Atomera addresses parasitic channel losses in GaN-on-Si

Atomera claims its technology reduces these losses and offers exceptional linearity, enabling lower-cost GaN solutions for 5G, 6G, and other high-frequency RF devices.

Atomera’s approach, called MST (Mears Silicon Technology), introduces a thin, oxygen-modified layer near the surface of the silicon wafer, creating a more favorable platform for GaN growth and making silicon a more viable foundation for high-performance RF devices.

This controlled layer modifies the silicon lattice structure and helps block the diffusion of electrical dopants, improving crystal quality at the GaN/silicon interface.

“Successfully overcoming challenges like the parasitic channel positions Atomera to achieve a competitive advantage in GaN-on-Silicon, which we believe will provide growth opportunities for Atomera in advanced RF and power electronics.,” says CEO Scott Bibaud.

In Atomera’s testing, MST enabled more than a 10x reduction in parasitic channel charge, reducing a key mechanism of RF power loss and supporting improved high-frequency GaN device performance. Furthermore, the test data has proven that MST will allow devices to handle significant power while maintaining signal quality, or linearity, under stress.

“Linearity is a top care-about for RF designers, and the new data shows MST GaN-on-Silicon achieving both the ultra-low RF losses and linearity metrics of advanced trap-rich RF SOI,” says CTO Robert Mears, “atbthe benchmark input power of 30mW, the linearity is exceptional, 1000x better than the GaN-on-silicon reference wafer. The MST benefit extends all the way to 10W input power.”

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