GHz Technology, a leading supplier of RF and microwave power transistors for application-specific requirements, and Lucent Technologies Microelectronics Group, have announced an agreement to develop and manufacture custom RF power transistors for wireless base stations. As part of the agreement, Lucent will implement a wafer fabrication process from GHz Technology for lateral diffusion metal oxide semiconductors (LDMOS), and will license certain GHz product designs. Lucent will also acquire a minority position in GHz Technology.
The companies are not disclosing financial terms.
"As wireless networks evolve to carry Internet traffic and more voice channels, demands on radio transmission components get increasingly stringent," said Colin Warwick, Product Line Manager for RF power devices in Lucent's Microelectronics Group. "By implementing GHz's designs and technology, we will deliver power transistors that enable wireless system makers to meet the challenges posed by third-generation cellular services."
Lucent selected GHz Technology after review of companies with RF power transistor technology and design experience. GHz Technology's strong application-specific approach to customers made it a good match for the complex transistor work required in the wireless arena.
"Lucent's long history in the semiconductor sector provides GHz a company with whom we can share our intellectual property and continue to advance LDMOS technology," said Frank W. Schneider, GHz President and CEO. "GHz values Lucent's deep understanding of silicon wafer processing and portfolio of process modules, along with its world class wafer fabrication capability."
LDMOS technology provides excellent linearity, thereby supporting new modulation schemes that have higher bit rates for a given spectrum allocation, such as the non-constant envelope schemes specified for wideband CDMA. The technology is also advantageous for power amplifiers that are being designed to handle multiple carrier frequencies instead of single frequencies. Multicarrier amplifiers lower the overall component count making basestations more cost-effective.
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