Skyworks Commences Volume Production of BAW Filters for 802.11 b,g Access Points
BAW filters are integral components of radio frequency architectures and according to Strategy Analytics demand is projected to exceed $1.5 billion by 2010. Given their particular combination of small footprint, low profile and high performance, they are extremely valuable in enabling next-generation wireless products, which increasingly require greater functionality and reduced form factors. When combined with Skyworks' high-quality switches, power amplifiers (PAs), FEMs and transceivers, the company is uniquely positioned as a one-stop supplier for wireless manufacturers requiring highly integrated radio frequency (RF) solutions for a wide array of air interfaces and system architectures. Skyworks entered the BAW filter market two years ago as part of its strategic effort to develop diverse, differentiated products.
"We are delighted to have reached volume production with our BAW filters so soon after our initial entry into the market," said Stan Swearingen, Skyworks' vice president and general manager. "Expanding our portfolio to include BAW filters was the logical next step in RF integration for Skyworks, particularly as we continue to look for ways to reduce cost, size and overall component count to create solutions that support a variety of applications."
About BAW Filters
Filters are the first line of defense against interference at the front-end of all radios, as they block unwanted frequencies, while a defined frequency bandpass is transmitted with very low loss. As an increasing number of communication systems use RF frequency bands, very high selectivity filters have become more important in ensuring that systems with close frequency bands do not interfere with each other.
A great challenge for RF filters is to provide low loss in a desired transmission band, and yet give high rejection at nearby frequencies, such as those just outside the passband. BAW filter technology is ideally suited for achieving such high selectivity since it works by transducing electrical signals into very low loss resonant acoustic vibrations in piezoelectric structures. This is similar to what happens in quartz crystals used as electromechanical circuit elements in timing references.
BAW filters are fabricated using semiconductor wafer fabrication techniques similar to those already used by Skyworks to manufacture heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) PAs and pHEMT switches. Skyworks leverages all of the known benefits of wafer fabrication to achieve the high precision, high repeatability, and large volume capability to address the RF filter needs of the company's wireless communications customers.
About the SKY33100-360LF
The SKY33100-360LF filter, which is delivered in a 2 x 2 mm QFN package, has very low in-band insertion loss, excellent near-band rejection, very low input-and-output return loss, and thus offers better performance at 2.4 gigahertz and higher when compared to other solutions. The filter's function is to dramatically reduce out-of-band spurious responses, enabling compliance with FCC regulations at a higher-in-band transmission power and improves handling with more robust architectures. Intended for use in wireless local area network (WLAN) and industrial scientific medical (ISM) bands, the device can operate in temperatures ranging from -40 to +85 degrees Celsius and is available in a lead (Pb)-free, restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS)-compliant package.
Pricing and Availability
The SKY33100-360LF is available for sampling now and is priced at $2.15 for quantities of 10,000. Volume production is scheduled to commence this month.
About Skyworks
Skyworks Solutions, Inc. is an innovator of high performance analog and mixed signal semiconductors enabling mobile connectivity. The company's power amplifiers, front-end modules and direct conversion radios are at the heart of many of today's leading-edge multimedia handsets. Leveraging core technologies, Skyworks also offers a diverse portfolio of linear products that support automotive, broadband, cellular infrastructure, industrial and medical applications.
Headquartered in Woburn, Mass., Skyworks is worldwide with engineering, manufacturing, sales and service facilities throughout Asia, Europe and North America. For more information, please visit Skyworks' Web site at: www.skyworksinc.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This news release includes "forward-looking statements" intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include information relating to future results and expectations of Skyworks (including certain projections and business trends). Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "believes," "plans," "may," "will," "continue," similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. All such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those projected, and may affect our future operating results, financial position and cash flows.
These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: global economic and market conditions, such as the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry and the markets addressed by our, and our customers', products; our ability to develop, manufacture and market innovative products in a highly price competitive and rapidly changing technological environment; fluctuations in our manufacturing yields due to our complex and specialized manufacturing processes; fluctuations in the manufacturing yields of our third party semiconductor foundries and other problems or delays in the fabrication, assembly, testing or delivery of our products; the availability and pricing of third party semiconductor foundry, assembly and test capacity and raw materials; our ability to timely and accurately predict market requirements and evolving industry standards, and to identify opportunities in new markets; losses or curtailments of purchases or payments from key customers, or the timing of customer inventory adjustments; our reliance on a several key customers for a large percentage of our sales; our ability to rapidly develop new products and avoid product obsolescence; our ability to retain, recruit and hire key executives, technical personnel and other employees in the positions and numbers, with the experience and capabilities, and at the compensation levels needed to implement our business and product plans; lengthy product development cycles that impact the timing of new product introductions; the timing, rescheduling or cancellation of significant customer orders and our ability, as well as the ability of our customers, to manage inventory; unfavorable changes in product mix; the quality of our products and any remediation costs; shorter than expected product life cycles; problems or delays that we may face in shifting our products to smaller geometry process technologies and in achieving higher levels of design integration; economic, social and political conditions in the countries in which we, our customers or our suppliers operate, including security and health risks, possible disruptions in transportation networks and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; our ability to continue to grow and maintain an intellectual property portfolio and obtain needed licenses from third parties; and the uncertainties of litigation, including disputes over intellectual property, as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Note to Editors: Skyworks and Skyworks Solutions are trademarks or registered trademarks of Skyworks Solutions, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. All other brands and names listed are trademarks of their respective companies.
CONTACT: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
Media Relations:
Amanda Ingalls, 949-231-3045
or
Investor Relations:
Thomas Schiller, 949-231-4700
SOURCE: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.