Atomera Overcomes Channel Parasitic Loss Challenges for GaN-on-Si RF Devices
author: Hover Technology
2026-06-10
Atomera, a leading semiconductor materials and technology licensing provider, has unveiled an advanced GaN-on-Si (silicon-based gallium nitride) technology solution that fundamentally addresses the long-standing channel parasitic loss bottleneck plaguing the industry. Channel parasitic loss is a critical flaw that degrades the operating efficiency of GaN-on-Si devices, with performance deterioration becoming particularly severe under high-frequency operating conditions, severely restricting the application and promotion of silicon-based gallium nitride in high-end RF scenarios.
The newly launched technological solution effectively suppresses parasitic loss while delivering outstanding linearity performance for GaN-on-Si devices. It enables the mass production of low-cost, high-performance silicon-based gallium nitride products, covering a wide range of high-frequency RF device applications including 5G communication systems, next-generation 6G networks, and other high-frequency radio frequency equipment, breaking the cost-performance imbalance of traditional GaN-on-Si technology.
At the core of this breakthrough is Atomera’s proprietary Mears Silicon Technology (MST), a cutting-edge quantum-engineered thin-film innovation. The technical principle involves precisely growing an ultra-thin oxygen-modified layer on the surface of standard silicon wafers. This specially regulated thin film optimizes the silicon lattice structure, effectively blocking the diffusion of doped ions, and drastically improves the interfacial crystal quality between gallium nitride epitaxial layers and silicon substrates. It transforms ordinary silicon wafers into high-quality carrier substrates for high-performance RF GaN devices, solving the core structural defect of traditional GaN-on-Si interfaces.
Strict performance test data verifies the powerful advantages of MST technology: it reduces the parasitic channel charge of GaN-on-Si devices by more than one order of magnitude, which greatly cuts down RF power parasitic loss and comprehensively upgrades the high-frequency operating performance of gallium nitride devices. In addition, the device equipped with MST technology maintains ultra-stable signal quality and excellent linearity even under high-load and high-power operating conditions, achieving reliable high-power signal bearing capacity.
According to Robert Mears, Chief Technology Officer and founder of Atomera, linearity is the most critical evaluation indicator for RF circuit design engineers. Latest authoritative test results show that the RF loss and linearity performance of MST-enabled GaN-on-Si devices has reached the level of high-end multi-trap RF SOI (Radio Frequency Silicon On Insulator) devices. Specifically, under a baseline input power of 30mW, the linearity of MST-optimized silicon-based gallium nitride wafers is 1,000 times higher than that of conventional GaN-on-Si reference wafers. Moreover, this significant performance advantage remains stable when the input power is increased to 10W, demonstrating excellent full-power operating stability.
Scott Bibo, Chief Executive Officer of Atomera, stated that the successful resolution of the industry-wide channel parasitic loss dilemma has established a solid technological moat and core competitive advantage for Atomera in the GaN-on-Si track. He emphasized that this disruptive MST technology will unlock huge growth potential for the company in the high-end RF communication and power electronics markets, paving the way for the large-scale popularization of low-cost, high-performance silicon-based gallium nitride solutions.
Disclaimer：
This article is for informational and industry reference purposes only. All technical data, statements and viewpoints involved are based on the official release and public test data of Atomera as of the publication date. This website does not guarantee the absolute accuracy, completeness and timeliness of the content, and does not bear any direct or indirect liability for any investment decisions, technical applications or operational losses arising from the reference to this article. All product and technology trademarks mentioned in the article belong to their respective owners. No unauthorized reproduction, modification or commercial use is permitted without authorization.
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