-polar and N-polar GaN baseline processes on multiple substrates of various diameters
- Comprehensive suite of GaN epiwafer characterization equipment
- MOCVD experts to align on specific customer requirements
The GaN Revolution!
Transphorm Inc designs and manufactures the highest performance, highest reliability 650 V and 900 V GaN semiconductors for high-voltage power conversion applications. Holding the largest IP portfolio (1000+ issued and pending patents worldwide), Transphorm produces the industry’s first JEDEC and AEC-Q101 qualified GaN FETs. This is due to a vertically-integrated business approach, which allows for innovation at every development stage: design, fabrication, device, and application support.
The contract, N68335-19-C-0107 is administered by Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst and comprises a Base Program for key technology development/transfer and an Option Program to establish production scale capability.
