TriQuint receives deal from US lab

TEXAS, USA: TriQuint Semiconductor, a leading RF product producer and foundry services supplier, has announced that it has been awarded a deal by the US Air Force Research Laboratories to expand new Gallium Nitride (GaN) modules for unmanned aerial vehicles. TriQuint's latest GaN devices will broaden the variety and capabilities of UAVs that are used for investigation missions over Afghanistan, Iraq and other regions.

TriQuint's latest modules would consist of 20 Watt and 50 Watt devices. A demanding feature of the program includes fitting latest 20 Watt amplifiers into the same space currently occupied by the fleet's existing 1 Watt devices restricting the range and broadcast power of the aircraft.

TriQuint's more competent GaN devices would in addition decrease the need for thermal mitigation and strengthen battery life in every vehicle. As projected by the AFRL, more proficient amplifiers like TriQuint's can lengthen UAV patrol time from one to three hours depending on the aircraft involved, payload and other equipped conditions.

TriQuint is developing both the 20 Watt and 50 Watt devices by means of in-house resources including total module fabrication.

Cole indicated TriQuint was selected by the AFRL for the UAV amplifier deal based on the company's comprehensive plan to meet up to the Laboratories' accelerated development agenda. Other factors included results from TriQuint's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Wide Bandgap Semiconductor (WBGS) RF GaN program, in which TriQuint led Phase II and is most significant Phase III. TriQuint in addition leads a DARPA agreement for highly-advanced MMIC development using Gallium Nitride technology in the Nitride Electronic NeXt-Generation Technology (NEXT) program.

The Air Force UAV program is separated into two prime phases. The preliminary phase includes developing suitable high-power GaN amplifier MMICs. This would be followed by the incorporation of MMIC amplifiers and other components into single packages to supply 20 Watt and 50 Watt Ku-band power amplifiers. TriQuint is on track to deliver the first amplifier MMIC by the month of August 2010. The original 50 Watt prototype packaged assembly high power amplifier (HPA) will be delivered in April 2011.

TriQuint is a chief producer of high-performance, highly-reliable integrated circuits for defense and aerospace applications including phased array radar, communications satellites, guidance, control and related systems.