Raytheon researches Gallium Nitride at the Radio Frequency Components Foundry in Andover, Mass. Photo: Raytheon

[Via Satellite 12-17-2014] Satellites may soon carry Raytheon’s Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology into orbit. The company has successfully validated its GaN Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) technology for use in space-bound equipment.

Raytheon GaN MMICs, manufactured at its Andover, Mass. foundry, demonstrated the radiation hardness required for space through Single Event Burn-out (SEB) and Total Ionizing Dose (TID) testing. The results showed the devices are not susceptible to catastrophic failure caused by heavy ions. Further testing showed no loss of performance at exposure levels up to 1 Mrad, significantly more than is needed for typical space applications.

GaN-based components are more than five times as powerful as semiconductors presently used in radars and other types of sensors resulting in lighter, more capable electronics, according to Raytheon.