2-1 North American Company Profiles 8x8 8X8 8x8, Inc. 2445 Mission College Boulevard Santa Clara, California 95054 Telephone: (408) 727-1885 Fax: (408) 980-0432 Web Site: www.8x8.com Email: [email protected]Fabless IC Supplier Regional Headquarters/Representative Locations Europe: 8x8, Inc. • Bucks, England U.K. Telephone: (44) (1628) 402800 • Fax: (44) (1628) 402829 Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends March 31 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 Sales 36 31 34 20 29 19 50 Net Income 5 (1) (0.3) (6) (3) (14) 4 R&D Expenditures 7 7 7 8 8 11 12 Capital Expenditures — — — — 1 1 1 Employees 114 100 105 110 81 100 100 Ownership: Publicly held. NASDAQ: EGHT. Company Overview and Strategy 8x8, Inc. is a worldwide leader in the development, manufacture and deployment of an advanced Visual Information Architecture (VIA) encompassing A/V compression/decompression silicon, software, subsystems, and consumer appliances for video telephony, videoconferencing, and video multimedia applications. 8x8, Inc. was founded in 1987. The “8x8” refers to the company’s core technology, which is based upon Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) image compression and decompression. In DCT, 8-pixel by 8-pixel blocks of image data form the fundamental processing unit.
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North American Company Profiles 8x8
8X8
8x8, Inc.2445 Mission College Boulevard
Santa Clara, California 95054Telephone: (408) 727-1885
8x8, Inc. is a worldwide leader in the development, manufacture and deployment of an advanced VisualInformation Architecture (VIA) encompassing A/V compression/decompression silicon, software, subsystems,and consumer appliances for video telephony, videoconferencing, and video multimedia applications.
8x8, Inc. was founded in 1987. The “8x8” refers to the company’s core technology, which is based upon DiscreteCosine Transform (DCT) image compression and decompression. In DCT, 8-pixel by 8-pixel blocks of image dataform the fundamental processing unit.
Paul Voois Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerKeith Barraclough President and Chief Operating OfficerBryan Martin Vice President, Engineering and Chief Technical OfficerSandra Abbott Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial OfficerChris McNiffe Vice President, Marketing and SalesChris Peters Vice President, SalesMichael Noonen Vice President, Business DevelopmentSamuel Wang Vice President, Process TechnologyDavid Harper Vice President, European OperationsBrett Byers Vice President, General Counsel and Investor Relations
Products and Processes
8x8 has developed a Video Information Architecture (VIA) incorporating programmable integrated circuits (ICs) andcompression/decompression algorithms (codecs) for audio/video communications. The company’s videocompression semiconductors combine, on a single chip, a RISC microprocessor, digital signal processor,specialized video processing circuitry, static RAM memory, and proprietary codec software.
The company’s family of processors include the following:
• ViaTV Phone is an all-in-one video telephone that connects to standard TV and regular telephone lines forcost-effective, easy-to-use consumer and small business video telephony.
• Video Communications Processor (VCP) is a single-chip programmable video subsystem and multimediacommunications processor for ISDN/LAN/WAN videoconferencing.
• Low Bit-Rate Video Processor (LVP) is a single-chip programmable video-phone processor for ordinarytelephone lines.
8x8 is a fabless manufacturer of video ICs and videophone systems, but has strategic alliances for coretechnologies, as well as equity partners, with leading electronics manufacturers, including Siemens,NSC/ASCII/Mitsu, Yamaha and Sony.
8x8 also provides videoconferencing components to major OEMs such as British Telecom, MCI, PictureTel,Panasonic and Sony.
Founded in 1985, Actel Corporation designs, develops, and markets field programmable gate arrays (FGPAs) andassociated software development systems and programming hardware. Its products are used by designers ofcomputer and computer peripheral, telecommunications, military, aerospace, industrial control, and otherelectronic systems.
Actel is a leader in the development of antifuse-based FPGAs and believes it was the first company to achievevolume production of such devices. The company's objective is to become the leading supplier of FPGAs by fullyexploiting the capabilities of its proprietary antifuse and circuit architectures.
In April 1995, Actel completed the acquisition of the antifuse FPGA business of Texas Instruments, which was theonly second-source supplier of Actel’s products.
Management
John C. East President and Chief Executive OfficerEsmat Z. Hamdy Senior Vice President, Technology and OperationsFares Mubarak Vice President, EngineeringHank Perret Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial OfficerMichelle A. Begun Vice President, Human ResourcesDouglas D. Goodyear Vice President, Worldwide SalesCarl Burrow Vice President, MarketingRobert Smith, Ph.D. Vice President, SoftwareDavid L. Van De Hey Vice President and General CounselGujus Worthington Manager, Strategic Product PlanningBruce Weyer Director, Product MarketingCindy Joyce Director, North American Distribution Sales
Products and Processes
Value Series
• The ACT1 family consists of two devices, a 1,200-gate part and a 2,000-gate (6,000 PLD equivalent gates)part, and offers system performance of up to 25MHz. This family of circuits utilizes 1.0µm or 0.9µm CMOStechnology.
• The ACT2 family consists of three devices ranging from 2,500 to 8,000 gates (20,000 PLD equivalent gates)and offers system performance of up to 50MHz. This family of circuits utilizes 1.0µm CMOS technology.
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Actel North American Company Profiles
Accelerator Series
• The ACT3 family consists of devices ranging from 1,500 to 10,000 gates (25,000 PLD equivalent gates) andon-chip performance of up to 250MHz (system performance up to 75MHz). This family of circuits is based on0.8µm double-level-metal CMOS technology.
• The ACT3 PCI family consists of fully PCI-compliant devices with 4,000 to 10,000 usable gates and on-chipperformance of up to 250MHz. This family of circuits is based on 0.6µm double-level-metal CMOS technology.
Integrator Series
• The MX family is the first line of low-cost, single-chip ASIC alternatives. The 9,000 gate A42MX09, is the fastestdevice in the MX family of FPGAs.
• The 1200XL family features parts ranging from 2,500 to 8,000 gates and offers system performance of up to60MHz. This family of circuits is based on 0.65µm CMOS technology.
• The 3200DX family of FPGAs has capacities ranging from 6,500 gates to 40,000 gates and offers systemperformance of up to 100MHz. These high-performance FPGAs offer fast dual-port SRAM, fast decode, anddata path circuitry based on 0.65µm double-level-metal CMOS technology.
Reprogrammable SPGAs
• Actel’s ES family of system programmable gate arrays (SPGAs) are non-antifuse PLDs designed to address thesystem-on-a-chip market. The fine-grained array of logic module blocks enables gate counts from 50,000gates up to 400,000 gates. The SRAM-based SPGAs permit the integration of complex intellectual property(IP) cores and support in-system programmability (ISP). Actel jointly developed the SPGA technology with theSilicon Architects Group of Synopsys.
Radiation-Hardened FPGAs
• In March 1998, Actel announced availability of its new FPGA, the 2,000 gate RH1020.• Actel’s RadHard family of FPGAs consists of radiation-hardened versions of its 2,000-gate ACT1 device and its
8,000-gate ACT2 device. These devices were first shipped in 1996 and ramped more quickly than any otherproduct in the company’s history. The RadHard family is based on 0.8µm double-level-metal epitaxial bulkCMOS technology jointly developed with Lockheed-Martin Federal Systems.
Mask Programmed Gate Arrays (MPGAs)
• Offered as an alternative to traditional gate array conversions, Actel’s MPGAs provide significant costreductions for high-volume applications. An Actel FPGA used for prototyping and initial production can bereplaced by a corresponding MPGA (masked version of the device).
