Fairchild Semiconductor increases focus on mobile handset market

SAN JOSE, USA: Fairchild Semiconductor, long-acknowledged as a power semiconductor leader, is increasing its focus on the mobile handset market. The company is building on its success in the development of semiconductor solutions that deliver new levels of functionality to help differentiate mobile designs.

Fairchild creates feature-specific semiconductor products that complement chip sets in mobile devices. It is increasing investment in and development of a targeted portfolio of analog and power intellectual property (IP) to support handset manufacturers’ specific signal path requirements for audio, video, USB, signaling, sensing and timing, and in power management for peripheral cores, lighting and RF.

Fairchild technology is already used by all major mobile device manufacturers and can be found in the majority of mobile handsets, including smartphones. New product development is being driven by market intelligence, as well as through close working relationships with handset manufacturers and chipset suppliers worldwide.

Fairchild is targeting a growing mobile handset and smartphone market, with more than 1 billion units shipped in 2009. Analysts estimate that 5.5 billion units will ship from 2009 to 2012 and smartphones are expected to reach over 20% in market share of the total handset units by 2012.

“A growing percentage of the mobile handsets shipped today are higher end, feature-rich phones and ‘smartphones’ that heavily rely on the type of semiconductor solutions Fairchild develops,” said Bob Conrad, executive vice president of Fairchild’s Mobile, Computing, Communication and Consumer products group.

“Fairchild is intensely focused on specific analog and power functions that define user satisfaction and market success, and this commitment – together with our history with device manufacturers – positions us to meet the evolving demands of the market with new technologies that make a difference in mobile designs.”

Fairchild is leveraging its advanced process and package technologies, offering significant design advantages while reducing the size, cost and power of mobile devices. Additionally, Fairchild is aligned with leading mobile manufacturers to help them meet next-generation design challenges and maintain a competitive advantage.

One example is the newly-announced FT8010 – a ‘White Screen of Death’ re-start timer, which enables a portable device to be reset at the touch of designated keypad function. The FT8010 was designed by Fairchild in collaboration with a leading mobile manufacturer.

Another Fairchild solution, the FAN5362, extends battery life and conserves board space in portable and consumer designs. The FAN5362 is ideal for cell phone designers who need to support increased demand for high capacity (e.g. 8, 16, 32GB, etc.) SD Flash Memory cards, while providing high efficiency and optimized control designed specifically for low headroom operation.

Fairchild is a leader in USB technology, which has become the universal interface for mobile applications. Fairchild has leveraged its signal path expertise to develop a micro-USB switch (FSA9280A) and USB transceiver (FUSB2500) that provide designers auto detection, power savings, audio fidelity, space savings and robust protection features, bringing significant design advantages to the mobile space.

Fairchild’s proactive, open and transparent supply chain management enables the company to meet customer inventory and manufacturing requirements, a key in maintaining a competitive edge in the dynamic and fast-growing mobile device market.

Dedicated to delivering “The Right Technology for Your Success,” Fairchild provides leading-edge silicon and packaging technologies, manufacturing strength and system expertise for consumer, communications, industrial, portable, computing and automotive systems, as well as online tools and design centers as part of our commitment to customer satisfaction.