Date: 03/11/2008

Triquint's new GaAs process enables the design of high throw count switches in RFICs

Triquint Semiconductor has made available two new 150mm high volume Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) processes named TQP15 and TQP25 for building millimeter wave (mmWave) applications. These new Pseudomorphic High Electron Mobility Transistor (pHEMT) processes are of optical lithography technology type, different from traditional E-beam based solutions. TQP25 is currently available in limited release and TQP15 will be in limited release at the end of Q408.

TQP25 enables the design of high throw count switches such as those used in rapidly growing 3G WCDMA mobile handset market. High throw count switches enable access to multiple frequency bands from a single antenna, reducing the overall RF front-end footprint. TQP25 is also ideal for Ku-band power amplifier designs and as an enhancement/depletion (E/D) process, it allows levels of integration not typically available in this frequency range.

TQP15 is targeted at the emergent Ka-band segment and is ideal for the VSAT, satellite communications, and point-to-point radio markets.

"The cost efficiencies enabled by utilizing optical lithography in place of more traditional E-beam offers a broader range of customers the ability to develop millimeter wave applications. This disruptive price point will help bring mmWave applications into the commercial market space," said Mike Peters, Director of Marketing for Commercial Foundry at TriQuint.