LOS ANGELES, March 30, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This is one for the record books. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) now holds the Guinness World Record(tm) for the fastest transistor.
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Guinness World Records(tm) has notified the company that its ultra-fast, one-terahertz transistor set a new world record for transistor speed. The device, announced in 2007, provides much higher frequency and bandwidth capabilities.
"Guinness World Records(tm) is synonymous with accomplishment, inspiration and success," said Tom Romesser, chief technology officer for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "We have many record-breaking 'firsts' in Microelectronics and the recognition by Guinness is extremely gratifying."
The company produced and demonstrated an indium phosphide-based high electron mobility transistor (InP HEMT) with a maximum operating frequency of more than 1,000 gigahertz, or greater than one terahertz. Researchers led by Aerospace Systems' Richard Lai detailed how they developed the terahertz-speed transistor in a technical paper delivered at the International Electron Devices Meeting in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Electron Devices Society of the Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers.
The terahertz transistor is the latest generation in a long line of compound semiconductor products that Northrop Grumman has produced by the millions for government and commercial uses. Tests conducted by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., validated the ultra-fast transistor by measuring a three-stage millimeter wave integrated circuit amplifier at 340 gigahertz with greater than 15-decibel gain. Recent tests conducted at Northrop Grumman confirmed an even more impressive 18-decibel gain at 340 gigahertz.
Development of the terahertz-speed InP HEMT was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and internal company funds. Northrop Grumman has more than 30 years of experience developing advanced semiconductor technologies for space applications.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.
