SiGe Semiconductor signs PA deal with IBM
Under a separate agreement with IBM, SiGe Semiconductor is acquiring certain design and test equipment, to be housed at the company s new facilities in the Boston, MA area. This, combined with a foundry agreement under which IBM will manufacture these PA devices, will help enable SiGe Semiconductor to quickly bring these new products to market.
The total market for cellular PAs used in 2G, 2.5G and 3G phones is expected to reach $1.4 billion opportunity by 2005, according to InStat/MDR. SiGe Semiconductor believes that SiGe-based PAs will displace GaAs alternatives, as consumer pressures continue to drive handset prices down. Since SiGe is based on conventional high-volume VLSI processes, devices can be produced at higher yields and at a fraction of the price of GaAs ICs.
The first three power amplifiers for 2G and 2.5G cellular handsets are sampling to lead customers now, sold under SiGe Semiconductor s RangeCharger brand. The roadmap includes GPRS and EDGE capable quad-band GSM power amplifiers for 2.5G mobile handsets, as well as 4x4 matched CDMA power amplifier modules for 2.5G and 3G mobile handsets.
"This agreement presents an ideal opportunity to expand our product line and enter new markets where our core expertise in silicon germanium will provide significant advantages to our customers," said Jim Derbyshire, president and CEO of SiGe Semiconductor. "With the broadest selection of SiGe PAs on the market, we expect to quickly capture market share, and secure our place among lead competitors."
SiGe Semiconductor s first products to sample include the SE5100 and SE5101 for CDMA/AMPS handsets operating in the 824 - 849 MHz frequency band; and the SE5111 for CDMA/PCS handsets operating in the 1850 –1910 MHz band.
The new PAs are based on a highly efficient SiGe BiCMOS process that improves power efficiency, linearity and integration. Using this process, the SE5100, SE5101 and SE5111 include bias circuits that enable operation over broad dynamic range and guarantee ruggedness under high voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) conditions. This is a substantial advantage over GaAs alternatives, which may require more expensive PA ICs and CMOS control ICs to achieve the same levels of control and performance.
