Tiny RFIC delivers +67 dBm IIP3, extends portfolio of the “Green RFIC Solution”
San Diego, California, February 9, 2010 — Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation, a leading supplier of high-performance RF CMOS and mixed-signal communications ICs, today announced the new PE42440 SP4T (single pole four throw) RF switch. The PE42440, designed on Peregrine’s green UltraCMOS™ silicon-on- sapphire (SOS) process technology, features excellent broadband RF performance from 50 MHz up to 3 GHz. The HaRP™-enhanced switch has best-in-class linearity, making it ideal for general purpose TRx switching in cellular and 2.4 GHz industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio bands; antenna tuning; and filter bank tuning/switching in a wide range of applications, including cellular radios and radio modules; antenna tuning of UHF bands through 3 GHz; RFID antenna tuning; 2.4 GHz ISM; Femtocells and other industrial applications.
“We continue to push the limits of our RFIC portfolio, achieving performance with UltraCMOS that cannot be matched with GaAs-based and other SOI devices,” said Mark Schrepferman, director of the communications and industrial product line at Peregrine. “No other SP4T RF switch on the market can deliver the broad combination of exceptional features found in this device, making it ideal for many general purpose RF applications entering the market today,” he added. “When you add all the environmental benefits of SOS, it’s clear that UltraCMOS is the IC-of-choice over GaAs-based devices and the growing concerns about toxic e-Waste,” he concluded.
The new reflective PE42440 switch delivers market-leading RF performance unmatched by its competition: an IIP3 of +67 dBm and P1dB of 41.5 dBm (across the range); Insertion Loss of 0.45 dB; and very high Isolation of 34 dB (at 1 GHz). The 50-Ohm switch handles maximum +33 dBm input power (500 MHz to 3 GHz) with world- class ESD tolerance of 4.0 kV HBM on the RFC pin. Additional features include integrated CMOS control logic, decoder for 2-pin control that accepts 1.8V and 2.75V control logic levels, and a low 4.5 Ohm series ON resistance. A single Vdd supply pin eliminates the need for multiple power supplies and power up sequencing which is typically required on competitive devices. As with all SOS-based UltraCMOS RFICs, the device settles fast without gate lag or insertion loss drift, and no blocking capacitors are required.
The PE42440, packaged in the 16-lead 3mmx3mm QFN, is available in volume today and is priced at $0.67 each (100K units).
About Environmentally-friendly UltraCMOS™ Technology
UltraCMOS mixed-signal process technology is a patented advancement of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology on a sapphire substrate providing high yields, competitive costs and a “green” alternative to GaAs-based technologies. UltraCMOS delivers significant performance advantages over competing processes such as GaAs, SiGe BiCMOS and bulk silicon CMOS in applications where RF performance, low power and high levels of integration are paramount. These measureable power and size savings offer advantages for both manufacturers and consumers, including longer battery life, smaller batteries, lower power consumption and bills, less electronic waste…and a greener Earth. Further, the company’s revolutionary HaRP™ and DuNE™ technologies further exploit the fundamental benefits of silicon-on-sapphire, enabling dramatic improvements in harmonic results, linearity, power handling and overall RF performance which today remain unmatched by any other RF process technology.
About Peregrine Semiconductor
Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets high-performance communications RF ICs for the wireless infrastructure and mobile wireless; broadband CATV/DTV; communications infrastructure; and high-rel markets. Manufactured on the Company’s proprietary UltraCMOS mixed-signal process technology, Peregrine products are uniquely poised to meet the needs of a global RF design community in high-growth applications such as WCDMA, EDGE and GSM digital cellular and mobile TV; broadband communications such as DTV/PCTV/DVR; and in high-reliability applications such as telecom infrastructure, industrial, automotive, military and satellite systems. Peregrine UltraCMOS devices are manufactured under licensed foundry partnerships with world-class CMOS semiconductor manufacturers located in Japan, Taiwan, Korea and Australia. The Company, headquartered in San Diego, California, maintains global sales support operations and a worldwide technical distribution network. Additional information is available on the web at www.psemi.com.
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The Peregrine Semiconductor name and logo are registered trademarks and UltraCMOS, HaRP and DuNE are trademarks of Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.