TRW/Velocium Launches First InP LNA ChipsJuly 23, 2001...TRW has literally and figuratively launched their first InP low noise amplifier
(LNA) ICs by seeing them up, off, and away and into earth orbit on the Swedish
Odin-1 scientific satellite. Fabricated from TRW's patented InP transistor technology,
which is the crux of TRW's new Velocium spinout company in California, the
LNA is part of a broadband radiometer being used by the Odin-1 satellite. The
LNA was designed to enable the radiometer to detect the very faint radiation
being emitted by galactic oxygen. Thesis of the mission is that scientists believe
that a better understanding of interstellar oxygen chemistry may provide them
with greater insight into the formation and evolution of galaxies. The Odin-1
satellite, built and operated by the Swedish Space Corp. for the space agencies
of Sweden, Canada, Finland and France, was launched in February 2001 to conduct
astronomic and atmospheric research. In addition to space applications, TRW,
through Velocium, has also recently introduced a wide variety of very high-speed
InP components and other products for fiber optic and wireless telecommunications
systems. Both scientific and commercial chips will be produced in TRW's new
high-volume InP manufacturing facility which has the notoriety of being the
first to utilize 4-inch InP wafers.
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Cree's First SiC Schottky Diodes Hit the Power MarketJuly 23, 2001...Cree, Inc. chose the International Symposium on Power Semiconductor Devices
last week to formally introduce their first SiC Schottky diode chips, which
consist of two initial products: a 600 Volt, 1 Amp device and a 600 Volt, 4
Amp device. Cree is currently sampling these devices and a production ramp is
slated for first quarter of fiscal 2002, with additional offerings to be added.
Target applications include power conditioning for high frequency power supplies,
power factor correction, and as power conversion devices in motor controls,
with a major reduction in power consumption as the primary virtue of the devices.
At this stage of technology progress, up to 50% of the power loss in a typical
power circuit is attributable to the switching speed of a silicon PIN diode.
Due to the faster switching speed of a SiC Schottky diode, Cree estimates that
the switching loss associated with the diode can be virtually eliminated, resulting
in an overall 4-7% reduction in the amount of power consumed by the circuit,
which should facilitate smaller heat sinks and switch requirements, thus reducing
the cost and size of the circuit. Using the Cree Schottky's Kansai Electric
Power Co., Inc. (KEPCO) of Osaka, Japan has demonstrated and published power
results of a 6 kV MOSFET and a 5.5 kV JFET that proved that on-resistances were
1/25th and 1/65th lower, respectively, than the theoretical limit for an equivalent
silicon device. In addition, high voltage SiC PIN diodes were demonstrated with
blocking voltages up to 19 kV, representing a 50% increase and almost double
that which is commercially available on silicon. Matsushita Eyes Video Market with MMICsJuly 23, 2001...Matsushita Communication Industrial Co. has a clear cut vision on the future
of video transmission with its compound semi based MMIC technology. Matsushita
has announced the development of a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC)
to support what they call "next-generation video signal transmissions over
opticaliber" that integrates functions that formerly required three separate
chips. GaAs MMICs are now considered a mature technology that traces its strong
development background to USA defense applications. Ironically, MMICs had their
original roots in commercial cable television (CATV) applications, a market
that rapidly dried up with the scrambling of signals, by law, in and out of
the USA. The Matsushita chip is 7 sq. mm, which is approximately 33% smaller
than the chips it aims to replace, operates at 1.5 watts (about half the power
consumption of existing devices) and supports FM optical signal transmission
technology as developed by compound semiconductor pioneer Nippon Telegraph and
Telephone Corp. as a means of significantly reducing signal degradation which...
is the purpose of creating a MMIC in the first place.
