Element Six and Filtronic Team up to Develop High-Frequency Diamond Electronic Devices

Element Six and Filtronic Team up to Develop High-Frequency Diamond Electronic Devices

December 21, 2006

    ASCOT, England, Dec. 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Diamond
Microwave Devices 
(DMD) is a new subsidiary set up by Element Six, a world
leader in the 
development of Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) diamond
technology.  This new 
company aims to develop novel diamond semiconductor
materials and processing 
technology that will help create the next generation of
high-power, high 
temperature semiconductor devices for use in microwave
power amplifiers and 
transmitters.

    At the same time, Element Six (E6) has signed a
collaboration agreement 
with Filtronic plc to work with DMD and develop this
exciting new 
technology.  Filtronic is a world leader in the design and
manufacture of a 
broad range of microwave devices, components and subsystems
used in 
electronic defence, point-to-point communication and
cellular handsets.  
Filtronic and E6 will use their complementary
high-technology strengths in 
materials, semiconductor device processing and circuits to
expedite the 
development of this new microwave technology which has the
potential of 
revolutionising microwave power electronics.

    E6, a leader in the development of CVD diamond, can
enable wider 
exploitation of the advanced engineering properties of this
material.  For 
high power electronics, CVD diamond offers unique
properties such as high 
breakdown voltage and high temperature operation.  If a
practical 
semiconductor device can be demonstrated, it could have the
potential to 
provide superior microwave power and higher operating
temperatures than 
existing semiconductor devices and technologies.  E6 has
been involved with 
major research and industrial programmes such as the
Department of Trade and 
Industry sponsored CAPE (Carbon Power Electronics)
programme aimed at 
overcoming the technical challenges of developing
diamond-based electronics 
components.

    Dr. Richard Lang, General Manager of DMD, has said;
"Whilst the technical 
challenges are high, a diamond MESFET could revolutionise
the design of 
future microwave power modules.  There is much work to be
done in order to 
realise a practical device, and we are excited by the
opportunity to explore 
the boundaries of this emerging technology."  Mr.
Christian Hultner, CEO of 
E6, notes, "Diamond has the potential to be the
ultimate semiconductor for 
high-frequency, high-power electronic applications.  The
establishment of DMD 
provides greater momentum to our activities in this area
and will accelerate 
the development of practical devices."

    About Element Six

    Element Six is the world leader in the production of
all forms of 
synthetic diamond for industrial use.  Element Six has
pioneered the 
development of CVD diamond technology since the 1980s, with
a world-renowned 
research centre at Ascot dedicated to this activity.  CVD
diamond opens up 
many new application areas outside the traditional abrasive
uses of synthetic 
diamond.  Uses of CVD diamond include laser exit windows,
cutting tools, 
surgical blades, windows for high-power gyrotrons,
heat-spreaders for 
electronic devices as well as active electronic devices.

    About Filtronic:

    Filtronic is a world leader in the design and
manufacture of a broad 
range of microwave devices, components and subsystems used
in electronic 
defence, point-to-point communication and cellular
handsets.  The company 
includes a major GaAs processing facility at its Compound
Semiconductor 
division in Newton Aycliffe and manufactures custom complex
microwave 
subsystems at its Defence division in Shipley.  The company
also designs and 
manufactures microwave modules for the point-to-point
communications market.


    For more information, please contact:

     Dr Richard Lang
     General Manager
     Element Six Ltd
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]


SOURCE  Element Six Ltd