Peregrine Semiconductor introduces 40 GHz RF SOI switches

     Peregrine Semiconductor, founder of RF SOI (Silicon on Insulator) technology and pioneer of advanced RF solutions, now introduces the UltraCMOS PE42524, the industry's first RF SOI switch operating at frequencies up to 40 GHz. The switch significantly expands Peregrine's high frequency product lineup to frequencies previously dominated by gallium arsenide (GaAs) technology. As an alternative to GaAs, the PE42524 offers high reliability and advantages in terms of linearity, isolation performance, transition process time and electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection. Because of these characteristics, the switch is ideal for use in test and measurement, microwave backhaul, radar and military communications equipment.

     "As we extend our high-frequency products further into microwave frequencies, Peregrine proves the power and benefits of RF SOI technology." Kinana Hussain, senior marketing manager at Peregrine Semiconductor. "Our UltraCMOS technology has enabled our high-frequency components, such as the PE42524, to achieve performance levels previously thought impossible for RF SOI." Peregrine's product roadmap includes other high frequency components that have and will continue to set new standards in RF SOI."

     Peregrine's high frequency switch products, which include 13 GHz, 18 GHz, 26.5 GHz and now 40 GHz products, are manufactured using Peregrine's UltraCMOS technology. UltraCMOS technology is a patented technology implemented by SOI technology on sapphire substrate. For high frequency design, sapphire substrate has several key benefits that are very important. The loss Angle tangent of sapphire is ten times better than CMOS and three times better than gallium arsenide. Sapphire is an ultra-high resistivity substrate, its isolation is high, and the parasitic capacitance is minimal. Sapphire substrates eliminate many of the coupling effects common to silicon substrates, resulting in exceptional linearity and power handling performance for RF system engineers.