News Article
IQE develops graphene based RFICs
The semiconductor company's expertise applied to US government programme to develop carbon electronics for RF applications (CERA).
IQE, a supplier of semiconductor wafer products and wafer services to the semiconductor industry, announced that its Pennsylvania based operation is to take part in the development of a new generation of carbon based, radio frequency (RF) integrated circuits as part of the carbon electronics for RF applications (CERA) programme. The work, sponsored by the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), will exploit the unique qualities of graphene carbon based RF technology to create a new generation of components that will enable unprecedented capabilities in high bandwidth communications, imaging, and radar systems.
IQE is part of an HRL lead team consisting of commercial, university and military research establishments under the CERA program to develop wafer scale graphene synthesis approaches focused on enabling ultra high speed, low power graphene channel field effect transistors (FETs). The CERA programme will culminate in a demonstration of high performance W band (> 90 GHz) low noise amplifiers, making use of graphene transistors on wafers with diameters greater than or equal to 8 inches and with cross wafer yields of better than 90% to assure the cost effectiveness of this technology.
Graphene is quite different from most conventional three dimensional materials and is often referred to as a “semi metal” or “zero gap semiconductor” and comprises a one atom thick layer carbon atoms that are densely packed in a honeycomb crystal lattice. The programme team proposes to use advanced epitaxial processes to grow an organised layer of bandgap engineered graphene carbon crystals on silicon based wafers to create more efficient, scalable, and cheaper to manufacture transistors.
Steve Gergar, VP and General Manager of IQE’s Bethlehem, Pennsylvania business said: "Graphene is an exciting new material for future generation, ultra high speed, ultra low power consumption radio frequency (RF) components for specialist applications. The use of highly advanced materials such as graphene is essential in developing components for the next generation of sophisticated military imaging systems and high bandwidth communications systems"
The CERA programme started in July 2008 and is expected to be completed by September 2012.
IQE is part of an HRL lead team consisting of commercial, university and military research establishments under the CERA program to develop wafer scale graphene synthesis approaches focused on enabling ultra high speed, low power graphene channel field effect transistors (FETs). The CERA programme will culminate in a demonstration of high performance W band (> 90 GHz) low noise amplifiers, making use of graphene transistors on wafers with diameters greater than or equal to 8 inches and with cross wafer yields of better than 90% to assure the cost effectiveness of this technology.
Graphene is quite different from most conventional three dimensional materials and is often referred to as a “semi metal” or “zero gap semiconductor” and comprises a one atom thick layer carbon atoms that are densely packed in a honeycomb crystal lattice. The programme team proposes to use advanced epitaxial processes to grow an organised layer of bandgap engineered graphene carbon crystals on silicon based wafers to create more efficient, scalable, and cheaper to manufacture transistors.
Steve Gergar, VP and General Manager of IQE’s Bethlehem, Pennsylvania business said: "Graphene is an exciting new material for future generation, ultra high speed, ultra low power consumption radio frequency (RF) components for specialist applications. The use of highly advanced materials such as graphene is essential in developing components for the next generation of sophisticated military imaging systems and high bandwidth communications systems"
The CERA programme started in July 2008 and is expected to be completed by September 2012.
