MMIC technology for Defense and Space Applications - R&D to Production

Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs) are widely used for realizing microwave subsystems which find use in communications, RADAR and other defence systems. Development and acceptance of products for Defence and Space applications requires adherence to stringent qualification and screening criteria. The Gallium Arsenide Enabling Technology Centre (GAETEC) at Hyderabad, is a vertically integrated foundry with design, fabrication, assembly, testing, packaging and module making facilities. At present GAETEC is running 0.7 and 0.5 micron MESFET-based microwave circuit technologies at different frequency ranges. GAETEC has productionised several indigenous R&D efforts carried out at Solid State Physics Laboratory (SSPL), DRDO, Delhi, and delivered several critical MMICs and application specific RF modules for Defence applications and ISRO satellite space missions. The presentation will cover the GaAs and GaN technology devices and MMICs technologies at GAETEC and typical road map from R&D to a qualified production worthy technology.