ParaScan™

The foundation of our technology portfolio is called ParaScan™.

ParaScan™ is a family of proprietary, composite thin-film ceramic materials whose dielectric constant varies with the application of a DC voltage. Based on a proprietary doped version of Barium Strontium Titanate (BST), ParaScan represents a foundational technology for the ParaTune™ family of tunable ICs . Paratek can produce ParaTune tunable ICs in a virtually limitless number of configurations to meet specific customer needs. Paratek's business model is a flexible one, with customer collaboration representing the cornerstone of this model. The ParaScan material is also exceptionally flexible and can be used in numerous points within wireless components and products to make them better and more efficient!

Voltage-tunable ParaScan has exceptional properties, including outstanding linearity and harmonic performance, very low power consumption, and high Q (100 at 1 Ghz and more than 80 at 2 GHz). ParaScan also provides high capacitance density, IP3 of greater than 70 dBm, and very fast switching speed. The circuits produced from ParaScan provide passive component support along with the tunable elements which are used in tunable filters and antennas, power amplifier matching circuits, adaptive impedance matching modules (AIMM), and phase shifters. The result is a new class of voltage tunable RF front-end components and antennas for next-generation wireless products, including mobile devices.

Unlike other capacitive tuning methods such as MEMS-based ICs, varactors, and GaAs, ParaScan features continuous tuning, ultra-fast response time, and industry-standard packaging. A fundamental advantage of ParaScan is low-loss tuning over a wide range of impedances, which will allow new generations of wireless products to perform better and more efficiently.

Compared with semiconductor tuning diodes, ParaScan (and the ParaTune passive ICs that are made from the material) offers significantly better linearity, greater harmonic suppression, higher power-handling capacity, and current leakage of less than 100 nA! Minimizing leakage current ultimately extends component lifetime and product reliability because it decreases RF losses and reduces the chance of dielectric breakdown. Paratek has successfully driven leakage current down to exceptionally low levels compared to pure BST materials thanks to the development of the proprietary dopants in ParaScan. Design engineers are embracing ParaScan and adopting the technology for use in their next-generation wireless applications.