World`s First CMOS Single-Chip 6-Band Transceiver for 3G Phones

Europe : Infineon Technologies AG announced sample availability of the world’s first CMOS single-chip radio frequency (RF) transceiver specifically developed for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) applications. The new SMARTi 3G is the world’s first RF transceiver supporting all six frequency bands for UMTS now specified for operation in different parts of the world. UMTS phones incorporating SMARTi 3G can be used in Europe, Asia, North America and Japan.

With respect to the downlink data capacity specified under HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) between base station and mobile device, SMARTi 3G is the first chip available to comply with category 8 of the HSDPA specification featuring up to 7.2 Megabit per second (Mbit/s). The data rate of today’s UMTS phones without HSDPA accounts for 384 kilobit per second (kbit/s). Additionally, the package size of SMARTi 3G is just 5mm x 5mm, which is 30 percent less than the packages of UMTS single-band RF transceivers, such as Infineon’s SMARTi U with 6.5mm x 5.5mm.

SMARTi 3G allows manufacturers of mobile phones to develop solutions to address the emerging UMTS market in the United States, where W-CDMA and GSM share the same bands. Frequency bands 1900 MHz (band II) and 850 MHz (band V) can be used for voice and high-performance data transfer applications even when UMTS and GSM services are both available.

“SMARTi 3G completes our comprehensive portfolio of single-chip, CMOS transceivers for advanced mobile phone services,” said Stefan Wolff, Vice President & General Manager of RF Engine Business Unit at the Communication Business Group of Infineon Technologies AG. ”Using our proven 130nm CMOS technology, a robust system architecture with verified core IP hardware blocks, and a common manufacturing base for all our transceiver products, Infineon can successfully address our customer’s needs for technology leadership, reduced platform R&D investment and excellent manufacturing flexibility.”

Further Technical details on SMARTi 3G

The SMARTi 3G is the latest member of Infineon's successful UMTS transceiver family. It is designed to fulfil the W-CDMA UTRA FDD system requirements for the frequency bands I to VI. Offering the same interfaces as its single band predecessor, SMARTi U, SMARTi 3G is highly compatible with the majority of existing base band solutions. It is manufactured using Infineon’s standard 130nm, CMOS process technology and is packaged in a single PG-WFSGA (Very Very Thin Fine Pitch Semiball Grid Array), green (leadfree, halogenfree) package with 81 pins and a 0.5mm pitch. Its supply voltage ranges from 2.7 to 3.0 Volts.

Availability

SMARTi 3G is now available in sample quantities and volume shipment is expected to start at the beginning of 2006. Several mobile phone manufacturers are already working on designs for next-generation mobile phones using SMARTi 3G.

Infineon is presenting its SMARTi 3G at IEEE MTT-S 2005 International Microwave Symposium and Exhibition (June 14-16, 2005, Long Beach Convention Centre, Long Beach, CA, USA) at booth 1433.

About Infineon

Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, Germany, offers semiconductor and system solutions for automotive, industrial and multimarket sectors, for applications in communication, as well as memory products. With a global presence, Infineon operates through its subsidiaries in the US from San Jose, CA, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore and in Japan from Tokyo. In fiscal year 2004 (ending September), the company achieved sales of Euro 7.19 billion with about 35,600 employees worldwide. Infineon is listed on the DAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX).