Indian AESA Radar Developments

It appears we are not bothered about what they think.
There are other means thru which we can get them to acquiesce to our demands.
What would be our approach here ? Carrot & stick ? Will we tell them that we will buy more of their stuff if we can upgrade the electronics ourselves ?
Aren't military grade semi conductors of a lower sophistication as compared to the commercial grade ones?
Not all of them. Depends on the use really. You can make very powerful processors using the SCL's ancient 180 nm CMOS node. The processor will just be larger in size & consume more energy to do the work. So having older nodes don't really stop you from developing powerful processors if just makes the OBCs larger & hinders miniaturization.

The larger size is actually beneficial for certain uses like HEMTs for radiating elements in radars, seekers, EW systems, actuator controls robotics etc. The larger chips usually show better thermal load management & need far less heat removal, a very desirable quality. Chips fabricated at more advanced nodes would heat up a lot more & require cooling. The cooling systems consume a lot of electricity too. So in the end HEMTs fabricated at more advanced nodes end up causing more electricity consumption.

So far we have been fabricating all these chips in India. That's how our missiles, seekers & radars etc. have very high levels of indigenization. But the advanced node chips that find more use in flight computers, data fusion & transmission etc. is still imported from Intel & some other companies. This import is what we are trying to cut down on with the upgrade of the SCL.

But don't expect the imports of high end chips to reduce immediately. But it will happen more rapidly than it did for the low end chips. High end chips are needed in much smaller numbers you see.
If that isn't case what exactly is the SCL Chandigarh upgradation of facilities all about. We certainly don't seem to be spending billions of dollars there.
Excellent question. This is one thing the MoD, DoS & other parties involved do quite well. Cost amortization.

If you read that long boring article I wrote, you will notice that the SCL has many customers. Customers like the ISRO, DRDO, BEL, BHEL, MoD, Indian Railways, BARC, IGCAR etc. All of these organizations have large budgets & have some sort of expansion/modernization program running. Also all of these organizations are under the New Delhi's direct & indirect control.

Get these orgs to issue large orders of the chips they already purchase from SCL to be fabricated at the existing 180 nm CMOS node. Also get them to pre-order the same chips on the upcoming node at that SCL fab. This can be done through a combination of imposing a negative import list on certain types of chips & by heavy promotion of the "Atmanirbhar Bharat" program. Most importantly get these orgs to pay now for the chips fabricated at 180 nm & the upcoming node. So essentially you are taking money from one dept. of the govt. & putting it into the other dept. For the first few years the SCL will be working for free but that's not a problem.

Indian Railways alone plans to spend 100s of billions of US$ on modernization in the next few years. The Railways also have the Railtel under them, Railtel has been instrumental so far in the BharatNet project. For example Railtel is responsible for setting up a door to door broadband network in the entire NE. I can only imagine what that would cost. If the SCL can get a fraction of that money, we are set.

This is more or less how the 180 nm node was set up at the SCL. SCL worked for the ISRO at no cost for the initial few years. The money needed to set up a 180 nm fab was less so ISRO's own budget was enough. This new fab will cost a lot more, thus the collective effort.

But a lot of the supportive facilities already exists than will feed into the new fab. SSPL & GAETEC already has ingot & wafer making plants that supply to the existing 180 nm fab. The same can supply to the new fab. A lot of ship packaging facilities also exists at BEL, SSPL, GAETEC, STARC, LDRE, SCL etc.
 
No. of TRMs: ~740 vs. ~1000

992, the last I heard.

Range: >100 km vs. >160 km for a target with 1 sq. m. RCS

I believe the goal for Mk1 was 160Km for a 2m2 target. That's 135Km for 1m2.

@Gautam so MKIs will get this during upcomming MLUs ? Seems like a No brainer to me as long as Russians are not offering their Su 57 AESA to us.

The Russians offered a radar that's superior to the N036.
 
What would be our approach here ? Carrot & stick ? Will we tell them that we will buy more of their stuff if we can upgrade the electronics ourselves ?

Upgrade the MKIs with our own tech, buy a few squadrons of Su-57 as the alternative.

Or we could even go for a mix. Buy Russian stuff for the 50 jets they delivered as flyaway. Upgrade the remaining with Indian stuff.
Its AESA or conventional pesa radar?

AESA.

last i heard was Russian AESA radars were mediocre.

From where? The West?
 
992, the last I heard.



I believe the goal for Mk1 was 160Km for a 2m2 target. That's 135Km for 1m2.



