In fact five years may be pushing limits for planning of current programs in directed research, development, and manufacturing. Two to three years in the future appears more realistic. This was the message from Matsushita, as well as other sites visited. SiGe and GaN and advanced Si technologies seem promising. Matsushita is not betting on HTS for base stations.
Improved materials present a very critical issue for all aspects of wireless technology.
New advanced materials are needed, such as high dielectric constant ceramics with low losses and no temperature dependence, for example. Low dielectric constant films for passivation layers, low cost-effective shielding materials for EMC, and frequency agile materials for tuning are other materials requirements. Packaging materials are also critical to cost and performance. Matsushita personnel concluded with the assertion that they would rather have low distortion devices than software radio. They said that the future is in semiconductor technology, whichever system technology or technologies survive.