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Gallium Nitride Devices Enable Higher Output Power - 15 Jan, 2010
Gallium Nitride Devices Enable Higher Output Power, More Robust organization in 2010 to enable additional applications in the CATV
CATV line amplifiers and Reduced CATV Network Cost. NITRONEX market that utilize the benefits of our GaN technology.” said Charlie
SHIPS OVER 200,000 UNITS TO CATV AMPLIFIER SUPPLIER. Shalvoy, President and CEO for Nitronex.
Nitronex, a leader in the design and manufacture of gallium nitride Nitronex’s custom device, inside the CATV amplifier, is better able to
(GaN) based RF solutions for high performance applications in the withstand voltage surges in CATV networks than competing GaAs
defense, communications, and industrial & scientific markets, devices due to the inherent robustness of Nitronex GaN technology.
announced today that they have shipped over 200,000 custom
devices to a major US-based cable television (CATV) amplifier This custom device also enables higher output power than
supplier. “Looking forward, we will build on our success in 2009 via competing GaAs-based technologies which reduces network cost
the development of new products and the expansion of our by requiring fewer amplifiers.
Next generation devices get boost from Penn State
research - 28 Jan, 2010
Researchers in the Electro-Optics Center for silicon carbide wafers, and exceeded the researchers Joshua Robinson, Mark Fanton,
(EOC) Materials Division at Penn State have previous demonstration of 50mm. According Brian Weiland, Kathleen Trumbull and
produced 100 mm diameter graphene to EOC materials scientist Joshua Michael LaBella are developing the
wafers, a key milestone in the development Robinson, Penn State is currently fabricating synthesis and device fabrication of
of graphene for next generation high-power, field effect transistors on the 100 mm graphene on silicon as a means to achieve
high-frequency electronic devices. graphene wafers and will begin transistor wafer diameters exceeding 200mm, a
performance testing in early 2010. necessity for integrating graphene into the
Graphene is the two-dimensional form of existing semiconductor industry.
graphite and consists of tightly bound A further goal is to improve the speed of
carbon atoms in a hexagonal arrangement electrons in graphene made from silicon With the support of the Naval Surface
resembling chicken wire. With its carbide wafers to closer to the theoretical Warfare Center in Crane, Ind., EOC
remarkable physical, chemical and structural speed, approximately 100 times faster than researchers are initially focusing on
properties, graphene is being studied silicon. That will require improvements in the graphene materials to improve the transistor
worldwide for electronics, displays, solar material quality, says Robinson, but the performance in various radio frequency (RF)
cells, sensors, and hydrogen storage. technology is new and there is plenty of applications. For a material that was first
room for improvements in processing. isolated only five years ago, graphene is
Thanks to the ability of an electron to move In addition to silicon sublimation, EOC getting off to a fast start
at 1/300th the speed of light through
graphene (significantly faster than silicon),
graphene is a candidate material for many
high-speed computing applications in the Microsemi`s financial results reflect - 28 Jan, 2010
multibillion-dollar semiconductor device
industry. Graphene has the potential to Compound semiconductor manufacturer from the $19.3 million during the fourth
enable terahertz computing, at processor Microsemi has revealed that net sales were quarter of last year.
speeds 100 to 1,000 times faster than up by $112.8 million for the first quarter of
silicon. 2010. The non-GAAP effective tax rate for 2010’s
first quarter was 18.2 per cent.
The Penn State EOC is a leading center for Compound semiconductor manufacturer
the synthesis of graphene materials and Microsemi has released its financial results “We are pleased with our first quarter
graphene-based devices. Using a process for the first quarter of 2010 and revealed results which showed continued strength in
called silicon sublimation, EOC researchers that net sales were up by $112.8 million our business, especially in our analogue
David Snyder and Randy Cavalero thermally (£70 million). mixed signal markets,” said James Peterson,
processed silicon carbide wafers in a high president and chief executive officer of
temperature furnace until the silicon For the quarter ended December 27th Microsemi.
migrated away from the surface, leaving 2009, non-generally accepted accounting
behind a layer of carbon that formed into a principles (GAAP) gross margin in the first Microsemi manufactures compound
one- to two-atom-thick film of graphene on quarter increased to 49.6 per cent, up 100 semiconductors and was last year awarded
the wafer surface. basis points from the fourth quarter of 2009. $2 million by Congress to develop critical
silicon carbide-based components for Air
The EOC wafers were 100mm in diameter, Non-GAAP net income stood at $21.1 Force platforms.
the largest diameter commercially available million for the first quarter of this year, a rise
14 www.compoundsemiconductor.net January/February 2010
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