Achievement underscores continued technology leadership for industry's No. 1 provider of advanced RF power products
Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE: FSL), the worldwide leader in high-power radio frequency (RF) power transistors, recently reached a milestone unparalleled in the industry – shipment of more than 175 million high-power, high-frequency RF power transistors in plastic packages.
Freescale's RF power over-molded plastic packaging provides cost-effective and reliable alternatives to conventional, more expensive metal-ceramic packaging. Freescale's plastic packaging withstands and dissipates the high heat levels generated by RF power transistors while maintaining optimal performance levels. This packaging technology is often far less expensive on a per-unit basis than comparable devices in air-cavity packages, and over-molded plastic devices simplify customer's manufacturing processes by enabling a more efficient automated assembly.
"Freescale not only pioneered the development of high-power RF packaging to meet the demanding requirements of power amplifier manufacturers, but we continue to set the pace in plastic package performance, temperature ratings, reliability and volume production," said Ritu Favre, senior vice president and general manager for Freescale's RF business. "Shipping more than 175 million RF power devices in plastic packages underscores the broad market acceptance of Freescale's innovative plastic packaging technology."
Freescale's heritage of plastic packaging leadership spans more than 30 years. In the mid-1980s the company pioneered low-frequency, high-power plastic packaging for the automotive and industrial industries. In 1997, Freescale delivered the industry's first high-power, high-frequency RF devices in plastic packages optimized for wireless infrastructure applications. Nine years later, Freescale introduced the first 2 GHz RF power plastic devices with a maximum junction temperature rating of 225 degrees Celsius, which for the first time matched the frequency, thermal performance, maximum junction temperature, standards compliance and reliability of traditional RF transistors in metal-ceramic packages. And in 2009, Freescale further extended its technology leadership in plastic packaging with the introduction of OMNI over-molded plastic packaging engineered for applications in which extreme power, performance and temperature requirements are common.
Freescale offers the industry's broadest portfolio of RF power devices in plastic packages, with 12 outlines from which to choose. The current portfolio covers two- and three-stage driver ICs, as well as two-stage and discrete finals. The output power of the devices ranges from 20 dBm to as high as 300 watts and frequencies from 10 MHz to 2.7 GHz. In addition, Freescale continues to make the necessary investments in research and development to meet the rapidly evolving and challenging requirements of RF industries.
