Qorvo® Awarded DoD Contract to Advance Copper-Pillar-on-GaN Technology
Program will enable smaller footprint in phased array, communication and electronic warfare systems
GREENSBORO, NC – May 20, 2020 – Qorvo® (Nasdaq:QRVO), a leading provider of innovative RF solutions that connect the world, has been awarded a three-year contract to further advance the development of copper-pillar-on-GaN flip-chip technology. This Department of Defense (DoD) program will create a high-yield domestic foundry to mature the copper flip assembly process, which enables vertical die stacking in space-constrained phased array radar systems and other defense electronics.
Conventional module-level integration on printed wiring boards is performed by wire bonding and uses metal housing and chip-and-wire modules. This wastes space while adding weight and cost to the system. Copper pillar flip-chip technology enables vertical stacking of die to integrate many more components, resulting in tighter die-to-die and die-to package spacings to reduce module weight and cost.
While copper flip-chip is used today in high volume for GaAs and silicon RF applications, copper pillar flip-chip GaN technology is typically produced only in small quantities using a costly prototype process. Qorvo's goal under the contract is to establish a high-yield, reliable copper flip-chip GaN MMIC technology and achieve Manufacturing Readiness Level 9 by 2022.The three-year contract is being administered by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, on behalf of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Defense-wide Manufacturing Science & Technology (DMS&T).
Vijay Balakrishna, Qorvo's senior director of Research, Infrastructure and Defense products, said, "This contract leverages Qorvo's 30-year investment in GaN and GaAs manufacturing and packaging technology. By maturing today's copper pillar flip-chip technology and pushing it to new levels of RF performance, Qorvo will increase yields, shorten manufacturing time and significantly reduce costs in both defense and commercial phased array applications."
Qorvo offers the industry's broadest RF GaN-on-SiC portfolio to help customers realize superior efficiency and operational bandwidth. The company's RF GaN-on-SiC products deliver high power density, reduced size, excellent gain, high reliability and process maturity. Qorvo is a leading supplier of RF products and compound semiconductor foundry services to defense primes and other global defense and aerospace customers. Qorvo is the only supplier to achieve a Manufacturing Readiness Level 10 (MRL 10) rating from the U.S. Department of Defense.
About Qorvo
Qorvo (Nasdaq: QRVO) makes a better world possible by providing innovative Radio Frequency (RF) solutions at the center of connectivity. We combine product and technology leadership, systems-level expertise and global manufacturing scale to quickly solve our customers' most complex technical challenges. Qorvo serves diverse high-growth segments of large global markets, including advanced wireless devices, wired and wireless networks and defense radar and communications. We also leverage unique competitive strengths to advance 5G networks, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and other emerging applications that expand the global framework interconnecting people, places and things. Visit www.qorvo.com to learn how Qorvo connects the world.
Qorvo is a registered trademark of Qorvo, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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