The Russians offered a radar that's superior to the N036.
How good is that compared to say one in Strike Eagle (AN\APG 82 V2 i believe) in terms of Hardware and software.
Also one big disadvantage in going with Russian option is that like all the other Russian stuff, we will be stuck with them forever, hoping, praying and paying Russians to upgrade them and integrate our weapons into it.
BARS PESA was almost a cutting edge tech when it came in, but Russian and Indian bickering made sure that it will become obsolete.
 
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How good is that compared to say one in Strike Eagle (AN\APG 82 V2 i believe) in terms of Hardware and software.

We have no information to compare.

Also one big disadvantage in going with Russian option is that like all the other Russian stuff, we will be stuck with them forever, hoping, praying and paying Russians to upgrade them and integrate our weapons into it.

That's not really a problem. If we go for their radar, we will naturally ask for all this stuff beforehand.

BARS PESA was almost a cutting edge tech when it came in, but Russian and Indian bickering made sure that it will become obsolete.

It was always meant to be replaced. In fact an upgrade program was planned for early 2010s. It didn't happen because the Russians didn't have an AESA, neither did we, and the Irbis upgrade wasn't enough of an upgrade.
 
We have no information to compare.



That's not really a problem. If we go for their radar, we will naturally ask for all this stuff beforehand.



It was always meant to be replaced. In fact an upgrade program was planned for early 2010s. It didn't happen because the Russians didn't have an AESA, neither did we, and the Irbis upgrade wasn't enough of an upgrade.
Just imagine if we had complete authority over the upgrade of mki avionics, weapons and EWS, we could have gone for Uttam,RBE,CAPTOR,RAVEN instead of waiting for decades and praying for Russians to develop a *censored*in AESA radar. Depending on any foreign OEM(specially Russians) for any type of electronics equipment is a big handicap and should be avoided at all costs. Chinese Electronics industry is developing really fast unlike Ruskis, which are in no hurry for any expensive development.
 
Just imagine if we had complete authority over the upgrade of mki avionics, weapons and EWS, we could have gone for Uttam,RBE,CAPTOR,RAVEN instead of waiting for decades and praying for Russians to develop a *censored*in AESA radar. Depending on any foreign OEM(specially Russians) for any type of electronics equipment is a big handicap and should be avoided at all costs. Chinese Electronics industry is developing really fast unlike Ruskis, which are in no hurry for any expensive development.

The Russians are coming in from behind compared to the West. But when they release their stuff, it's gonna be similar or better than what others are delivering, not inferior.

But yeah, I agree with your sentiment for fully Indianised stuff. Let's see what's been decided for the MKI, we will know in a few months. The MKI MLU signature is gonna happen in 2022.
 
Only if we go for US stealth jet along with SU57.
Yep that's not happening.
If i am not wrong, su57 is a heavy class (so called stealth), there is a room for stealth heavy aircraft in IAF.
Funding the AMCA alone is troublesome, not the Su-57 too.
The IAF is gonna be a zoo for a very long time. Only after 2040 we will start losing our zoo status, with just 4 types remaining. LCA, Rafale, AMCA and MKI. At worst we will have a stopgap import like Su-57 or F-35/NGAD or whatever.
By then the LCA would've branched to 2 or more variants.
Where is @_Anonymous_ today ?
 
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What would be our approach here ? Carrot & stick ? Will we tell them that we will buy more of their stuff if we can upgrade the electronics ourselves ?

Not all of them. Depends on the use really. You can make very powerful processors using the SCL's ancient 180 nm CMOS node. The processor will just be larger in size & consume more energy to do .
It is incorrect. We cannot build powerful ( as per today’s standard) processors with 180nm technology. There are multiple reasons for that.
1. There is a physical limit how big a chip can be. For example a chip simply cannot be 100mm X 100mm, because it will be almost impossible to do timing closure for such a large chip. So we cannot simply increase number of transistors to accommodate the processing requirements.

2. The operating frequency is low for 180nm technology. Even Intel couldn’t go beyond few hundred MHz in spite of it’s custom library.

3. The power cusmption for each transistor is high compared to latest technology nodes like 3 or 5nm. Just think about the mobile processors which are 1000 times more powerful than the processors available at late 90s ( 180nm), yet consume few hundred milli watts!!

However, older technology nodes like 180 or 130 nm are quite suitable for analog or mixed signal chips. Even today many sensors are built at 180nm since they are incredibly cheap and satisfy the requirements. The processing part is done with a digital processor with lower node technology.
 
