Cree, Inc. announced yesterday that it has signed a definitive agreement with RFHIC Corporation (Suwon, Korea) for Cree to supply GaN-on-SiC transistors to RFHIC for their GaN HEMT amplifier product families. In addition, Cree and RFHIC have entered into a market development agreement to facilitate deeper market penetration of GaN HEMT solutions by leveraging Cree's expertise in GaN transistor production on SiC and its MMIC foundry capability and RFHIC's leadership position in innovative packaging, amplifier integration and volume assembly capabilities.

"This important relationship is designed to allow both Cree and RFHIC to expand their market presence and accelerate the insertion of GaN HEMT technology into a number of key, volume applications," said Dr. Cengiz Balkas, vice president and general manager of Cree's Power and RF business unit.

"The combination of Cree's and RFHIC's core strengths can accelerate GaN HEMT market penetration in cellular infrastructure, two-way communication, CATV amplifier, and a variety of other emerging market segments. It provides a wide range of options in hardware integration levels to best address customer needs," said Jim Milligan, director of RF and microwave products at Cree.

"Cree's GaN-on-SiC HEMT process is the most mature GaN HEMT process in the market. We initially pursued a GaN-on-Si HEMT approach but converted our product line and future direction to Cree's GaN-on-SiC HEMT technology based on its superior thermal and electrical characteristics as well as its outstanding robustness and reliability. RFHIC aims to offer cost-effective, GaN HEMT amplifier solutions to the market, and Cree GaN-on-SiC HEMT is the clear winner for our product plans," commented Dr. Samuel Cho, RFHIC's chief technology officer.

About Cree
Cree is a market-leading innovator of semiconductor solutions for wireless and power applications, lighting-class LEDs, and LED lighting solutions.

Cree's product families include power-switching devices and radio-frequency/wireless devices, blue and green LED chips, high-brightness LEDs, lighting-class power LEDs, and LED fixtures and bulbs. Cree solutions are driving improvements in applications such as variable-speed motors, wireless communications, general illumination, backlighting and electronic signs and signals.