Austin Startup Creates First CMOS Power Amplifier for 3G

[retrodeviant]

An Austin semiconductor company announced today it has produced a power amplifier that could mean a huge leap forward for any mobile phone's performance, cost, battery life, and reliability.
Black Sand Technologies says it has created the world's first radio frequency power amplifier for 3G communications in CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) technology.

Mobile phones and wireless products today use power amplifiers based on Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) semiconductor technology. Replacing GaAs with CMOS silicon technology improves manufacturing yield, performance, cost, battery life, and call quality.

CMOS has already replaced GaAs in other technologies like audio chips and DVD decoders, but it does not lend itself easily to use in power amplifiers, which is why Black Sand's achievement was so remarkable.

“By leveraging our breakthrough PA architecture, Black Sand, as the first company to deliver 3G PAs in CMOS, is ready to capitalize on the historic shift from GaAs to CMOS, and benefit from the explosion in demand for new 3G devices appearing on the market today,” said John Diehl, CEO of Black Sand Technologies.

Along with the technical milestone, Black Sand also announced it has received $10 million in its second round of funding. The round was led by Northbridge Venture Partners and joined by Austin Ventures, bringing the total investment in the company to $18.2 million.

via: Austinist