OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--John Roberts, co-founder and Chief Technical Officer at GaN Systems Inc, a leading developer of gallium nitride power switching semiconductors, has won the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC)’s 2013 Lifetime Contribution Award. The ITAC is the voice of Canada’s ICT industry and represents Canada’s 33,000 high-technology companies, which together contribute $67.2 billion to Canada’s economy.
Roberts was presented with the award during ITAC’s 19th National Executive Forum and CMC’s 2013 Annual Microsystems Symposium on 16 October by Steve Kovacic, Director, Technology, Skyworks Solutions Inc., who described him as "Formidable and fearless, both a company builder and an industry builder". Roberts has spent a lifetime in the semiconductor industry and his impressive list of achievements include founding two Ottawa-based semiconductor companies, Calmos (later Tundra) Semiconductor and SiGe Semiconductor. Other career highlights include founding the Strategic Microelectronic Consortium, an alliance of twenty-five industry companies including Nortel, PMC Sierra, IBM, Gennum Corporation, c-MAC MicroTechnology and other leading hybrid and semiconductor manufacturers.
Roberts’ co-founded his newest company, GaN Systems, with CEO Girvan Patterson. The company is introducing new gallium nitride high power transistors based on its proprietary Island Technology™, which offer significant advantages over traditional silicon devices and will usher in smaller, lighter and more efficient power electronics and clean technology to next generation products. GaN devices are projected to secure a significant portion of the silicon-based semiconductor market within the next three to five years.
About GaN Systems
GaN Systems is the first place systems designers go to realize all of the benefits of gallium nitride in their power conversion and control applications. Its unique Island Technology™ addresses today’s cost, performance, and manufacturability related challenges of gallium nitride resulting in devices that are up to four times smaller and four times more efficient than traditional design approaches. The Company also leverages existing multi‐sourced manufacturing processes due to its transportable, fabless model, and through additional innovations, makes it easy to incorporate gallium nitride into any design. The Company stands to do more for gallium nitride adoption in power conversion than any other. For more information, please visit: www.gansystems.com
