Tunable RF Front-Ends for Radar, EW, and 6G: Otava RF and GlobalFoundries at IMS 2026 in Boston

As the RF and microwave community prepares to gather in Boston for the IEEE International Microwave Symposium (IMS) 2026 from June 7–12, anticipation is building for discussions and demonstrations shaping the future of wireless systems. Otava RF and GlobalFoundries will be there, giving attendees a chance to see new semiconductor solutions for aerospace and defense, satellite communications, and 5G/6G applications. 

Founded in 2017 in Moorestown, New Jersey, Otava RF is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in next-generation radio frequency solutions. The company designs high-performance RF ICs, tunable filters, beamformers, and intellectual property for demanding markets. Otava RF leverages advanced RF design expertise and innovative architectures to address complex challenges in RF and millimeter wave wideband phased arrays. 

Otava RF’s strong partnership with GlobalFoundries (GF) has played a key role in their success. Together, they turn Otava RF’s designs into products ready for large-scale manufacturing. GF’s advanced process technologies, including RF-SOI, SiGe 9HP, and 130RFGaN, are helping Otava RF to deliver advanced wideband designs. 

 GF’s SOI technology provides strong RF isolation, low parasitic capacitance, and high linearity, making it well-suited for building flexible and compact circuits. Their SiGe processes deliver excellent high-frequency performance, low noise, and good power handling, supporting ultra-wideband operation from microwave to millimeter wave frequencies. 

Otava RF employs GF’s 130RFGaN technology in its National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) NOFO2 grant, which seeks to enhance RF front-end electronics for the new 6G FR3 spectrum (7.125 to 24.25 GHz). This process combines the power and efficiency of traditional GaN, with the cost-effectiveness and scalability of silicon manufacturing. 

A key Otava RF product is its line of tunable filters developed with GF’s RF-SOI technology. These active, digitally tunable bandpass filters cover L-Band to Ka-Band and provide significant advantages for modern RF systems. SOI enables rapid tuning, high out-of-band rejection, and compact size, often reducing PCB area requirements by a factor of ten or more compared to fixed filter banks. This flexibility allows phased array systems to adapt quickly to changing signals while maintaining high signal quality and minimizing size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements. 

  • Digitally Tunable Bandpass Filter from 8 GHz to 11.5 GHz 

  • Applications: X-Band Radar, Software Defined Radio (SDR), Electronic Warfare (EW) 

  • IIP3: +39 dBm  

  • Fast RF switching with <200 ns Settling Time 

  • 10x area reduction versus traditional switched filter banks 

  OTFL1001, X-Band Tunable Filter 

Another leading product is the OTBF103 wideband beamformer, developed with GF’s SiGe 9HP process. Covering 24 to 40 GHz, the OTBF103 integrates eight transmit and eight receive channels, each with independent gain and phase control. The process delivers high ft/fmax, low noise, and wideband linearity required for consistent performance across the full frequency range. This makes it well-suited for aerospace and defense phased arrays that require rapid beam steering and high dynamic range. 

  OTBF103, 24 – 40 GHz Beamformer IC 

  • Application: Electronic Warfare, Radar, SATCOM 

  • 8 Tx Channels / 8 Rx Channels 

  • Independent phase and gain control per channel 

  • CMOS & LVDS (350 MHz) SPI Modes 

  • Integrated memory for fast beam steering 

Otava RF’s innovative designs, together with GlobalFoundries’ semiconductor platforms, are advancing tunable RF components and wideband front-ends. For next-generation defense, multi-band communications, or 6G FR3, these technologies represent the future of high-performance RF systems. 

Book a 20-minute demo at Otava RF Booth 15029 — and stop by GF Booth 21018 — to see the OTFL1001 live and hear how the OTBF103 can drive your phased array. Demo slots are limited, so reserve yours today! To schedule a meeting at IMS, please contact Otava RF at sales@otava-rf.com.