Post on 10-Feb-2018
Christian Block CEO and CTO of the Systems, Acoustics, Waves Business Group
CTO and Member of the Management Board of EPCOS AG November 12, 2014
Technologies & Products Press Conference 2014
Advanced RF integration for LTE smartphones
Technologies & Products Press Conference 2014 • Advanced RF integration for LTE smartphones
© EPCOS AG A TDK Company
CC • 11/14 • 2
LTE is the driver of future RF architectures
Miniaturization • Multiband / multimode architectures
in compact handsets • Low insertion height + small footprint Superior performance • High thermal and frequency stability • High power durability • Excellent electrical performance
(e.g. lowest losses, highest linearity) • Low costs Advanced architectures • Carrier aggregation • Envelope tracking • MIMO concepts
Challenges for RF modules
RF integration is the key enabler of next-generation smartphones.
Technologies & Products Press Conference 2014 • Advanced RF integration for LTE smartphones
© EPCOS AG A TDK Company
CC • 11/14 • 3
Building blocks of the module integration architecture
High band (2300 – 2690 MHz)
e.g. bands 7, 40, 41, 30
Mid band (1710 – 2170 MHz)
e.g. bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 25, 34, 39
Low band (699 – 960 MHz)
e.g. bands 5, 8, 12, 13, 20,
26, 28, 29
Antenna(s) Antenna switches Duplexers
Power Amplifiers RF IC
Technologies & Products Press Conference 2014 • Advanced RF integration for LTE smartphones
© EPCOS AG A TDK Company
CC • 11/14 • 4
Today’s RF module integration is mainly based on combining similar building blocks into one package
Evolving RF module integration strategy (1)
Example • Antenna switch modules • Duplexer banks
EPCOS duplexer bank module
High Band
Mid Band
Low Band
Antenna(s) Antenna switches Duplexers
Power Amplifiers RF IC
Technologies & Products Press Conference 2014 • Advanced RF integration for LTE smartphones
© EPCOS AG A TDK Company
CC • 11/14 • 5
New features like carrier aggregation, envelope tracking and multimode/multiband power amplifiers are driving new integration schemes.
Evolving RF module integration strategy (2)
Antenna(s) Antenna switches Duplexers
Power Amplifiers RF IC
High Band
Mid Band
Low Band
Technologies & Products Press Conference 2014 • Advanced RF integration for LTE smartphones
© EPCOS AG A TDK Company
CC • 11/14 • 6
The combination of different functions such as duplexers and antenna switches into multifunctional front-end modules increases the degree of integration and saves space.
Evolving RF module integration strategy (3)
EPCOS B5208 FEMiD module
Example • EPCOS front-end modules
with 6 integrated duplexers (FEMiD)
Antenna(s) Antenna switches Duplexers
Power Amplifiers RF IC
High Band
Mid Band
Low Band
Technologies & Products Press Conference 2014 • Advanced RF integration for LTE smartphones
© EPCOS AG A TDK Company
CC • 11/14 • 7
Frequency separation is driving future integration
The next integration step is one fully integrated RF module for each frequency range, including multimode/multiband power amplifiers, duplexers, RF switches and RF matching.
