Technical Insight
R&D contracts reach $5m for RFMD
RFMD has announced it will carry out research and development contracts worth $5 million this year and that it has signed a new contract with the US government.
RF Micro Devices (RFMD) has announced the company is set to carry out research and development (R&D) contracts worth $5 million (£3.23 million) in 2010.
The firm specialises in the design and manufacture of high-performance radio frequency components and compound semiconductor technologies. Applications of its products include use in cellular handset, wireless infrastructure, wireless local area networks, broadband and aerospace and defence markets.
Jeff Shealy, vice-president and general manager of RFMD s Defense and Power business unit, said: "We are gratified to receive these R&D contract awards from the US Department of Defense and we look forward to furthering our research and development efforts related to GaN microelectronics, including materials, device fabrication and high-power circuits."
Mr Shealy explained the company is working to deliver a range of products for the US government, with work regarding GaN microelectrics one of its latest projects. Design, manufacture and the creation of high-power circuits will be the main aims of the research.
He noted GaN compound semiconductors are superior to other similar technologies as they provide greater power per sq mm, bandwidth and breakdown voltages.
"The unique physical properties of RFMD s GaN technology deliver industry-leading reliability performance," he claimed.
Bob Bruggeworth, president and chief executive officer of the company, said the superior quality of its GaN products has meant the company is in high demand for its services.
He commented: "Importantly, RFMD s GaN technology is manufactured in the same high-volume manufacturing facility as our industry-leading GaAs products, providing RFMD a measurable competitive advantage and enabling further improvement in RFMD s return on invested capital."
Since 2004, the company has carried out contracts worth $13 million for the US government, with the firm recently signing a new R&D deal for the creation of GaN microelectric systems for use in both the military and civilian fields.
Meanwhile, the business recently announced the launch of its new configurable power core - PowerSmart - which it claims delivers industry-leading functional efficiency.
The technology provides excellent switching and signal conditioning functions, enabling it to work with the latest 3G and 4G mobile communication systems.
PowerSmart reduces board space by more than 40 per cent, provides "superior" energy efficiency and processes cellular modulations at the industry s lowest total cost of ownership, the firm noted.
The company recently introduced a number of new products at the 2010 Mobile World Congress - including a high-power broadband GaN power amplifier design for cellular base stations that transmits at greater than 50 per cent energy efficiency over the 728 to 960 megahertz band.
In addition, it unveiled a new RF configurable power core for 3G and 4G smartphones, adding to its extensive range of technologies for GSM/GPRS, EDGE, WEDGE, WCDMA, LTE, Wi-Fi and WiMAX devices.
Mr Bruggeworth noted it is this drive for innovation that highlights the firms increasing dollar content opportunities and is useful in its continuing efforts for diversification and success.