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Showa Denko & NTT Collaborating on InGaP HBT ProductionJuly 23, 2001...Japan's Showa Denko KK and NTT's Advanced Technology arm have completed a formal
collaboration agreement on the production of InGaP HBTs. According to the agreement,
SDK will begin contract manufacturing of MOCVD-grown InGaP epiwafers to be used
in NTT-AT's HBTs, target applications for which will be as devices in the third-generation
cellular phones, slated for rollout this coming fall. SDK and NTT-AT have also
concluded what they term a "technical tie-up agreement" whereby SDK's
compound semi high volume production technology is combined with N TT-AT's epitaxial
growth and device evaluation technologies as a means of ensuring higher quality
wafers. The two prestigious companies have committed to jointly develop markets
for the HBTs. To meet the commitment, SDK has stated they will install new facilities
in their existing cleanroom in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture by September which
will have the capacity to produce 500 InGaP HBT epiwafers per month and by 2003,
the projected capacity should reach 2,000/mo. To date, Showa Denko is reported
to have already invested approximately 3 billion yen in the Chichibu plant to
reach the 500 unit mark and the 2003 ramp is projected to cost SDK another 2
billion yen, yielding a target of 2 billion yen in total sales in 2003. CSMC Ramps GaAs Wafer Production with Intent to Go PublicJuly 23, 2001...Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (CSMC), a GaAs wafer producer based
in Taiwan which was established just last September, has completed construction
of its initial 4-inch GaAs wafer production line. The new line is currently
delivering sample products for testing and is slated to begin operation in the
fourth quarter of this year with an estimated monthly capacity of 2,000 chips.
Plans are for CSMC to build two more GaAs wafer production lines by the end
of 2001 bring its estimated monthly production capacity to over 5,000 chips.
CSMC has stated its plans to increase the number of its GaAs wafer production
lines to five in 2002 which will produce an estimated increase in its capital
in the "near future" from T$360m to T$500m. CSMC Has also forecast
that it will break even at the end of this year and turn profitable in 2002
at which time the company intends to get itself listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange
or the over-the-counter (OTC) market in early 2003. Agere Pumps TyCom Under the SeaJuly 23, 2001...Agere Systems is slated to provide $70 million worth of GaAs-based 980 nm high
power undersea pump lasers to TyCom. The design win is part of a three-year
agreement that TyCom signed earlier this year with Agere to supply optical components
for use in building the TyCom Global Network, an extensive and technologically
advanced undersea optical network. The agreement is illustrative of a number
of such teamings with compound semi industry leaders. "This announcement
brings together two leaders in their respective spaces -- one in optoelectronic
components and the other in submarine networks,'' said Dan DiLeo, executive
VP of Agere's Optoelectronics division. Phase 1 of the TyCom Global Network
is expected to span 90,000 kilometers and offer multi-terabit, or trillions
of bits per second, capacity to more than 30 major cities around the world.
Agere's new 200 milliwatt 980 pump laser diode, called the LP200, is subject
of the specific design win. The laser is used in undersea optical amplifiers,
or repeaters, which are installed along a fiberoptic cable route to boost the
strength of digital signals that carry voice and data traffic. It is implemented
as part of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier, which permits direct amplification
of an optical signal without the need for electrical conversion. "An
erbium-doped fiber amplifier is the engine that powers a signal across a transmission
route, and the pump laser is the high-octane gas," Mr. DiLeo illustrated.
The LP200 is an uncooled, Fabry-Perot pump laser with an external fiber Bragg
grating for wavelength stabilization and the laser has a drive current of 350
milliamps. Vitesse Launches New Translator FamilyJuly 23, 2001...Vitesse Semiconductor has expanded its timing and logic product line with a
new family of translators that enable the bridging of devices with ECL I/O to
LVDS I/O which are heavily utilized in today's CMOS processing. Whereas other
solutions normally require up to eight devices to implement parallel bus applications,
using the Vitesse translators allows accomplishing those tasks with only one
device, thus significantly reducing board space and power requirements. "These
new products help our customers bridge technologies and gives them the capability
to utilize the speed and complexity that are available in today's CMOS devices.
This is a complete family of devices that support OC-3 to OC-192 systems,"
said Vitesse application engineer Matt Dru. "These devices also include
clock channels for data retiming to help ease the timing constraints on the
system designer." Procomp Favors Compounds Over MotherboardsJuly 23, 2001...Procomp Informatics Ltd. of Taiwan, a noted "motherboard" manufacturer,
is obviously turning from boards to chips, many of which are compound semiconductor-based.
Procomp is making it known that its intent is to gradually end its motherboard
manufacturing activities. Procomp Informatics recently reported after-tax profits
of T$747m for the year 2000, with net earnings per share of T$4.8 and will issue
year-end stock dividends of T$4 per share for the year 2000. Procomp has issued
its forecast revenues which the company says will rise 30 per cent year-on-year
to T$8.5bn for 2001. Our news features are reported
by the CompoundSemi News staff writers.
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