News: Optoelectronics
4 September 2026
5N+ awarded US$7.3m to establish US production of GaAs components for defence applications
Specialty semiconductor and performance materials producer 5N Plus Inc (5N+) of Montréal, Québec, Canada has been selected by the US Department of War to receive a US$7.3m award to establish domestic production of gallium arsenide components for US defence applications. This follows presentation of the firm’s proposal at the inaugural Defense Industrial Base Accelerator (DIBX) Pitch Competition in Philadelphia (25-27 August).
Gallium arsenide (GaAs) is used in advanced sensing systems and other devices for defence applications. With no qualified domestic source of GaAs electro-optical components currsently available, US defence contractors rely on foreign suppliers. The proposed award would help to address this critical supply chain gap by establishing a qualified US source at 5N+’s production facility in St. George, Utah, strengthening domestic supply security and supporting an immediate defence requirement.
“Our selection by the US government recognizes 5N+ as a trusted strategic partner to the US defence industrial base, with the proven expertise and ability to support critical national security priorities,” says president & CEO Richard Perron. “This award will enable us to establish a secure domestic source for an immediate defence requirement, while also creating a scalable platform to pursue significant long-term market opportunities across a broader range of defence and space applications over time.”
Building on its existing capabilities, 5N+ intends to expand its Utah operations by adding crystal-growth and GaAs compounding equipment, and implementing the necessary process controls and inspection capabilities. The firm will work with an initial customer, US-based global defence technology company Lockheed Martin, to complete product qualification before advancing to controlled, low-rate production, with a potential path to a follow-on production agreement.
The capabilities that will be developed at the firm’s Utah facility could also support future production of GaAs substrates and other advanced semiconductor materials for additional defence and space applications, including space solar cells and high-frequency semiconductor devices. This would broaden 5N+’s addressable market and create significant long-term growth potential, it is reckoned.
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