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Jazz Semiconductor Releases
0.18-micron Silicon Radio Platform Allows for Complete Radio Integration
Other topics: WiMAX Basestation Receivers,
WiMAX Strides,
WiMAX Radio Integration
Jazz Semiconductor
October 10, 2007
PHILADELPHIA, Jazz Semiconductor, a provider of analog-intensive
mixed-signal (aims) foundry solutions and subsidiary of Jazz
Technologies, announced at European Microwave Week (EuMW), the
availability of its 0.18-micron Silicon Radio platform for complete
radio integration.
The 0.18-micron Jazz Silicon Radio platform allows complete integration
of the radio in a wireless device on a single piece of silicon
integrating the transceiver, antenna switch, power amplifier (PA) and
controllers, eliminating the need for expensive discrete GaAs devices.
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Jazz's 0.18-micron RF
CMOS process (CA18) and its 0.18-micron SiGe BiCMOS process (SBC18)
include an SOI option that enables the integration of the antenna
switch, but, unlike other solutions, also enables the integration of the
power amplifier. This new technology promises to deliver higher levels
of integration for future cell phones, wireless LANs, and WiMAX systems
while displacing chips today built in more expensive GaAs and reducing
die costs up to fifty percent.
Jazz Semiconductor's 0.18-micron Silicon Radio platform is composed of
the 0.18-micron base CMOS or SiGe BiCMOS with four modules: an SOI
module for the integration of the antenna switch, a PA module with
high-power SiGe or CMOS devices, an LNA module with SiGe low-noise
devices, and a Passive module consisting of a suite of high quality
passive elements for the realization of inter-stage filter and matching
circuits. All the modules (including SOI) can be combined or used
independently to achieve the right level of cost and integration and
optimally address each market need. Characterized building blocks are
available for critical elements to ensure fast time to market. A
through-wafer-via (TWV) module, to improve the efficiency of power
amplifiers, is under development.
Prior Jazz SiGe technology has enabled integration of power amplifiers
and transceivers for lower power standards such as 802.11b,g and PHS,
and these products now enjoy significant production volume in the mature
0.35-micron node. The new 0.18-micron Silicon Radio Platform is
addressing next-generation requirements for higher frequencies (such as
the 5GHz bands in 802.11n and WiMax) or higher power (as in cellular 2G,
2.5G and 3G standards such as CDMA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA and WEDGE).
"Jazz Semiconductor's 0.18-micron Silicon Radio platform is a perfect
match to our requirements for highly integrated, intelligent Wimax
front-end components," said Vikram Krishnamurthy, chief technology
officer of VT Silicon. "Their modular SiGe process affords us the
ability to put very sophisticated control and intelligence within the
power amplifier because it combines both CMOS - which is low power
control circuitry - and bipolar transistors in one fabrication process.
Building our PAs on SiGe instead of the more costly GaAs, used in most
existing WiMax PAs, enables us to reduce chip costs to justify
high-volume consumer applications."
"We look forward to helping our customers push the bounds of radio
integration with this new technology," said Marco Racanelli, vice
president of technology and engineering, Jazz Semiconductor. "Our
Silicon Radio Platform includes an SOI module that for the first time
enables a single-chip radio front-end. This, coupled with Jazz's strong
wireless customer base and design enablement libraries, will allow the
fast realization of more highly integrated, breakthrough radio
products." |
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