To support its FPGA products, Actel offers software products, including its CoreHDL IP portfolio consisting oftelecommunications cores, industrial cores, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, and Actel-developed CorePCImodels, as well as proprietary and third-party design automation software. In addition, Actel provides programmingand test hardware and a diagnostic option that provides special in-circuit debug and diagnostic capabilities.
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North American Company Profiles Actel
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Actel's FPGAs are manufactured by Chartered Semiconductor, Lockheed-Martin Federal Systems, Matsushita,Texas Instruments, and Winbond.
The company’s first foundry suppliers were Matsushita and TI. As part of the 1995 acquisition of TI’s FPGAbusiness, Actel signed a three-year manufacturing agreement (1.0µm design rules).
Also in 1995, Actel and Matsushita extended their five-year manufacturing relationship (0.8µm, 0.9µm, and 1.0µmdesign rules). In addition, Matsushita is assisting Actel in developing next-generation antifuse technology.
Actel’s relationship with Chartered began in 1994 when the company purchased a minority equity interest inChartered. In return, Actel is guaranteed access to Chartered’s advanced 200mm wafer capacity (0.6µm designrules).
Since being signed on in 1994, Winbond has become one of Actel’s largest fab partners, providing the companywith advanced wafer production services (0.8µm and 0.6µm design rules).
Lockheed-Martin Federal Systems is the sole source of Actel’s rad-hard FPGAs, which are being jointly developedby the two companies (0.8µm design rules).
Key Agreements
• In March 1998, Space Electronics Inc. announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding withActel Corporation to develop and market a new line of high-reliability, radiation-tolerant Field ProgrammableGate Array (FPGA) products. The agreement calls for the two companies to combine Space Electronics’patented RAD-PAK package shielding technology with Actel’s commercial FPGA products. The first productsare expected by the second quarter of 1998.
• In January 1998, Actel and High Reliability Components Corporation (HIREC) announced a partnership to bringhigh reliability field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) to the burgeoning Japanese satellite and spaceexploration industry. This includes the latest Japanese National Space Development Agency (NASDA) launchvehicle, the H-IIA Rocket.
• In 4Q96, Actel signed a multi-year agreement with Swiss IP provider, Inicore AG, for severaltelecommunications and industrial control cores. The cores have been optimized for Actel’s ACT3, ACT3 PCI,1200XL, and 3200DX families of FPGAs, as well as the ES family of SPGAs.
• Actel and Synopsys announced an agreement in mid-1996 to jointly develop Actel’s SPGAs, which combinethe features of FPGAs and mask programmed ASICs in a single chip. Under the agreement, Actel licensed thecell-based array (CBA) architecture of the Silicon Architects Group of Synopsys for use in the mask-programmed portion of the SPGAs.
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Actel North American Company Profiles
• In 2Q96, Actel signed an agreement with IP provider, Technical Data Freeway, Inc., giving Actel and itscustomers access to over 90 synthesizable DSP, telecommunications, multimedia, and MCU cores.
• Actel completed an agreement with Lockheed-Martin Federal Systems Company in Manassas, Virginia, in 1H95to jointly develop radiation-hardened FPGAs. Lockheed Martin FSC is manufacturing the devices.
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North American Company Profiles Advanced Hardware Architectures
Founded: 1988 Employees: 50 Ownership: Privately held. Company Overview and Strategy Advanced Hardware Architectures Corporation (AHA) supplies standard and customized coprocessor IC designsfor many leading electronics manufacturers worldwide. AHA products offer a unique difference that givesequipment or systems faster data rates and more capacity. Applications include data backup storage, hardcopyand digital communications. Using patented coprocessor architectures that are highly parallel, extremely fast, andvoid of the performance delays inherent in software, AHA compiles algorithms directly into full-custom VLSI chips.AHA’s single-chip, full-custom coprocessor designs involve custom algorithms, architectures, logic, electronicsand cell designs. Advanced Hardware was a spin-off of the University of Idaho Microelectronics Research Center, the only NASAEngineering Research Center for VLSI design. In exchange for royalties and shares of AHA stock, the Universitygranted perpetual, exclusive and worldwide rights to two patented coprocessor technologies. The first is thehigh-speed Reed-Solomon Error Correction patent, the initial focus of the Company. The second technologyimproves the speed of today’s best computer sorting by at least a factor of ten. AHA has over 25 sales agents across the US and Canada. In addition, the Company is represented by a numberof sales representatives and distributors in Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim. Annual sales for 1997were approximately $14M.
Advanced Hardware Architectures North American Company Profiles
Management John C. Overby President Gordon F. Scott Vice President, Finance and Administration Patrick A. Owsley Vice President, Technology and Product Development Thomas M. Kovanic Vice President, Marketing and Sales Iain Mackie Vice President, Engineering John Cameron Director, Operations Products and Processes Advanced Hardware’s products are outlined below.
• Data Storage – AHA produces a wide variety of formatters and data compression solutions for data storage
applications. Typical products are Magneto Optical drives, Quarter Inch Cartridge tape and Digital DataStorage Tape.
• Hardcopy – Hardcopy is AHA’s generic term for any transfer of electronic images to the printed page thatcould benefit from AHA’s data compression technology. This area includes, but is not limited to, copiers,printers, scanners, plotters, x-ray and medical imaging devices.
• Digital Communications – The digital communications product group has grown to encompass manydifferent applications in the last 10 years. These include wireless LANs, wireless digital cable, cablemodems, digital television, digital cellular telephones and other low power digital communicationapplications. AHA Reed-Solomon ECC devices include the AHA4012, 1.5 Mbytes/sec, and the AHA4011,10Mbytes/sec. AHA brings error detection and correction to digital channels from 10Kbits per second toover 80Mbits per second.
Data Compression
• AHA’s dictionary-based lossless data compression chips support a customized version of the Lempel-zivadaptive algorithm (DCLZ) originally developed by Hewlett-Packard. AHA’s single-chip deviceseffectively double, or even triple, storage capacity in sequential storage media. Throughput rates inapplications as diverse as high-speed LANs and data storage can be greatly boosted. The averagecompression ratio of the chips is 2:1 for typical files; however, compression ratios of 5:1 or higher are alsoachievable.
• The StarLite Family of hardcopy products include devices capable of simultaneous compression anddecompression with speeds ranging from 4Mbytes/second to 33Mbytes/second. Also included in thisfamily is a decompression only device which runs at of 16Mbytes/second.
• Color Image Compression – AHA’s proprietary Color Adaptive Data Compression (CADC) algorithm isbased on DPCM algorithm, Huffman coding and adaptive quantization. The AHA3710 compressiondevice is an efficient implementation of this algorithm that has been modified and optimized for colorimage data as well as grayscale formatted image data.
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North American Company Profiles Advanced Hardware Architectures
• Data Format Controller – The Company’s QIC tape data format controller, the AHA5140, includes uniquefeatures such as read-while-write, frame level control and on-board system resources. The read-while-writefeature greatly reduces backup time compared to read-after write drives. In addition, the chip’s frame levellogic avoids block level control typically required of microprocessors. This chip incorporates a programmableclock generator for system, tape write channel and data separator reference.
• Forward Error Correction – AHA’s forward Error Correction codecs offer the highest level of cost-effectiveerror correction performance in the industry. Some of the designs stem from research completed fro NASAspace communications. AHA has integrated all Reed-Solomon encoding/decoding and specific controllerfunctions into single, low-cost VLSI chips for on-the-fly error/erasure correction. AHA uses both Reed-Solomon and Viterbi error correction in an effective one-two punch that can clean up the noisiesttransmission channels.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Key Agreements
• In February 1997, Advanced Hardware Architectures announced a joint venture with the Electronic DeviceGroup of Mitsubishi Electronics America, Inc., to co-develop a new integrated circuit for use in the set-topboxes of cable television operations. As part of the agreement, Mitsubishi Electronics America has alsoinvested an undisclosed amount of money in AHA. Both companies have plans to market the new chipworldwide.
