The expansion is designed to support the global rollout of 5G telecommunications. This builds on the extensive GaN-on-Silicon agreement between MACOM and ST announced in early 2018.

 The global rollout of 5G networks and Massive MIMO (M-MIMO) antenna configurations is expected to create a substantial increase in demand for RF power products. Specifically, MACOM estimates a 32x to 64x increase in the number of power amplifiers required. This, in turn, is expected to exceed three dollars in cost per amplifier over a five-year 5G infrastructure investment cycle, thus generating an estimated 10x to 20x decrease in cost per amplifier.

“Leading base station OEMs understand they need broadband GaN performance with transformative cost structures and manufacturing capabilities to meet 5G antenna cost, range, and energy efficiency targets in the field. By partnering with ST, we believe MACOM is uniquely positioned to deliver it all: performance, cost, and a high-volume supply chain,” said John Croteau, President and CEO of MACOM. “We anticipate that our joint investment at this early stage to increase capacity positions us to service up to 85% of the global 5G network.”.

“ST has established a strong foundation as a global leader in silicon carbide, and we are now advancing with RF GaN-on-Silicon, which will enable OEMs to build a new generation of high-performance 5G networks,” commented Marco Monti, President of the Automotive and Discrete Products Group at STMicroelectronics. “While silicon carbide is ideal for certain power applications, such as automotive energy conversion, GaN-on-Silicon provides the RF performance, scale, and commercial cost structures needed to make 5G a reality. With this move, ST and MACOM aim to unlock the industry bottleneck and meet the demand for 5G upgrades.”.