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Northrop Grumman Space & Mission Systems in Redondo Beach, CA won a $28.9 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to conduct research for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Nitride Electronic Next Generation Technology (NEXT) Program.

The NEXT program is designed to enable revolutionary advances in nitride electronic devices and integrated circuits resulting in their ability to operate at very high frequencies while maintaining extremely favorable voltage breakdown characteristics. DARPA is looking for ways to overcome the limitations of nitride-based electronics technologies, such as gallium nitride (GaN). “GaN: DARPA’s 3-Pronged R&D Strategy” has more on DARPA’s GaN research efforts.

The program aims to develop high-speed, high-power transistors for use in radar and electronic warfare systems…

Under this contract, Northrop Grumman will develop device and integration technologies necessary to realize enhancement and depletion mode nitride transistors that simultaneously provide extremely high-speed and high-voltage operation in a process consistent with large scale integration in circuits of 1,000 or more transistors.

The company will perform the work in Redondo Beach, CA (67.48%), Santa Barbara, CA (18.77%), Linthieum, MD (4.99%), Tempe, AZ (5.53%), University Park, PA (3.23%) with an estimated completion date of Sept 13/11. Bids were solicited on the Web with 6 bids received by DARPA in Arlington, VA (HR0011-09-C-0132).

In a previous version of this story, DID cited a contract figure of $12.4 million based on a US Department of Defense contract announcement.