Advanced GaN packaging

Objective

On the very last months, the Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology has made a remarked breakthrough in the world of the microwave electronics with the announcement of commercially available transistors from 5W to 180W at microwave frequencies. Coming from major transistor industrial vendors from Japon but also from US, it let equipment manufacturers and especially the one from space think that time has come now for a rapid insertion into their systems. Outside the reliability and the European source concerns, these GaN power transistors will roughly increase power density by more than an order of magnitude for large devices (from 0.5 W/mm to 5 W/mm for space applications including deratings). The consequence will then directly impact the packaging technology for which the thermal resistance needs to be importantly reduced if the advantages obtained at die level want to remain at its highest at module and equipment level. To address this critical item for space satellite applications is the aim of the proposed project which is in the ESA roadmap [Ref. ESTEC/AC/418-20, ESA-IPC 2006] for GaN component strategy but not funded by ESA. The ESA funding is being mainly dedicated toward GaN transistor process optimization, reliability and industrialization. In this project, AGAPAC, which stands for “Advanced GaN Packaging”, we want to establish a space compatible European supply chain for packaging solution of GaN HEMTs and GaN MMICs by 2010. To realize this project objective, we have defined sub-objectives which directly relate to 7 workpackages targeting: This project will extend beyond state of the art for high thermal dissipation composite (up to 600 W/mK) either based onto diamond or carbon nano-fiber compatible with hybride micropackage manufacturing technologies. The challenge remains in developing a space compatible power micropackage able to withstand up to 100 W of dissipated power when standard same size micropackage are around 25 W.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.

• engineering and technology mechanical engineering vehicle engineering aerospace engineering satellite technology
• natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry post-transition metals

Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

• Solid state power amplifier
• carbon nanofiber composites
• diamond composites
• high power amplifier
• high power packaging
• thermal management

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

• FP7-SPACE - Specific Programme "Cooperation": Space

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

• SPA-2007-2.2-01 - Space technologies

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

FP7-SPACE-2007-1
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

CP - Collaborative project (generic)

Coordinator

Participants (6)