TriQuint Semiconductor Monday said the Office of Naval Research awarded the company a 20-month, $3.1 million contract to improve manufacturing methods of producing high-power, high-voltage S-band gallium arsenide (GaAs) amplifiers.
TriQuint's Contract Program Manager and Director of R&D, Anthony Balistreri, said the company's high voltage pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor technology provides the higher power density and efficiency required for near-term production applications for the Navy, including phased array radar, electronic warfare and communications systems.
Balistreri said the new program has two primary objectives: MMIC (monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuit) design optimization, followed by a manufacturing cost reduction. Under the first phase, TriQuint will design an S-band high power amplifier suitable for a wide range of applications. This initial design will be updated throughout the program and will be used to validate manufacturing process improvements. Overall design goals include high power and efficiency with a minimum 24V operating voltage. The contract's primary focus is manufacturing, with two principal goals: reducing cost and improving throughput.