TriQuint Semiconductor Inc. unveiled the industry’s smallest dual-band PA duplexer (PAD) for global 3G and 4G smartphones. The new TRITIUM Duo™ family combines two band-specific power amplifiers (PAs) and duplexers in a single compact module, effectively replacing up to twelve discrete components.

"We’ve powered the world’s top smartphones with over a half billion of our single-band TRITIUM™ modules, and now the TRITIUM Duo™ is being evaluated by customers for use in next generation smartphones," said Ralph Quinsey, president and chief executive officer of TriQuint. "Our broad technology portfolio has enabled us to integrate two commonly used bands in one small footprint. Not only have we simplified the RF front-end for phone designers, we have also increased performance and flexibility."

The TRITIUM Duo family shares a common 6 x 4.5 mm footprint, giving designers the flexibility to support multi-band, multi-mode operations across multiple platforms. Mobile device manufacturers can capitalize on the dramatic size reductions to include more features or larger batteries in thinner, lighter form factors with all the performance needed for CDMA, 3G, and 4G networks. 

The new dual-band TRITIUM Duo implements proprietary TriQuint CuFlip™ technology to replace wire bonds with copper bumps; this saves board real estate and enables superior system performance by eliminating noise-radiating wires. The copper bumps also dissipate heat better than traditional interconnect techniques. The integrated Flip Chip BiHEMT power amplifier die achieves industry leading current consumption to provide maximum talk-time and thermal efficiency critical for smartphone applications.

The new TRITIUM Duo also employs a wafer level packaging (WLP) technique to provide hermetic filter encapsulation for improved performance and a reduced size. In addition, the modules integrate high-performance BAW and SAW duplexer capabilities.