NXP半导体plans to start manufacturing power amplifiers and other radio frequency chips at its latest US production plant in late 2020 to meet booming demand for 5G telecom equipment.
这家总部位于荷兰的公司正式在亚利桑那州凤凰城南部的钱德勒市正式开设了工厂，在那里它将根据硝酸盐（GAN）制造芯片，这些芯片是在5G基站使用的主要竞争者。这些芯片可以处理5G网络使用的高频带或毫米波，同时比硅晶体管减少功率和占用的空间少得多。
“Today marks a critical milestone for NXP," chief executive officer Kurt Sievers said at a virtual opening ceremony for the fab, which was attended by Arizona Senators Kirsten Sinema and Martha McSally, US Representative Greg Stanton, and Arizona Governor Doug Duchy. Sievers added that "we are able to bring focus to GaN technology as part of driving the next generation of 5G base station infrastructure.”
该公告是在半导体行业游说数十亿美元的补贴以吸引更多芯片生产到美国的时候。在最近几十年中，美国已经看到了全球芯片生产能力的份额急剧下降到10％以上，因为中国和其他国家投入了数十亿美元的激励措施来说服公司建造芯片工厂。
此举是在美国政府对全球最高合同芯片制造商TSMC的求婚之后，该制造商计划在美国建造其最新的生产工厂，总体成本在十年内为120亿美元。
GAN比其硅的能源效率要高得多，包括今天4G网络中使用的无线电放大器的LDMOS技术。GAN是一个宽带的带隙半导体，这意味着基于它的芯片可以处理比硅更小的占地面积，而电流可以更快地贯穿设备。NXP表示，GAN已成为5G基站使用的“黄金标准”，在功率密度和效率方面带来了巨大的飞跃。随着5G网络的推出，NXP试图加强其高级芯片的供应。基于GAN的RF芯片也用于雷达，航空航天和防御系统中。
tha 5 g标准提供更快的数据率n 4G LTE networks in part by broadcasting over millimeter waves—and in part by adding arrays with many more antennas at the base station. The latest 5G hardware can have from 32 to 64 antennas, giving it more lanes to communicate with a user's smartphone or other device. But the use of so many more antennas in 5G networking gear also means more RF power amplifiers are needed to boost the cellular signal, according to NXP.
需要这些天线阵列来利用另一种技术：大型MIMO。有了它，5G无线电可以一次向更多用户广播，从而增加网络的整体容量。
NXP表示，随着越来越多的RF零件包装成一个5G电信设备，而5G基站的功率比4G设备高出50％，维持盒子的尺寸并降低了，它的客户在电力管理和热量方面面临挑战。电源是强制性的。为了将更多的功率融入相同的足迹，需要更有效的无线电放大器。NXP表示，其GAN设备是处理较小区域中较高功率密度而不会过热的理想选择。
The 5G standard is used to upgrade 4G networks with other types of hardware, including clusters of small cells and other short-range networking gear with rigorous thermal and power requirements to add throughput and deliver faster data rates than 4G LTE technology. More than 10 million 5G base stations could be deployed globally by 2024, according to market research firm Strategy Analytics.
NXP is competing against Qorvo, Skyworks Solutions, Analog Devices, and others to supply power amplifiers and other frequency chips based on GaN to telecom-equipment vendors. Global sales of GaN RF components are on pace to increase from $740 million to more than $2 billion by 2025, due to rising demand in 5G networks and military radar, according to market researcher Yole Developpment.
它的主要客户之一是世界第二大电信设备制造商爱立信。NXP还出售可安装在无线电访问网络（RAN）基带单元中的5G SOC。
NXP射频电力业务部门执行副总裁兼总经理保罗·哈特（Paul Hart）表示，这是美国最先进的GAN FAB，它将用于5G网络的RF Power放大器。它还将GAN的研发带入了Fab内部，以便工程师可以更紧密地协调，从而减少了将产品推向市场并推出后代GAN所需的时间。
NXP还根据LDMOS，SIGE和GAAS用于蜂窝网络设备，该射频芯片计划在今年年底之前以150毫米GAN FAB的价格开始销量。
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