Glossary and definitions 2

Table of contents 3

Report objectives 6

Methodology 8

About the authors 9

Companies cited in this report 10

What we got right, what we got wrong 11

What’s new? 15

Executive summary 25

Context 61

• Report scope
• Historical perspective
• Comparison of market forecasts 2010-2026

Market forecasts 2020-2026 66

• Packaged GaN RF devices: Market size forecast split by application
• Packaged GaN RF devices: Market breakdown
• GaN RF bare die devices: Market size forecast
• GaN RF device market: Discrete vs. MMIC
• GaN RF device market for applications
• Revenue of GaN RF Players: Estimation in 2019 and 2020
• GaN RF Wafer volume forecast
• Wafer volume forecast: Split by technology, GaN-on-Si, GaN-on-SiC
• Epiwafer volume forecast: Split by technology, GaN-on-Si, GaN-on-SiC

Market trends 87

• GaN RF market segmentation
• Telecom infrastructure
• 5G handset applications
• Defense applications
• Civil radar applications
• Satellite communication applications
• RF energy applications
• Other applications
• Technology and economic requirements
• GaN RF markets: Conclusions

Market share and supply chain 182

• Main RF players and their target applications
• Global industrial supply chain: GaN-on-SiC
• Global industrial supply chain: GaN-on-Si
• Global industrial supply chain: GaN-on-Diamond
• GaN RF foundry: Technology node evolution
• Focus on the GaN RF wafer and device business: Wafer and fab capacity, GaN-on-Si, GaN-on-SiC
• Notable investments in the GaN RF business
• Company profiles

Focus on the Chinese GaN RF industry 212

• Technology localization after the trade war
• GaN RF’s position in the new infrastructure of China
• Chinese GaN RF ecosystem, GaN-on-Si,GaN-on-SiC
• Location of wafer, epiwafer house and foundries in China

Technology description 219

• RF component overview
• Classification of GaN devices
• Commercially available GaN RF PA devices, discrete and IC
• Overview of GaN RF device suppliers
• Analysis of technological barriers to entry for newcomers

GaN RF packaging 236

Different technology platforms 246

Outlook 263

• Key takeaways
• What are the main challenges as of Q2-2021
• GaN RF device market evolution

TELECOM AND DEFENSE ARE STILL DRIVING THE RF GaN MARKET

At the dawn of this new decade, the two market drivers for Radio Frequency (RF) GaN remain 5G telecom and defense. Emerging segments such as satellite communication (SatCom) and consumer handsets also represent new opportunities. The total GaN RF market’s value will increase from $891M to more than $2.4B with a Compound Annual Growth Rate for the period from 2020- 2026 (CAGR2020-2026) of 18%.

In telecom infrastructure, GaN has penetrated different types of base stations to offer benefits at high power and wide bandwidth. Following adoption for remote radio head (RRHs) and massive Multiple-input Multiple-output (MIMO) active antenna system (AAS), the GaN-based macro/microcell segment is expected to grow beyond $954M by 2026. This will represent more than 95% of the total GaN telecom
infrastructure market.

As an historical market, the defense segment remains the main driver for the RF GaN. Radar is still the main driver in defense applications, mainly owing to the increase of lightweight GaN-based transmit/receive modules in active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars in airborne systems. Overall, GaN is expected to grow, with a CAGR2020-2026 of more than 16% for defense radars.

Already deployed in fixed SatCom systems, mobile SatCom can be the next market driver for GaN RF solutions in the longer term. GaN is taking share from GaAs solutions slowly here. Meanwhile, in mobile satellite systems, GaN’s penetration is still limited due to tough qualification cycles. Ongoing European Space Agency projects with Airbus, UMS and OMMIC open new possibilities for GaN in space.

That’s not all. GaN-on-Si technology is also likely to start entering the handset market starting 2022. This definitely represents an inflection point for the GaN-on-Si industry.

GaN-ON-SiC DOMINATES WHILE GaN-ON-Si EMERGES

In the RF GaN industry, everything started with GaN-on-SiC technology. Launched more 20 years ago, GaN-on-SiC is now a serious rival to LDMOS and GaAs in RF power applications. In addition to its deep penetration in military radar, GaN-on-SiC has also been the choice of telecom OEMs such as Huawei, Nokia, Samsung for 5G massive MIMO infrastructures. Owing to their high bandwidth and efficiency, GaN-on-SiC devices keep taking share from LDMOS in the 5G market and are starting to benefit from a 6” wafer platform transition. In this context, the GaN-on-SiC device market is expected to reach over $2.2B in 2026 by posting 17% CAGR2020-2026.

