5G radios shrink with new top-side cooling for RF power

NXP Semiconductors has released a family of top-side cooled RF amplifier modules based on a packaging innovation designed to permit thinner, lighter radios for 5G infrastructure. These smaller base stations can be more easily and cost-effectively installed and blend more discretely into their environment. The company's GaN multi-chip module series, merged with the industry's first top-side cooling solution for RF power, helps to decrease not only the thickness and weight of the radio by more than 20% but also the carbon footprint for the manufacture and deployment of 5G base stations.

"Top-side cooling represents a significant opportunity for the wireless infrastructure industry, combining high power capabilities with advanced thermal performance to enable a smaller RF subsystem," said Pierre Piel, vice president and general manager for Radio Power at NXP. "This innovation delivers a solution for the deployment of more environmentally friendly base stations while also enabling the network density needed to realize the full performance benefits of 5G."

The company's new top-side cooled devices provide substantial design and manufacturing benefits, including removing the dedicated RF shield, using a cost-effective and streamlined printed circuit board, and separating thermal management from RF design. These elements help networking solution providers produce slimmer and lighter 5G radios for mobile network operators while lowering their overall design cycle.

The company's first top-side cooled RF power module series is designed for 32T32R, 200 W radios covering 3.3GHz to 3.8GHz. The devices combine the company's in-house LDMOS and GaN semiconductor technologies to enable high gain and efficiency with wideband performance, delivering 31dB gain and 46% efficiency over 400MHz of instantaneous bandwidth.