Raytheon nets $14.9 million contract for gallium nitride semiconductors for radars, defense systems

Raytheon Company will continue its work on gallium nitride (GaN) based semiconductors with $14.9 million awarded through a second contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

"We have only scratched the surface when it comes to harnessing the game-changing power that gallium nitride technology can bring to military applications," Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems Vice President of Advanced Technology Colin Whelan said.

The recently awarded contract will allow Raytheon to build upon the progress made under a previous GaN Title III contract, which closed in 2013. GaN semiconductors are used in a range of radars and defense systems and allows for enhanced range and raid handling with smaller sizes and lower energy and cost requirements. Under the new contract, Raytheon hopes to improve upon their GaN-based circuits and circulator components in terms of performance yield and reliability.

"This contract will build on the 17-year, $200-plus million investment Raytheon has made in maturing GaN. Over the next two years, we will further refine our GaN process to push the limits of radio frequency performance while maintaining or increasing yield and reliability," Whelan said.

The new technology will be incorporated into the company’s Space and Airborne Systems’ Next Generation Jammer program, set for initial production in 2018.