Semiconductor today

A gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) incorporating the proprietary reGaN selective regrowth technology of IVWorks Co Ltd of Daejeon, South Korea has become the world’s first GaN transistor to achieve a maximum oscillation frequency (fmax) exceeding 700GHz. This was demonstrated through a 45nm GaN HEMT device developed by professor Dae-hyun Kim’s research team in the School of Electronics Engineering at Kyungpook National University and was unveiled on 18 June at the 2026 IEEE/JSAP Symposium on VLSI Technology & Circuits in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA...

Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany says that the Munich District Court (Landgericht München I) has ruled in its favor in two further patent infringement cases – specifically one based on a patent and one based on a utility model – concerning gallium nitride (GaN) technology between Infineon and Innoscience...

AXT Inc of Fremont, CA, USA — which makes gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium phosphide (InP) and germanium (Ge) substrates and raw materials at plants in China — says that its subsidiary Beijing Tongmei Xtal Technology Co Ltd has entered into a long-term supply agreement to reserve production capacity and raw-material allocation for, and grant supply priority to, Nanjing Casela Technologies Corporation Ltd...

Elethron Ltd of London, UK and ATMOS Space Cargo GmbH of Lichtenau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany have concluded a joint engineering campaign to map and bridge the critical interfaces and operational architecture required to integrate Elethron’s microgravity materials processing lab into ATMOS’ PHOENIX free-flying reusable orbital transfer and return vehicle (OTRV), an uncrewed transportation system for controlled cargo transport, operations and return from low Earth orbit (LEO)...

Aehr Test Systems of Fremont, CA, USA — which provides solutions for testing, burning-in and stabilizing semiconductor devices in wafer-level, singulated die, and packaged-part form — has received a follow-on production order for a fully automated FOX-XP wafer-level burn-in (WLBI) system, for delivery within the next six months. The system is configured to test nine wafers in parallel, and includes a fully integrated WaferPak Auto Aligner, and a full set of FOX WaferPak Contactors...

Materials, networking and laser technology firm Coherent Corp of Saxonburg, PA, USA has signed a letter of intent to receive up to $50m in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act from the US Department of Commerce to expand its 6-inch indium phosphide (InP) photonic device manufacturing facility in Sherman, Texas...

Materials, networking and laser technology firm Coherent Corp of Saxonburg, PA, USA has signed a letter of intent to receive up to $50m in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act from the US Department of Commerce to expand its 6-inch indium phosphide (InP) photonic device manufacturing facility in Sherman, Texas...

Phlux Technology — which was spun off from the University of Sheffield in 2020 and designs and manufactures 1550nm avalanche photodiode (APD) infrared (IR) sensors — has announced beta-sample availability of the Apex 200µm receiver module, PX02200-TO, for ultra-low-light detection as part of a family of Apex receivers that combine Phlux’s Noiseless InGaAs Aura APD detectors with low-noise, optimized pre-amplifier circuits all integrated in an industry-standard TO-8, 12-pin header package...

Phlux Technology — which was spun off from the University of Sheffield in 2020 and designs and manufactures 1550nm avalanche photodiode (APD) infrared (IR) sensors — has announced beta-sample availability of the Apex 200µm receiver module, PX02200-TO, for ultra-low-light detection as part of a family of Apex receivers that combine Phlux’s Noiseless InGaAs Aura APD detectors with low-noise, optimized pre-amplifier circuits all integrated in an industry-standard TO-8, 12-pin header package...

As quantum technologies move towards commercial deployment, the need to accelerate UK research into scalable, real-world deployment is increasingly critical. In response, the UK’s Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult has appointed as head of quantum, helping to accelerate its focus on key areas including quantum systems, AI hardware, advanced packaging, photonics, RF control, William Waller cryogenic integration and test. These capabilities are central to enabling the next generation of quantum technologies, particularly in quantum communications, quantum sensing and future quantum computing infrastructure, where integration, reliability and scalability will be essential...

As quantum technologies move towards commercial deployment, the need to accelerate UK research into scalable, real-world deployment is increasingly critical. In response, the UK’s Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult has appointed as head of quantum, helping to accelerate its focus on key areas including quantum systems, AI hardware, advanced packaging, photonics, RF control, William Waller cryogenic integration and test. These capabilities are central to enabling the next generation of quantum technologies, particularly in quantum communications, quantum sensing and future quantum computing infrastructure, where integration, reliability and scalability will be essential...

After announcing capacity investments last July and October and this February, Tokyo-based JX Advanced Metals Corp is to invest up to ¥120bn more over the next four years to further expand its production capacity of indium phosphide (InP) substrates, used in optical communications transceivers that support the large-volume data transmission required by the advancement of AI...

After announcing capacity investments last July and October and this February, Tokyo-based JX Advanced Metals Corp is to invest up to ¥120bn more over the next four years to further expand its production capacity of indium phosphide (InP) substrates, used in optical communications transceivers that support the large-volume data transmission required by the advancement of AI...

With the explosive growth of artificial intelligence and the exponential increase in computing power demand, data centers require greater bandwidth but without increasing power consumption further. The short-distance interconnect solution inside data-center servers and racks is currently undergoing a historic shift of ‘optical-in, copper-out’...

Synthetic diamond materials firm Element Six of Oxford, UK (E6, part of the De Beers Group) and Tokyo-based Orbray Co Ltd (which makes precision jewel parts, DC coreless motors, fiber-optic components, and medical devices) have announced the next phase of their partnership, building on a joint aim to deliver wafer-scale single-crystal diamond (WSC)...

PicoJool Inc of Palo Alto, CA, USA (which is developing optical chips and modules for high-bandwidth, low-cost connectivity in hyperscale AI data centers) is introducing its 200G vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) products, with a bandwidth exceeding 37GHz. The firm will begin sampling chip-level products in third-quarter 2026, including quad 100G, quad 200G and 32x50G NRZ micro-VCSELs for slow and wide applications. PicoJool says that it is already working with system startups and hyperscalers to define the next generation of pluggable, near-packaged optics (NPO) and co-packaged optics (CPO) solutions for AI data centers...

Fabless firm Cambridge GaN Devices Ltd (CGD) — which was spun out of the University of Cambridge in 2016 to design, develop and commercialize power transistors and ICs that use GaN-on-silicon substrates — has joined forces with NXP Semiconductors N.V. of Eindhoven, The Netherlands to accelerate time to market in data-center and automotive markets...

Wolfspeed Inc of Durham, NC, USA — which makes silicon carbide (SiC) materials and power semiconductor devices — has appointed Daniel (Dan) Whalen as vice president, investor relations, leading investor relations strategy and engagement with the financial community as the firm continues to advance its long-term strategic and operational priorities...

Epiwafer and substrate maker IQE plc of Cardiff, Wales, UK and specialty analog foundry Tower Semiconductor Ltd of Migdal Haemek, Israel have announced a multi-year agreement for the supply of indium phosphide (InP) epiwafers for optical connectivity solutions serving AI-driven data-center infrastructure...

NUBURU Inc of Centennial, CO, USA (a dual-use defense & security integrated platform company focused on non-kinetic effects and directed-energy technologies, electronic warfare and defense mobility programs, software-orchestrated defense systems and advanced manufacturing) has signed a binding head of terms with SunCubes S.r.l., an Italian developer of laser-based wireless power transmission, beam-control, pointing, tracking and safety technologies...