GLOBALFOUNDRIES on Monday announced a new radio-frequency (RF) silicon solution for its Silicon Germanium (SiGe) technology portfolio. The technology is optimized for solutions such as automotive radar, satellite communications, 5G millimeter-wave base stations and other wireless and wireline communication network applications.

GLOBALFOUNDRIES' SiGe 8XP technology is the latest extension to the company’s 130nm high-performance SiGe family. The tchnology offers an improved heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) performance with lower noise figure, higher signal integrity, and up to a 25 percent increase in maximum oscillation frequency (fMAX) to 340GHz compared to its predecessor, SiGe 8HP.

In addition to high performance transistors for efficient operation at mmWave frequencies, SiGe8HP and 8XP introduce technologies that can reduce the die size and enable area-efficient solutions. A new Cu metallization feature provides improved current carrying capabilities with five times the current density at a 100C, or up to 25 degrees C higher operating temperature at the same current density compared to standard Cu lines. In addition, GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ through-silicon-via (TSV) interconnect technology is available.

SiGe 8XP design kits are available now.