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Advanced Power Technology, Inc. North American Company Profiles
ADVANCED POWER TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Advanced Power Technology, Inc. 405 Southwest Columbia Street
Bend, Oregon 97702 Telephone: (541) 382-8028
Fax: (541) 388-0364 Web Site: www.advancedpower.com
IC Manufacturer Founded: 1984
Regional Offices/Representative Locations U.S.: Western Region
Advanced Power Technology, Inc. Phone: (408) 847-2447 • Fax: (408) 847-2413
Northeastern Region Advanced Power Technology, Inc. Phone: (972) 686-5352 • Fax: (972) 686-5441
Southeastern Region Advanced Power Technology, Inc. Phone: (704) 693-6564 • Fax: (704) 693-7757
Europe: European Sales Office, U.K. Advanced Power Technology, Inc. Phone: (44) 1635 582 358 • Fax: (44) 1635 582 458
APT Europe – Merignac, France Phone: (33) 557 92 15 15
Ownership: Privately held. Company Overview and Strategy Advanced Power Technology, Inc. (APT) manufactures power MOSFETs and ultrafast rectifiers for high-powerswitch mode power supplies, motor speed controls and related power applications.
North American Company Profiles Advanced Power Technology, Inc.
In November 1993, APT acquired Power Compact, Merignac, France, a manufacturer of Application SpecificPower Modules (ASPM). This acquisition enabled APT to combine its high power silicon technology with Powercompact’s unique expertise in integrating the power, supervisory, protection and control circuitry into customASPM solutions. Targeted at the motor drive, welding and other high power applications, these modules offerend users a cost effective solution that meets their specific application needs. Management Patrick Sireta President and Chief Executive Officer John Hess Vice President, Discrete Power Products Dah Wen Tsang Vice President, Engineering Research and Development Thomas A. Loder Vice President, Sales and Marketing Greg Haugen Chief Financial Officer and Vice President, Finance and Administration Russell Crecraft Vice President, Manufacturing Operations Products and Processes Advanced Power Technology products are described below. Avalanche Energy Rated MOSFETs: APT has a broad line of avalanche energy rated MOSFETs ranging from100V to 1,200V with RDS(ON) ranging from 0.019 ohms to 1,600 ohms. APT’s interdigitated layout has alwaysfeatured very fast switching speeds and short delay times. An improved layout for Power MOSV™ has reducedthe switching speeds even further. This product family also includes FREDFETs and is offered in a wide range ofplastic packages. Ultra Fast Recovery Diodes (FRED): Includes devices rated from 200V though 1,200V and from 15Å to 100Å perchip. Using APT’s proprietary heavy metal lifetime control process, the FREDs achieve ultra-fast recovery timewhile maintaining soft recovery characteristics and low forward voltage. Low Gate Charge MOSFET Family: This product line ranges from 400V to 1,000V with RDS(ON) ranging from0.042 ohms to 1,000 ohms. RF MOSFETs: Offered in plastic packaged “symmetric pair” lead pin-out configuration allows for easy board layoutof push-pull circuits. This product line is targeted at 1-120MHz industrial, scientific and medical applications. Hermetic Packaged MOSFET Products: This product line includes ICs operating at voltages ranging from 200V to1,000V with RDS(ON) from 0.022 ohms to 4,000 ohms. IGBT: This product line is available with 600V and 1,200V ratings. Utilizing Non-Punch through (NPT) technology,it is the only rugged line of IGBT products currently offered in today’s market. Advanced Power Technology, Inc. also offers high quality integrated custom modules, Application Specific PowerModules, through the Power Compact facility in Europe.
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Alberta Microelectronic Corporation North American Company Profiles
ALBERTA MICROELECTRONIC CORPORATION (AMC)
Alberta Microelectronic Corporation11315 – 87th Ave., Suite #318
North America: Alberta Microelectronic Corporation • Calgary, CanadaTelephone: (403) 298-2043 • Fax: (403) 289-2047
Company Overview and Strategy
Alberta Microelectronic Corporation (AMC) started in 1982 as a University of Alberta spin-off and grew into aforemost Canadian provider of microelectronics. With annual semiconductor-related revenues of $6 million, AMCworks as an OEM supplier to various companies utilizing microelectronic products or devices in the areas ofgenetic analysis, telecommunications, and industrial automation.
AMC offers services in three main areas: Design Engineering, Microfabrication and Thin-Film Simulation Software.
Management
Chris Lumb President and Chief Executive OfficerGraham McKinnon Vice President of MicrofabricationDerek Hudson Chief Financial OfficerSteven Slupsky Design Group ManagerThomas Janacek Director of Marketing
North American Company Profiles Alberta Microelectronic Corporation
Products and Processes
AMC markets its own proprietary Thin-Film Process Simulator, SIMBAD – Silicon processing without Silicon, thefirst commercially available PVD process simulator.
AMC also provides electronic design services, especially in the area of embedded systems and microcontrollers.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
AMC has a prototype facility, which is one of Canada’s finest laboratory environments for research anddevelopment in microelectronics and related areas. The 8,000 sq. ft. facility houses the development andfabrication of materials, devices, and microstructures in semiconductor related fields, which also include deviceprocessing, thin-film deposition, testing and packaging of microelectronic devices.
AMC11315 – 87th Ave., Suite #318Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaT6G 2T9Telephone: (403) 492-3914Cleanroom size: 5,000 sq. ft.
Noteworthy News
• In April 1998, AMC announced its privatization plans, as well as a new name – The Alberta MicroelectronicCorporation. Operating as a private company, the AMC will be governed by an independent board of directorsand will continue its close and productive relationships with the Universities of Alberta and Calgary. As part ofthe re-organization, AMC is committing $5,000,000 to be spent over ten years to support research activities atthe Universities of Alberta and Calgary.
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Allegro MicroSystems North American Company Profiles
Allegro MicroSystems is the former semiconductor branch of Sprague Technologies, Inc. In 1990, SpragueSemiconductor Group was purchased by Japan's Sanken Electric and renamed Allegro MicroSystems. Today,Allegro is functionally and structurally an independently operating organization as a wholly owned subsidiary ofSanken Electric.
Allegro MicroSystems specializes in the design, manufacture, and marketing of advanced mixed-signal ICs. Thecompany is the world leader in Hall-effect sensor ICs and a prominent supplier of power and intelligent power ICs.Allegro's customers are OEMs primarily serving the automotive and industrial markets, but also the consumer,telecommunications, computer mass storage, and printer markets.
North American Company Profiles Allegro MicroSystems
Management
Allan S. Kimball PresidentAllan S. Kimball Vice President, Sales (acting)Dennis Fitzgerald Vice President, Quality SystemsJohn Kokulis Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial OfficerAndy Labrecque Vice President, OperationsJohn MacDougall Vice President, Research and DevelopmentSteven W. Miles Vice President, Product Development and EngineeringFred Windover Vice President and General CounselMary Beth Perry Vice President, Human Resources
Products and Processes
Allegro's product offerings are outlined below by end-use market segment.
Automotive Market EDP Printer and Communication MarketsMagnetic field sensors Printer head driverPower driver ICs Paper transport motor driverSignal processing ICs Battery managementRadio components
Computer Mass Storage Market Industrial and Consumer MarketsSpindle motor controller/driver Chip supply for hybridsServo/voice-coil motor driver Smoke detector electronicsCombination drivers
Switch Mode Power Supply MarketAC-DC converter (>10W to <250W)Universal input switching (<1kW)
The semiconductor processes used by Allegro range from standard bipolar to CMOS, power DMOS (double-diffused MOS), and combinations of all of them.
