ABSTRACT
Electronic devices evolved significantly, driving the digital transformation toward a connected society. The increasing demand for performance, speed, and efficiency is pushing wireless applications to operate at sub-THz frequencies and beyond. Innovative substrates, such as fully depleted silicon on insulator (FD-SOI), indium phosphide on silicon (InPoSi), and SmartGaN, offer disruptive yet commercially viable solutions to efficiently utilize these frequencies. Achieving European leadership in these key markets requires establishing a complete and reliable supply chain from materials to applications. A so-called value chain model is applied in European KDT JU programs, which serves as a fast track to accelerate co-innovation and market adoption. This paper illustrates the innovation dynamics of the FD-SOI ecosystem in radio frequency applications up to 120 GHz, realized in the BEYOND5 project. It also explores technology disruption in the sub-THz frequency range by using InPoSi substrates in combination with the Smart Cut process. The Move2THz project aims to develop such technologies and demonstrate that it overcomes historical limitations of bulk InP. Finally, the paper demonstrates how the industry-proven Smart Cut technology can be adapted to other materials, such as gallium nitride, to complete the technological offering and meet market needs.
