Packaging
RFMD(R) Introduces MicroShield(TM) Integrated RF Shielding
Tuesday 12. February 2008 - MicroShield Technology Featured in POLARIS(R) 3 TOTAL RADIO(TM)
RF Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:RFMD), a global leader in the design and manufacture of high- performance radio systems and solutions, today announced the introduction of its patent pending MicroShield(TM) Integrated RF Shielding technology. RFMD’s MicroShield Integrated RF Shielding technology can eliminate the need for bulky and costly external shields by integrating RF shielding directly into the RFIC or module. In doing so, RFMD’s MicroShield reduces the height and volume requirements for RF sections by up to 25% and 50%, respectively, and provides customers with components that are insensitive to board placement.
RF shielding reduces emissions related to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI) and minimizes susceptibility to external fields. Traditional RF shielding is implemented with external metal “cans” that encapsulate and shield the RF section of a circuit board. However, this implementation is costly and time consuming, as the cans used for RF shielding must be customized according to individual circuit boards. Additionally, external RF shields increase the space requirements for RF sections and, more significantly, can degrade the performance of the underlying RF circuitry. This performance degradation leads to a time- consuming retuning process that is necessary to counter the effects of the external shield.
RFMD’s MicroShield Integrated RF Shielding reduces the impact of EMI and RFI by minimizing exposure to external fields and preventing energy leakage into unwanted areas of the host device. Also, by eliminating sensitivity to board placement, RFMD’s MicroShield eliminates the risk of circuit retuning, thereby accelerating time-to-market and reducing the cost of RF implementation.
In handset applications, sensitivity to board placement is a critical factor as handset designers and manufacturers increasingly rely upon handset platforms to satisfy their time and cost requirements. When these platforms are applied to individual handset designs, performance can suffer, with EMI and RFI emissions often prime contributors to performance inconsistencies. With RFMD’s MicroShield, handset manufacturers are able to place highly complex RF modules as they would any component that is insensitive to EMI/RFI, providing a true “plug-and-play” solution that is robust to board design and layout changes.
Handset manufacturers using MicroShield enjoy the benefits of improved RF performance, lower total cost, reduced board space requirements and overall ease of RF implementation. RFMD’s MicroShield Integrated RF Shielding technology is applicable to any over-molded packaging technology and is first available in RFMD’s POLARIS(R) 3 TOTAL RADIO(TM) solution.
RFMD will showcase its industry-leading portfolio of technologies and products at the 2008 GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, February 11-14, 2008, in Hall 8, Stand 8B79.