However, as a key challenger, GaN-on-Si is still in the game, promising cost-efficient and scalable solutions. Despite the tiny market volume as of Q2/2021, GaN-on-Si PAs attract smartphones OEMs owing to their large bandwidth and small form factor. Its adoption in some sub-6GHz 5G handset models is likely soon, following the significant technology progress of innovative players. This would certainly mark a milestone for the GaN-on-Si RF industry. Recent entry of foundries and synergy with the emerging power electronics GaN-on-Si industry can also help GaN-on-Si RF to gain momentum in the longer term. Driven by handsets but also defense and 5G telecom infrastructure applications, the GaN-on-Si device market is expected to reach $173M in 2026 by posting 86% CAGR2020-2026.

This report provides GaN’s positioning amongst other competing technologies such as LDMOS and GaAs. It also gives an overview of GaN-on-SiC and GaN-on-Si technology platforms including their market penetration, technological challenges and supply chain aspects.

INVESTMENTS, PARTNERSHIPS, AND NEWCOMERS IN THE GAN RF BUSINESS

In view of the emerging GaN RF market, notable investments in recent years have been shaping the future relationship between demand and supply, which is important to watch closely. GaN-on-SiC is the main technology platform. The market leader at device level, Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations (SEDI), has partnered with the leading SiC wafer supplier, II-VI, for vertical integration. In 2020, NXP opened the world’s first 6” GaN-on-SiC fab in Arizona, US. These movements will further accelerate the evolution from 4” to 6” for GaN-on-SiC. At foundry level, major actors like Win Semiconductor are expanding their capacity to fulfill growing market demand. In addition, there is strong motivation of technology independence in the Chinese ecosystem, for example at SICC, CETC, HiWAFER and Sanan IC. Also, GaN-on-
Si keeps attracting newcomers. Meanwhile, as Macom-STMicroelectronics’ development on 6” platform is ongoing, GlobalFoundries and Raytheon recently announced a partnership to target 5G wireless applications, defense and beyond. To serve increasing demand, newcomers have been joining with newly built capability. This report includes an overview on capacity expansion and company profiles of the leading suppliers such as NXP, Wolfspeed, SICC and II-VI. We share with you our understanding of supply chains and business models, including the forecasts for wafer, epiwafer and device markets. An overview of the changes in the Chinese ecosystem is also provided to reflect the US-China trade war since 2019.

Adventech, Aethercomm, Aixtron, Akash Systems, A.L.M.T., Altum RF, Ampleon, Analog Devices, Arralis, AT&T, Baylin Technologies, BAE Systems, Celestia Technologies Group, Cisco, CECS, CETC, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, CPI, Comtech, Cree, Custom MMIC, Dynax, DragonWave-X, Dowa, Empower RF systems, Enkris Semiconductor, EpiGaN, Ericsson, ESA, Freiburg/Univ. Ulm/Fraunhofer IAF, Filtronic, Freescale, Fujitsu, General Dynamics, Gilat, Global Communication Semiconductors, GlobalFoundries, HebeiKing Ceramic Electronic, HJCW, HiWAFER, Huawei, HUGUES, II-VI Inc, Iconic RF, IMEC, IMECAS, Infineon, Inmarsat, Innoscience, Integra Technologies, Intel, IQE, JAXA, JRC, KDDI, KT, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, MACOM, Microchip, Microsemi, Mission Microwave, Mitsubishi Chemical, Mitsubishi Electric, Motorola, Nasa, NEC, Newport Wafer Fab, Newtec, Nitronex, Norstel, Nokia Networks, Northrop Grumman, Norsat, NTT, NuWaves engineering, NXP, OMMIC, Powdec, Qorvo, Qualcomm, QuinStar Technology, Raytheon, Reshetnev, RFHIC, RF Lambda, RFMD, Samsung, San’an IC, SICC, SiCrystal, SK Telecom, Soitec, Sprint, STMicroelectronics, Sumitomo Electric, SweGaN, Syrlinks, Raytheon, TagoreTech, TankeBlue, Terrasat, TESAT, Thales, Thales III-V Lab, T-Mobile, Toshiba, Transcom, TriQuint, TTI, UMS, Viasat, Verizon, Vodafone, Wavice, WavePIA, Win Semiconductors, Wolfspeed, YFEN , ZTE and more.