Avago Technologies Ships 200 Millionth FBAR Filter for Mobile Phones

Avago Technologies today announced that it has shipped its 200 millionth FBAR (film bulk acoustic resonator) filter. Strong demand by the world’s top handset manufacturers has driven Avago to increase its shipments to more than 15 million per month. FBAR filters are used in mobile phones, data cards and other wireless products.

“Reaching the 200-million shipping milestone is a momentous occasion for us,” said Bryan Ingram, vice president and general manager of Avago Technologies’ Wireless Semiconductor Division. “Our FBAR filters have become the de-facto industry standard for handsets used in the U.S. PCS market. FBAR has also enabled a robust front-end module business through the integration of semiconductor-based FBAR duplexers with E-pHEMT power amplifiers. As manufacturers continue to add features such as GPS, cameras and Bluetooth, the requirement for smaller radio front-end circuits is growing. We’ve shipped more than one million duplexer/PA front-end modules.”

The current-generation filter products shipping in high volume are the Avago ACPF-7003 FBAR full-band transmit filter, the ACMD-7401 FBAR duplexer and the Avago AFEM-7731 front-end module (FEM). Smaller, next-generation FBAR duplexers for U.S. PCS and UMTS band I (1.3 mm high with 3.8 mm x 3.8 mm footprint) are also now shipping in volume.

Avago’s FBAR duplexers are the industry’s smallest form factor in volume production. They are built with Avago’s innovative Microcap bonded-wafer, chip-scale packaging. Duplexers play a critical role in both narrow band CDMA (code division multiple access) and 3G handsets and data cards by separating incoming from outgoing communications to allow for simultaneous, two-way voice or data transmission.

Avago’s FEMs are fully matched CDMA 1900-MHz products, integrating Avago’s highly efficient E-pHEMT (enhancement-mode pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor) power amplifiers with a miniature FBAR duplexer and all matching circuitry into a compact chip-on-board module. Compared to designs using separate power amplifiers and duplexers, the Avago FEM features higher effective power-added efficiency for longer talk time, and high isolation and low loss in the receive band for high sensitivity.

Further information about Avago’s FBAR products and technology is available at www.avagotech.com/rf.