Peregrine Semiconductor Corp of San Diego, CA, USA, a fabless provider of radio-frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) based on silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) and silicon-on-insulator (SOI), has shipped the first RF switches built on its UltraCMOS 10 technology platform. With partner GLOBALFOUNDRIES, the firm has also completed product and process qualification for the RF SOI technology.
Introduced in October 2013, UltraCMOS 10 technology provides smartphone makers with what is claimed to be unparalleled performance and flexibility. The 130nm technology combines the performance of UltraCMOS technology with the economies of SOI, and delivers a more than 50% performance improvement over comparable solutions, it is reckoned. The technology addresses the unique growth requirements for mobile applications and is the foundation of Peregrine’s next-generation RF switches, tuners and power amplifiers, including UltraCMOS Global 1 (claimed to be the industry’s first reconfigurable RF front end).
“UltraCMOS 10 technology builds on Peregrine’s 25 year legacy of providing high-performance integrated RF solutions,” says Mark Miscione, VP of RF technology solutions. “Our technology platform was created to advance the future of RF design with a comprehensive SOI solution.”
To develop UltraCMOS 10 technology, Peregrine collaborated with GLOBALFOUNDRIES, a tier-one foundry and provider of semiconductor manufacturing technology. Together, the firms co-developed a unique fabrication flow for the versatile RF SOI platform. With the qualification process complete, UltraCMOS 10 technology is now a fully qualified technology platform.
“Peregrine has a strong history of innovation and performance leadership, and we believe this trend will continue with the co-developed UltraCMOS 10 technology, the highest-performance RF SOI technology,” comments KC Ang, senior VP & general manager of Singapore operations at GLOBALFOUNDRIES.
