17 January 2017

Peregrine announces volume production of 60GHz RF SOI switches

Peregrine Semiconductor Corp of San Diego, CA, USA – a fabless provider of radio-frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) based on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) – has announced availability of volume production parts for its UltraCMOS 60GHz RF SOI switches. The PE42525 and PE426525 extend the firm's high-frequency portfolio into frequencies previously dominated by gallium arsenide (GaAs) technology.

Supporting a wide frequency range from 9kHz to 60GHz, the PE42525 and PE426525 are reflective single-pole double-throw (SPDT) RF switches delivering a fast switching speed of just 8ns and RF TRISE/TFALL time of 3ns, and low current consumption of 390nA. At 50GHz, the PE42525 and PE426525 exhibit high port-to-port isolation of 37dB, low insertion loss of 1.9dB, high power handling, high linearity, and high ESD protection of 1kV HBM.

The PE42525 is suitable for test & measurement (T&M) equipment, microwave-backhaul solutions and higher-frequency switching in 5G systems. The PE426525 also has an extended temperature range of -55°C to +125°C (compared with the PE42525's -40°C to +105°C), making it desirable for harsh-environment applications in industrial markets.

Peregrine announced availability of 60GHz switch samples and evaluation kits in early October at European Microwave Week. "These high-frequency switches are garnering a high adoption rate in multiple markets including 5G, test & measurement (T&M) and defense," says director of marketing Kinana Hussain. "Not only do these switches break paradigms in high frequency, they also break paradigms in SOI fast switching," he adds.

The new 60GHz switches join Peregrine's high-frequency product portfolio, which includes multiple switches, an image-reject mixer, and monolithic phase and amplitude controllers (MPACs). Its proprietary UltraCMOS technology platform enables these products to reach high frequencies without compromising performance or reliability, the firm adds.

The PE42525 and PE426525 are each available as a flip-chip die with 500μm bump pitch — reckoned to be the best form factor for high-frequency performance, as it eliminates performance variations due to wire-bond length.

Production parts and evaluation kits are available now. For 1000-unit orders, the PE42525 die costs $40 each and the PE426525 $48 each.

See related items:

Peregrine unveils first 60GHz RF SOI switches 

Tags: Peregrine CMOS SOI

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