21 March 2012

M/A-COM Tech launches GaAs SP3T switch for smartphone and tablet applications

M/A-COM Technology Solutions Inc of Lowell, MA, USA (which makes analog semiconductors, components and subassemblies for RF, microwave and millimeter-wave applications) has launched a gallium arsenide (GaAs) SP3T switch for wireless LAN and Bluetooth (WLAN/BT) applications in smartphone and tablet platforms.

Packaged in a lead-free 1.5mm eight-lead PDFN, the MASW-010612 suits low control voltage, low insertion loss, high isolation, and small-size applications, switching between WLAN and Bluetooth functions to a common antenna. The switch is fabricated using a 0.5 micron gate-length GaAs pHEMT process, and has fast settling speed for timing-sensitive applications.

Operating in a frequency range of DC-3.5GHz and optimized at 2.4GHz, the MASW-010612 has a low insertion loss of 0.6dB and a high P1dB at 36dBm.

“This switch complements our bumped DIE MASW-009276 which is in production today,” says product manager Kevin Harrington. “The packaged WLAN/BT SP3T function in the 1.5mm package offers an easy pick-and-place solution,” he adds.

M/A-COM Tech has also launched a silicon SPDT switch – fabricated using its patented HMIC (heterolithic microwave integrated circuit) PIN diode based process – operating at 8-12GHz for military, commercial, and weather radar applications.

The MASW-011021 is a surmount (surface-mountable) X-band monolithic SPDT switch designed for high-power and high-performance applications. The surface-mount chip-scale configuration is designed with minimal parasitic inductances and capacitances that are usually associated with hybrid MIC (microwave integrated circuit) designs.

“As we work to expand our X-band portfolio of products, this switch fills an integral position in common radar architectures,” says Aerospace and Defense product manager Scott Vasquez. “This device provides high reliability and repeatability in a compact size and with a high power-handling level of 20W,” he adds.

Packaged as a surface-mountable die, the MASW-011021 has low insertion loss of 0.65dB and a high input-to-output isolation of 36dB. Selective backside metallization is applied to the switch, producing a surface-mount device. The topside is fully encapsulated with silicon nitride and has an additional polymer layer for scratch and impact protection. The protective coatings prevent damage during handling and assembly, says M/A-COM Tech.

Tags: M/A-COM Tech GaAs SP3T switch

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