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1. There is a physical limit how big a chip can be. For example a chip simply cannot be 100mm X 100mm, because it will be almost impossible to do timing closure for such a large chip. So we cannot simply increase number of transistors to accommodate the processing requirements.

2. The operating frequency is low for 180nm technology. Even Intel couldn’t go beyond few hundred MHz in spite of it’s custom library.
Hello there. Long time. Hope you are doing well. :)

I have seen some 1-1.2 GHz chips from DRDO a few years back in some Aero India exhibition. I forget the name of the chips but it was a RISC-V ISA packaged in 256-pin BGA. The chip size was near 20 sq. mm, I don't remember that well.

The posters said the fabrication was done at GAETEC. I did some digging & found that the chip design was done by SITAR. Initial manufacturing & testing was done by Fujitsu but now the chips are made in India. I remember Fujitsu had a line of RISC ISA processors that they produced & sold form the early 2000s.

But I couldn't find what process tech was used by Fujitsu to make these processors. So I assumed that since we are making it at home surely it is 180 nm.
3. The power cusmption for each transistor is high compared to latest technology nodes like 3 or 5nm. Just think about the mobile processors which are 1000 times more powerful than the processors available at late 90s ( 180nm), yet consume few hundred milli watts!!
Didn't realize the difference was that big.:oops:
However, older technology nodes like 180 or 130 nm are quite suitable for analog or mixed signal chips. Even today many sensors are built at 180nm since they are incredibly cheap and satisfy the requirements. The processing part is done with a digital processor with lower node technology.
Yep. I read that the telecom industry uses a lot of these 180 nm chips on their RRUs.
 
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Indian Scientists Develop High-Performance Transistor Models, Circuits Useful For Space And Defence Applications

by Swarajya Staff-Dec 31, 2021 10:24 AM
1641022572050.png

Professor Y S Chauhan with his team at Nanolab, IIT Kanpur. Pic Via PIB Website.

Indian researchers have developed a high performance industry-standard model for Aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN/GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) with simple design procedures which can be used to make high-power Radio Frequency (RF) circuits owing to its high breakdown voltage.

Radio Frequency circuits include amplifiers and switches, which are used in wireless transmission and are useful for space and defence applications.

As AlGaN/GaN HEMTs can also extend the power level of solid-state microwave circuits by a factor of five to ten, resulting in an appreciable reduction in the overall chip size and cost, the standard developed can significantly reduce the development cost of the circuits and devices for transmitting high-frequency signals, a Science and Technology Ministry release said on Thursday (30 December).

The technology is rapidly gaining popularity owing to its high performance and efficiency. It has two excellent properties – high mobility and high-power performance. These properties reduce the noise figure and complexity while designing Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs) (used in wireless transmission like mobile phones, base stations) while increasing the achievable bandwidth, the ministry said.

AlGaN/GaN HEMTs have become the technology of choice for high-frequency and high-power applications like 5G, radars, base stations, satellite communications, etc.

To design wideband power amplifiers, a fully robust and accurate physics-based radio frequency (RF) GaN HEMT model is of prime importance.

In the current work, the team led by Professor Yogesh Singh Chauhan at IIT Kanpur developed and standardized a physics-based compact model for AlGaN/GaN HEMTs – the Advanced Spice Model for GaN-HEMTs (ASM-HEMT).

The standard model for circuit design developed simplifies the design procedure for high-performance RF circuits and helps in automating the design efforts as well as brings down the overall development cost. Besides, it can accurately predict the AlGaN/GaN HEMT's behavior in circuit design, the ministry added.

The development of the model involved characterizing AlGaN/GaN HEMTs using state-of-the-art characterization systems integrated in a setup used for measuring the electronic characteristics like current, the capacitance of semiconductor devices, including high-frequency characteristics.

This setup, consisting of a Keysight B1500 Semiconductor Device Analyzer, an AMCAD PIV system, a passive load-pull system from Maury Microwaves, a Keysight B1505 Power Device analyzer, all connected using a FormFactor probe station, was partially supported by ‘Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure (FIST)’ and Technology Development Programme (TDP) schemes of Department of Science and Technology, the ministry said.

The measurements facility funded by FIST and TDP is being heavily used by ISRO, DRDO, and other companies to characterise the semiconductor devices for high-frequency applications.

Professor Chauhan’s team measures the current, capacitance, and RF characteristics of the devices under test and uses parameter extraction tools to extract the parameters of the ASM-HEMT model for a given technology.

Once the model behavior is in close agreement with the measured characteristics, the model is validated for practical applications.

