Military Embedded Systems

5G and 6G connectivity goal of Raytheon, GLOBALFOUNDRIES semiconductor agreement

News

May 19, 2021

Emma Helfrich

Technology Editor

Military Embedded Systems

Stock image.

WALTHAM, Mass. and BURLINGTON, Vt. Raytheon Technologies and GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GF) will collaborate to develop and commercialize a new gallium nitride on silicon (GaN-on-Si) semiconductor that will aim to enable radio frequency performance for 5G and 6G mobile and wireless infrastructure applications.

Under the agreement, Raytheon Technologies claims it will license its proprietary GaN-on-Si technology to GF, which will develop the new semiconductor at its Fab 9 facility in Burlington, Vermont. Gallium nitride is a material used to build high-performance semiconductors that can handle significant heat and power levels, ideal for 5G and 6G.

Combined with GF's manufacturing experience and differentiated services in RF, testing, and packaging, the new GaN offering will be intended to increase RF performance while maintaining production and operational costs.

This could enable customers to achieve new levels of power and power-added efficiency to meet evolving 5G and 6G RF millimeter-wave operating frequency standards.