RFaxis Leverages Its Innovative Patent-Pending Architecture to Enable the 'Holy Grail' of Complete RF Front-End Integration for Wireless Connectivity and Mobility Devices
RFaxis, a fabless semiconductor company focused on innovative, next-generation RF solutions for the wireless connectivity and cellular mobility markets, today unveiled its new 28nm CMOS silicon multi-band/multi-mode RF Front-end Integrated Circuit (RFeIC(TM)) at the IWPC Conference on Next Generation Mobile Device Platform Architectures, hosted by the Intel Mobile Communications group. This new deep submicron node product, branded the Nano-RFeIC(TM), is process geometry agnostic, and can therefore be implemented and manufactured in 32nm, 40/45nm, 55/65nm and other commercially viable submicron CMOS nodes.
"Berkana Wireless (acquired by Qualcomm) stated that integrating both the radio and baseband functions on a monolithic CMOS silicon die is considered the so-called Holy Grail of integration," commented Hal Hikita, COO. "Unfortunately, while Moore's law drives digital component design to smaller and smaller process geometries, this raises clear and present challenges for those that have integrated RF components with transceivers and basebands. Clearly a different innovative RF approach is necessary."
Dr. Oleksandr Gorbachov, RFaxis CTO, continues, "To Hal's point, RFaxis provides this innovative RF approach which is holistic and scalable for both standalone companion RFeIC(TM) chips, or strategic complete RF Front-end integration with transceivers and basebands. Specifically, the RFaxis approach precludes the need for pre-distortion circuits, avoids break-down voltages and yields truly linear amplification functionality. Our new 28nm Nano-RFeIC(TM) is designed for 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequency bands to support simultaneous WLAN and Bluetooth operations. This single chip/single die Nano-RFeIC(TM) comes complete with high efficiency linear power amplifiers (PA) that deliver state-of-the-art EVM power for transmit operations, low-noise amplifiers (LNA) for high receive sensitivity, switching circuitry (TX/RX, mode and band switching, etc.), power detection, true directional decouplers, coexistence and harmonic filters, impedance matching and CMOS logic control circuitry."
Mike Neshat, chairman and CEO of RFaxis, concludes, "Having successfully proven the versatility of our silicon innovations by delivering RFeICs(TM) for a wide variety of applications, we can now effortlessly port our RFeICs(TM) to nano-scale process nodes. By selecting the 28nm CMOS process node, we can help the ecosystem mitigate its current RF challenges and usher in a new generation of ultra low power mobile devices such smartphones, tablet PCs, mobile internet devices (MID); as well as server-side devices such as consumer premises equipment (CPE). As we accelerate the transformation of the RF Front-end game into a high-margin business, we are eliminating barriers that impact the synchronization of RF and digital innovations. Because our products today already meet the demands of system-in-package (SiP) companies, our Nano-RFeIC(TM) products will also satisfy these SiP players. Moreover, our Nano-RFeIC(TM) products now completely bridge the RF gap for system-on-chip (SoC) companies. We will be sampling our Nano-RFeIC(TM) with our strategic partners in Q4, 2011."
For more information regarding the challenges with RF Front-end integration in nano-scale CMOS technologies, and how RFaxis enables a path-forward, please see RFaxis' latest whitepaper, "Challenges and Path Forward for RF Front-end Integration in Nano-Scale CMOS for Wireless Communications," at www.rfaxis.com/downloads.
About RFaxis, Inc.
RFaxis, Inc., based in Irvine, California, specializes in the design and development of RF semiconductor and embedded antenna solutions. With its patent pending technologies, the company leads the way in next-generation wireless solutions designed for the multibillion dollar WLAN, 802.11n/MIMO, ZigBee, WiMAX, Bluetooth, wireless video, and cellular phone markets. Leveraging CMOS silicon technology in conjunction with its own innovative approach and circuit design, RFaxis is home to the world's first RF Front-end Integrated Circuit (RFeIC(TM)). More information can be found at: www.rfaxis.com.