Using TechInsights' Mobile RF product to better position foundry services for fabless RFIC designs

The Challenge

The organization wanted to benchmark their RFIC PDK against their competitors. They sought detailed information on standard cell requirements (e.g., active vs. passive region ratios, transistor sizing), materials (RF engineered wafers) used, packaging, die layouts and die utilization for Transceivers, RF Power Management ICs and RFICs used in Front End Modules. Without this knowledge, the company risked losing top RFIC design customers to competing foundries and missing RFIC process development trends that are key to their long-term growth strategy.

The Solution

TechInsights’ Mobile RF provided comprehensive details on RF Front End designs of flagship 5G handsets including essential die fabrication aspects for key RFICs. The RFIC and RF Front End Module analyses highlighted current design trends from market leading RFIC designs from a process, packaging, and materials perspective. This knowledge enabled the organization to anticipate long-term requirements from the RFIC sector, enhancing their position for future growth in a target market.

TechInsights’ Mobile RF was used by the business to analyze and compare die layouts and structures to better understand standard cell configurations, RF specific die fabrication processes and optimal technology nodes for Transceivers, Front End Power Management ICs, and RFICs used in Front-End Modules. This analysis revealed the organization’s strengths and weaknesses versus the competition and identified areas of focus for future foundry service developments.

The Results

TechInsights’ Mobile RF revealed market leading RF processes from competitive foundries and allowed the business to optimize their services for the RFIC design market. Insights into leading edge RFIC die layouts, structures, materials used, and packaging identified foundry service improvements for future RFIC fabless designs ensuring the business captured emerging opportunities in this market. This approach helped strengthen their position in their target market and meet their customers’ needs, decrease R&D time, and reduce costs spent on services with lower potential for success.