New Fields of investigation

HRL MADE IMPORTANT ADVANCEMENTS IN 2006 in high frequency monolithic (single crystal) millimeter-wave integrated circuits (MMICs) based on Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Indium Phosphide (InP) materials technologies. Their size and manufacturability makes them desirable for a wide range of radio frequency (RF) applications, including wireless communications, millimeter-wave imaging, radar, and electronic warfare.

In 2006, HRL demonstrated the world's first GaN MMICs with operating frequencies in the 70-90 GHz range. Prior to this, the frequency record for GaN MMICs was below 50 GHz. HRL was able to accomplish this feat by building on HRL's patented epitaxial layer structure (where semiconductor layers have the same crystalline orientation and structure as the substrates on which they are grown) and a process for fabricating devices with extremely short gate lengths (100 nm). The power output from the GaN MMICs was greater than 300 mW, which represents the state-of-the-art in this technology. Furthermore, this high power level was achieved with devices one-tenth the size of commercial devices, yielding a tenfold improvement in power density. This provides a path to significant cost reduction in systems requiring high millimeter-wave power. These MMICs are strategic enablers for high bandwidth communications systems and active millimeter-wave imaging systems.

MILLIMETER-WAVE IMAGING BREAKTHROUGH

Another important HRL achievement was the development of a chipset tailored to the needs of the millimeter-wave imaging market. The chipset leverages HRL's patented Sb-diode (Antimonide-diode) technology, used in conjunction with a single 75-105 GHz low noise amplifier fabricated in Indium Phosphide high electron mobility transistor technology. The chipset replaces four MMICs in most applications, enabling a reduction in system cost. Imaging performance of the chipset is superior to alternative MMIC combinations offered by competitors. The noise equivalent temperature difference, a measure of image quality, offered by the HRL chipset is a state-of-the-art 0.5 degrees Kelvin.

Finally, as the only major established source, HRL maintained its supremacy in broadband, robust, low noise amplifiers based on GaN heterostructure field effect transistor (HFET) technology.

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