RF Micro Devices, Greensboro, N.C., said today that it has agreed to acquire RF Nitro Communications, Inc., a privately- held supplier of materials and products used in broadband wireless and wireline (fiber-optic) markets.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed during RFMD's current fiscal quarter ending December 31. It is anticipated that RF Nitro will operate under the name RF Micro Devices Charlotte.

"Through RF Nitro, we will gain instant access to advanced compound semiconductor processes, such as Gallium Nitride, as well as additional resources to conduct advanced research on this and other technologies," said William Pratt, chairman and chief technical officer of RF Micro Devices, in a released statment.

"We believe GaN to be a disruptive and revolutionary technology in wireless infrastructure applications. Since July 2001, RF Nitro has sold prototype quantities of GaN power transistors that exhibit power density approximately ten times greater than conventional GaAs power transistor processes and approximately one hundred times greater than silicon."

Using GaN, base station power amplifiers may be built to operate at very high voltages and at higher efficiency and better linearity than existing designs using LDMOS technology, the company said.

In addition to GaN, RF Nitro produces and sells InGaP transistors and amplifiers "We expect their expertise inthis area will accelerate our previously announced initiatives to introduce InGaP for certain wireless applications," the company added.

Jeff Shealy, RF Nitro's president and CEO, and all the employees of RF Nitro will join RF Micro Devices, it said.

RF Nitro's operations include a four-inch wafer fabrication facility, which is scheduled for completion this year and will be used both for production and as a technology incubator. The company also operates design, assembly and test facilities, all of which are located at its Charlotte, NC headquarters.

RF Nitro's product line encompasses three compound semiconductor IC technologies: InGaP HBT, GaAs PHEMT, and GaN HEMT on both silicon carbide and sapphire substrates.

The GaN technology was developed under a government sponsored ONR-MURI program by Cornell University over the last six years. During the program, Cornell University demonstrated world record power density of 11.2W/mm at 10GHz and 45V operation, according to the company.

In addition, Cornell University has successfully built GaN devices on silicon, the company said. Under the terms of the transaction, RF Micro Devices will receive from Cornell Research Foundation an exclusive license agreement in all fields of use, including electronics and opto-electronics, for all applications, including power switching and RF amplification, as well as lighting, according to the company.