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China jeopardizes chip production in the U.S.: What decisions were made by the Pentagon?

The United States is developing its own synthetic semiconductors for radar and communication systems, although there are some challenges involved.
China jeopardizes chip production in the U.S.: What decisions were made by the Pentagon?

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has signed a three-year contract with Raytheon for the development of synthetic diamond and aluminum nitride semiconductors, amid export restrictions on gallium nitride (GaN) imposed by China. This was reported by Tom's Hardware.

According to the publication, gallium nitride is utilized in the production of modern power chips and radio frequency amplifiers. A significant portion of the supply of this material is controlled by China, making the recent supply restrictions a potential risk to U.S. national security.

As a result, the Pentagon has tasked Raytheon with developing synthetic semiconductors made from diamonds and aluminum nitride, which could serve as alternatives to GaN. The company has been given the objective of integrating these materials into radar and communication systems, such as radio frequency switches, limiters, and power amplifiers, to enhance their capabilities and range. This pertains to both current devices and next-generation technologies.

Reports indicate that GaN, with a bandgap of 3.4 eV, is the leading material in powerful and high-frequency semiconductors. It is expected that synthetic diamond could surpass GaN's capabilities due to its bandgap of approximately 5.5 eV. In turn, aluminum nitride (AlN) has a bandgap of around 6.2 eV. This characteristic is crucial in areas requiring high-frequency performance, high electron mobility, extreme thermal management, increased power, and durability.

However, the publication notes that synthetic diamond is still a new material for semiconductors, leading to challenges concerning its mass production. Raytheon also needs to develop the appropriate semiconductors. The company has been allocated three years for the development of semiconductor films and the improvement of technology. According to journalists, this indicates the urgency of the project.

"This is a significant step forward that will once again revolutionize semiconductor technology," said Colin Whelan, president of Raytheon's advanced technology division.

It is worth noting that Chen-Wen Wu, chairman of Taiwan's National Science Council, claims that China is lagging behind in the semiconductor field by a full decade.

Meanwhile, South Korean media have reported that chip manufacturers like Samsung and SK Hynix depend on imported raw materials, particularly from China.