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Allegro MicroSystems North American Company Profiles
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.115 Northeast Cutoff 3900 Welsh RoadWorcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 Willow Grove, Pennsylvania 19090Cleanroom size: 20,000 square feet Cleanroom size: 15,000 square feetCapacity (wafers/week): 5,000 Capacity (wafers/week): 3,000Wafer size: 100mm and 150mm Wafer size: 100mmProcesses: Bipolar, BiMOS, BiCMOS, DMOS Processes: Bipolar, CMOS, BiMOS, BiCMOS, DMOSProducts: Power and intelligent power ICs, Products: Power and intelligent power ICs,
Founded in 1985, Alliance Semiconductor designs, develops, and markets memory products and memory-intensive logic products for high-performance applications. The company services a broad range of marketsincluding desktop and portable PCs, networking, telecommunications and instrumentation. Alliance has OEMcustomers in North America, Europe, and Asia.
The majority of Alliance’s revenues have historically come from the high speed SRAM market. Over the past fewyears, the company has made steady progress in diversifying its product lines. Alliance’s product offerings nowinclude DRAMs, flash memories, and 3D/2D graphics accelerator chips. In the near future, Alliance plans toleverage its experience in both memory and logic design to produce high performance embedded memoryproducts to meet the needs of diverse markets.
Alliance Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Management
N. Damodar Reddy Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerC.N. Reddy Senior Vice President, Engineering and Operations, and Chief Operating OfficerCharles Alvarez Vice President, Finance and Administration, and Chief Financial OfficerBill Caparelli Senior Vice President, SalesSunit Saxena Vice President, Operations and Product EngineeringAngela Kupps Vice President, Human Resources
Products and Processes
SRAMs Alliance offers a variety of synchronous and asynchronous CMOS SRAMs that address application needs in thenetworking, telecom, modem, PC, and mainframe markets. Alliance is a leader in the high performance SRAMmarket. Historically, SRAMs were the primary product line for the company. In 1994 and 1995, Alliance produceda 3.3V asynchronous 256K SRAM which was considered a standard for Intel Pentium Cache applications.Following the success of the 3.3V asynchronous SRAM product line, Alliance developed and introduced highdensity 1Mb (32K x 32) and 2Mb (64K x 32) 3.3V, synchronous-burst, fully pipelined SRAMs. These newSRAMs, with access times as low as 5ns, are being used in 166MHz and faster Pentium Cache applications. In1993, Alliance introduced a 5V 1Mb, high performance, asynchronous SRAM, and in 1996, Alliance introduced a4Mb asynchronous SRAM. Today, these two leading edge, high-density SRAMs are in production both in 3 and5V configurations.
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North American Company Profiles Alliance Semiconductor
Alliance recently introduced six, new, ultra-low power Intelliwatt™ SRAM products for the digital communicationsmarket. These SRAM products consume as little as 20 milliwatts of power when active. These devices use lowpower memory cell technology and a 0.25µm process technology to all but eliminate quiescent powerconsumption. Alliance offers Intelliwatt™ SRAM products in 64K x 16 and 128K x 8 configurations in 3.3V, 2.5V,and 1.8V operating ranges.
Alliance also introduced a high-speed (150MHz) synchronous graphics RAM (SGRAM). The 3.3V, one port, 8Mbdevice is suited for 2D/3D graphics applications on PCs and set-top boxes.
DRAMs
Alliance currently offers high speed 4Mb DRAMs in 1M x 4 and 256K x 16 configurations. Alliance has producedhigh speed DRAM parts such a 16Mb EDO DRAM, 16Mb SDRAM, and 8Mb SGRAM in the most popularconfigurations. Currently under development are 16Mb SGRAM and 64Mb SDRAM memories; these devices areanticipated for 1998 production.
Flash Memories
As part of Alliance’s diversification strategy, Alliance is developing a broad range of flash memory products. Theflash memory product line will consist of high performance, feature-rich, single supply voltage (5V-only and 3V-only) products ranging from 1Mb to 8Mb in both 8-bit and 16-bit wide configurations. These products will bedesigned to address the PC BIOS, networking, telecommunications, instrumentation, and consumer electronicsmarkets. Alliance currently offers a 4Mb 512K x 8 device.
3D/2D Graphics Accelerators
In 1994, Alliance made its first foray into non-memory products with its line of ProMotion™ 2D graphicsaccelerators for PCs. In 1997, Alliance gained major recognition in the graphics market when it was chosen as thesupplier for the 2D graphics chip to be used with 3Dfx’s high-end Voodoo Rush™ 3D graphics chipset. Alliancegraphics OEMs include Hercules, Jazz Multimedia, and Intergraph.
Alliance introduced a new line of high performance 3D/2D graphics accelerators. These products fully support thenew Intel Accelerated Graphics Port standard, including AGP 2X with sideband addressing. Alliance will also offer3D/2D graphics accelerators with embedded memory for the laptop PC market.
Embedded Memory Products
Alliance Semiconductor offers a set of memory-intensive logic devices targeted at the computing,communications, and mass storage markets. These devices are currently implemented in 0.4 micron, 0.35 micronand 0.25 micron CMOS technologies on 8 inch wafers in world class fabs.
Alliance’s embedded products integrate logic + flash memory, logic + DRAM and logic + SRAM. Alliance will soonoffer customers the ability to integrate logic + DRAM + SRAM on a single chip.
Alliance currently manufactures most of its products using 0.35 and 0.3µm CMOS technology in state-of-the-art 8inch fabs. In 1998, Alliance introduced new SRAM products based on 0.25 micron technology and DRAMproducts based on 0.30 technology.
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Alliance Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Alliance manufactures its IC products through a combination of joint venture and independent manufacturingfacilities. The company’s major foundries are United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), United SemiconductorCorporation (USC), Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd., and Rohm Corporation.
In February 1995, Alliance agreed to purchase shares of Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd. inSingapore for approximately U.S. $10 million. In April 1995, the company agreed to purchase additional shares inChartered, bringing the total agreed investment in Chartered to approximately U.S. $51.6 million.
In July 1995, Alliance entered into an agreement with UMC and S3 Inc. to form a separate Taiwanese company,USC, for the purpose of building and managing a semiconductor facility in Taiwan. The facility is now in fullproduction utilizing advanced submicron manufacturing processes. On March 20, 1998, Alliance announced anagreement to sell 35 million shares of USC, approximately 18 percent of the almost 190 million shares owned byAlliance. Through the agreement to sell 35 million shares of USC, Alliance will maintain an approximately 15.5percent equity ownership position of USC, and will maintain the right to purchase up to 25 percent of themanufacturing capacity of the facility.
In October 1995, Alliance entered into an agreement with UMC and other parties to form a separate Taiwanesecompany, United Silicon Inc., for the purpose of building and managing a semiconductor manufacturing facility inTaiwan. The facility is expected to commence production in 1998. The contributions of Alliance and other partiesshall be in the form of equity investments, representing an initial ownership interest of approximately five percentfor each U.S. $30 million. Alliance had originally committed to an investment of approximately U.S. $60 million orten percent ownership interest, but has recently requested that its level of participation be reduced by 50 percent.Currently, Alliance owns approximately 3.33 percent of the outstanding shares of USI and has the right topurchase up to approximately 4.17 percent of the manufacturing capacity of the facility.
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North American Company Profiles Allied Signal Microelectronics & Technology Center
ALLIEDSIGNAL MICROELECTRONICS & TECHNOLOGY CENTER
AlliedSignal Microelectronics & Technology Center9140 Old Annapolis Road, MD-108
Columbia, Maryland 21045Telephone: (410) 964-4000
Fax: (410) 992-5813Web Site: www.mtcsemi.com
IC/Prototype ManufacturerFounded: 1981
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends December 31
1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7
Corporate Sales 13,971 14,472 Net Income 1,170 1,020
Ownership: Publicly held; part of AlliedSignal Corporation (NYSE: ALD).