The team is concurrently working on circuit design and has delivered a state-of-the-art commercial GaAs-based LNA with one of the lowest reported noise figures in the market. Ongoing efforts include LNA, and PA design based on the AlGaN/GaN material system, the ministry said.

Indian Scientists Develop High-Performance Transistor Models, Circuits Useful For Space And Defence Applications

The PIB release:

Ministry of Science & Technology

Scientists develop high-performance transistor models and circuits useful for space and defense applications


Posted On: 30 DECEMBER 2021, 4:36 PM by PIB Delhi​

Indian researchers have developed a high performance industry-standard model for Aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN/GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) with simple design procedures which can be used to make high-power Radio Frequency (RF) circuits owing to its high breakdown voltage.

Radio Frequency circuits include amplifiers and switches, which are used in wireless transmission and are useful for space and defense applications.

As AlGaN/GaN HEMTs can also extend the power level of solid-state microwave circuits by a factor of five to ten, resulting in an appreciable reduction in the overall chip size and cost, the standard developed can significantly reduce the development cost of the circuits and devices for transmitting high-frequency signals.

1641022816315.png

Figure: A small-signal equivalent of the industry-standard ASM-HEMT model.

The technology is rapidly gaining popularity owing to its high performance and efficiency. It has two excellent properties – high mobility and high-power performance. These properties reduce the noise figure and complexity while designing Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs) (used in wireless transmission like mobile phones, base stations) while increasing the achievable bandwidth.

AlGaN/GaN HEMTs have become the technology of choice for high-frequency and high-power applications like 5G, radars, base stations, satellite communications, etc. To design wideband power amplifiers, a fully robust and accurate physics-based radio frequency (RF) GaN HEMT model is of prime importance.

In the current work, the team led by Prof. Yogesh Singh Chauhan at IIT Kanpur developed and standardized a physics-based compact model for AlGaN/GaN HEMTs – the Advanced Spice Model for GaN-HEMTs (ASM-HEMT). The standard model for circuit design developed simplifies the design procedure for high-performance RF circuits and helps in automating the design efforts as well as brings down the overall development cost. Besides, it can accurately predict the AlGaN/GaN HEMT's behavior in circuit design.

1641022869105.png

Figure: Large-signal load-pull contours modeled accurately using the industry-standard ASM-HEMT model.

The development of the model involved characterizing AlGaN/GaN HEMTs using state-of-the-art characterization systems integrated in a setup used for measuring the electronic characteristics like current, the capacitance of semiconductor devices, including high-frequency characteristics. This setup (consisting of a Keysight B1500 Semiconductor Device Analyzer, an AMCAD PIV system, a passive load-pull system from Maury Microwaves, a Keysight B1505 Power Device analyzer, all connected using a FormFactor probe station) was partially supported by ‘Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure (FIST)’ and Technology Development Programme (TDP) schemes of Department of Science and Technology.

The measurements facility funded by FIST & TDP is being heavily used by ISRO, DRDO, and other companies to characterize the semiconductor devices for high-frequency applications.

Prof. Chauhan’s team measures the current, capacitance, and RF characteristics of the devices under test and uses parameter extraction tools to extract the parameters of the ASM-HEMT model for a given technology. Once the model behavior is in close agreement with the measured characteristics, the model is validated for practical applications.

The team is concurrently working on circuit design and has delivered a state-of-the-art commercial GaAs-based LNA with one of the lowest reported noise figures in the market. Ongoing efforts include LNA, and PA design based on the AlGaN/GaN material system.

Publication & patent details :
  • R. R. Malik, M. A. Mir, Z. Bhat, A. U. H. Pampori, Y. S. Chauhan, and S. A. Ahsan, "Modeling and Analysis of Double Channel GaN HEMTs using a Physics-based Analytical Model", IEEE Journal of the Electron Devices Society, Vol. 9, pp. 789 - 797, Sept. 2021.
  • A Power Amplifier MMIC Design to Compensate Frequency Dependent Behavior (Patent Filed).
For more details, Prof. Yogesh Singh Chauhan ([email protected]) can be contacted.

Scientists develop high-performance transistor models and circuits useful for space and defense applications
 
Indian Scientists Develop High-Performance Transistor Models, Circuits Useful For Space And Defence Applications

by Swarajya Staff-Dec 31, 2021 10:24 AM
View attachment 22368
Professor Y S Chauhan with his team at Nanolab, IIT Kanpur. Pic Via PIB Website.

