China Electronics Technology Group says its 55th Research Institute has shipped more than five million units of its self-developed silicon-based GaN RF chips for smart terminals.
According to information from China Electronics Technology Group and Science and Technology Daily, the product is described as the world’s first mass-produced silicon-based gallium nitride RF chip for intelligent terminal devices. It also marks an early large-scale commercial use of silicon-based GaN RF chips in smart terminal hardware.
The chips are intended to support integrated space-air-ground information networks, where broad coverage and high-speed connectivity are essential. These networks are expected to become a core foundation for future 6G communication, commercial space applications, low-altitude economy systems, and emergency communications.
At the center of that network is the power amplifier, or PA, chip. A low-cost, high-performance PA chip directly affects a communication system’s transmission speed, coverage range, and stability.
Demand for this type of RF hardware is rising quickly as China’s commercial space sector, low-altitude economy, 6G communication research, and information communications industry continue to accelerate. That makes lower-cost, higher-performance RF chips more important across several emerging device categories.
The research team reportedly spent several years solving a series of technical challenges, including material epitaxy preparation, independent chip design, complete process verification, and product reliability testing.
The result is a family of products designed for multiple scenarios. The lineup covers satellite payload communication subsystems, low-altitude platform communication terminals and data transmission modules, ground gateway stations, and RF chips for smart terminals.
The chip series is said to offer high power, high efficiency, ultra-wideband performance, and high reliability. Those traits allow it to meet demanding RF power amplifier requirements for integrated space-air-ground communication, including high efficiency and strong linearity.
In practical terms, the shipment milestone suggests that silicon-based GaN RF chips are moving beyond lab validation and into broader industrial use. It also addresses one of the harder commercialization problems in high-end RF chip manufacturing.
