FLCT Communication Technology Co began production of its 5G/6G filter chips at its headquarters in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Tuesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
FLCT Communication Technology Co, which specializes in the research, development and manufacturing of RF front-end chips for 5G communications, began production of its 5G/6G filter chips at its headquarter base in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Tuesday.
The base, covering an area of 3.33 hectares with a total investment of 3 billion yuan ($450 million), is expected to achieve an annual production capacity of 6 billion 5G/6G SABAR filter chips, based on single-crystal aluminum nitride bulk acoustic wave filter technology.
FLCT Communication Technology Co began production of its 5G/6G filter chips at its headquarters in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Tuesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The company also added a new RF module production line at the base, with an estimated annual output value of 5.5 billion yuan.
With its production line, the company will expand the independent supply capacity of domestically produced high-frequency filter chips and accelerate technological breakthroughs in the new generation information technology industry chain.
The company plans further expansion of its production lines, with the long-term goal of reaching an annual output of 15 to 20 billion chips, said Yi Xinyan, deputy general manager and head of research and development.
The addition of the RF module production line marks the company's transition from being a supplier of stand-alone filter chips to providing integrated RF front-end module solutions, Yi said.
Filter chips act as the signal gatekeepers in smartphones, with a single 5G smartphone requiring 30 to 40 of them to manage signal filtering across different frequency bands. Meanwhile, RF modules integrate filters with components such as power amplifiers and switches.
"With the proprietary filter chips, we offer higher integration and more convenient procurement for terminal manufacturers," Yi said.
FLCT Communication Technology Co began production of its 5G/6G filter chips at its headquarters in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Tuesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
For a long time, the market for mid- to high-frequency bulk acoustic wave filter chips has been heavily dominated by overseas companies, which hold 95 percent of the global market share.
The global demand for bulk acoustic wave filters, represented by products like SABAR, has surpassed $20 billion annually, the company said.
However, the penetration rate of domestic products in the market is less than 1 percent, indicating a significant opportunity for domestic companies to increase their market presence and replace imports.
"The production line plays a crucial role in addressing the gaps in China's high-end RF chip industry chain and supports Guangdong in becoming a significant hub for semiconductors and integrated circuits in the country," said Li Guoqiang, founder and general manager.
The company will use the commissioning of its headquarters as a new starting point to continuously improve product performance and production efficiency, Li said.
