DelfMEMS, a startup company that has been developing RF MEMS switching solutions, announced this week that the company has secured $7.4 million in round C funding. The company said that the new investment will be used to support the company's growth in the next generation, wireless front-end modules for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets that need multi-standard, multi-mode mobile telephony.
The move to multiple wireless standards to meet the requirement of "always on" data access creates the need for high speed RF switching. DelfMEMS said that its technology uses a new, integrated MEMS based building block that is based on an IP portfolio that includes seven key patents. The switch component is an anchorless and push-pull mechanical device that is deflected by electrostatic forces to switch RF signals based on the principle of current electro-mechanical relays and switches. The device reportedly solves past problems and substantially improves insertion loss, linearity, integration, hot switching behavior, switching time and power consumption to simplify RF architectures.
DelfMEMS said that the benefits of its RF MEMS switches include improved receiver sensitivity leading to fewer dropped calls and better call quality together with optimal carrier aggregation switching for massively improved data rates. Combined with high levels of RF integration, this also results in a lower bill of materials cost for the RF front-end module, and a longer battery life. DelfMEMS said that its solutions reduces the power consumption of the RF module by up to 20%.
"The progress that we have made in turning RF MEMS switches into reality has really impressed our investors. The test silicon has shown that we have cracked the problems that have caused many MEMS companies to fall by the roadside. This is creating a lot of interest in the industry, especially when we will have samples for customers to evaluate in a few weeks. This latest round of financing will be used to consolidate the organization and be ready for production ramp-up by the end of 2014," said Guillaume d'Eyssautier, DelfMEMS CEO.
DelfMEMS said that its RF MEMS switches are targeting next generation multi-standard, multi-mode, mobile telephony. The company claims that the total addressable market is forecasted to be more than $1 billion by in 2017.
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Copyright 2014 MEMS Journal, Inc.
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