DARPA MMW System Programs and How They Drive Can Compound Semiconductor Technology Needs

DARPA has been investing in the development of compound semiconductors significantly since the MMIC program was initiated in the 1980's. This has resulted in the maturation of MMW systems for use in both commercial and military enterprises. Subsequently, Silicon technologies have matured significantly and are supplanting them in a variety of uses, such as automotive radar and indoor communications. This plenary presentation will discuss several DARPA programs that are dependent upon extending the performance of compound semiconductors beyond what Silicon appears to be able to achieve.