Science and Health

Singapore develops high-speed chips for wireless communication

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-11-23 17:04

SINGAPORE - Singapore researchers are exploiting high radio frequency to develop future high speed wireless communication products, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) said on Tuesday.

Related readings:  Patent storm gathering over 4G telephony  EU probe angers wireless modem makers  Wireless waiting service rings a bell for restaurants

Using silicon-based materials, the research team from A*STAR's Institute of Microelectronics (IME) have successfully developed high-speed chips that can wirelessly communicate data at a rate of 10 Gbps on 135 GHz band - more than 100 times faster than present Wi-Fi.

The new millimeter-wave communication system will allow three Blu-ray movies, each of 25 GB capacity, to be wirelessly downloaded in a minute.

The ability to fabricate millimeter-wave technology with traditional silicon-based materials is a significant milestone to extend millimeter-wave frequencies to commercial applications since mature chip making processes can now be utilized.

The research will open up a myriad of consumer applications for home entertainment, mobile electronics, potentially eradicate messy cables for communicating information between multiple devices.  

Speaking of the research milestone, Dim-Lee Kwong, Executive Director of IME, said, "After two years of intensive research and development, we have developed critical building blocks that will enable millimeter-wave chips to be produced cost-effectively."