RF Components, GaN and Phased Arrays
How exposed are satellite radios and antennas to semiconductor and gallium supply?
Chapter summary
satellites communicate through RF chains built on compound semiconductors, gallium arsenide (GaAs) and gallium nitride (GaN) for amplifiers and front ends, and through phased-array antennas that need many beamforming chips.
Key takeaways
- 1
Ground terminals for broadband constellations need the same chips in consumer volumes.
- 2
GaN in particular is becoming the standard for high-power, efficient amplifiers in space and defence.
- 3
Supply of space-qualified GaN and GaAs devices is concentrated among a few US, European and Japanese fabs, and the gallium beneath them comes overwhelmingly from China.
Key figures in this chapter
- Hundreds
- RF channels in a consumer user terminal
- Thousands
- in a constellation or defence payload array
- Tens of thousands
- in one direct-to-device array
Source: Setcoin estimate (orders of magnitude)
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