Strategy Analytics’ latest review says GaN technology is now firmly in the commercial domain and is being used to provide “green” solutions as well as targeting the defense industry.
Strategy Analytics’ latest review, “Compound Semiconductor Industry Review May-August 2010: Microelectronics” says that there were a lot of new developments between May and August this year with MTT-S used to launch new products and showcase new technologies.
On the financials side, reported revenues were also on the up going hand-in-hand with improved profitability. Financial confidence was also mirrored in a couple of companies choosing to go for IPOs, while mergers and acquisitions also featured.
Silicon technologies continue to boast improving performance, pushing the traditional performance envelopes and encroaching on traditional GaAs markets. GaN technology is also now firmly in the commercial domain with infrastructure markets looking to this technology to provide “green” solutions as well as targeting the defense industry.
MTT-S was used by the industry to launch a slew of new products. Notable examples included:
Freescale introduced four new devices designed and optimized specifically for high performance in macro base stations, and featuring both pHEMT and HBT technologies.
Avago Technologies announced early prototypes for a five-chip family targeting the expanding 38 GHz and 42 GHz cellular radio infrastructure and backhaul point-to-point radio markets.
Toshiba launched a series of GaAs MMIC and discrete products targeting C-band and Ku-band applications.
On the financial side, reported revenues were also on the up and financial confidence was also mirrored IPOs and mergers and acquisitions activity.
TriQuint reported second quarter revenues was $207.5 million, an increase of 15% sequentially with net income also improving to $22.5 million, compared with $13.7 million sequentially.
Anadigics also reported improving results with second quarter revenes of $51.7 million, an increase of 19% sequentially as well as a return to profitability.
M/A-COM Technologies rebirth continued with a series of high-profile appointments as well as the merger with Mimix Broadband plus subsidiaries.
NXP announced that its IPO of 34 million shares of common stock would be priced at $14 per share.
There was a range of new GaN products from Cree, Mitsubishi Electric RFMD, Toshiba, TriQuint and other companies such as Nitronex, Panasonic and Integra, with the latter group demonstrating the improving capabilities of GaN-on-Si technology.
