Japanese Chip maker Rohm Builds THz Transceiver to Deliver 30 Gbps Data Rate

IDG News service reported that Japanese component maker Rohm developed an experimental transceiver chip that can send and receive signals at terahertz (THz) frequencies. Consequently, it is capable of handling data at speeds of up to 30 Gbps.

As per the report, a company spokeswoman told IDG News reporter Jay Alabaster that the company plans to bring the device to market in the next three or four years at an initial price of less than $13. “That would allow for its use in home electronics and other consumer devices,” according to Rohm.

According to this report, which was posted on the Computerworld site, the device measures 1.5 mm by 3 mm, and operates in the 300 GHz range, which is part of a band between radio and light waves. Rohm said that the transceiver chip was developed together with researchers at Osaka University. The developer claims that the chip is the first in the world to achieve this performance at such a small size.

Per Rohm’s description, the chip currently handles data at 1.5 Gbps, but can be increased to 30 Gbps in the future. Alabaster wrote that the company has used the chips to send uncompressed high-definition television (HDTV) images, and is working to develop chips for commercial applications aimed at the next wave of TVs and projectors.

Speaking to IDG News, the Rohm spokeswoman said that “the main obstacles to mass production at the current stage are durability and stable, consistent performance.”

The IDG News report indicates that signals at THz frequencies can pass through solid objects including paper, plastic, walls and even the outer layers of skin, making them suitable for security and medical applications. However, the signals cannot pass through water or metal. And, like light signals must be aimed in a specific direction. They also have limited range, said Rohm.

In other news, Rohm Co. recently said that researchers from the company and Osaka University have jointly developed a small semiconductor device that enables high-speed wireless communications as fast as those over fiber-optic cable.