M/A-COM Technology Solutions Inc., a supplier of high performance analog, RF, microwave and millimeter wave products, last week announced that it has acquired Nitronex, LLC. The acquisition of Nitronex is expected to provide MACOM with fundamental and innovative GaN-on-Silicon epitaxial and pendeoepitaxial semiconductor process technology and materials for use in RF applications, establishing MACOM’s growing GaN technology portfolio as one of the broadest in the industry.
Nitronex previously leveraged this technology to offer the industry’s first GaN-on-Silicon RF discrete devices and MMICs, providing a unique combination of GaN-based performance, ease of integration and a cost structure that can support high volume, mainstream markets. The high device linearity, high output power and efficiency characteristics of GaN devices make GaN-on-Silicon technology ideal for demanding high bandwidth communications such as CATV, broadband radio, wireless infrastructure, radar and ISM applications.
“GaN technology has been long viewed as the driver of the next generation of RF and Microwave applications,” said John Croteau, President and CEO, MACOM. “With today’s announcement, MACOM now provides what we believe to be the industry’s largest portfolio of GaN devices. MACOM’s broadened portfolio of GaN-on-Silicon and GaN on Silicon Carbide technologies offers customers the flexibility to utilize the best solution to solve their RF and Microwave design challenges.”
“Nitronex is excited to join MACOM,” said Greg Baker, President and CEO of Nitronex. “Today’s announcement accelerates the deployment of GaN as a dislocating technology and furthers Nitronex’s vision of bringing GaN-on-Silicon to the fullest breadth of commercial and aerospace and defense applications possible. I believe MACOM’s more than 30 years of experience in high performance RF power devices can help propel GaN-on-Silicon to the next level of commercialization, bringing it to a truly mainstream volume production technology.”
MACOM purchased Nitronex from GaAs Labs, LLC for approximately $26 million in cash, subject to potential post-closing adjustments. MACOM financed the transaction through a draw of additional indebtedness from its revolving credit facility. GaAs Labs, LLC is an affiliate of the majority stockholder of MACOM’s parent company, M/A-COM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.
