Researchers at Tyndall National Institute have contributed to a major international breakthrough, demonstrating a new class of programmable microchips that could help enable the next generation of 6G wireless communications. Tyndall is a partnership between the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and University College Cork (UCC).
As demand for faster, more reliable connectivity continues to grow, future 6G networks will need to handle significantly more data than today’s communication systems while operating with greater flexibility and lower energy consumption. Radio-frequency (RF) technologies are expected to drive substantial economic growth in the coming decades, with the global RF market projected to surpass €69.7 billion by 2030.
However, unlocking the full potential of 6G will require new wireless hardware capable of delivering high performance, energy efficiency, and real-time adaptability simultaneously, a challenge that existing technologies struggle to address.
To overcome this challenge, the research team has developed a new type of programmable microchip that can continuously adapt to changing network demands while consuming almost no standby power. The research, titled “Reconfigurable mmWave microchips co-integrating hBN switches on GaN“, recently published in Nature, seeks to advance energy-efficient and reconfigurable wireless hardware for modern communication systems.
The Nature article reports on a microchip combining ultra-low-power and compact memristor switches made from multilayer hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), a two-dimensional material, directly integrated on high-performance gallium nitride (GaN) monolithic microwave integrated circuits technology. This is the first time these novel switches have been successfully integrated into fully functional millimetre-wave communication circuits.
Unlike conventional electronic switches, these non-volatile hBN-based switches can retain their configuration without requiring continuous power, resulting in extremely low energy consumption while maintaining excellent performance at high frequencies. The technology was successfully demonstrated in several key radio-frequency components used in wireless communication systems, confirming its suitability for real-world applications.
The breakthrough comes as the global research community races to develop advanced semiconductor and communication technologies that will power 6G, enabling a new generation of ultra-fast, intelligent and energy-efficient wireless networks.
Professor Dimitra Psychogiou, Head of the Advanced Technologies Group, Tyndall, said: “This publication in Nature highlights the strength of international collaboration in addressing some of the most important challenges facing future wireless communications. At Tyndall, we are committed to developing advanced semiconductor and RF technologies that enable smarter, more adaptable and energy-efficient systems. This breakthrough demonstrates how innovative materials and device engineering can help shape the next generation of 6G and satellite communications.”
Andrés Fontana, Senior Postdoctoral Researcher, Tyndall, said: “This research represents an important advance in radio-frequency semiconductor technology. By integrating novel two-dimensional materials with gallium nitride microchips, we have demonstrated a new class of programmable, ultra-low-power devices that could support the flexible, high-performance wireless systems needed for future 6G satellite and terrestrial communication networks.”
The research brought together expertise from an international team spanning Tyndall, UCC, the National University of Singapore (NUS), Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN.BA), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
As Europe invests in next-generation semiconductor capabilities through initiatives such as the EU Chips Act, breakthroughs in programmable RF microelectronics could play an important role in enabling the flexible, energy-efficient wireless infrastructure that will underpin the digital economy of the future.
