World's First 4mm x 4mm PA Module to Support 3G in China

30th March , 2004

US : Skyworks Solutions announced the world's first TD-SCDMA power amplifier (PA) module in a compact, 4mm x 4mm package. TD-SCDMA has emerged as one of three possible 3G standards China may adopt during its transition from voice-centric mobile handset applications to a more complex mixture of voice, wireless data and multimedia services.

Inset above is a block diagram of the new TD-SCDMA power amplifier (PA) module.

According to a November 2003 report from market research firm In-Stat/MDR, the wireless services market in China continues to grow rapidly and will reach more than 400 million subscribers by 2007.

"With the addition of our TD-SCDMA PA module, we are the only company that can offer PA modules for all three standards being considered for 3G service deployment in China," said Brian Daly, Skyworks' director of marketing for RF Solutions.

"China's Ministry of Information Industry has announced that it will require the country's six telecommunications operators to conduct 3G trials this year using TD-SCDMA technology," Daly added. "Skyworks has been an early enabler for TD-SCDMA deployment testing, including providing the prototype TD-SCDMA PA module technology for the world's first TD-SCDMA handheld call in a live network in July 2003. Today, we are the first to offer handset manufacturers commercially available TD-SCDMA PA modules to support carrier trials in China, paving the way for license awards and service roll-outs."

Chinese authorities are considering three standards as the country prepares to deploy 3G networks, each of which Skyworks now supports with a PA module offering. TD-SCDMA, or Time-Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access, was for the most part developed in China, while cdma2000 builds on the CDMA standard and Wideband CDMA builds on the global system for mobile communications, or GSM, standard.

PA modules are a key element within cellular handsets as they provide the energy for transmitting a wireless signal through the handset antenna to the base station and represent the single most determining factor of handset battery. Skyworks pioneered the now-prevalent 4mm x 4mm PA module footprint in 2002, and continues to forge new territory in PA module size reduction, power efficiency improvements and extended talk times for W-CDMA, cdma2000 and, now, TD-SCDMA, and other leading standards worldwide.

Product Details

Skyworks' SKY77161 is a fully-matched, 10-pin 4mm x 4mm surface-mount PA module that was developed specifically for TD-SCDMA applications and supports TD-SCDMA multi-slot operation. Unlike alternative solutions, which were designed to support other wireless standards and then modified to support TD-SCDMA, the SKY77161 fully supports the stringent spectral linearity requirements of TD-SCDMA transmission and packs full 2010-2025 MHz bandwidth coverage into a single compact package. A low current control (VCONT) pin boosts power efficiency to 45 percent at maximum RF power (28 dBm) and 12 percent at mid-range RF power (16 dBm), enabling increased talk times and the use of smaller batteries. Additionally, digital bias control reduces current consumption in low-power mode, and a low VREF of 2.85V nominal ensures that the module can share the same voltage regulator as the handset's RF integrated circuit.

Skyworks' SKY77161 PA module is manufactured using the company's industry-leading single-chip 50 GHz gallium arsenide (GaAs) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) process technology, which delivers proven efficiency, linearity and reliability, along with excellent thermal performance. The module contains all active circuitry, including on-board bias circuit and input and interstage matching circuits.

Pricing and Availability

The SKY77161 module is available in sample quantities and scheduled to enter volume production in the third calendar quarter of 2004. It is packaged in a 4mm x 4mm x 1.5mm laminate multi-chip module (MCM) and priced at $1.75 per unit in OEM volumes of 100,000.

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