Skyworks Surpasses 10 Million RF Transmit Front-End Module Unit Milestone

Highly integrated RF solution gaining momentum in next generation handsets

Woburn, MA -- Skyworks Solutions, Inc. today announced that the company has produced an industry-record number of RF transmit front-end modules (FEMs) for quad-band GSM/GPRS cellular handsets. To date, Skyworks has shipped more than 10 million FEMs to some of the world's leading handset companies.

"As the first to market with a highly integrated front-end module, our solution has demonstrated its broad appeal across many of our key customers as evidenced by shipment of more than 10 million units from the time of its debut just a little over a year ago," said Kevin D. Barber, senior VP of RF solutions at Skyworks. "From design stage to today powering the industry's highest performance handsets, we are delighted to celebrate the rate at which customers have come to embrace our front-end module technology.

"Skyworks' unparalleled level of front-end integration significantly reduces bill-of-materials count, greatly simplifies phone design and dramatically speeds time to market while allowing us to capture a significantly higher average selling price as compared to our stand-alone power amplifier portfolio. Further, we're leveraging this core architecture across a number of next generation platforms and standards including EDGE, 802.11 applications and 3G WCDMA/UMTS."

"Our front-end module represents a significant growth engine for Skyworks with first mover advantage, as it enables us to capitalize on our low-cost, in-house laminate manufacturing capability for the industry's highest possible level of semiconductor integration," said Karl E. Mentzel, VP of operations at Skyworks. "We are uniquely capable of delivering this technology profitably."

Skyworks' compact front-end module combines the company's industry-leading HBT power amplifier technology, GaAs PHEMT power detectors, and transmit/areceive switch functions into a single low-cost laminate-based multi-chip module (MCM). The quad-band device reduces transmitter bill-of-materials costs and component count while shrinking handset board space by more than 40%.

Source: Skyworks