Product category:
Communications ICs (Wireless)
News Release from: Zarlink Semiconductor | Subject: H-Series process
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 23 February 2006
Upgraded RF process promises higher
yields
Zarlink's updated H-Series processes now deliver more die per wafer and improved yields, resulting in the industry's most cost-effective process for fabricating analogue RF microchips.
Zarlink Semiconductor has made important improvements to its technology for fabricating analogue RF components used in DVD players, home entertainment centres, mobile communication handsets and other high-performance applications Zarlink's updated H-Series processes now deliver more die per wafer and improved yields, resulting in the industry's most cost-effective process for fabricating analogue RF microchips
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 7 Feb 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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"These improvements to our core H-Series wafer fabrication processes put us ahead of the competition in terms of die efficiency, design flexibility, consistency in process technology and die size", said Dr Peter Osborne, Chief Technology Officer, Zarlink analogue Foundry.
"Revisions to the metallisation and via rules enable designers to shrink the die size and optimise the layout for very high-speed analogue components".
The Zarlink analogue foundry is benefiting from the current round of restructuring in the semiconductor industry.
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Some restructured foundries have caused capacity constraints for companies requiring smaller wafer runs and hard-to-manufacture specialty chips, as well as continuity-of-supply concerns.
At the same time, many fabless semiconductor companies are looking for best-in-class analogue solutions in order to compete with IDMs (integrated device manufacturers).
The H-Series processes developed by Zarlink analogue foundry in Swindon, UK, were first designed for analogue RF components used in signal processing applications.
The fully qualified improvements to H-Series processes boost the performance and lower the system cost of high-speed, high-performance consumer products and wireless applications.
The analogue foundry's leading-edge double poly-silicon H-Series has a full complement of RF-compatible passive components including low-capacitance resistors, high-quality capacitors and inductors.
These processes are ideally suited to analogue applications and enable full-power low-voltage low-noise integrated solutions for performance analogue applications up to and higher than 2.5GHz.
All the H-Series process technologies are available with full design support kits incorporating advanced component models.
These comprehensive design kits assist designers in developing new products on H-Series processes and making the transition to Zarlink's processes.
Comprehensive design and technical support service is also available.
The foundry's design services group is a broad-based team with significant experience and expertise in silicon IC design.
These include a comprehensive Autographics service, front-to-back end design solutions and ESD (electrostatic discharge) consultation.
The team develops and supports a complete front-to-back end design capability on state-of-the-art, third-party CAD software tools.
A complete "plug and play" design environment is offered, comprising schematic capture, layout and comprehensive DRC (design rule checking) and LVS (layout versus schematic) design verification.
Zarlink's H-Series technology is available for low-cost prototyping using a multiproject wafer processing service.
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