News: Microelectronics
30 August 2024
Finwave and GlobalFoundries agree technology development and licensing deal
Finwave Semiconductor Inc of Waltham, MA, USA has announced a strategic technology development and licensing agreement with GlobalFoundries (GF) of Malta, NY, USA.
Founded in 2012 by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as Cambridge Electronics before being rebranded in June 2022 as Finwave Semiconductor (with offices in San Diego, CA and the Bay Area), the technology company’s portfolio includes GaN FinFETs, enhancement-mode (E-mode) MISHEMTs, and high-performance RF switches.
The partnership merges Finwave’s gallium nitride on silicon (GaN-on-Si) technology with GF’s US-based high-volume manufacturing capabilities and legacy of RF innovation including RF silicon-on-insulator (SOI) and silicon-germanium (SiGe) solutions. The collaboration will focus on optimizing and scaling Finwave’s E-mode MISHEMT technology to volume production at GF’s 200mm semiconductor manufacturing facility in Burlington, Vermont.
Finwave’s 200mm GaN-on-Si E-mode MISHEMT platform is claimed to offer exceptional RF performance, delivering excellent gain and efficiency at sub-5V voltages while ensuring high uniformity across 200mm wafers, as highlighted in Finwave’s recent presentation at the 2024 International Conference on Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (CS MANTECH). Leveraging Finwave’s technology, GF’s 90RFGaN platform can deliver high power density and efficiency, enabling high-performance, optimized devices that save on footprint and cost, it is reckoned. The partnership presents a solution for high-efficiency power amplifiers in applications where traditional gallium arsenide (GaAs) and silicon technologies fall short, including new higher-frequency 5G FR2/FR3 bands, 6G and mmWave amplifiers, and high-power Wi-Fi 7 systems, where superior range and efficiency are critical.
“By leveraging GlobalFoundries’ extensive manufacturing capabilities and bringing Finwave’s E-mode MISHEMT technology breakthrough to volume production, we are unlocking large growth opportunities as we address the increasingly demanding wireless communication landscape,” says Finwave’s CEO Dr Pierre-Yves Lesaicherre. “This partnership opens the door to further innovation and integration of RF front-ends onto a single GaN-on-Si device. This has never been done before, and has the potential to reduce cost and size, both of which are at a premium in cellphones,” he adds.
“As next-generation wireless networks require devices that operate at higher frequencies, Finwave’s low-voltage GaN-on-Si technology combined with GF’s 90RFGaN platform will become a vital part of power amplifiers in future mobile phones, ensuring both robust performance and high power efficiency,” expects Shankaran Janardhanan, VP & general manager of GF’s RF business.
Developed over more than a decade, Finwave’s E-mode MISHEMT technology has been supported by federal funding from the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) through its program Seeding Critical Advances for Leading Energy technologies with Untapped Potential (SCALEUP), as well as private investments from deep-tech investors and strategic partners.
Leveraging GF’s high-volume CMOS manufacturing capabilities, Finwave and GlobalFoundries aim to qualify this technology for mass production in first-half 2026.
GlobalFoundries acquires Tagore’s GaN IP portfolio
Finwave showcases performance improvements with GaN-on-Si technology at MWC Barcelona
Finwave raises $12.2m in Series A round to bring 3DGaN to volume production
