new handsets, and said that its Polaris 2 had shipped 100 million units. It expected sales of its Polaris RF solutions to continue until calendar year 2011. Other developments In 2001, RFMD started operation of an assembly and test facility in Beijing, China. The facility was expanded several times. In 2008 RFMD transferred all testing of high-volume cellular products to the facility. RFMD has been a pioneer in developing GaN (gallium nitride)-based products for military and commercial applications. Since 2004, the company has been awarded GaN R&D contracts from the U.S. government. In 2013, it introduced products targeting Cable TV infrastructure. In 2014, it announced contracts relating to military and power grid applications. RFMD operates an open foundry offering GaN semiconductor technology (as well established GaAs technology) to third parties. Acquisitions and mergers In early 2001, RFMD bought RF Nitro Communications (RF Nitro) that was founded in Charlotte, NC by Dr. James Shealy in 2000 using technology licensed from Cornell to produce on 100mm(4inch) wafers, advanced wide-band gap semiconductor materials and RFIC products (InGaP HBT, GaAs PHEMT, and GaN HEMT on both silicon carbide and sapphire substrates) typically implemented in laser diodes that were further incorporated into broadband wireless and fibre-optic end products. One notable advantage at the time to the Cornell licensed technology was the ability to obtain high semiconductor growth rates at low temperatures. In late 2007, RFMD bought another RF component maker, Sirenza Microdevices, which was expected to allow RFMD to capitalize on its RF integration and systems-level design expertise from cellular applications and apply those capabilities across Sirenza's broad footprint in multiple high-growth RF markets, including broadband/CATV, wireless infrastructure, WiMAX and aerospace and defense. In December 2007 it announced the acquisition of Filtronic Compound Semiconductor Ltd, which had been a major UK-based supplier of GaAs pHEMT semiconductors to RFMD, and subsequently sold the UK facility to Compound Photonics in 2013. In November 2012, RFMD acquired Los Gatos, California-based Amalfi Semiconductor to enter the CMOS power amplifier (PA) market. In February 2014, RFMD announced it would merge with TriQuint Semiconductor. On April 15, 2014, the two companies announced that the holding company for both RF Micro and TriQuint would be called Rocky Holding Inc., with both companies considered subsidiaries. Each company's shareholders would own a 50 percent stake. Rocky Holding will trade on the NASDAQ, and RF Micro's Robert Bruggeworth will be president and CEO, while TriQuint's