Skyworks Solutions, Inc. introduced the industry’s first BAW filters for CPE to allow co-existence between WLAN in the home and enterprise, and WiMAX networks that cover wider areas including neighborhoods and cities. As both networks operate at very closely spaced frequency bands, these unique BAW filters reject the interfering frequencies while allowing the desired signals to pass for the selected network.

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BAW filters are integral components of RF 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.

Combined with the company’s portfolio of switches, PAs, FEMs and transceivers, Skyworks is a one-stop supplier for wireless equipment manufacturers requiring highly integrated RF solutions for a wide array of air interfaces and system architectures. Skyworks entered the BAW filter market three years ago as part of its strategic effort to develop diverse, differentiated and more highly integrated products.

The SKY33107 is a Wi-Fi reject/WiMAX pass, and the SKY33108 is a Wi-Fi pass/WiMAX reject, BAW filter. Both 3 x 3 millimeter (mm) devices have very low in-band insertion loss and input and output return loss. They also exhibit excellent rejection – in the 2.4 GHz WLAN band for the SKY33107, and 2.495-2.690 GHz WiMAX band for the SKY33108.

The SKY33107 is intended for use in 2.495-2.690 GHz WiMAX band transmitter applications, which also contain WLAN 802.11 b, g, n transmitters, while the SKY33108 is targeted at 2.400-2.473 GHz Wi-Fi band transmitter applications, which also encompass 2.495-2.690 GHz WiMAX transmitters. Both filters can operate over a -20 to 85° Celsius temperature range and are available in a lead-free, RoHS-compliant package.

About BAW Filters

BAW filters are fabricated using semiconductor wafer fabrication techniques similar to those already used by Skyworks to manufacture HBT PAs and pHEMT switches. Skyworks is leveraging wafer fabrication expertise to achieve high precision, high repeatability, and large volume capability to address the RF filter needs of the wireless communications industry.

Engineering samples are available now, with full launch scheduled for the fourth quarter.

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