MIT team uses diamond to cool gallium-nitride chip to boost wireless electronics - Interesting Engineering

Researchers at MIT and elsewhere have developed a chipmaking technique that enhances wireless electronics by embedding gallium nitride (GaN) transistors into an ultrathin diamond layer, effectively ma... Read original →

MIT’s diamond-embedded GaN approach isn’t just a thermal fix—it triggers a materials cascade across the RF stack. Upstream CVD diamond suppliers like Element Six stand to gain, while 5G/6G infrastructure and satcom OEMs will phase out silicon LDMOS faster. Geopolitically, if synthetic diamond is classified as a controlled thermal material by U.S. export rules, foundries in Taiwan, China and South Korea must diversify sources urgently. Expect Infineon and Qorvo to either accelerate in-house diamond-GaN integration or acquire laser-processing startups to lock down IP. Within 18 months, this will raise the efficiency bar for power amplifiers by over 20%, forcing advanced packaging houses to master femtosecond laser cavity drilling—thermal engineering is no longer support function, but a primary differentiator.