Company Overview and Strategy
AlliedSignal Microelectronics & Technology Center (MTC) designs and manufactures high-performance ASICs,from full-custom digital and analog to high-density standard cell. The mission of the company is to providecustomers a competitive leverage at microwave frequencies utilizing SOI microwave CMOS technology. MTC isdedicated to serving wireless communications markets including: Global Positioning Systems (GPS), WirelessLAN, Personal Communications Systems (PCS), Satellite Systems Communications, and European GSM. MTCproducts include ASICs for space applications, Microwave CMOS and foundry services, Mixed-Signal, and ActiveMatrix Displays.
MTC, a wholly owned division of AlliedSignal Inc., evolved from two divisions of AlliedSignal Aerospace (previouslyknown as Bendix). The two divisions were the VLSI group, created in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 1978, at theBendix Avionics facility, and the Research and Technology Group of Columbia, Maryland. In 1984, Bendixenhanced it’s VLSI operation by moving it to Columbia, Maryland and creating it’s own fab facility. In 1985, Bendixmerged with Allied, and by the first quarter of 1986, the fab produced its first wafers. In 1992, AlliedSignal mergedthe Research and Technology Group with the Microelectronics Center. This new organization was renamedMicroelectronics and Technology Center, combining the technical expertise of both to create a world classresearch, design, and fab facility.
Allied Signal Microelectronic & Technology Center North American Company Profiles
Products and Processes
AlliedSignal’s microwave CMOS technology primarily serves the wireless communications market. The Companyoffers microwave, mixed-signal and digital integration capability on a single chip. Components include transistors,inductors, capacitors, and resistors. Their microwave CMOS devices feature SOI (silicon-on-insulator) technology,low power consumption at multiple D.C. bias conditions, low voltage operation (1.5V), high speed performance(greater than twice the speed of bulk silicon), inherent radiation hardened capabilities, and high temperaturedevices (300°C). Microwave CMOS Circuit/System applications include: receivers, transmitters, synthesizers,mixers, switches, PLLs, phase shifters, modulators, high speed A/Ds, digital receivers, and in amplifiers-LNAs andbuffer.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
AlliedSignal MTC has a 0.8 micron triple-level metal CMOS wafer fabrication facility. This facility houses 20,000square feet of cleanroom — a combination of Class 10 and Class 10,000. Also on site, is a 4,000 square footcleanroom used exclusively for research and development of new products.
Alpha Industries designs and manufactures gallium arsenide (GaAs) integrated circuits, silicon and GaAs discretesemiconductors and ceramic products. Markets include cellular telephones, personal communications services(PCS), global positioning systems, mobile radio and specialized wireless equipment.
Management
George S. Kariotis ChairmanThomas Leonard President and Chief Executive OfficerPaul Vincent Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerJean Pierre Gillard Vice President, Business Development
Altera Corporation, founded in 1983, is the leading supplier of high-performance, high-density CMOSprogrammable logic devices (PLDs) and associated development tools. Its broad line of "off-the-shelf" user-configurable chips, together with Altera-developed software, enable system manufacturers to create custom logicfunctions in-house for a wide variety of applications. Altera believes its products and services provide itscustomers with faster time-to-market than masked ASIC solutions.
Altera products are used in a variety of applications, including telephone switching systems, computer networking,multimedia boards, broadcast video and video conferencing, and medical instrumentation.
Rodney Smith Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerDenis Berlan Executive Vice President and Chief Operating OfficerClive McCarthy Senior Vice President, Development EngineeringJack Fitzhenry Vice President, Human ResourcesThomas J. Nicoletti Vice President, Investor RelationsNathan Sarkisian Vice President, FinancePeter Smyth Vice President, SalesErik Cleage Vice President, Marketing
Products and Processes
Altera® PLD products range from 24 to 676 pins with gate counts up to 250,000 gates and process technologiesadvancing to 0.25 micron through its fabrication partners. Altera recently announced Raphael, a revolutionary newPLD architecture with up to two million gates, more than 15 times the capacity of the largest PLDs on the markettoday. The first device, which is expected to be available in 1999, will be built on a 0.25 micron process and offer500,000 gates of programmable logic. This device will chart a clear path toward one-million-gate PLDs, built on a0.18 micron, six-layer metal process, that is expected to be available at the end of 1999. Devices with two milliongates based on the Raphael architecture and a 0.15 micron, seven-layer metal process will follow thereafter.
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Altera North American Company Profiles
FLEX 10KE Family FLEX 10KA Family• Up to 250,000 gates • 10,000 to 250,000 gates• In-circuit reconfigurable • In-circuit reconfigurable• Embedded array blocks with dual-port RAM • Embedded array architecture• Up to 676 pins • 100 to 600 pins• System performance: Up to 100MHz • System performance: 40 to 60MHz• 0.25 micron, CMOS SRAM technology • 0.35 micron CMOS SRAM technology• 2.5V supply voltage • 3.3V supply voltage• MultiVolt interface supporting 5V, 3.3V, • MultiVolt interface supporting 5V, 3.3V,
and 2.5V and 2.5V• Megafunction support • Megafunction support
FLEX 10K Family FLEX 6000 Family• 10,000 to 100,000 gates • 10,000 to 24,000 gates• In-circuit reconfigurable • In-circuit reconfigurable• Embedded array architecture • 100 to 256 pins• 84 to 503 pins • System performance: 40 to 60MHz• System performance: 30 to 40MHz • 0.35 micron CMOS SRAM technology• 0.5 micron CMOS SRAM technology • 3.3V supply voltage• MultiVolt interface supporting 5V and 3.3V • MultiVolt interface supporting 5V, 3.3V,• Megafunction support and 2.5V
• Megafunction support
FLEX 8000 Family MAX 9000 Family• 2,500 to 16,000 gates • 6,000 to 12,000 gates• In-circuit reconfigurable • In-system programmable• 84 to 304 pins • 84 to 356 pins• System performance: 40 to 60MHz • Jam programming support• 0.5 micron CMOS SRAM technology • System performance: 40 to 60MHz• MultiVolt interface supporting 5V and 3.3V • 0.5 micron CMOS EEPROM technology• Megafunction support • MultiVolt interface supporting 5V and 3.3V
MAX 7000A Family MAX 7000S Family• Up to 20,000 gates • 600 to 5,000 gates• In-system programmable • In-system programmable• 44 to 256 pins • 44 to 208 pins• Jam programming support • Jam programming support• tPD = 5ns • tPD = 5ns• 0.35 micron CMOS EEPROM technology • 0.5 micron CMOS EEPROM technology• 3.3V supply voltage • MultiVolt interface supporting 5V and 3.3V• MultiVolt interface supporting 5V, 3.3V,
and 2.5V
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North American Company Profiles Altera
MAX 7000(E) Family MAX 5000 Family• 600 to 5,000 gates • 600 to 3,750 gates• 44 to 208 pins • 24 to 100 pins• tPD = 6ns • 0.65 micron CMOS EPROM technology• 0.5 micron, CMOS EEPROM technology• MultiVolt interface supporting 5V and 3.3V
Classic Family• 300 to 900 gates• Zero standby power• 24 to 68 pins• 0.65 micron CMOS EPROM technology
The company also offers a series of configuration memory devices designed to configure its FLEX devices, as wellas mask-programmed logic devices (MPLDs) for high-volume applications. MPLDs are pin-, function-, and timing-compatible with Altera PLDs and are available for all families.
