Jazz Semiconductor claims that its SiGe BiCMOS ICs can replace GaAs components as front-end components in mobile phones.
The foundry said it had identified significant interest in the silicon germanium (SiGe) process from IC providers in this market.
Jazz has demonstrated a SiGe transistor with performance of up to 200GHz. "Noise and power performance is competitive with GaAs while offering as much as 40% lower die cost," said the foundry.
An example of a transition from GaAs to SiGe is the recently announced collaboration between Jazz and UCSD to develop a 2-antenna quad-beam 11-15GHz phased array receiver for satellite communications on a 0.18-micron SiGe BiCMOS process "replacing 8 GaAs ICs, drastically lowering the cost of phased array assembly," claimed the company.
To support the transition from GaAs to SiGe-based designs, in June Jazz partnered with Agilent to provide a SiGe design kit targeting applications up to and beyond 60 to 77GHz.
See: Silicon germanium: fast, quiet, and powerful
According to data from Strategy Analytics, the combined millimeter wave and FEM market is estimated to grow from $400m in 2009 to over $750m in 2012, a CAGR of over 23%, outpacing most other sectors in the semiconductor industry.
See: Foundry industry on a roll