Atomera Enables Breakthrough RF Substrates for 5G Advanced and 6G Products
Atomera announced a new MST® solution to enhance RF-SOI wafer substrates, important for 5G and 6G products. This technology, demonstrated on 300mm RF-SOI wafers with an ultra-thin active layer, aims to improve RF switches and low-noise amplifiers. Atomera collaborates with multiple RF IC manufacturers and Soitec, the original RF-SOI developer, to advance RF component performance. The MST-enabled substrates offer better linearity, lower noise, and compatibility with CMOS processes. Atomera aims to leverage these substrates to enhance cellular RF and enable next-gen mobile communications.
- Atomera introduces MST® solution to enhance RF-SOI wafer substrates, important for 5G and 6G.
- Demonstrated on 300mm RF-SOI wafers with ultra-thin active layers.
- Collaboration with RF IC manufacturers and Soitec to advance RF component performance.
- MST-enabled substrates improve linearity, noise, and CMOS process compatibility.
- Potential to enhance cellular RF and enable next-gen mobile communications.
- None.
Insights
Atomera’s announcement about the availability of MST-enabled RF-SOI substrates represents a significant advancement in the realm of semiconductor materials, particularly for cellular communication technologies. The key aspect here is the ultra-thin nature of these substrates, which has been a critical requirement in advancing high-performance RF components.
For many years, achieving a balance between speed and power handling has been a challenge in RF-SOI substrates. Atomera's MST technology addresses these trade-offs, thereby making it practical to implement these substrates in 5G Advanced and 6G applications. This development has the potential to significantly enhance the performance of RF switches, low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) and other critical RF components.
From a technical perspective, integrating MST technology with Soitec's RF-SOI substrates leverages the strengths of both to push the boundaries of RF performance. It suggests potential improvements in the Ron∙Coff figure-of-merit, which is a critical parameter for RF switches. This figure essentially represents the balance between on-resistance (Ron) and off-capacitance (Coff), directly influencing the efficiency and performance of RF switches in transmitting and receiving signals.
Moreover, enhanced power handling and reduced leakage are notable benefits. These improvements are important for the robustness and reliability of RF components in smartphones and other communication devices, which are increasingly handling more data at higher speeds with minimal interference.
Considering the rapid advancements in 5G technology and the future rollout of 6G, this innovation could place Atomera and its partners in a strategically advantageous position in the semiconductor industry.
Analyzing the business implications, Atomera’s breakthrough in developing ultra-thin MST-enabled RF-SOI substrates is poised to create a ripple effect across the semiconductor industry. This innovation targets the booming market of 5G and 6G technologies, which is expected to see significant growth in the coming years.
RF-SOI substrates are already the de facto standard in 5G smartphones due to their superior performance in terms of linearity and noise reduction. By enhancing these substrates with MST technology, Atomera is not only solidifying its presence in the existing market but also positioning itself as a key player in future communication technologies. This strategic move could potentially translate into increased licensing opportunities and partnerships with major players in the semiconductor and mobile industries.
Another critical aspect to consider is Atomera’s collaboration with Soitec and other RF IC product manufacturers. Partnerships with well-established companies in the semiconductor ecosystem can expedite the adoption and integration of MST-enabled substrates, thereby driving revenue growth and market penetration.
The involvement of multiple RF IC product manufacturers in evaluating and demonstrating the benefits of MST-enabled technology also suggests a strong industry validation and interest. This could lead to early adoption by prominent clients, further boosting Atomera’s market credibility and business prospects.
In the short term, the announcement could positively impact Atomera’s stock price due to investor optimism about the technological advancements and potential market opportunities. In the long term, successful adoption and integration of these substrates could lead to sustained growth and a solid foothold in the next-generation communication technology market.
Ultra-Thin MST-Enabled RF-SOI Substrates Critical for High-Performance RF Switches, Low-Noise Amplifiers, and More
LOS GATOS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 2, 2024 / Atomera Incorporated (NASDAQ:ATOM), a semiconductor materials and technology licensing company, today announced the availability of an MST® solution to dramatically enhance performance of RFSOI wafer substrates for leading-edge cellular communication products. The company will demonstrate the effectiveness of this solution on experimental 300mm RF-SOI wafers with an ultra-thin active layer utilizing a new formulation of Atomera's MST® technology. For many years, it has been understood that thinner RF-SOI substrates would enable higher performance, but trade-offs between speed and power handling made implementation impractical until this solution was introduced by Atomera. These wafers, paired with MST should enable higher-performance antenna switches, higher-fidelity low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), and other enhanced RF components for 5G Advanced and 6G applications. The company is working with multiple RF IC product manufacturers to evaluate and demonstrate the wide range of benefits of this MST-enabled technology solution.
"RF-SOI wafers originally developed by Soitec have become instrumental in the design and manufacture of high-quality cellular RF products," said Pierre Cemeli, GM Connect SOI BU at Soitec. "We are pleased to supply our advanced experimental products for Atomera to combine with their own technology, with the ambition to progress the state of the art."
RF-SOI substrates have become the standard platform for many RF devices, particularly front-end modules (FEMs) and are used in
"We have worked for several years to optimize RF-SOI application performance with MST," said Scott Bibaud, CEO of Atomera. "Our current results are showing improvements in the critical RF switch characteristics of Ron∙Coff figure-of-merit, power handling capability, and leakage. We look forward to leveraging the experimental ultra-thin RFSOI substrates from Soitec to advance the capabilities of cellular RF and enable the next generation of mobile communications."
Atomera will both contribute to the development of these advanced substrates, and will work with the entire RF ecosystem including IDMs and foundry manufacturers as well as fabless RF IC companies. Atomera will epitaxially deposit its RF-optimized MST film recipe on Soitec's ultra-thin 300mm RF-SOI substrates and ship them to development partners for fabrication. Atomera is working with select RF-SOI chip designers and foundries by providing its MSTcad® software so they can optimize their switches and other circuit devices to take full advantage of these substrates.
Advanced RF-SOI substrates are available for evaluation today by contacting Atomera.
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About Atomera
Atomera Incorporated, one of America's Top 100 Best Small Companies in 2022, ranked by Forbes, is a semiconductor materials and technology licensing company focused on deploying its proprietary, silicon-proven technology into the semiconductor industry. Atomera has developed Mears Silicon Technology™ (MST®), which increases performance and power efficiency in semiconductor transistors. MST can be implemented using equipment already deployed in semiconductor manufacturing facilities and is complementary to other nano-scaling technologies in the semiconductor industry roadmap. More information can be found at https://atomera.com/.
Media Contacts:
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Investor Contact:
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Mike Bishop
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investor@atomera.com
SOURCE: Atomera, Inc
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