Altera supplies the state-of-the-art MAX+PLUS® II development software, which has been optimized for designflexibility and compatibility with leading EDA design systems. With MAX+PLUS II, designers can quickly implementand test changes in a design, eliminating the long lead times typically associated with gate arrays.
As PLDs reach higher density levels, design flows must be as efficient as possible. Altera addresses this by beingthe industry leader in providing reusable and synthesizable megafunctions that are optimized for the Altera devicearchitectures, and the tools required to create these solutions. Altera MegaCore™ functions are developed, pre-tested and licensed by Altera; megafunctions are also offered through the Altera Megafunction Partners Program(AMPPSM), an alliance between Altera and developers of optimized, synthesizable megafunctions.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Altera has foundry agreements with Sharp, TSMC, Cypress, and Intel.
In November 1995, Altera signed a letter of intent for joint ownership of a TSMC joint venture fab facility, located inCamas, Washington. Under the terms, Altera will invest $140 million to take an 18 percent equity stake in, and alsogain the rights to 27 percent of the output from the new fab. Construction on the facility, called WaferTech, beganin July 1996. Potential output from the plant is expected to be 7,500 200mm wafers per week, with productionscheduled to start in 1998. Design rules will start at 0.35µm and migrate to 0.25µm.
Key Agreements
• In February 1996, Altera purchased a minority stake in I-Cube Inc., a privately held supplier of programmableswitching and interconnect devices (PSIDs).
Established in 1979, Applied Micro Circuits Corporation (AMCC) designs, develops, manufactures, and marketsstandard and application-specific high-speed, high-performance, high-bandwidth interface ICs for thecommunications, computer, instrumentation, and military markets. The company also offers a comprehensive lineof low EMI, low skew precision clock products.
AMCC is a leader in bipolar manufacturing and bipolar ECL logic arrays, the company’s focus in recent years hasbeen shifting from ASICs to standard products, particularly chips for the telecommunications and networkingmarkets, areas where bipolar’s high frequency characteristics can be exploited.
Management
David Rickey President and Chief Executive OfficerJoel O. Holliday Chief Financial Officer and AdministrationAnil Bedi Vice President, MarketingLaszlo Gal Vice President, EngineeringKenneth Clark Vice President, OperationsThomas Tullie Vice President, Sales
As part of its push into communications markets, AMCC redesigned its G3.0 bipolar process, obtained through atechnology alliance with Plessey, to allow for 3.3V operation. Parts derived from the 1.0µm process can beoperated at up to 2.4GHz.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
AMCC operates from a 120,000 square foot facility in San Diego, California, that includes a design center forcustomer design use and training, a Class 10 cleanroom for bipolar IC production, and an assembly and test facility.The company has established strategic foundry partners to augment its wafer supply.
AMCC's capacity is only about half utilized and the company expects its current manufacturing resources to reachmaximum levels in a few years.
Key Agreements
• In April 1998, Applied Micro Circuits Corporation announced the acquisition of certain assets of Ten Mountains,an analog design group located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for an undisclosed amount. Ten Mountainsfocuses on the design engineering of Physical Media Devices (PMDs). This acquisition enables AMCC to offerimmediate expertise in PMD design and technology.
The company will integrate Ten Mountains’ seven employees, which will bring AMCC’s staffing levels to 333people worldwide. AMCC will immediately take over Ten Mountains’ Minneapolis facility.
• In January 1998, AMCC announced that 3Com Corporation had selected AMCC’s SONET transceivers for usein the company’s CoreBuilder™ 7000 high function switch and CoreBuilder 9000 enterprise switch for ATMand Gigabit Ethernet high capacity backbone networks.
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) was founded in 1969 and is today one of the largest U.S.-based merchantmanufacturers of integrated circuits. With a focus on the personal and networked computing and communicationsmarkets, the company produces microprocessors and related peripherals, flash memories, programmable logicdevices, and circuits for telecommunications and networking applications.
AMD’s strategy is to be competitive only in those markets where it can be a leading factor. The company has beena major supplier of microprocessors since 1975, it is a leading supplier of non-volatile memories, a leader in ICs forlocal area networks and linecards for public communications applications, and is one of the largest suppliers ofprogrammable logic devices.
In a move to significantly enhance its core competency in advanced microprocessor design, AMD acquiredNexGen, Inc. for nearly $1 billion in early 1996. The acquisition brought together the engineering resources ofNexGen and AMD’s sub-0.35µm process technology and manufacturing capability to enable AMD to offer futuregenerations of microprocessors in a competitive timeframe.
To address the unique requirements of the market for programmable logic devices (PLDs), AMD spun-off its PLDoperations in the second half of 1996 to form a new subsidiary business unit called Vantis Corporation (a separateprofile of Vantis is included in this publication). Vantis will continue to rely on AMD for manufacturing services andplans to eventually become an independent company.
AMD is organized into four product groups: the Communications Group (CG), the Computation Products Group(CPG), the Memory Group (MG), and Vantis Corporation. CG products include voice and data communicationsproducts, embedded processors, I/O devices, and network products. CPG products include microprocessors.Memory Group products include flash memory devices and EPROMs. Vantis products are high-speed PLDs.
Management
W.J. Sanders III Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerRichard Previte President and Chief Operating OfficerMarvin Burkett Senior Vice President, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer and TreasurerGene Conner Senior Vice President, OperationsS. Atiq Raza Senior Vice President and Chief Technical OfficerStanley Winvick Senior Vice President, Human ResourcesStephen Zelencik Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing ExecutiveDonald M. Brettner Group Vice President, Manufacturing Services DivisionRichard Forte Group Vice President, Communications and Components Group, and
President and Chief Executive Officer, VantisGary O. Heerssen Group Vice President, Wafer Fabrication GroupWilliam Siegle Group Vice President, Technology Development Group, and Chief ScientistTerryll R. Smith Group Vice President, Sales and MarketingBenjamin M. Anixter Vice President, External AffairsGary Ashcraft Vice President and GM, Communication Products DivisionKathryn Brandt Vice President, Business SystemsRandy Burdick Vice President, Information Technology Management
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North American Company Profiles AMD
Susan T. Daniel Vice President, Human Resource OperationsJames Doran Vice President, Technical OperationsTom Eby Vice President, Strategic Marketing, Communications and Components GroupCurt Francis Vice President, Corporate Planning and DevelopmentRobert R. Herb Vice President, Strategic Marketing, Computation Products GroupLarry Hollatz Vice President and GM, Texas Microprocessor DivisionMike Johnson Vice President, Advanced Research and DevelopmentRobert M. Krueger Vice President and GM, Network Products DivisionGerald A. Lynch Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Asia/Pacific-JapanWalid Maghribi Vice President and GM, Non-Volatile Memory Products DivisionRobert McConnell Vice President and GM, Logic Products DivisionThomas M. McCoy Vice President, General Counsel, and SecretaryGiuliano Meroni Vice President, Sales and Marketing, EuropeDaryl Ostrander Vice President, Austin Wafer FabricationJack Saltich Vice President and GM, European Microelectronics Center, DresdenDanne Smith Vice President, Corporate QualityTom Stites Vice President, CommunicationsMichael Van Buskirk Vice President, Engineering, Non-Volatile Memory Products DivisionJerry Vogel Vice President and GM, California Microprocessor Division
Products and Processes
MOS MEMORY ANALOG
DRAM Amplifier
SRAM ✔ Interface
✔ Flash Memory Consumer/Automotive
✔ EPROM Voltage Regulator/Reference
ROM ✔ Data Conversion
EEPROM ✔ Comparator
✔ Other (Including Non-Volatile RAM) Other (Includes Telecom)
MOS LOGIC DIGITAL BIPOLAR
✔ General Purpose Logic ✔ Bipolar Memory
Gate Array ✔ General Purpose Logic
Standard Cell Gate Array/Standard Cell
✔ Field Programmable Logic ✔ Field Programmable Logic
Other Special Purpose Logic Other Special Purpose Logic
✔ MPU/MCU/MPR
MOS MICROCOMPONENT
✔ MPU OTHER
✔ MCU Full Custom IC
✔ MPR Discrete
DSP Optoelectronic
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AMD North American Company Profiles
Microprocessor Products
AMD-K6™ MMX Microprocessors—Shipments of AMD’s sixth-generation K6 MMX microprocessor, the secondmember of AMD’s K86 family of superscalar RISC MPUs, began in the second quarter of 1997. The K6 has beendesigned to be competitive in performance with Intel’s single-chip version of its Pentium Pro microprocessor. The8.8-million-transistor device is based on AMD’s 0.35µm five-layer-metal CMOSCS34 technology. The firstversions in the K6 family operate at 166MHz, 200MHz, and 233MHz. A 266MHz version is expected in 2H97. Inorder to reach 300MHz, AMD plans to migrate the K6 to a 0.25µm process by the end of 1997, at the earliest.
