Jazz Semiconductor's 0.18-Micron Silicon Radio Platform Allows Complete Radio Integration
Reduces Die Cost up to 50% Versus Existing GaAs Solutions for Wireless and Broadband Applications
MUNICH, GERMANY -- October 11, 2007 - Jazz Semiconductor®, the leader in Analog-Intensive Mixed-Signal (AIMS) foundry solutions and wholly owned subsidiary of Jazz Technologies™, Inc. today announced at European Microwave Week (EuMW), the availability of its 0.18-micron Silicon Radio platform for complete radio integration. The 0.18- micron Jazz Silicon Radio platform allows complete integration of the radio in a wireless device on a single piece of silicon integrating the transceiver, antenna switch, power amplifier (PA) and controllers, eliminating the need for expensive discrete GaAs devices. Jazz's 0.18-micron RF CMOS process (CA18) and its 0.18-micron SiGe BiCMOS process (SBC18) include an SOI option that enables the integration of the antenna switch, but, unlike other solutions, also enables the integration of the power amplifier. This new technology promises to deliver higher levels of integration for future cell phones, wireless LANs, and WiMAX systems while displacing chips today built in more expensive GaAs and reducing die costs up to fifty percent.
Jazz Semiconductor's 0.18-micron Silicon Radio platform is composed of the 0.18-micron base CMOS or SiGe BiCMOS with four modules: an SOI module for the integration of the antenna switch, a PA module with high-power SiGe or CMOS devices, an LNA module with SiGe low-noise devices, and a Passive module consisting of a suite of high quality passive elements for the realization of inter-stage filter and matching circuits. All the modules (including SOI) can be combined or used independently to achieve the right level of cost and integration and optimally address each market need. Characterized building blocks are available for critical elements to ensure fast time to market. A through-wafer-via (TWV) module, to improve the efficiency of power amplifiers, is under development.
Prior Jazz SiGe technology has enabled integration of power amplifiers and transceivers for lower power standards such as 802.11b,g and PHS, and these products now enjoy significant production volume in the mature 0.35-micron node. The new 0.18-micron Silicon Radio Platform is addressing next-generation requirements for higher frequencies (such as the 5GHz bands in 802.11n and WiMax) or higher power (as in cellular 2G, 2.5G and 3G standards such as CDMA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA and WEDGE).
"Jazz Semiconductor's 0.18-micron Silicon Radio platform is a perfect match to our requirements for highly integrated, intelligent Wimax front-end components," said Vikram Krishnamurthy, chief technology officer of VT Silicon. "Their modular SiGe process affords us the ability to put very sophisticated control and intelligence within the power amplifier because it combines both CMOS - which is low power control circuitry - and bipolar transistors in one fabrication process. Building our PAs on SiGe instead of the more costly GaAs, used in most existing WiMax PAs, enables us to reduce chip costs to justify high-volume consumer applications."
"We look forward to helping our customers push the bounds of radio integration with this new technology," said Marco Racanelli, vice president of technology and engineering, Jazz Semiconductor. "Our Silicon Radio Platform includes an SOI module that for the first time enables a single-chip radio front-end. This, coupled with Jazz's strong wireless customer base and design enablement libraries, will allow the fast realization of more highly integrated, breakthrough radio products."
About Jazz Semiconductor
Jazz Semiconductor,® a wholly owned subsidiary of Jazz Technologies,™ Inc. (AMEX: JAZ), is the leading independent wafer foundry focused on Analog-Intensive Mixed-Signal (AIMS) CMOS process technologies. The company's broad portfolio of modular AIMS technologies includes RFCMOS and specialty CMOS processes, such as Enhanced RFCMOS, BiCMOS, SiGe BiCMOS, Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS, and High Voltage CMOS. These technologies are designed to produce analog and mixed-signal semiconductor devices that are smaller and more highly integrated, power-efficient, feature-rich and cost-effective than those produced using standard process technologies. Jazz also offers world-class design enablement tools to speed customers' time from design to revenue production. The Company serves customers in the wireless and high-speed wireline communications, consumer electronics, automotive and industrial end markets. Jazz executive offices and its U.S. wafer fabrication facilities are located in Newport Beach, CA. Jazz Semiconductor also has engineering, manufacturing, and sales support in Shanghai, China. For more information, please visit www.jazzsemi.com.
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