Kyungpook National University Professor Daehyun Kim’s Team Achieves World’s First 700 GHz Frequency Breakthrough in Gallium Nitride Electronic Devices - 아시아경제

Researchers led by Professor Daehyun Kim from Kyungpook National University have achieved a world-first breakthrough in gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) technology, reach... Read original →

This 742 GHz GaN HEMT milestone is not an isolated feat but a catalyst for a full-stack RF semiconductor upgrade. Upstream, GaN epitaxy suppliers like IVWorks will accelerate the shift from 4-inch to 6-inch wafers; downstream, mmWave front-end designs must overhaul impedance matching networks to harness the new fmax ceiling. Compliance-wise, backed by South Korea’s dual-use tech program, deployment in 6G infrastructure could trigger tighter U.S. BIS export controls on advanced GaN tools, raising supply chain validation costs for Samsung. Competitors like Qorvo and Wolfspeed are likely to fast-track SiC-on-GaN or InAlN heterostructures to defend their base station and radar markets. Within 18 months, this breakthrough will force VLSI test standards to evolve and ignite a trilateral race among China, the U.S., and South Korea to dominate performance certification frameworks in the 300–1000 GHz band—reshaping technical sovereignty in terahertz electronics.