TDK, Qualcomm form JV for RF front ends

Article By : TDK, Qualcomm

The joint venture, called RF360 Holdings, offers filter sets and technologies for mobile devices, automotive apps and IoT.

Qualcomm and TDK have completed their joint venture under the name RF360 Holdings. The joint venture will enable Qualcomm to deliver RF front-end (RFFE) modules and RF filters into fully integrated systems for mobile devices and fast-growing business segments such as IoT, automotive applications, connected computing and more. The business being transferred constitutes a part of the TDK SAW Business Group activities.

“The ongoing expansion of mobile communication across multiple industries, and the unprecedented deployment of multi-carrier 4G technologies now reaching over sixty-five 3GPP frequency bands are driving manufacturers of wireless solutions to higher levels of miniaturisation, integration and performance, especially for the RFFE in these devices,” said Cristiano Amon, executive vice president, Qualcomm Technologies and president, QCT. “Further, 5G will increase the level of complexity even more. To that end, the ability to provide the ecosystem a truly complete solution is essential to enabling our customers to deliver mobile solutions at scale and on time.”

End-to-end partnership

RF360 Holdings will have a comprehensive set of filters and filter technologies, including surface acoustic wave (SAW), temperature-compensated surface acoustic wave (TC-SAW) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW), to support the wide range of frequency bands being deployed in networks across the globe. Moreover, RF360 Holdings will enable the delivery of RFFE modules from QTI that will include front-end components designed and developed by QTI. These components include CMOS, SOI and GaAs power amplifiers, a broad portfolio of switches, antenna tuning, low noise amplifiers (LNAs) and the industry’s envelope tracking solution.

Deepening collaboration

In addition to operating the joint venture, Qualcomm and TDK will deepen their technological cooperation to cover a wide range of technologies for next-generation mobile communications, IoT and automotive applications.

"The deeper collaboration with Qualcomm fits perfectly into our growth strategy," said Shigenao Ishiguro, President and CEO of TDK. "It is a further step that aims to open up new promising business opportunities for TDK, while strengthening the company's innovativeness and thus competitiveness in such attractive future markets as sensors, MEMS, wireless charging and batteries."