Microwave Engineering Europe July 2000 Cover story This issue features our annual directory of manufacturers and distributors. The online version can be found on our website. We also review last month's MTT-S, and look at what impact the UK governments decision to equip its Eurofighter aircraft with the European Meteor air-to-air missile has on the industry. Other feature papers look at dual-mode resonator filters and the latest FEST2.2 software update. GaAS under pressure Last month's MTT-S Symposium in Boston, reported on page 11 of this issue, gave us the opportunity to test the temperature of the industry, and the verdict was that it is not merely simmering nicely but heating up towards boiling point. In addition to the now familiar growth in mobile communications, there is renewed interest in millimetre-wave applications, as manufacturers report that both automotive radar and LMDS are beginning to take off in volume. There is excitement too about Bluetooth, and planned short range data applications at higher bandwidths. The semiconductor industry in particular is reaping the benefits of all this, but there are signs that it may also be feeling the strain. The gallium arsenide news in recent weeks has been dominated by companies moving to 150mm wafer production and generally increasing capacity. Both M/A-Com and Anadigics have recently announced new facilities, and Filtronics' UK plant in Newton Aycliffe last month received its official opening by Prime Minister Tony Blair. The question is whether this extra output will be enough to meet the accelerating demand. Some producers of wireless chips are reporting order backlogs of up to 18 months, and suppliers of GaAs epi and substrates are also rumoured to be at full stretch. No doubt the forces of supply and demand will even themselves out in due course, but it certainly seems to be an exciting industry to be working in just now. It was good to see at the Show that new device technologies are beginning to make their presence felt. Silicon devices, including CMOS and BiCMOS, are continuing to grow into applications that were previously the preserve of GaAs, and SiGe devices are becoming more commonplace. The appearance of commercially available silicon carbide devices, and the promise of gallium nitride ones to follow soon, was particularly encouraging: Cree Microwave was the source of both these developments. This issue contains our European Directory of Suppliers of RF and microwave products and services. The familiar appearance however hides a completely new database structure, which we have developed to enable us to provide more information in both the printed and the online versions. The Product Guides at the end of each country section now include product information for distributors as well as manufacturers, which should make it even more useful as a buyer's tool. The enhanced Online Directory contains for the first time contact details for microwave and RF suppliers worldwide, with interactive links to their European distributors. An improved search facility will make it even easier to find a local supplier for the parts you need. Please come and visit it on www.mwee.com and tell us what you think!

Contents In focus Rich technology mix at MTT-S Defence and aerospace on target for 21st Century The recent decision by the UK government to equip its Eurofighter aircraft with the European Meteor air-to-air missile has been hailed as a milestone in the establishment of a European defence capability. Helen Duncan examines the background to this historic decision in the context of the company mergers and collaborations that have made it possible, and assesses its impact on the industry as a whole. Fullwave Electromagnetic Simulation Tool - Fest2.2 Software update The FEST programme developed by the European Space Agency, supports the analysis and optimisation of complex structures in rectangular waveguides. The new capabilities are reviewed by Paola Arcioni, Bruno Casali, Marco Guglielmi and Antonio Panariello. UMTS/GSM BTS dielectric resonator filters without tuning In this filter the coupling and the tuning screws have been replaced by careful manufacturing and specificatio of the walls of the resonator cavity as a means to reduce the material and tuning costs. Farhat Abbas describes the process. The 3rd European Microwave Week & the 30th European Microwave Conference Preview The 8th Gallium Arsenide and other semiconductors Application Symposium preview The European Conference on Wireless Technology preview Calendar The 2001 European directory of manufacturers and distributors Introduction and contents Classified Catalogue Update & Appointments