GaAs microelectronics technology
I
n the mid 1980s the world was gripped by the Cold War. USSR and its communist allies were pointing scores of nuclear missiles at targets in the West, which had a similar arsenal in place for its adversaries. Both of these Superpowers hoped that the devastating consequences of a nuclear war would ensure peace. But this could not be guaranteed, so Ronald Reagan’s Administration tried to develop a system that intercepted nuclear missiles in mid-flight. This project, which had an unofficial nickname Star Wars, focused on developing laser systems that could be attached to satellites and shoot down nuclear missiles.
If Star Wars was going to be a success, it would require the construction of novel systems incorporating a rafter of cutting edge technologies.
For example, many GaAs ICs would be needed to provide amplification and manipulation of the signals used in different types of radar systems operating in various bands of the microwave spectrum. A successful program could consume many of these chips, and several start-ups specializing in GaAs IC technologies were launched to try and cash in on this emerging market.
In amongst this group was Anadigics, an East-coast start- up that has kicked on to become arguably the most revolutionary GaAs chipmaker of the last 25 years. Its trailblazing efforts have included leading the move to 4-inch GaAs manufacturing; becoming the first high-volume manufacturer of power amplifiers for handsets; and being one of the first
manufacturers to move to more efficient, more reliable HBTs, by switching the transistor design from an AlGaAs to a GaInP emitter. It’s a terrific list of achievements that could never have been foreseen by its three founders, Ron Rosenzweig, George Gilbert and Charles Huang, when they formed the company in Warren, NJ, in 1985.
Founding a start-up was not a new challenge for Rosenzweig and Gilbert – back in 1968 they co-founded Microwave Semiconductor Corporation (MSC). “We were designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art RF and microwave transistors that were mainly used in amplification and oscillation,” recalls Rosenzweig, who was the company’s CEO.
MSC, which mainly targeted defense and telecommunication markets, had some III-V expertise and in 1976 it started a line of GaAs power transistors and power amplifiers. These were discrete devices that were subsequently attached to ceramic substrates.
In the late 1970s MSC was bought by Siemens. Rosenzweig and Gilbert were given five year contracts as part of the deal. Towards the end of these contracts their entrepreneurial spirit got the better of them, and these two guys in their late 40s wondered how they would see out their working life. “The encore turned out to be Anadigics,” says Rosenweig.
The focus for the start-up was the manufacture of GaAs integrated circuits for defense companies contributing to the Star Wars program. “The business plan revolved around making modest quantities of high-performance niche products with selling prices in the $25 to $100 range,” explains Rosenzweig, Anadigics’ first CEO. If the company could ship tens of thousands of these components each year, then it had a good chance of turning in a profit.
Winning funding to kick-start Anadigics was relatively easy. In the late 1960s, when Rosenzweig and Gilbert co-founded MSC, venture
capitalists were incredibly rare, but this time round there were plenty to appeal
to. And what’s more, this twosome had a fine track record of running a company. Within three years of its launch they had
taken MSC into the public domain, and its strong performance on the NASDAQ throughout the 1970s meant that its sale netted a good return
June 2010
www.compoundsemiconductor.net 25
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127