Northrop Grumman begins sampling GaN packaged power amplifier

USA: Northrop Grumman Corp. has developed a new gallium nitride (GaN) flange packaged power amplifier, APN180FP, targeting military and commercial Ka-band communication applications. This product represents the first commercial availability of a packaged, GaN-based component from the company.

"The APN180FP provides customers with a powerful, easy-to-use, high-frequency product that greatly expands the accessibility of Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits [MMICs]. Initial engineering evaluation sampling of prototypes is underway. Preproduction quantities will be available later this summer," said Frank Kropschot, GM of the Microelectronics Products and Services business unit of Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems.

"This amplifier is produced in Northrop Grumman's advanced microelectronics wafer fabrication facility in Manhattan Beach, Calif., which has provided large volumes of compound semiconductor products to both military and commercial customers for more than 20 years. We are targeting the APN180FP for the growing Ka-band satellite communication terminal and the commercial wireless infrastructure markets."