Qorvo Wins $75M Navy Contract for Next-Gen RF Semiconductor Facility in Richardson

Qorvo, a manufacturer of advanced semiconductors and radio-frequency solutions for mobile, infrastructure, defense/aerospace, and IoT markets, has landed a $75 million contract to create a state-of-the-art microelectronics packaging facility for the United States Navy in Richardson.

The high-tech firm was picked by the U.S. government to create SHIP—short for the State-of-the-Art Heterogeneous Integrated Packaging—an RF production and prototyping center. Qorvo announced the exclusive agreement with the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division, today in a news release.

A Department of Defense project, the SHIP program will advance semiconductor packaging capabilities for the DoD, along with commercial customers, in a next-level manufacturing facility that’s designed to enhance the United State’s edge in technology and national security.

The Qorvo radio-frequency packaging and assembly center on Renner Rd. in Richardson. [Photo: Qorvo]

Qorvo’s Infrastructure and Defense Products (IDP), which is headquartered in Richardson, has a notable presence in North Texas. With three facilities that together have added more than 1,200 jobs to the region, the IDP manufactures some 80 million semiconductor components each week, the company said last year. Qorvo itself supplies more than four billion heterogeneous modules annually.

The IDP is an arm of N.C.-based Qorvo, which formed in 2015 via the merger of RF Micro Devices and TriQuint.

Mission-critical operations

Advanced packaging integration improves semiconductor performance while shrinking the size of the chip, the company said. That makes advancement at the highest level critical to meet the size, weight, power, and cost (known as SWAP-C) requirements for next-generation phased-array radar systems, unmanned vehicles, electronic warfare platforms, and satellite communications.

James Klein, president of Qorvo IDP, said the selection for the DoD project reflects the company’s track record as a leader in RF technology with its more than 35 years of experience.

“As part of this collaboration, Qorvo will expand its proven capabilities in Texas to create a SOTA facility that best serves the needs of the U.S. government and commercial customers,” Klein said in a statement.

[Photo: Qorvo]

The SHIP Other Transaction Agreement, worth up to $75 million, is funded by the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering’s Trusted and Assured Microelectronics Program, the program is administered by the Strategic & Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted System (or S²MARTS) Other Transaction Agreement, which is managed by the National Security Technology Accelerator.

Through the SHIP program, Qorvo’s microelectronics packaging expertise will be available for U.S. defense contractors and commercial clients that require design, validation, assembly, test, and manufacturing of advanced RF components. The Qorvo Richardson location has a Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA) Category 1A trusted source certification for package assembly, test, and wafer foundry services.

A win for the region

On Thursday, Nov. 5, Qorvo and James Klein, president of Qorvo’s Infrastructure and Defense products, hosted U.S. Rep. Van Taylor (R-Plano) at the company’s Renner Rd. Renner Road advanced semiconductor manufacturing facility to mark the award as a win for the region and the country.

Qorvo officials said the SHIP facility would strengthen the U.S. industry and provide highly skilled jobs in Richardson and surrounding communities.

Congressman Van Taylor, U.S. Representative Texas 3rd District, and Bill Sproull, President and CEO, Richardson Chamber of Commerce joined Qorvo leaders on Nov. 5 to mark the award of the U.S. Navy $75 million contract for its SHIP program to establish advanced semiconductor packaging capabilities for the Department of Defense. From left: Doug Cole, Dean White, Qorvo, Sr. Director Defense Marketing Strategy; Dean White Dean White, Qorvo, Sr. Director Defense Marketing Strategy; Congressman Taylor; Richardson Chamber CEO Sproull; Vijay Balakrishna, Qorvo, Sr. Director of Research; James Klein, President, Qorvo Infrastructure and Defense Products; Howard Witham, Vice President. Qorvo Texas Manufacturing; and Roger Hall, Roger Hall, Qorvo, General Manager High Performance Products. [Photo: Qorvo]

The Qorvo defense and aerospace marketing and program management team with U.S. Congressman Van Taylor, from left: Dean White, Qorvo, Sr. Director Defense Marketing Strategy; Congressman Taylor; Roger Hall, Qorvo, General Manager High-Performance Products; and Dean White, Qorvo, Sr. Director Defense Marketing Strategy. [Photo: Qorvo]

Sandra Engelland contributed to this report. The story was updated on Nov. 5, 1:11 p.m. with additional information. Photos from the Nov. 5 event were added at 4:30 p.m.