AMD-K5™ Microprocessors—The first member of AMD’s K86 family, the K5 is a fifth-generation alternative toIntel’s Pentium. It is based on 0.35µm CMOS technology and is offered in five speed versions, the PR75, PR100,PR133, PR150, and PR166. The PR nomenclature suggests which specific higher-clock-rate Intel Pentium eachof the members best compete with. Unfortunately, AMD was late in getting its K5 processor to market, and thusdoes not expect it to generate the levels of revenues achieved by the Am486 microprocessor over its product life.
Am5x86 Microprocessors—The 5x86 is said to offer Pentium-class performance using a fourth-generationarchitecture. It is based on a 0.35µm CMOS process and runs at a quadrupled clock rate of 133MHz.
Am486 Microprocessors—AMD’s 486DX4 microprocessors offer clock-tripled performance speeds of up to120MHz and feature “enhanced” power management capabilities.
Embedded Processor Products
For processing/control applications in communications, mobile computing, networking, mass storage, or industrialcontrol systems, AMD offers its E86™ Family of x86-compatible embedded processor products. The E86 familyranges from 16-bit MCUs to 32-bit MPUs, general purpose processors to “PCs on a chip.” The E86 family includesseveral versions of Am186/188 16-bit microcontrollers, Am386SX/DX and AM486DX 32-bit microprocessors,ElanSC300/310 32-bit microcontrollers based on a 386 core, and ElanSC400/410 32-bit microcontrollers basedon a 486 core.
With the success of its E86 family, AMD is putting less emphasis on its venerable 29K™ family of embedded RISCprocessors. AMD will continue to support current product designs and customers using its 29K products.However, development of new 29K devices has been discontinued. AMD cited the high cost of supporting theproprietary architecture as the reason for putting an end to the product line.
Communications, Network, and I/O Products
AMD’s communications and networking products include ICs for public infrastructure, including subscriber lineinterface circuits (SLICs), subscriber line audio-processing circuits (SLACs™), and ISDN controllers; ICs fornetworking, including FDDI chips and PCnet™ Ethernet LAN devices; ICs for data communications, including PCIsmall computer systems interface (SCSI) circuits, serial communications controllers (SCCs), and TAXIchip™devices; and ICs for wireless communications, including CT2 PhoX™ controllers for digital cordless telephonesand PCnet-Mobile devices for wireless LANs.
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North American Company Profiles AMD
Non-Volatile Memory Products
Am29Fxxx Flash Memories—5.0V-only sector-erase flash memory devices available in densities ranging from 1Mto 16M. Some devices are available in bare die form.
Am29LVxxx Flash Memories—2.7V-only sector-erase flash memory devices available in densities ranging from 2Mto 8M. Some devices are available in bare die form.
Am29LLxxx Flash Memories—AMD’s new family of “zero-power” flash chips that incorporate new powermanagement circuitry to lower current consumption in sleep mode to only 75nA. The first member of the 2.2V-only sector-erase flash family is an 8M part.
Am28Fxxx Flash Memories—This is the company’s first generation family of 5.0V/12.0V bulk-erase flash memorydevices. They are available in densities ranging from 256K to 2M.
EPROM Products—AMD’s CMOS UV and OTP EPROMs are offered in densities ranging from 64K to 4M. Low-voltage versions are available in 1M and 2M densities.
ExpressROM Products—These are standard EPROM die that are pre-programmed and then encapsulated inplastic packaging before delivery. They are offered in densities ranging from 64K to 8M.
Programmable Logic Products
The PLD products of Vantis include a variety of CMOS and bipolar programmable array logic (PAL) devices and itsline of MACH (Macro Array CMOS High-Density) advanced complex PLDs (CPLDs). See individual profile of VantisCorporation.
Other IC Products
The company’s other IC products include bipolar PROMs and RAMs, FIFO memories, high-performance CMOSand bipolar bus interface devices, transmission line drivers and receivers, and dynamic memory managementcircuits.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
AMD built a $1.9 billion sub-half-micron semiconductor manufacturing facility in Dresden, Germany, for themanufacture of its K86 microprocessors. Groundbreaking took place in the fourth quarter of 1996, withproduction scheduled to start by the end of 1998.
AMD and Fujitsu broke ground in late 1995 on their second joint-venture manufacturing facility in Japan, a $1.2billion fab for the production of flash memories. Initial output is expected in early 1998.
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AMD North American Company Profiles
Advanced Micro Devices Advanced Micro Devices5204 East Ben White Boulevard 5204 East Ben White BoulevardAustin, Texas 78741 Austin, Texas 78741Telephone: (512) 385-8542 Telephone: (512) 385-8542Fab 10 Fab 14Cleanroom size: 22,000 square feet (Class 100) Cleanroom size: 22,000 square feet (Class 10)Capacity (wafers/week): 4,500 Capacity (wafers/week): 3,500Wafer size: 125mm Wafer size: 150mmProcess: CMOS Process: CMOSProducts: PLDs Products: Flash memories, EPROMsFeature size: 0.9µm Feature size: 0.8µm
Advanced Micro Devices Advanced Micro Devices5204 East Ben White Boulevard 901 Thompson PlaceAustin, Texas 78741 Sunnyvale, California 94088Telephone: (512) 385-8542 Telephone: (408) 732-2400Fab 15 Fab 17 and Submicron Development CenterCleanroom size: 22,000 square feet (Class 10) Cleanroom size: 42,500 square feet (Class 1)Capacity (wafers/week): 3,500 Capacity (wafers/week): 2,000Wafer size: 150mm Wafer size: 150mmProcess: CMOS Process: CMOSProducts: Logic, telecom, and network ICs; Products: R&D, MPUs, flash memories
(upgrading 0.5µm lines to 0.35µm). (Expected to start production in early 1998).
AMD’s back-end manufacturing facilities are located in Penang, Malaysia; Bangkok, Thailand; and Singapore. In1996, AMD began the construction of a new assembly and test facility in Suzhou, China.
Key Agreements
• In February 1998, AMD announced a collaboration with Alcatel Microelectronics to license and manufactureAlcatel’s ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) DMT (Discrete Multitone) technology for both “full-rate”and forthcoming ASDL “Lite” solutions. This alliance increases the availability of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)products for the global telecommunications market.
• Micron, Motorola, and AMD joined together with DuPont Photomasks Inc. (DPI) in 1996 to form a technologyventure, called DPI Reticle Technology Center, to develop advanced mask technology and provide pilot linefabrication of leading-edge reticles.
• AMD and Intel signed a new five-year cross-licensing agreement near the end of 1995 that gives the twocompanies rights to use each other’s patents and certain copyrights, excluding microprocessor microcodebeyond the 486 generation.
