Domestic researchers have developed a domestic technology for gallium nitride (GaN) integrated circuits used in military radars and satellite transmission and reception modules. This advancement allows for the localization of the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, which is considered the brain of fighter jets, and key components of all-weather high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for satellites, significantly contributing to defense technology self-reliance.
The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced on the 27th that it has developed, in collaboration with the domestic semiconductor company WAVICE, the first domestic gallium nitride-based monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC), a key component used in military radars and high-resolution synthetic aperture radars.
In this research, which has been conducted since 2023, ETRI combined its semiconductor design technology with WAVICE's production process technology to develop three types of transmission and reception chips operating in the X-band frequency range. The X-band frequency range operates from 8 gigahertz (GHz) to 12 GHz, with short wavelengths suitable for collecting high-resolution image information, weather observation, air or maritime control, and military radars.
The research team emphasized that they developed key components for high-performance military semiconductors, which had previously relied entirely on imports, using domestic technology and established the foundation for mass production at domestic facilities. They explained that it was significant to produce results at the only gallium nitride mass production factory in the country, achieving performance levels equivalent to commercial products from leading countries in overseas foundries, such as the United States and Europe.
The developed gallium nitride MMIC is expected to provide higher output and efficiency than existing gallium arsenide (GaAs) products, dramatically improving the performance of military and satellite communication radars. An AESA system can quickly detect and track targets by steering its beams. It can detect and track multiple targets simultaneously compared to mechanical radars, and has a much wider detection radius, allowing it to track both aerial and ground targets.
In addition, similar transmission and reception modules will be equipped in high-resolution synthetic aperture radars, which are expected to significantly contribute to miniaturization and performance enhancement of devices using gallium nitride semiconductors. Synthetic aperture radars emit waves from satellites to the ground and receive reflected waves to determine the shape of objects. Unlike cameras that receive visible light, radars can receive waves regardless of nighttime or cloudy conditions, enabling all-weather observation.
Im Jong-won, head researcher at ETRI's RF/power components research lab, noted, "We have developed three types of high-performance transmission and reception chips for the first time in the country by combining ETRI's design technology with WAVICE's process technology, and I hope this technology contributes to the localization of key components for military radars and satellites."
Choi Yoon-ho, chief technology officer of WAVICE, also stated, "We have laid the groundwork for self-reliance in key military components based on domestic infrastructure capable of mass-producing gallium nitride semiconductors, which will greatly aid in stable system development and actual deployment in the future."