VT Silicon Selects TowerJazz for First Fully Integrated 4G RF Front End IC
Source/Type: News - Staff reports

Author: CompoundSemi News Staff

December 14, 2009... VT Silicon, a fabless semiconductor company has reportedly selected TowerJazz to be its manufacturing partner for what the company says is the first silicon 4G RF Front End IC to meet the operating requirements of 4G mobile devices. VT Silicon reportedly chose TowerJazz’s SiGe process instead of a more expensive GaAs to enable higher integration at a significantly lower cost. VT Silicon's 4G RF front end IC offers the company’s patented Linearity Enhancement Technology (LET™) and a novel RF Front End topology to achieve the power, efficiency, and linearity required by today’s battery-powered 4G broadband mobile devices.

TowerJazz's Silicon Radio Platform includes a SiGe transistor that can operate at up to 200GHz, which it says is competitive with GaAs, and offers as much as 40% lower die cost. The SiGe BiCMOS technology allows the RF Front End to be integrated in a wireless device on a single piece of silicon. Furthermore, the CMOS technology allows mixed-signal and digital functions on the same chip for programmable control of RF functions, advanced sensors, and serial digital communication. VT Silicon says that the inegration eliminates the need for a number of expensive discrete GaAs devices ultimately results in a reduced bill of materials.

Vikram Krishnamurthy, CTO, VT Silicon commented, “Our design, an industry first, takes full advantage of this silicon process to provide highly intelligent digital communications, programmability, and control of all RF functions.” VT Silicon News Release

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