Samsung is preparing to produce AiP modules for 5G mmWave

In 2019, although the overall smart phone market may not be able to show obvious growth momentum, but the 5G frontier has begun, the global mobile phone chip industry is bound to not yield to each other.

Familiar with semiconductor testing industry, Qualcomm, Qualcomm is naturally In sub 6 GHZ and millimeter wave (mmWave) lead, but as a mobile phone leader of Samsung Electronics, Samsung Electronics) with the sales of the world's first, corp., Samsung motors (SEMCO) is second only to Qualcomm, 5 g millimeter wave integrated Antenna can be encapsulated (can Antenna to be used In Package) module into the production stage of the industry, speed is still a slight lead tie after huawei haisi, mediatek.

Semiconductor suppliers say that integrated antenna module encapsulation (AiP) based on system-level encapsulation (SiP) is becoming increasingly important. Currently, among Taiwanese manufacturers, ase group's ase and qualcomm already have good cooperation in AiP manufacturing process, and are a few of them in the field of 5G MMW frequency band.

It is understood that for AiP package module integrating RF chip and antenna in 5G generation, the semiconductor test interface design required will be highly customized, and it is in the hands of a few leading manufacturers in Taiwan, Japan and the United States.Millimeter wave frequency band than sub 6GHz chip module more than a number of test procedures, currently in 5G millimeter wave antenna packaging industry still can not ignore the strength of samsung group.

It is reported that, from the perspective of zhongchip and sealed test factory, the supply chain is spreading. The silicon products of ase also successively undertake AiP packaging orders of hyth and mediatek. At present, sub 6GHz is the main part, and the latter half of the year continues to push into the mass production stage.

Familiar with antenna element are revealed, in fact, as a traditional antenna radiation element price actually an up and down about $1, but into the 5 g mobile communication domain, miniaturization and modularization to conform to the modern trend of consumer electronics, and must consider the signal interference, discontinuity, stress, heat dissipation problems of supply chain industry preliminary estimate, an AiP module price will be at least 18 ~ 22 times the traditional takeoff.

Although suppliers do not comment on price and other sensitive issues, how to find a solution that takes into account both performance and cost has become the focus of the industry.Familiar with the semiconductor industry believe that integration of RF chips and antenna integration modules, it is estimated that 70 to 80 percent or more of the cost will come from packaging and testing.

On the other hand, in the sub-6ghz frequency band of 5G generation, RF components can also be imported into compound semiconductor process, such as gallium arsenide. However, when it comes to the millimeter wave frequency band, IDM is also equipped with multi-strength layout of silicon-based gallium nitride (gan-on-sic) and silicon-based gallium nitride (gan-on-si).

But the traditional CMOS process because of its production capability maturity and cost-effectiveness, millimeter wave IC to take back all silicon chip design, collocation such as foundries, TSMC, lattice core (fab) mass production efficiency, cost gap with compound semiconductor components is estimated to be 2 ~ 3 times, this will also be like emphasize the silicon-based millimeter wave IC industry, such as AnokiWave to become with several companies, IDM companies and listed as one of the reasons for the option.

Global main IC design industry is also use positive thinking which options to be able to further the integration of the antenna, RF module of the effective reduced to an acceptable level, it also promote mobile phone chip companies such as qualcomm, huawei haisi have to think about further into RF, PA components in compound semiconductor, now also is to type now.

In the case of integrated antenna modules, the semiconductor supply chain industry revealed that a mobile phone is estimated to use three to four AiP modules, which will be a variety of RF components, power management chips, millimeter-wave antennas and other system-level packaging.

At present, only two major manufacturers in the world have announced formal mass production, except qualcomm and samsung group.And from the perspective of the layout strategy of telecom operators, at present, the United States and South Korea are the most far-reaching countries in the millimeter wave frequency band.

Tag: Samsung

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