Panasonic Develops High Gain and Low Noise Gallium Nitride (GaN) Integrated Circuits for Future Millimeter-Wave Communication

Osaka, Japan - Panasonic, the leading brand by which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is generally known, today announced the development of Gallium Nitride (GaN) integrated circuits (ICs) for the receiver in future millimeter-wave communication systems. The developed amplifier IC achieved the gain of 22dB at 26GHz which is the world highest value in GaN-based ICs at such high frequencies.

The GaN IC features integrated microstrip lines which enable very compact 3-stage amplifier on a single chip. This is accomplished by developing a via-hole through chemically stable sapphire formed by a novel laser drilling technique using a high power pulsed laser. The integrated via-holes ensure good ground contacts resulting in reducing the transmission loss on the cost effective sapphire substrate. In addition, Panasonic's proprietary metal-insulator- semiconductor (MIS) transistor with crystalline SiN film as the gate insulator achieves low noise figure of 1.4dB.
These device technologies enable high gain and low noise receiving ICs for the high frequencies at which the signal intensity is drastically reduced in the air. The presented GaN IC would greatly contribute to the future long distance and broadband communication using millimeter-wave frequencies.

Applications for twenty nine domestic and twenty one international patents have been filed. These research and development results have been presented at 2008 IEEE International Microwave Symposium, held at Atlanta, U.S. from June 15 to 20, 2008. This development is partially supported by "The research and development project for expansion of radio spectrum resources" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan.

About Panasonic

Best known for its Panasonic brand name, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of JPY 9,068.9billion (approx. USD 90.52billion, exchange rate USD 1=JPY 100.19 as of March 31, 2008). The company's shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE:MC) stock exchanges. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net/.