Skyworks Unveils New Family of Low Noise Amplifiers

Skyworks Solutions, a provider of analog and mixed signal semiconductors, has unveiled a new suite of low noise amplifiers (LNAs). According to the company, this product family is suited for industry applications such as GPS, ISM band and satellite radio, and WLAN markets.

 

The first release in this product family is SKY65050-372LF. This is a low noise transistor which offers high performance, low noise, n-channel, depletion mode pHEMT, fabricated from Skyworks' advanced pHEMT process. It comes in a miniature 4-lead SC-70 package and can be used in various receiver and transmitter applications.

 

Skyworks is also using company's latest pHEMT7 technology and enhancement mode pHEMT devices to launch higher frequency, higher linearity, and even lower noise figures.

 

“This is an exciting development for Skyworks, and opens up an entirely new product line and market," said David C. Stasey, Skyworks' vice president of analog components. “Skyworks has uniquely designed these discrete pHEMT devices to achieve ultra low noise that supports the high performance requirements for modern receiver designs. We are also utilizing SiGe technology to produce integrated LNA devices.”

 

The new LNAs introduced by Skyworks make use of technologies such as pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (pHEMT) and silicon germanium (SiGe). The pHEMT technology is widely used in wireless communications and LNA applications. Manufacturers prefer this technology because of its high power added efficiencies (PAE) and low noise figures (NF). 

 

The transistor conforms to the environmental impact assessment (EIA)/European information and communications technology industry association (EICTA)/Japan electronics and information technology industries association (JEITA) joint industry guide (JIG) Level A guidelines. It is free from antimony trioxide and brominated flame retardants.

 

Recently, the company announced the introduction of a suite of front-end modules (FEM) with power control performance for quad band cellular handsets. The power control scheme is based on a coupler detector which adds to the total radiated power (TRP) performance. Skyworks said these small footprint and GSM, GPRS and EDGE solutions support Broadcom's (News - Alert), Infineon's and MediaTek's 2.5G and 3G platforms.