February 4, 2014, Seoul – Infineon Technologies (Korea CEO Seung-soo Lee) has launched an LTE Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) and Quad LNA Bank series specifically designed to improve data transmission speeds in smartphones.

LTE (or 4G) is the latest standard for wireless communication and can provide data transfer speeds of up to 300 Mbit/s (56 Mbit/s for the previous UMTS (3G)). Therefore, it enables fast mobile internet connections where loading times are barely noticeable, which greatly enhances the user experience and satisfaction of smartphone users.

However, meeting user expectations for the high data transmission speeds provided by LTE is a challenging task facing today's mobile devices. Due to the increasing complexity of the RF front-end, more RF components (switches, diplexers, dividers, etc.) must be used, which leads to increased losses in the overall system and a decrease in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Furthermore, the distance between the antenna and the RF transceiver causes additional line losses, negatively impacting the SNR and the resulting data transmission speed.

Infineon's BGA7x1N6 and BGM7xxxx4L12 product families provide the low noise figure, accurate gain, and high linearity required for designers to address these challenges. These products are based on Infineon's advanced SiGe (Silicon Germanium) chip technology and feature built-in ESD protection.

The new LNA and LNA bank are integrated into both the diversity and main antenna paths of mobile phones to increase system sensitivity and ensure the best user experience. This enables data transfer speeds up to 96% higher than solutions without LNAs, fully utilizing the potential performance of LTE. The high linearity of the new device series ensures optimal reception even under conditions where isolation between antennas is poor and there is long line loss between the antenna and the transceiver. These devices can achieve a sensitivity improvement of generally 3.4 dB compared to a system without an LNA, with a package size (1.1 mm x 0.7 mm) that is 70% smaller than conventional LNAs and a package size (1.9 mm x 1.1 mm) that is 61% smaller than conventional LNA banks.