Indian researchers have developed a high performance industry-standard model for Aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN/GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) with simple design procedures which can be used to make high-power Radio Frequency (RF) circuits owing to its high breakdown voltage.

Radio Frequency circuits include amplifiers and switches, which are used in wireless transmission and are useful for space and defence applications.

As AlGaN/GaN HEMTs can also extend the power level of solid-state microwave circuits by a factor of five to ten, resulting in an appreciable reduction in the overall chip size and cost, the standard developed can significantly reduce the development cost of the circuits and devices for transmitting high-frequency signals, a Science and Technology Ministry release said on Thursday (30 December).

The technology is rapidly gaining popularity owing to its high performance and efficiency. It has two excellent properties – high mobility and high-power performance. These properties reduce the noise figure and complexity while designing Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs) (used in wireless transmission like mobile phones, base stations) while increasing the achievable bandwidth, the ministry said.

AlGaN/GaN HEMTs have become the technology of choice for high-frequency and high-power applications like 5G, radars, base stations, satellite communications, etc.

To design wideband power amplifiers, a fully robust and accurate physics-based radio frequency (RF) GaN HEMT model is of prime importance.

In the current work, the team led by Professor Yogesh Singh Chauhan at IIT Kanpur developed and standardized a physics-based compact model for AlGaN/GaN HEMTs – the Advanced Spice Model for GaN-HEMTs (ASM-HEMT).

The standard model for circuit design developed simplifies the design procedure for high-performance RF circuits and helps in automating the design efforts as well as brings down the overall development cost. Besides, it can accurately predict the AlGaN/GaN HEMT's behavior in circuit design, the ministry added.

The development of the model involved characterizing AlGaN/GaN HEMTs using state-of-the-art characterization systems integrated in a setup used for measuring the electronic characteristics like current, the capacitance of semiconductor devices, including high-frequency characteristics.

This setup, consisting of a Keysight B1500 Semiconductor Device Analyzer, an AMCAD PIV system, a passive load-pull system from Maury Microwaves, a Keysight B1505 Power Device analyzer, all connected using a FormFactor probe station, was partially supported by ‘Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure (FIST)’ and Technology Development Programme (TDP) schemes of Department of Science and Technology, the ministry said.

The measurements facility funded by FIST and TDP is being heavily used by ISRO, DRDO, and other companies to characterise the semiconductor devices for high-frequency applications.

Professor Chauhan’s team measures the current, capacitance, and RF characteristics of the devices under test and uses parameter extraction tools to extract the parameters of the ASM-HEMT model for a given technology.

Once the model behavior is in close agreement with the measured characteristics, the model is validated for practical applications.

The team is concurrently working on circuit design and has delivered a state-of-the-art commercial GaAs-based LNA with one of the lowest reported noise figures in the market. Ongoing efforts include LNA, and PA design based on the AlGaN/GaN material system, the ministry said.

Indian Scientists Develop High-Performance Transistor Models, Circuits Useful For Space And Defence Applications

The PIB release:

Ministry of Science & Technology

Scientists develop high-performance transistor models and circuits useful for space and defense applications


Posted On: 30 DECEMBER 2021, 4:36 PM by PIB Delhi​

Indian researchers have developed a high performance industry-standard model for Aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN/GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) with simple design procedures which can be used to make high-power Radio Frequency (RF) circuits owing to its high breakdown voltage.

Radio Frequency circuits include amplifiers and switches, which are used in wireless transmission and are useful for space and defense applications.

As AlGaN/GaN HEMTs can also extend the power level of solid-state microwave circuits by a factor of five to ten, resulting in an appreciable reduction in the overall chip size and cost, the standard developed can significantly reduce the development cost of the circuits and devices for transmitting high-frequency signals.

View attachment 22369
Figure: A small-signal equivalent of the industry-standard ASM-HEMT model.

The technology is rapidly gaining popularity owing to its high performance and efficiency. It has two excellent properties – high mobility and high-power performance. These properties reduce the noise figure and complexity while designing Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs) (used in wireless transmission like mobile phones, base stations) while increasing the achievable bandwidth.

AlGaN/GaN HEMTs have become the technology of choice for high-frequency and high-power applications like 5G, radars, base stations, satellite communications, etc. To design wideband power amplifiers, a fully robust and accurate physics-based radio frequency (RF) GaN HEMT model is of prime importance.

