RF Micro Devices Announces GaN Process Technology Milestone and Availability of First GaN Power Amplifiers.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

GREENSBORO, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 3, 2003

RF Micro Devices (Nasdaq:RFMD):

Strategic Highlights

 
-- Gallium Nitride (GaN) Packaged Power Transistors Achieve 28-Watt Continuous Wave (CW) Performance 
 
-- 20-Watt UMTS GaN Power Amplifiers (PAs) Demonstrated For Wireless Infrastructure Applications 
 
-- RFMD Has Sampled Wideband (DCS/PCS/UMTS) GaN Power Amplifiers to Several Infrastructure OEMs 

RF Micro Devices, Inc. (Nasdaq: RFMD), a leading provider of proprietary radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) for wireless communications applications, today announced achievement of a major milestone toward the commercialization of gallium nitride (GaN) RF power technology. The Company has successfully grown, fabricated and packaged GaN power transistors achieving 28-watt performance with continuous wave (CW) operation at 20 volts. These GaN power transistors are fabricated from the current 0.9-micron process and exhibit 10 dB of linear gain. The transistors were used to develop 20-watt CW power amplifiers (PAs) for UMTS applications.

William Pratt, chief technical officer of RF Micro Devices, said, "We're very enthusiastic about achieving these milestones in GaN power technology, which we believe demonstrate our technology leadership and our ongoing commitment to commercializing the most promising future semiconductor technologies. We believe GaN can conceivably lower the overall cost of wireless base stations and thereby prove to become a disruptive and revolutionary technology in the wireless infrastructure space."