July 1, 2026 — In an era where the demand for high-frequency connectivity is outpacing traditional semiconductor design capabilities, the bridge between simulation and physical fabrication has become a critical bottleneck. Today, Keysight Technologies (NYSE: KEYS) and WIN Semiconductors Corp. announced a strategic collaboration that promises to redefine the design lifecycle for Gallium Nitride (GaN) Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs). By unveiling a unified design workflow that integrates on-chip simulation with off-chip evaluation board design, the two companies aim to eliminate the costly "trial-and-error" cycle that has historically plagued the 5G, satellite, and defense sectors.
The Challenge: Bridging the Gap Between Silicon and System
The semiconductor industry is currently undergoing a paradigm shift. As 5G infrastructure expands, satellite constellations grow more complex, and defense radar systems push toward higher frequency bands, GaN has emerged as the material of choice due to its superior power density and efficiency. However, designing with GaN is notoriously difficult. Unlike standard CMOS processes, GaN MMICs operate in highly sensitive, high-frequency environments where even minor parasitic effects can lead to catastrophic failure.
Traditionally, the design flow has been fragmented. Engineers would design the chip in one environment, layout the board in another, and verify performance in a third. This compartmentalization often led to "tapeout surprises," where a chip that performed perfectly in a theoretical simulation failed once it was packaged and placed on a physical PCB. For companies developing mission-critical infrastructure, a failed tapeout is not merely a financial loss—it represents weeks or months of lost time-to-market, potentially forfeiting a competitive edge in a fast-moving industry.
The Unified Workflow: A Single Environment for Total Design
The collaboration between Keysight and WIN Semiconductors introduces a seamless, end-to-end workflow within the Keysight Advanced Design System (ADS). This workflow is designed to ensure "first-pass tapeout success," a goal that has become the "holy grail" for MMIC design houses.
The workflow achieves this by collapsing three distinct phases into one unified environment:
- On-Chip Multi-Domain Simulation: Leveraging the robust modeling capabilities of the Keysight ADS platform.
- 3D Layout and Verification: Integrating layout rules that catch physical errors before they are sent to the foundry.
- Off-Chip MMIC Evaluation: Allowing engineers to co-design the MMIC alongside its specific packaging, PCB, and test connectors.
By automating the full set of simulation, optimization, and verification steps, the system ensures that no analysis is skipped. The inclusion of WIN Semiconductors’ latest NP 120P GaN Process Design Kit (PDK) provides the essential link, granting designers direct access to accurate process models and layout rules that are perfectly calibrated to the foundry’s fabrication capabilities.
Chronology of Collaboration
The road to this announcement has been marked by a concerted effort to align EDA (Electronic Design Automation) software with real-world foundry constraints.
- Early 2025: Initial discussions between Keysight and WIN Semiconductors highlighted a growing customer pain point: the disparity between on-chip simulation accuracy and final system-level performance.
- Late 2025: Technical teams began integrating the WIN NP 120P GaN PDK into the ADS environment, focusing on LVS (Layout Versus Schematic) solutions that specifically address the nuances of GaN processes.
- Q1 2026: Beta testing with select lead customers in the defense and satellite sectors demonstrated a significant reduction in design iteration cycles.
- July 2026: The official launch of the joint workflow, marking a transition from experimental integration to a commercial-grade solution available to all MMIC design houses using WIN’s foundry services.
Supporting Data: The Economic Imperative
The urgency for this collaboration is underscored by the explosive growth of the GaN RF market. According to recent industry projections by Mordor Intelligence, the GaN RF semiconductor market is expected to reach a valuation of approximately $2.77 billion by 2031.
This growth is driven by four primary pillars:
- 5G Base Stations: Requiring higher power density to maintain signal integrity over long distances.
- Satellite Payloads: Demanding lightweight, highly efficient RF components for LEO (Low Earth Orbit) and MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) constellations.
- Wi-Fi Access Points: Increasing the demand for high-bandwidth, high-efficiency front-end modules.
- Defense Radar Systems: Needing robust, high-frequency performance that can withstand extreme environmental conditions.
For design houses, the math is simple: if they cannot guarantee that their MMIC will perform on a physical evaluation board, their customers—typically large OEMs—will not issue a purchase order. In an environment where market share is captured by the first to market, the ability to "prove" performance during the design phase is the ultimate commercial differentiator.
Official Perspectives: Aligning Design and Fabrication
The collaboration has received strong support from the leadership at both organizations, emphasizing a unified philosophy of "designing for success."
Richard Kuo, Director of Design Service at WIN Semiconductors, highlighted the necessity of this partnership for complex RF projects. "We are delighted to collaborate with Keysight to deliver a customized LVS solution within the WIN ADS PDK," Kuo stated. "By combining Keysight’s ADS expertise with WIN’s robust PDK and advanced process technology, we have provided a comprehensive verification solution that streamlines the customer’s design flow and accelerates time-to-market for advanced RF products with greater confidence and reliability."
Nilesh Kamdar, General Manager of EDA, Design Engineering Software at Keysight, focused on the empowerment of the designer. "WIN’s complete PDK, combined with Keysight’s simulation and verification tools, gives designers a single path from chip design through evaluation board. Design houses can now prove full system performance before fabrication, giving their customers the confidence to commit."
Implications for the Future of Semiconductor Design
The release of this workflow has several profound implications for the semiconductor industry:
1. The Death of the "Black Box" Design
Historically, there has been a siloed relationship between the foundry and the designer. By bringing the foundry’s specific process rules into the designer’s simulation environment, the "black box" is effectively opened. Designers no longer have to guess how a layout might be interpreted by the foundry’s fabrication line; they can see it in real-time.
2. Standardizing High-Frequency Verification
As the industry moves toward 6G and beyond, the challenges associated with high-frequency design will only increase. By setting a high bar for simulation-to-fabrication verification now, Keysight and WIN are establishing a standard that will likely become mandatory for future RF designs.
3. Risk Mitigation for Emerging Players
Smaller design houses and startups, which previously struggled with the cost of multiple fabrication respins, may find this workflow levels the playing field. With the risk of a "failed tapeout" significantly lowered, smaller entities can innovate more boldly, knowing that their design software has been "foundry-validated."
4. Sustainability and Efficiency
Beyond speed and cost, there is an environmental argument for this workflow. Every failed tapeout represents a significant amount of wasted energy, raw materials, and chemical usage in the fabrication facility. By maximizing the likelihood of first-pass success, this workflow contributes to the broader industry goal of more sustainable, resource-efficient semiconductor manufacturing.
Conclusion: A New Standard for RF Excellence
The partnership between Keysight and WIN Semiconductors is more than a software update; it is a fundamental reconfiguration of the MMIC design pipeline. By forcing the integration of on-chip and off-chip design, the companies have addressed the single greatest barrier to success in the GaN market.
As we look toward the 2031 market projections, it is clear that the companies that will thrive are those that can deliver high-performance RF components with speed, reliability, and precision. With this new workflow, Keysight and WIN have provided the industry with the tools to do exactly that, ensuring that the next generation of 5G, satellite, and defense technology reaches the field with fewer delays and higher performance than ever before.