In the current work, the team led by Prof. Yogesh Singh Chauhan at IIT Kanpur developed and standardized a physics-based compact model for AlGaN/GaN HEMTs – the Advanced Spice Model for GaN-HEMTs (ASM-HEMT). The standard model for circuit design developed simplifies the design procedure for high-performance RF circuits and helps in automating the design efforts as well as brings down the overall development cost. Besides, it can accurately predict the AlGaN/GaN HEMT's behavior in circuit design.

View attachment 22370
Figure: Large-signal load-pull contours modeled accurately using the industry-standard ASM-HEMT model.

The development of the model involved characterizing AlGaN/GaN HEMTs using state-of-the-art characterization systems integrated in a setup used for measuring the electronic characteristics like current, the capacitance of semiconductor devices, including high-frequency characteristics. This setup (consisting of a Keysight B1500 Semiconductor Device Analyzer, an AMCAD PIV system, a passive load-pull system from Maury Microwaves, a Keysight B1505 Power Device analyzer, all connected using a FormFactor probe station) was partially supported by ‘Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure (FIST)’ and Technology Development Programme (TDP) schemes of Department of Science and Technology.

The measurements facility funded by FIST & TDP is being heavily used by ISRO, DRDO, and other companies to characterize the semiconductor devices for high-frequency applications.

Prof. Chauhan’s team measures the current, capacitance, and RF characteristics of the devices under test and uses parameter extraction tools to extract the parameters of the ASM-HEMT model for a given technology. Once the model behavior is in close agreement with the measured characteristics, the model is validated for practical applications.

The team is concurrently working on circuit design and has delivered a state-of-the-art commercial GaAs-based LNA with one of the lowest reported noise figures in the market. Ongoing efforts include LNA, and PA design based on the AlGaN/GaN material system.

Publication & patent details :
  • R. R. Malik, M. A. Mir, Z. Bhat, A. U. H. Pampori, Y. S. Chauhan, and S. A. Ahsan, "Modeling and Analysis of Double Channel GaN HEMTs using a Physics-based Analytical Model", IEEE Journal of the Electron Devices Society, Vol. 9, pp. 789 - 797, Sept. 2021.
  • A Power Amplifier MMIC Design to Compensate Frequency Dependent Behavior (Patent Filed).
For more details, Prof. Yogesh Singh Chauhan ([email protected]) can be contacted.

Scientists develop high-performance transistor models and circuits useful for space and defense applications
Nice to see that entire research team is of Kashmiri origin and working in IIT Kanpur doing work on cutting edge GaN/AlGaN based HEMT technology.
 
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Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar visits Gallium Nitride Technology Centre


Union Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar visited the Gallium Nitride Ecosystem Enabling Centre and Incubator (GEECI) in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Gallium Nitride (GaN) is believed to be the second most important material after silicon for electronics chips.

The facility, jointly set up by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and IISc Bengaluru, is aimed at establishing GaN based Development Line Foundry facility, especially for RF and power applications, including strategic applications.

"The next 2 to 3 years offer a window of opportunity for Gallium Nitride (GaN) to play a key role in enabling e-vehicles and wireless communication," Chandrasekhar said after reviewing the progress of the project and inspecting the facility.

He also saw GaN transistors fabricated in IISc Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) fab. The fab model in IISc will be a state-of-the-art incubation to promote indigenous development of technology, and thereby encourage final deployment into cellular infrastructure, and strategic technologies.

"Research, technology development, education and training in our institutes like IISc and IITs in the area of semiconductor manufacturing is essential to realise the dream of Digital India and fabs in the nation," Chandrasekhar said.

Creating strategic capabilities in emerging technologies is one of the core objectives of the Digital India Programme. To achieve these objectives, MeitY has drawn a 1,000 days vision that includes hi-tech/ strategic tech as an important component.

The minister also spoke about the Covid-induced disruptions in the global supply chains, and how the government is committed to capitalise on this narrow window of opportunity as the world is looking for a new and trusted supply chain partner.

"There is tremendous opportunity in electronics manufacturing and in the field of electronics and semiconductor design," he said.

To leverage this opportunity, the government recently announced a $10 billion incentive package for setting up semiconductor fab units in India and to also position India as a global hub for electronics systems design and manufacturing (ESDM).

Along with the semiconductor incentive package, the GaN ecosystem is also expected to drive innovation and encourage start-ups and entrepreneurs to look into business and technology seriously in the next two years. AGNIT Semiconductors Pvt Ltd, the first start-up, has already been incubated in TBI-InCeNSE, which is an incubator of SID, IISc. It has raised its first round of angel funding. It will be the first start-up to leverage the infrastructure created by GEECI.