Camarillo, Calif. — Semtech Corp. , a supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, has partnered with IBM Corp. to develop a high-performance ADC/DSP platform using IBM’s 3D through-silicon via (TSV) technology. Target applications include fiber-optic telecommunications, high-performance RF sampling and filtering, test equipment and instrumentation, and sub-array processing for phased array radar systems.
Many emerging applications may be significantly cost-reduced, along with enabling new applications, if ultra-high-performance data converters and/or RF transceivers constructed in the most advanced RF-optimized technologies can be efficiently housed into a single package, according to the two companies. It also will call for highly-integrated application-specific digital processing constructed in the latest ultra-fine geometry CMOS technologies, they said.
Semtech is partnering with IBM to develop the end-to-end module solution using IBM’s 3D interposer technology to interconnect ADC functions in IBM custom logic SOI-based Cu-45HP technology with interleaver ICs in IBM’s 8HP BiCMOS SiGe technology.
These two different technologies are connected through a single wiring layer on an interposer, which supports a bandwidth of greater than 1.3 Tb/s in this design.
Semtech expects to have first ADC/DSP prototype modules available in 2011 and is working with partners to extend these product offerings.