DB HiTek Expands 5G RF Business Based on 130nm and 110nm Technologies

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] DB HiTek announced on the 12th that it will actively expand its 5G-oriented wireless radio frequency (RF) front-end business based on 130㎚ (nanometer, 1 nanometer = one billionth of a meter) and 110㎚ technologies.

The RF front-end is an essential product for wireless communication, responsible for transmission and reception between IT devices. It is widely used in fields requiring communication such as smartphones and the Internet of Things (IoT). It is usually configured in a module form where individual components such as antenna tuners, switches, low noise amplifiers (LNA), and power amplifiers (PA) are combined.

DB HiTek stated that among the various components within the RF front-end, it is focusing on switches and LNAs. The switch functions to turn on and off during frequency transmission and reception. The LNA amplifies the frequency to deliver a more accurate signal and is the most critical product for high-speed communications such as 5G.

DB HiTek significantly improved performance by adding SOI (Silicon-On-Insulator) and HRS (High Resistivity Substrate) wafers, which block or minimize leakage current, to the existing RF process.

As wireless communication technology advances to 5G, demand for high-performance communication with high frequency and high sensitivity characteristics is continuously expanding. Accordingly, the importance of the RF front-end is also increasing. The related industry expects the RF front-end market to grow from approximately $12.4 billion in 2019 to about $21.7 billion by 2025.

DB HiTek explained, "We are actively supporting fabless (semiconductor design) customers to enter the RF front-end market in a timely manner," adding, "In particular, to reduce development costs for customers, we operate MPW (Multi-Project Wafer) services quarterly, which produce various semiconductor prototypes on a single wafer."