FRONT-END MODULES
The market for FEMs in WiFi and WiMax products is exploding as form factors continue to shrink and MIMO and OFDM drive ever more complex RF architectures. FEMs made with MLO can integrate all active and passive functions between the transceiver and the antenna. PA suppliers can integrate LNA, switches and additional active devices into a single package, eliminating redundant packaging, increasing ASP and supplying their customers with a turn-key solution requiring little RF design knowledge to assemble into the final product. By reducing on-die passive functions, die size can be reduced to lower cost and increase flexibility.
EMBEDDED MODULES
Many portable wireless applications require the next level of integration beyond just the front-end. With the growing number of wireless SoC products that integrate baseband and transceiver functions on a single die, the next logical step is to integrate the entire wireless reference design into a single component. By embedding filter and matching components into the package, embedded modules made with MLO can be cost effective even for complex, multi-band applications. Unlike ceramic packages, MLO modules can grow to accommodate chipset integration without concerns over CTE mismatch and thermal cycle reliability.
