The technology’s first use cases matured long ago. Mobile Network Operators (MNO) are starting to propose new related services and are thus strongly motivated to invest more resources. To demonstrate 5G’s added value and impact to consumers, MNOs have developed advantageous commercial packages to push the technology to the front of consumers’ consciousness, giving them more motivation to upgrade. As for every new air standard, 5G represents a significant opportunity for industry players to differentiate, innovate and potentially win market share. The technology has started to strongly penetrate the smartphone market through 2020 and is expected to grow further as the network expands throughout China, Europe and the USA. 5G phones are relatively complex compared to their 4G counterparts in terms of RF frontends. Analyzing the technical trends is therefore worthwhile in better understanding this complex market and thus anticipate future changes, leading into the upcoming 6G revolution. Different radio frequency technologies are used for radio access network (backhaul connection for the baseband data, LTE, mmWave and sub-6 frequencies) for transmission to user equipment (fixed wireless access for radiowave-based home broadband,) and so on. Each technology uses a specific type of emitting structure, whether it is a macrosite for radio access to user equipment, or a small cell for indoor mmWave access in a warehouse or industrial site. Out of this multiplicity of RAN technologies, some see a strong interest from telecom operators for LTE and 5G coverage, which should become ubiquitous worldwide by 2025. This RF market is led by major players at every level of the value chain, from the baseband with Qualcomm, Broadcom, and Qorvo, and Murata at the RF front-end level.
Radiofrequency is one of the oldest technologies mastered by humanity. It has massively evolved over the last 50 years, deploying networks across the globe. Its latest incarnation, in the form of the 5G technology trend, is now taking hold all around the world, with extensive infrastructure projects pushing significant technology developments. In addition to the 5G revolution, RF data transfer and communications is also spreading across multiple new functions, enabling IoT infrastructure, intra- and inter-vehicle communication, and cable-cutting strategies at home, at the office and on the manufacturing floor. RF devices also drive developments in radar, medical imaging, and a host of new industrial functionalities.
SEMICONDUCTORS AT THE MIDPOINT OF RF TECHNOLOGY RF functions use multiple building blocks of RF semiconductor devices – the key elements that are assembled to provide all RF functionalities. By using the latest innovative semiconductor manufacturing processes, RF components manufacturers offer an impressive diversity of components that supports the strong growth of this industry. From BAW and SAW filters to switches, including power amplifiers (PA), low noise amplifiers (LNA), duplexers, transducers, baseband chipsets, FEM modules, antenna in package (AiP) and all RFIC, RF components and modules are flooding the overall markets including mobile, telecommunication, medical, automotive and defense.
In parallel, dedicated packaging strategies and technologies, for example System in Package (SiP) have been developed to answer the market evolution and fully enable these market applications, with testing infrastructure. Such RF semiconductor devices are extensively used both in mobile phones – RF front-end modules as well as RF discrete devices – and also in the 5G infrastructure itself. They enable new antennas such as active antenna, MIMO, mmWave radio link, and new types of base stations, such as mmWave base stations, as well as micro and macro base stations.
Zapnix Semiconductor pays special attention to all aspects of RF technology trends to gain an understanding of system developments and companies’ strategies at a number of levels: active antenna, base station, 5G infrastructure, mobile phone RF functions, and many more.
Zapnix Semiconductor brings together experts in systems, modules and devices, as well as in the related manufacturing and semiconductor supply. They keep their collective finger on the pulse of the RF industry, wherever the new trends may come from.
At Zapnix Semiconductor, we are able to identify and analyze the technology choices made by the leading RF companies through numerous reverse engineering and cost analyses. Zapnix Semiconductor analyses deep insights of the technologies developed by the leading RF companies: we deliver detailed photos, package CT scan, precise measurements, materials analysis, manufacturing process flow, supply chain definition, manufacturing cost analysis and estimated sales price. With this data, we then chart these players’ strategies and combine this data with our understanding of supply chain developments.
In addition, Yole SystemPlus proposes a special focus on the consumer market, with the year-round analysis of more than 65 smartphones. Through these investigations, we chart the OEMs’ technology choices and strategies: our analyses include design wins for the top smartphones’ OEM, packaging and test evolution in terms of type, footprint, pitch, die area evolution per function, technology node, and wafer size, as well as a focus per category (processor, camera, memory, sensor, and the like), in addition to RF devices.
Driven by the growth of ADAS and the roadmap toward autonomous vehicles, automotive radar has become an area rife with development: from 3D and 4D radar, to the new functionalities brought by LiDAR, not to mention new applications for increased safety and transition to higher frequencies for better detection. The industry is being shaped by Infineon Technologies, NXP, STMicroelectronics at the device level, and Continental, Denso, Bosch, Hella and Veoneer at the systems level. All told, the radar market should peak at over $10 billion in the next five years.
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