Nitronex announces world's smallest broadband 5W PA solution

Nitronex, a leader in the design and manufacture of gallium nitride (GaN) based RF solutions for high performance applications in the defense, communications, cable TV, and industrial & scientific markets, has developed the industry's smallest broadband 5W PA solution.  Designated the NPA1003, the GaN PA MMIC features a 4mm x 4mm thermally-enhanced QFN package with RF input and output matched to 50 ohms.  The highly integrated NPA1003 GaN MMIC only requires an external resistor and inductor to provide bias. With output power over 5W from 20 to 1500MHz and typical efficiency of over 50%, the overall solution size is less than 0.25 square inches, smaller than any competing solution. "The new NPA1003 has created a pull in the market that we fully anticipated it would," commented Gary Blackington, VP of Sales & Marketing at Nitronex. "This new device has filled a market void with the right power, gain, frequency response, compact size, and ease of use all at the right price point. We have already achieved several design-ins at top tier accounts." "Nitronex's MMIC process was established under a joint development agreement with a large military contractor, resulting in a fully-qualified, production-ready process in July 2009. We have worked with multiple strategically selected customers since 2009 to develop and productize custom MMICs and have shipped more than 50,000 production devices to customers," said Ray Crampton, VP of Engineering at Nitronex.  "Nitronex's proprietary GaN-on-Si process has a significant advantage over our competitors using SiC substrates. Our superior starting substrate quality and cost structure allow us to develop high performance, large area MMICs at competitive prices which gives us the freedom to solve customer problems in ways our competitors can not." Nitronex's qualified MMIC process is based on a 28V, 0.5μm gate length GaN HEMT and features high voltage capacitors, air bridges, through-wafer vias, nichrome and epi resistors, and two levels of metal interconnect. Further, a 3.5μm plated gold top metallization results in low loss inductors, and a high resistivity silicon substrate is used which supports low loss transmission lines to over 20 GHz. Nitronex works closely with strategic customers in both foundry and custom MMIC development activities. Interested parties should contact their Nitronex sales representative to discuss these options. About Nitronex Nitronex Corporation is an innovative leader in the design and manufacture of gallium nitride (GaN) based RF solutions.  Nitronex is the pioneer in developing high performance gallium nitride on silicon (GaN-on-Si) semiconductor solutions using its proprietary SIGANTIC® manufacturing process.  Nitronex products enable high performance applications in the defense, communications, cable TV, and industrial & scientific markets. An ISO-9001 certified manufacturer, Nitronex was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Durham, NC.  Nitronex has been awarded 24 patents with 15 others pending.  For more information, please visit the Nitronex web site at www.nitronex.com