Kyma Technologies, Inc., a leading supplier of low defect density native gallium nitride (GaN) substrates, announced today that they have been selected for two new Phase I SBIR projects under the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) SBIR/STTR program. These selections closely follow Kyma's recent win of a new Phase II STTR effort, also under the MDA SBIR/STTR program. Each of these programs is focused on continued development of native gallium nitride (GaN) materials and devices and are driven by the potential of native GaN to enable critical advances in next generation military radar systems.

 

According to Drew Hanser, company co-founder and CTO, "These two Phase I SBIR wins and our recently awarded Phase II STTR are all associated with our continuing push to improve the size, quality, and availability of semi-insulating GaN for high-power high-frequency (HPHF) microelectronics applications. Currently the U.S. Department of Defense is pursuing the development of high performance GaN based field effect transistor (FET) device technologies for next generation x-band radar and other HPHF military applications. We believe that native GaN has all the physical properties necessary to enable the high performance and reliability levels required for such applications. In parallel with our materials improvement efforts, our collaboration partners are helping us pursue device level validation of the benefits of native GaN and have already shown excellent preliminary results across a broad range of device types, including APDs, FETs, laser diodes, LEDs, and Schottky diodes."

Company president and CEO Keith Evans added, "MDA's support has enabled us to demonstrate semi-insulating native GaN substrates with low defect density, high thermal conductivity, and high electrical resistivity, and has helped us establish strategic collaborations with several leading government and academic research groups. We are thankful for the efforts of our collaboration partners at Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Auburn University, Duke University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), North Carolina State University, Penn State University Electro-Optics Center, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, for their important contributions to recent advances in native GaN based materials and devices, and for the continuing support of MDA."

About Nitride Semiconductor Device Markets and Applications

Bulk nitride semiconductors currently under development are expected to provide critical advances in cost, performance, and reliability of a broad range of nitride semiconductor devices for a broad range of commercial markets and applications including power switching electronics, high power radio-frequency electronics, solid state lighting, optical storage, bioagent and chemical sensing, and ultraviolet light detection. The combined market potential for nitride semiconductor devices is estimated to exceed $30B in 2015.

About Kyma Technologies

Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, Kyma Technologies Inc. was co-founded in 1998 by the Mark Williams (CFO and VP Finance) and Drew Hanser (CTO and VP Business Development). Kyma's mission is to become the preferred supplier of native nitride substrate based materials and device solutions. Kyma has developed a strong IP portfolio including exclusively licensed NCSU patents and its own patented and patent-pending technologies.

For more information about Kyma Technologies, please visit our website www.kymatech.com, send us e-mail at info@kymatech.com, or call the company directly at 919.789.8880.

Kyma is a registered trademark of Kyma Technologies, Inc.