Requirements of high-density integration of PAs with duplexers into PA based modules • Excellent RF performance
covering 0.5 to 3.5 GHz • High power capability /
thermal management • Smallest footprint in
combination with 0.80 mm height
• Highest cost efficiency
Antenna(s) Antenna switches Duplexers
Power Amplifiers RF IC
High Band
Mid Band
Low Band
Technologies & Products Press Conference 2014 • Advanced RF integration for LTE smartphones
© EPCOS AG A TDK Company
CC • 11/14 • 8
Key technologies for RF modules
Advanced RF modules
• Wafer-based front-end technologies for PAs, switches and duplexers
• SAW and BAW filter technologies with low TCF
Micro-acoustic
technology
• Chip-sized SAW package (CSSP, CSSPlus, CSSP Cu)
• Die-sized SAW package (DSSP) • Thin-film acoustic package (TFAP)
Packaging technology
• Low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) • Semiconductor embedded in substrate
(SESUB) • Multilayer laminate
Module integration technology
Technologies & Products Press Conference 2014 • Advanced RF integration for LTE smartphones
© EPCOS AG A TDK Company
CC • 11/14 • 9
Advanced micro-acoustic technologies improve RF filter performance
Reduction of losses to improve overall resonator Q • Lower insertion attenuation • Higher skirt steepness Improved piezoelectric coupling • Realization of filters for larger filter bandwidth • Prerequisite for efficient temperature compensation
technology
Temperature compensation technology • Reduced center frequency drift over temperature • Zero temperature drift for critical skirts
Standard performance without temperature compensation
Improved performance with temperature compensation
Technologies & Products Press Conference 2014 • Advanced RF integration for LTE smartphones
© EPCOS AG A TDK Company
CC • 11/14 • 10
Compared to standard SAW • Lower |TCF| of ≈ 20 ppm/K • Lower losses • No spurious modes
Compared to standard SAW • Lower |TCF| of ≈ 20 ppm/K • Lowest losses @ 2 GHz • Hybrid BAW / SAW solutions possible
SAW and BAW filters with low |TCF| of ≈ 20 ppm/K
TCF = temperature coefficient of frequency
Two micro-acoustic technologies already available with temperature compensation
Temperature-compensated SAW duplexer for band 20
Hybrid BAW / SAW duplexer
Technologies & Products Press Conference 2014 • Advanced RF integration for LTE smartphones
© EPCOS AG A TDK Company
CC • 11/14 • 11
Advanced TDK packaging technology platforms
• Designed for both discrete components and module integration • Support additional functionality (e.g. integrated or embedded passives) • Drive miniaturization and cost reduction • Offer improve thermal management and interconnect technology • Achieve low insertion of < 250 µm (DSSP and TFAP)
Flip-chip package Wafer-level package Bare die package
CSSP3 Glob-Top CSSP3 Cu frame DSSP TFAP
CSSP chip-sized SAW package DSSP die-sized SAW package TFAP thin-film acoustic package
Technologies & Products Press Conference 2014 • Advanced RF integration for LTE smartphones
© EPCOS AG A TDK Company
CC • 11/14 • 12
• Die size = package size
• Low insertion height of less than 200 µm, including bumps
• Hermetic package withstands overmolding processes up to 80 bar
• Compatible with all micro-acoustic RF technology platforms
TFAP – ultra-thin package for all RF platforms WLAN module with TFAP BAW filter
TFAP BAW filter
Technologies & Products Press Conference 2014 • Advanced RF integration for LTE smartphones
© EPCOS AG A TDK Company
CC • 11/14 • 13
TFAP process enables optimal RF performance
Frequency [MHz]
Atte
nuat
ion
[dB]
Before packaging After packaging
0
-10
-20
-30
-40
-50
-60
-70 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000
TFAP package has no negative impact on RF or electromagnetic performance.
Technologies & Products Press Conference 2014 • Advanced RF integration for LTE smartphones
© EPCOS AG A TDK Company
CC • 11/14 • 14
Integrated module development
• Integration of passive components
• Embedding of active components
• Multiple interconnect technologies (wire bond, SMD, solder balls, Cu pillars)
• Own high-volume LTCC production
• 3D electromagnetic simulation and co-design with duplexers
Buried inductor
Buried capacitor
Embedded ICs
With flip-chip and SMD components
LTCC
SESUB
Multilayer laminate
The combination of module integration technologies
enables perfect-fit solutions.
Technologies & Products Press Conference 2014 • Advanced RF integration for LTE smartphones
© EPCOS AG A TDK Company
CC • 11/14 • 15
Roadmap
Module integration technology
Today Tomorrow
Multilayer substrates with passive integration
High-density 3D integration of active and
passive components
Micro-acoustic
technology |TCF| ≈ 20 ppm/K
700 to 2700 MHz
|TCF| < 10 ppm/K
400 to 4000 MHz
Temperature compensation and bandwidth
Packaging technology < 0.3 mm < 0.2 mm
Insertion height of filters and duplexers
Degree of integration
www.global.tdk.com • www.epcos.com