freescale semiconductor
company review freescale
Wireless Technology
Radio frequency (RF) and analog mixed-signal (AMS) technologies which serve the rapidly growing wireless communication market represent essential technologies in the semiconductor space. RF/AMS circuits convert input radio signals into digital data which can be passed to a baseband processor for data processing. This type of conversion enables the functionality of cell phones and other wireless devices.
Freescale is a pioneer of RF semiconductor technology, and continues to be the leader in the field by providing technologies meeting the highest standards of performance, quality and reliability. Freescale has extensive experience in RF modeling, design and packaging and our complete portfolio of RF, analog, digital and packaging technologies enables us to provide world-class integrated communication and competitive system solutions.
Our RF technologies combine high-performance active transistors with integrated passives (resistors, capacitors and inductors/transformers) to provide RF and mixed-signal solutions across a wide range of markets. Highlighting our embedded passives capability, Freescale was the first to integrate a precision thin film resistor into RFBiCMOS and RFCMOS platforms.
In addition to integrated chip solutions, Freescale also offers package module solutions, allowing the integration of RF IC, baseband IC and embedded passives (filters, switches, resistors, capacitors and inductors) into a single package. Freescale-proprietary Redistributed Chip Packages (RCP) technology has demonstrated a 30x30mm 3G Radio-In-Package with the equivalent functions of a 45×90 mm PCB board assembled radio.
SiGe:C BiCMOS
The majority of today’s wireless RF/AMS transceivers are implemented in silicon germanium bipolar complimentary metal oxide semiconductor technologies (SiGe BiCMOS). The addition of germanium and carbon into the base region of a bipolar transistor has introduced band-gap engineering to the silicon world and enables the development of highly capable RF bipolar transistors fully compatible with high density digital CMOS technology.
Freescale is a recognized industry leader in SiGe BiCMOS technology and was the first to qualify a SiGe:C HBT BiCMOS process in 2000. Two generations of SiGe:C BiCMOS technology platforms have been fully qualified at the 350 nm and 180 nm nodes. Both of these platforms offer a range of SiGe:C HBT devices, including those with higher cut-off frequencies and lower high-frequency noise for applications where higher performance is required.
RFCMOS
The drive for lower cost handsets has pushed the semiconductor industry to develop ICs with increased levels of integration, performance and functionality. Moore’s law has enabled the development of CMOS technologies with the required performance and precision for RF/AMS circuits, as well as the required density and performance for digital signal processing circuits. Freescale’s unique expertise in RF/AMS as well as CMOS enabled early creation and adoption of this technology with a full-featured 180nm RFCMOS technology in 2002. Freescale’s evolution and development of this technology also led to the development of a highly advanced 90nm RFCMOS technology, which has been available since 2005.
Millimeter-Wave Technology
Advancements in SiGe:C HBT technology pushed the emerging arena of high-frequency (>60 GHz) millimeter-wave (mm-wave) applications such as WLAN (60 GHz) and automotive radar (77 GHz) circuits into the reach of low-cost silicon technology. Freescale’s expertise in SiGe:C bipolar development has been leveraged to provide a mm-wave-capable variation of the 180nm SiGe:C BiCMOS platform. Announced in 2006, this technology features bipolar transistors with a 300GHz maximum oscillation frequency and active and passive models optimized for mm-wave applications.