MixComm, a New Jersey-based fabless semiconductor startup, has released its first 28 GHz Beamforming Front-End IC Based on an Enhanced 45nm RF SOI Process. The SUMMIT 2629 production device, integrates novel power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers, T/R switching, beam-formers, calibration, gain control, beam table memory, temperature and power telemetry, and high-speed SPI control for a front-end module with optimal partitioning for 5G infrastructure. The device is fabricated in GLOBALFOUNDRIES 45RFSOI which has inherent advantages over other semiconductor technologies for infrastructure applications. The SUMMIT 2629 operates from 26.5-29.5 GHz and is the first of a family of MixComm mmWave devices.
The company’s technology is based upon breakthroughs developed at Columbia University CoSMIC Lab led by Dr. Harish Krishnaswamy.
MixComm SUMMIT 2629 Product Highlights:
- Industry leading efficiency more than 2X better than existing solutions
- Four-element Dual-pol. TX/RX with Independent Polarization Beam Directions
- High-Power, High-Efficiency SOI CMOS Power Amplifiers
- State-of-the-art Low-Noise Amplifiers and Low-Loss T/R Switching
- Ultra-low Transmit and Receive-Mode Power Consumption
- 6-bit full-3600 Phase Shifting and 0.5dB-step 16dB-range Variable Gain in Each Path
- Fully calibrated for Gain/Phase Matching Across ICs
- Extensive On-chip Temperature and Power Sensing
- On-chip Gain Control for Temperature Compensation
- High-Speed SPI with Large On-Chip Beam Table Storage
- Wafer-Level Chip-Scale Package (WLCSP) compatible with low-cost PCB manufacturing
- Support for Large-Scale Arrays through Multiple Chip-Addressing Modes
SUMMIT 2629 has been designed to address the critical challenges that currently constrain 5G mmWave success:
- Limited range that increase carrier cost and diminish customer satisfaction
- Excessive thermal and electrical power consumption budgets
- Low integration and excessively large antenna arrays that drive high module cost.
These benefits make the MixComm solution ideal for 5G infrastructure ranging from gNodeB base stations and repeaters to customer premise equipment. The flexible architecture and ultra-low power operation will also enable 5G hotspots and other user equipment demanding long battery life and sleek form factors.
The MixComm team has worked with RFSOI process technologies for more than a decade. This experience is a key reason the company chose to work closely with the RFSOI leader, GLOBALFOUNDRIES. 45RFSOI is a 45nm, partially-depleted SOI server-class technology optimized for use in mmWave applications. It is in high volume production at multiple GF fabs since 2008. RF-centric enablement, device and technology features to this baseline platform, including thick copper and dielectric back-end-of-line features, that improve RF performance for LNAs, switches and power amplifiers, are a few features that make GF’s 45RFSOI the ideal solution to handle the demanding performance and integration requirements of 5G mmWave applications.
The SUMMIT 2629 will be available for sample in Q2, 2020.
