Future applications of GaAs MMICs

GaAs MMICs are now a reality. The availability and low costs of first generation products are already resulting in incorporation in production systems, with growing requirements for the development of broader families of components. Single function chips are allowing flexibility in system applications. However, continued improvement in yields and design techniques will result in multifunctional chips for high volume applications. Many of these applications will occupy the lower microwave frequencies with full scale production in quantities of up to 100000 per annum by 1990. Contrary to many market forecasts, analogue applications will predominate. Constraints on system power consumption, especially with battery operated systems, will demand improvements in material performance