Diverse Accessible Heterogeneous Integration (DAHI) Technology at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems (NGAS)

Semiconductor technologies have advanced significantly over the last few decades. CMOS is providing tremendous digital processing power by integrating billions of transistors. InP has bridged the terahertz frequency barrier. GaN is offering unprecedented solid state RF power across the microwave spectrum. However, the performance, size, weight and power efficiency requirements for near future electronic functions are increasingly demanding. These cannot be met with a single semiconductor technology or traditional integration methods. Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems is developing heterogeneous integration processes that enable integration of submicron CMOS, high efficiency InP HBT, low noise InP and GaAs HEMT and high power GaN HEMT technologies with ultra wide band low loss heterogeneous interfaces in excess of 100GHz and complex connectivity between the technologies with efficient interfaces from the point of view of RF, thermal and mechanical performance. Heterogeneous Integration lets engineers take advantage of all of these technologies by combining them onto a single chip to achieve the ultimate in RF, mixed-signal and digital capability for 5G and future mobile applications.