TRW Puts First Indium Phosphide Integrated Circuit in Orbit
Indium Phosphide Chip for Swedish Odin-1 Satellite Radiometer Ushers in New Era of Smaller, More Sensitive Remote-Sensing Instruments
Redondo Beach, CA. An indium phosphide chip designed and produced by TRW (NYSE:TRW) is the first InP integrated circuit to be flown in space.
Fabricated from TRW s patented InP transistor technology, the low-noise amplifier (LNA) chip is part of a broadband radiometer being used by the Swedish Odin-1 science satellite. The chip enables the radiometer to detect very faint radiation being emitted by galactic oxygen. Scientists believe that a better understanding of interstellar oxygen chemistry may provide them with greater insight into the formation and evolution of galaxies.
The Odin-1 satellite, built and operated by the Swedish Space Corp. for the space agencies of Sweden, Canada, Finland and France, was launched in February 2001 to conduct astronomic and atmospheric research.
The LNA chip joins a growing list of TRW InP products that have demonstrated the technology s ability to shrink the size and increase the sensitivity of satellite instruments used for environmental remote sensing and atmospheric sounding.
In addition to space applications, TRW, through its new commercial semiconductor company, Velocium, has also recently introduced a wide variety of very high-speed InP components and other products for fiber optic and wireless telecommunications systems. Both scientific and commercial chips will be produced in TRW s new high-volume InP manufacturing facility, the world s first to use 4-inch wafers.
TRW Inc. provides advanced technology products and services for the global aerospace, telecommunications, information systems and automotive markets. News releases about the company s activities are available on the Internet at www.trw.com and www.velocium.com.
Contact: TRW Inc.
Brooks McKinney Tel: 310/814-8177 brooks.mckinney@trw.com
TRW Inc.Brooks McKinney
Tel: 310/814-8177
brooks.mckinney@trw.com
E-mail: brooks.mckinney@trw.com
Web site: http://www.trw.com
