Renesas Introduces SiGe Power Transistor with Industry's Highest Performance for 2.4/5GHz Wireless LAN Routers, RF Tag Readers/Writers.

Driving the Transmitting Antenna, the RQG2003 Transistor Can Save Space, Decrease Power Consumption, and Reduce Cost in Dual-Band Products That Have Low Transmission Power

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Renesas Technology America, Inc. today announced the RQG2003 high-performance power SiGe HBT(a)1, a device that achieves the industry's highest level of performance at 2.4GHz and 5GHz. In IEEE 802.11 a/b/g wireless LAN routers/terminals, RF (radio frequency) tag readers/writers, digital cordless phones, and similar products, this advanced power transistor can eliminate the power amplifier modules and MMICs (Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits) typically used to drive the transmitting antenna. As a result, it allows engineers to design systems that consume less power, are smaller, and cost less to build.

Gain in addition efficiency: about 20 percent

Performance of the RQG2003 power transistor is unmatched. At 5.8GHz, for example, the SiGe device has a power gain of 6.4 dB, a 1-dB gain compression power of 26.5 dBm, and a power addition efficiency(a)2 of 33.6%. At 2.4GHz, it provides a power gain of 13.0 dB, a 1-dB gain compression power of 26.5 dBm, and a power addition efficiency of 66.0%. Compared with the previous-generation Renesas solution, the HSG2002 transistor, the new RQG2003 device improves addition efficiency by approximately 10 percent at 5.8GHz and by about 20 percent at 2.4GHz, consuming less power to achieve the required output signal level in both bands.

The need for the RQG2003 power transistor is acute because the popularity of wireless enabled devices continues to grow, making "ubiquitous computing" more of a reality. Thus, electronics manufacturers in various market segments are seeking new solutions for next-generation products. For example, in the mature digital cordless phone market in North America, there is a strong demand for lower-priced products with low transmission power that support higher frequencies. Also, an increasing variety of types and applications for products that communicate using the 2.4/5GHz bands specified by IEEE 802.11 are emerging. In addition to Internet access via mobile phones and transmissions between audio-visual devices within the home, rapid growth is expected in applications such as wireless LAN capabilities for mobile phones and RF tags for physical distribution systems. As these wireless products become less expensive, it is becoming increasingly important for their component parts to provide a balance between performance and price. The RQG2003 power transistor meets the latest needs of the market by delivering the requisite balance.

Key to transistor's performance: proprietary double-trench die structure

The RQG2003 is the first Renesas Technology product to use the company's unique double-trench structure, in which trench isolation and a conductive trench are formed in a single transistor area. This structure reduces the parasitic capacitance between the substrate and transistor that degrades high-frequency characteristics, resulting in a major improvement in power gain and power addition efficiency in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Also, the conductive trench is constructed in a way that connects the electrodes and substrate by means of via holes(a)5, making it possible to reduce the inductance(a)6 originating from wire bonding, for improvement in power gain and power addition efficiency.

The RF power transistor is built with a SiGeC process, in which a SiGe base is doped with carbon, and has an optimized transistor pattern. These techniques have increased the collector current density and improved the 1-dB gain compression power by approximately 1.5 dBm compared with the HSG2002 device. The RQG2003 uses an optimal silver paste to achieve high reliability and conductivity for die bonding. A Sn-Bi (stannum-bismuth) compound is used for package electrode plating, providing a totally lead-free implementation. Unlike other non SiGe-based high-frequency power transistors, the Renesas RQG2003 is an eco-friendly product.

To provide an extensive range of products to meet evolving market needs, Renesas Technology plans to further extend the LNA (low noise amplifier) RQG1xxx and PA (power amplifier) RQG2xxx lineups in the RQG Series of SiGe transistors. The company is also developing LNA RQL1xxx and PA RQL2xxx products in the RQL Series of SiGe MMICs.

Price and availability

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About Renesas Technology Corp.

Renesas Technology Corp. is one of the world's leading semiconductor system solutions providers for mobile, automotive and PC/AV (Audio Visual) markets and the world's No.1 supplier of microcontrollers. It is also a leading provider of LCD Driver ICs, Smart Card microcontrollers, RF-ICs, High Power Amplifiers, Mixed Signal ICs, System-on-Chip (SoC), System-in-Package (SiP) and more. Established in 2003 as a joint venture between Hitachi, Ltd. (TOKYO:6501) (NYSE:HIT) and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6503), Renesas Technology achieved consolidated revenue of 906 billion JPY in FY2005 (end of March 2006). Renesas Technology is based in Tokyo, Japan and has a global network of manufacturing, design and sales operations in around 20 countries with about 26,200 employees worldwide. For further information, please visit http://www.renesas.com

Note to Editors: A specification summary is included in this release, and a photo of the RQG2003 RF power transistor is available.

Notes:

1. SiGe HBT (heterojunction bipolar transistor): A transistor with excellent high-frequency characteristics in which germanium is applied to the base area of a silicon bipolar transistor.

2. Power addition efficiency: An index that indicates the efficiency with which DC power supplied to an amplifier from a power supply is converted to RF power as an output signal. The larger the numeric value of this index, the lower amplifier's the power consumption.

3. IEEE 802.11a/b/g: Communication specifications drawn up by Wireless LAN (Local Area Network) Working Group 802.11 of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.). IEEE802.11a is a 5GHz-band standard, and IEEE 802.11b and IEEE 802.11g are 2.4GHz-band standards.

4. MMIC: Monolithic microwave integrated circuit. A SiGe MMIC is an integrated circuit containing SiGe (silicon-germanium) transistors and passive elements such as resistances and capacitances.

5. Via hole: A through-hole for the purpose of electrical connection. Here, it is a structure that provides electrical connection between GND wiring on the surface of a chip and the rear surface by means of a trench and W-CVD technology. This technology is effective in reducing inductance originating from wire bonding.

6. Inductance: A basic electrical component that is naturally present in wiring and impedes high-frequency current variation, having a value approximately proportional to the length of the wiring. In frequency regions above 1GHz, parasitic inductance greatly increases power loss and lowers high-frequency amplifier gain. Therefore, it must be reduced as much as possible.

(a) Product names, company names, or brands mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Specifications: Renesas Technology RQG2003 SiGe Power Transistor

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