High Performance RF Technologies

Always seeking to improve performance through innovative processes, NXP's approach helps change the economics of new technologies. We turn esoteric processes into mainstream solutions, allowing you to apply new technologies to existing applications to make better, more cost effective systems.

NXP's recent developments include gallium-nitride (GaN). GaN offers numerous benefits such as high frequency capability combined with high power, and high efficiency. It is ideal for cellular base stations, WiMAX, broadcast and radar applications among others.

Bringing you the benefits of high volume silicon manufacturing, our SiGe:C technology delivers GaAs performance with numerous integration options, so you can incorporate more functionality into less space. We also have a strong heritage in LDMOS and we continue to innovate with next-generation variations.

Beyond processes, we also pay special attention to packaging. For example, we are currently developing a complete line of overmolded plastic (OMP) packages including RF power transistors and MMICs with peak powers up to 200 W.

SiGe:C technology - turning the heat up on GaAs

Our state-of-the-art SiGe:C (QUBiC4X and QUBiC4Xi) technology and extensive IP availability speeds the migration from gallium-arsenide (GaAs) components to silicon ICs. Now you can experience GaAsperformance with numerous integration options and reliable consistency, allowing you to incorporate more functionality into less space. In addition, you get all the benefits of silicon manufacturing advantages, meaningcompetitive cost and superb reliability.

SiGe:C technology enables cutting-edge products that feature best-in-class low noise performance, linearity, power consumption, spurious performance and output power. It was designed specifically to meet theneeds of real-life, high-frequency applications.

Two options are available. QUBiC4X is ideal for up to 30 GHz systems (Ft = 137 GHz) with 2.5 V breakdown voltage and ultra low noise applications (NF < 0.8 dB @ 10 GHz). Alternatively QUBiC4Xi, NXP's latestSiGe:C process, offers improved Ft (> 200 GHz) with 1.4 V breakdown voltage and even lower noise figure (NF < 0.5 dB @ 10 GHz) for applications beyond 30 GHz.

Best-in-class LDMOS to drive almost any
RF application

LDMOS (Laterally Diffused Metal Oxide Semiconductor) is effectively the dominant device technology used in high power RF amplifiers for frequencies ranging from 700 MHz to 3.8 GHz. It offers significant advantages over silicon bipolar transistors, such as very high ruggedness and efficiency, high gain, and compatibility with low cost packaging platforms.

NXP's LDMOS technology used in RF power transistors typically run at 32 V, and offers outstanding efficiency, power and ruggedness. It draws on NXP's heritage of proven product- and technology innovation in RF spanning well over 30 years. Now in its 8th-generation, our LDMOS devices deliver record performance up to 3.8 GHz and for example help wireless network operators realize state of the art efficiencies for wireless base stations and hence reduce operating costs.

Advanced processes and architectures
These high efficiencies are actually a combination of the Gen 8 LDMOS devices with specific amplifier circuit designs such as Doherty. The technology enables Doherty amplifiers with higher power, higher efficiencies, less memory effects and better pre-distortion capabilities.

Doherty amplifiers are available, which are fully integrated into a single transistor package - engineers do not need to worry about the quite intricate design of such a circuit any more - all splitters, delay lines and combiners are already included and the design process boils down to a class AB circuit design.

Higher power densities and ruggedness
Next to the 32 V technology node, NXP offers higher operating voltages LDMOS (40 and 50 V) for aerospace and defense, broadcast and ISM applications. These application areas demand very high power densities and ruggedness.

Ruggedness denotes the capability of the devices to withstand RF-mismatched conditions without failure. NXP has delivered breakthroughs in this field - several devices have proven to be virtually indestructible. This property is particularly important for the ISM field of application. Applications here tend to be mismatched repeatedly at some point during operation, often during start-up. Recently, NXP released a particularly rugged technology node - the 50V XR (extremely rugged) LDMOS process. It enables devices, which are as rugged as the older technology VDMOS -practically unbreakable - and retain the power and efficiency at "LDMOS levels". The mentioned ruggedness together with the high power density and special attention to thermal design enable very compact, reliable and very powerful amplifiers for any kind of ISM application.

As NXP's LDMOS based devices are also offered for aerospace and defense applications, (avionics, L- and S-Band) they offer significant advantages over incumbent silicon bipolar transistors. Once again superior linearity and efficiency, higher gain and much better ruggedness play an important role.

For this application field, LDMOS offers improved pulse shaping capability: a more stable insertion phase, less pulse droop, no thermal runaways and the capability to overdrive transistors to +5 dB without risking breakdown.
Last but not least, the technology is compatible with low cost and ROHS compliant packaging platforms.

The result of a collaborative development effort, this new gallium-nitride (GaN) technology enables high power amplifiers that deliver very high efficiency in next-generation wireless communication systems.

