22 February 2012

TriQuint’s latest QUANTUM Tx claimed to be smallest 3G/4G transmit modules

RF front-end component maker and foundry services provider TriQuint Semiconductor Inc of Hillsboro, OR, USA says that it is building market momentum with two QUANTUM Tx modules that are 40% smaller than the previous generation. The transmit modules integrate the firm’s new ultra-small GSM core, and enable more flexibility for smartphones, feature phones and low-cost voice-only phones.

Picture: Core of TriQuint’s latest QUANTUM Tx transmit module.

“Design innovations have enabled cost and size breakthroughs without compromising performance,” says Shane Smith, VP of global marketing for Mobile Devices. “Our 2G QUANTUM Tx module has already made significant inroads in the GSM market. Our new 3G/4G QUANTUM Tx module pairs with our new TRITIUM Duo family of dual-band PA-duplexer modules [launched this week] to create the industry’s smallest, high-performance RF solution for global 3G/4G wireless devices,” he claims.

TriQuint says that some of the world’s leading mobile handset makers (including Samsung, Huawei and ZTE) have selected its new QUANTUM Tx modules. Of the firm’s previous generations of QUANTUM Tx modules, to date more than 150 million units have been shipped. “We expect to ship more than 100 million QUANTUM Tx modules in the next 18 months alone, making it one of the highest volume product lines in our factory,” Smith says. TriQuint increased manufacturing capacity by 40% in 2011 to support customer demand for its growing mobile device portfolio.

Shipping in volume since mid-2011, TriQuint’s 2G (GSM) TQM6M4068 QUANTUM Tx module offers phone designers full gallium arsenide heterojunction bipolar transistor (GaAs HBT) performance and a small size to enable flexible designs. At 5mm x 6mm, the TQM6M4068 is claimed to be the industry’s smallest Tx module. Approved for MediaTek’s chipset reference design, the product has been chosen for many new 2G phone platforms. “Close to 1.5 billion GSM-based phones will be produced this year,” notes Neil Shah, an analyst with market research firm Strategy Analytics. “Virtually all 3G- and 4G-capable phones incorporate 2G access technology, and 2G remains the dominant wireless communication technology in many areas of the world,” he adds.

Shipping in volume since January, the TQM6M4069 QUANTUM Tx module features the same small 5mm x 6mm footprint, making it the smallest 3G/4G transmit module on the market, it is claimed. TriQuint says that the new part simplifies mobile device design and showcases the firm’s strength in integration, since it includes a GSM/GPRS power amplifier and WCDMA antenna switch. TriQuint also plans to expand the QUANTUM Tx module family in the months ahead with product solutions that incorporate additional switch ports to support more frequency bands.

The QUANTUM Tx transmit modules implement proprietary CuFlip technology to replace wire bonds with copper bumps, saving board real-estate and boosting system performance by eliminating noise-radiating wires. The copper bumps also dissipate heat better than traditional interconnect techniques. The QUANTUM Tx modules offer improved system efficiency and full RF transmit functionality in a compact size of just 30mm².

Tags: TriQuint Tx modules GaAs HBT

Visit: www.triquint.com