News: Microelectronics
13 November 2024
India’s Solid State Physics Lab develops SiC wafers and GaN HEMTs for up to X-band
Solid State Physics Laboratory, a research arm of the Indian Ministry of Defence’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has developed indigenous processes for growing and manufacturing 4-inch-diameter silicon carbide (SiC) wafers, as well as fabricating gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) up to 150W and monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) up to 40W for applications operating at up to X-band frequencies.
GaN/SiC technology is a critical enabler of next-generation applications spanning defence, aerospace and clean energy sectors, it notes.
Specifically, the technology offers improved efficiency, reduced size and weight, and enhanced performance, making it essential for future combat systems, radar, electronic warfare systems, and green energy solutions. With rising demands for lighter and more compact power supplies in future combat systems, GaN/SiC technology can provide a vital foundation for communications, intelligence, reconnaissance and unmanned systems for both military and commercial sectors, including electric vehicles and renewable energy, SSPL adds.
Indigenous GaN-on-SiC-based MMICs with limited production capability has been established at the Gallium Arsenide Technology Enabling Centre (GAETEC), Hyderabad. These multi-functional MMICs cater to broad applications in next-generation strategic systems, space, aerospace and 5G/satellite communications. The development of commercially viable SiC- and GaN-based MMIC technology is said to mark a milestone in India’s journey towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, fostering self-reliance in semiconductor technology.