The new GaN process, which combines high frequency with high power, puts NXP in the ideal position to support future applications while continuing to evolve its well established LDMOS technology. GaN technology delivers numerous benefits to manufacturers of infrastructure equipment. For example, using GaN technology in a transmitter delivers significant cost savings in system operation due to the high efficiencies achievable, along with major improvements in system performance and flexibility. Also, while most of today's base station power amplifiers are limited to specific applications, the new GaN-based technology creates a 'universal transmitter' that can be applied in multiple systems and frequencies.

Having a universal power amplifier architecture simplifies transmitter production and logistics. The technology also allows operators to switch between frequency bands to instantly meet demands in the base station's coverage area.

GaN transistors also enable much more efficient power amplifiers and, as a result, drive down the operational costs of telecom operators. GaN transistors can operate at much higher junction temperatures than Si- and GaAs-based devices, so GaN is an ideal candidate for environments with reduced cooling capabilities, such as tower-top base stations.

Also, with its high power densities, GaN has the potential to expand into other areas including high power broadcast applications, where solid-state power amplifiers built with vacuum tubes are still the norm. NXP's first GaN broadband power amplifiers are expected to be available at the beginning of 2012, with switch mode power amplifiers (SMPAs) following in subsequent years.

NXP is currently developing a complete line of overmolded plastic (OMP) RF power transistors and MMICs with peak powers ranging from 2.5 to 200 W. Plastic packages offer significant cost benefits, with little or no impact on performance. Our range of plastic devices complements our extensive range of RF power products in ceramic packages for all frequency ranges and applications up to 2.45 GHz.

The products in development include:

• Single-stage broadband drivers in HSOP outlines, from 2.5 to 10 W
• Single-stage OMP drivers from 25 to 45 W, replacing their ceramic equivalents for cost sensitive applications
• Dual-stage MMICs from 30 to 60 W that can be used as high-gain drivers or combined as low power dual-stage Doherty amplifiers
• Fully integrated plug-and-play Doherty PAs in a single package (50 to 100 W)
• Final transistors in OMP package (SOT502-sized) ranging from 140 to 200 W in frequency bands from 730 MHz to 2.2 GHz
• Final transistors in OMP package (SOT502-sized) ranging from 2.5 to 300W in ISM frequency bands from a few MHz up to 2.45 GHz

Some of these products are available for sampling now while the rest of the portfolio will be rolled out throughout 2011.

SerDes-based digital interface leadership

NXP Semiconductors continues to be a leader in the development of high speed data converters with JEDEC JESD204A and JESD204B digital interfaces based on SerDes (Serializer / Deserializer) technology. CGV (Convertisseur Grande Vitesse) and CGVxpress are NXP‘s superset implementations of these two interface standards. Fully compliant with JEDEC standards, our CGV variants deliver additional benefits for enhanced performance and ease-of-use.

Deep involvement

Our involvement in developing JEDEC standards goes back to 2005 when we worked with leading wireless base station OEMs on next generation transceiver system design concepts. Drawing on our expertise in RF, data conversion and high speed interface circuits, we helped develop the original standard JEDEC JESD204 (released 2006). Subsequently, NXP was instrumental in introducing the concept of parallel serial lanes to allow additional synchronized bandwidth - incorporated in the revised standardized interface, JESD204A (released 2008).

More recently, NXP has been a primary contributor (serving as task group chairman) to the latest revision of the standard - JESD204B (released 2011). JESD204B includes three major feature enhancements: harmonic clocking support, deterministic and repeatable latency through the interface, and higher data lane bandwidth, up to a maximum of 12.5 Gbps.

Key benefits - JESD204A/B

• Simplified PCB layout and routing, with the potential for PCB cost reduction (fewer signal layers, smaller PCB form factor, no data lane-to-clock skew management)
• Simplified PCB layout and routing, with the potential for PCB cost reduction (fewer signal layers, smaller PCB form factor, no data lane-to-clock skew management)
• Increased system performance, enabling higher bandwidth digital signals over fewer PCB traces
• Flexible converter resolution (e.g. from 14-bit to 16-bit) with simple FPGA configuration change - no PCB redesign needed
• Reduced signal skew management, with the potential for reduced engineering development cost
• Single bit error detection, by virtue of 8B / 10B coding, with the potential for increased system reliability
• 8B / 10B PHY is compatible with fiber optic signaling for long reach applications
• EMI / RFI radiation reduction, with the potential for easier device compliance test approval
• Multiple time-aligned and phase coherent data converter channels for system designs such as LTE MIMO base stations, with the potential for simplified system design and reduced engineering development cost
• Elimination of CMOS parallel bus buffers, with BOM cost reduction and schematic / layout simplification

Additional benefits - CGV

• Enhanced rate (4.0 Gbps typical) - a 28% increase over the JEDEC JESD204A standard
• Enhanced reach (100 cm typical) - a 400% increase over the JEDEC JESD204A standard
• Enhanced feature (Multiple Device Synchronization) - enables up to sixteen DAC data streams to be sample-synchronized and phase-coherent
• Assured FPGA interoperability - Altera, Lattice and Xilinx SerDes-based programmable logic devices