News

18 August 2009

 

Jazz targets optimized SiGe at replacing GaAs in mm-wave and cell-phone markets

Analog-intensive mixed-signal foundry Jazz Semiconductor Inc of Newport Beach, CA, USA, a subsidiary of specialty foundry Tower Semiconductor Ltd of Migdal Haemek, Israel, says that it is targeting its enhanced silicon germanium (SiGe) BiCMOS process, intellectual property and design enablement tools at replacing gallium arsenide components in high-growth markets such as millimeter-wave and front-end components for cellular phones.

Jazz claims that SiGe provides significant integration and cost advantage over GaAs, enabling products in the emerging markets of automotive collision avoidance, phased-array radar, and HDTV wireless distribution as well as established markets such as optical network and cell-phone front-end components. The firm says that it is working on SiGe solutions with more than half of the top 10 IC providers in several of these market segments. The combined millimeter-wave and front-end module (FEM) market is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 23% from $400m in 2009 to over $750m in 2012, outpacing most other sectors in the semiconductor industry, according to data from market research firm Strategy Analytics.

Jazz’s process technology includes a SiGe transistor with demonstrated performance of up to 200GHz as well as noise and power performance that is competitive with GaAs while offering as much as 40% lower die cost, the firm claims. Also included are CMOS options to enable mixed-signal and digital functions on the same chip, further reducing the cost of the complete system.

To facilitate the transition from GaAs- to SiGe-based designs, in June Jazz partnered with Agilent to provide a SiGe process design kit (PDK) in ADS 2009 (Advanced Design System), a design platform for GaAs-based products, aiming to speed time-to-market for users targeting applications up to and beyond 60-77GHz. “Our collaboration with Jazz is in response to the strong market demand from our mutual customers for a fast and efficient RFIC design flow,” said Avery Chung, foundry program manager of Agilent’s EEs of EDA division, at the time. “With these new SiGe PDKs in ADS 2009, customers will be able to design high-performance ICs operating up to 60GHz and higher. They can use the breadth of capability ADS provides, including design-for-manufacturing toolsets and Momentum, the industry-leading 3D planar EM simulator.”

As an example of a successful transition from GaAs to SiGe, Jazz cites its collaboration with University of California San Diego (UCSD) - announced in July - to develop a two-antenna quad-beam 11-15GHz phased-array receiver. This enables high-performance phased arrays for satellite communications by integrating many functions on the same silicon chip and replacing eight GaAs ICs, drastically lowering the cost of phased-array assembly, claims Jazz. First-time success was achieved using the firm's 0.18 micron SiGe BiCMOS process and its own proprietary models, kit and DIRECT MPW (multi-project wafer) program.

“We continue to see migration of GaAs products into SiGe as an exciting growth opportunity for our technology,” says Dr Marco Racanelli, senior VP & general manager of the RF/HPA and Aerospace & Defense business groups. “This transition is largely complete in optical front-end components but just beginning in cellular phone front-ends and millimeter-wave applications,” he adds. “We will continue to invest in high-performance processes as well as design enablement infrastructure to speed time-to-market for our customers in these emerging applications.”

See related item:

Agilent offers PDKs for Jazz’s 0.18-micron SiGe BiCMOS process

Search: Jazz Semiconductor PDKs SiGe BiCMOS

Visit: www.jazzsemi.com