• Fujitsu and AMD opened a large flash memory fabrication facility, called Fujitsu-AMD Semiconductor Ltd.(FASL), in Japan in September 1994. Production of flash memory chips began in 1Q95. FASL is currentlybuilding its second fab, also to be dedicated to flash memory production. The partnership also involves jointdevelopment of flash devices.
• Analog Devices, Inc. licensed its ADSP-21xx 16-bit digital signal processor core to AMD and Acer Laboratories(Taiwan) in early 1996. AMD will embed the core in communications-related ICs and Acer Labs will use it forfuture PC telephony and telephone-answering devices.
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AMI North American Company Profiles
AMERICAN MICROSYSTEMS (AMI)
American Microsystems, Inc.2300 Buckskin Road
Pocatello, Idaho 83201Telephone: (208) 233-4690
Fax: (208) 234-6795Web Site: www.amis.com
IC Designer / Manufacturer / FoundryFounded: 1966, Idaho
Ownership: 100% of the capital stock is owned by Japan Energy Corporation of Tokyo.
Company Overview and Strategy
American Microsystems Inc. (AMI) was a pioneer in the development of application specific ICs (ASICs). Today,AMI’s core business is to provide its customers with the best ASIC solution by leveraging its digital and mixed-signal design capabilities and its Class 1 manufacturing facilities. AMI has a full compliment of design, production,and packaging capabilities.
The company offers a broad range of digital and mixed-signal ASICs, ASIC translation services, wirelessapplication-specific standard products (ASSPs) and CMOS foundry services with extremely short design-to-production cycles.
Customers depend on AMI for a broad variety of ASIC-related services and products: FPGA to ASIC conversions;second sourcing of an ASIC; production of an ASIC originally produced on an obsolete process; customer designof digital and mixed-signal ASICs; foundry services; and a very popular line of wireless standard products.
The company is comprised of eight business units: Communications ASICs; Industrial ASICs (for medicalequipment, power management, building and process controls); Inter-market ASICs (to support all other ASICapplications); Translation ASICs (design translation services i.e., converting programmable logic to lower cost gatearray or standard cell ASICs, and second source existing ASIC designs); Communications Standard Products(using DSS Technology to allow low-power, high data-rate wireless communications); Timing Generator Products(products based on clock synthesis and frequency timing generators); Foundry services; and Design Technology(supporting day-to-day business operations and developing strategic direction for design methodologies, toollibraries, capabilities, etc.). Each of the units has the responsibility to engineer, market and sell their respectiveproducts and services. To support the design function of each business unit, AMI maintains a digital ASICStandard library that contains more than 500 cells that operate from 2.5 to 5.5 volts. The library supports gatearrays and standard cells.
AMI sells its services and products through a worldwide network of sales representatives and operates ninedesign centers around the world. AMI is a QS9000/ISO9000 qualified supplier.
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AMI North American Company Profiles
Management
Gerald "Jerry" E. Homstad President and Chief Executive OfficerHarold Blomquist Senior Vice President, Business OperationsDan Schroeder Senior Vice President, OperationsBrian Harris Vice President, N. American SalesTom Schiers Vice President, Strategic AccountsAl Morrison Vice President, FoundrySteve Ransom Vice President, Timing Generator ProductsVince Hopkin Director, Translation ASICsBob Klosterboer Director, Inter-Market ASICsBob Smith Director, Design TechnologyGrant Hulse Director, New Business DevelopmentChris Laytun Director, Industrial ASICs
Products and Processes
AMI offers the latest state-of-the-art 0.35µm manufacturing process, but unlike many competitors, also continuesto support earlier 1.0µm processes. AMI produces digital and mixed-signal ASICs using a 0.6µm single-poly,double- or triple- metal CMOS process. Low-voltage, low pad-width, 0.5µm processes are up and running.
Already, AMI has begun production of a 3.3 volt, low pad pitch, high digital performance 0.5µm CMOS process.This low-voltage submicron process has interested customers producing products with high gate counts thatrequire low power but also high performance. This process is also attractive to customers who are concernedabout input/output pad pitches and availability of cores. Using this process it is possible to cost effectivelydevelop products with 50,000 to 200,000 gates. The density is about 8,000 gates/mm for standard cell and closeto 8,000 gates/mm for gate arrays. Work is also in progress to qualify a 0.35µm process. At 0.35µm, Fab 10 is aClass-1 facility, focused on small volume production.
AMI offers the following products and services:
• Standard-cell and gate array digital ASICs• Mixed-signal ASIC development services• Digital and mixed-signal ASIC design software• Wireless ICs (includes mask programmable system devices)• Foundry services• Contract design and manufacturing• Custom packaging
In 1997, AMI released several wireless IC devices targeting the direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) ICmarket. The three devices include a transceiver, receiver-only, and a transmit-only device, and are designed forvarious applications including security systems and remote medical devices. This product allows the customer touse a number of modulation techniques that support data rates as high as 4Mbits/second. With SX043 at4Mbits/second, a 10Mbytes game file can be downloaded from the Internet in less than 30 seconds versus 30minutes with the standard 33.6Kbits PC modem.
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North American Company Profiles AMI
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
AMI AMIPocatello, Idaho Pocatello, Idaho 83201Fab 9 Fab 10Cleanroom size: 34,000 sq. ft. (Class 10) Cleanroom size: 20K to 40K sq. ft. (Class 1)Capacity (wafers/week): 6,500 Capacity (wafers/week): 5,000Wafer size: 125mm Wafer size: 200mmProcesses: CMOS, NMOS Process: CMOSProducts: ASICs, ROMs, telecom and datacom ICs, Feature sizes: 0.35µm-0.8µm
MCMs, foundry services. (Operations began in mid-1997).Feature sizes: 0.6µm-5.0µm CMOS;
3.0µm-5.0µm NMOS.
AMI maintains a 64,000 sq. ft. facility in the Philippines that performs assembly and final testing. The AMI facility inPocatello includes a 27,000 sq. ft. test area.
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Anadigics North American Company Profiles
ANADIGICS
Anadigics, Inc.35 Technology Drive
Warren, New Jersey 07059-5197Telephone: (908) 668-5000
Anadigics was founded in 1985 when it initiated macrocell development. A year later, it completed construction ofits wafer fab, and in 1987, started GaAs IC production with the introduction of both MMIC and fiber optic ICproducts. Today, the company is a leading designer and producer of GaAs ICs for high-volume, high-frequencyreceiver applications. The company launched its initial public offering in April 1995.
The company had originally relied on defense contracts to survive. However, with lucrative military pacts becomingmore of a rarity, Anadigics looked to the commercial and consumer electronics marketplaces to sell its products.Today, Anadigics has established itself as a leading supplier of high-volume, low-cost, high-performance analogGaAs ICs for applications including direct broadcast satellite (DBS) systems, cable TV systems, cellular phones,fiber optic communications, and personal communication systems (PCS).
Ron Rosenzweig President and Chief Executive OfficerCharles Huang, Ph.D. Executive Vice President, Products and EngineeringJohn F. Lyons Senior Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerBruce Diamond Senior Vice President, OperationsRobert Baytuns Vice President, Research and TechnologySheo Khetan Vice President, ManufacturingJaved S. Patel Vice President, Marketing and SalesPhillip Wallace Vice President, Product DevelopmentJames Gilbert Vice President, Device and Process Engineering
Products and Processes
Among the company's GaAs IC products are low-noise block converters and tuners for DBS systems, upconverterchips for use in cable TV converters, cellular PCs, telephone power amplifiers and receivers, and fiber optic(SONET) transimpedence amplifiers. Anadigics produces all of its ICs using its GaAs MESFET process.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
In 1997, the company completed the conversion of its existing fab from 3 inch to 100mm wafers. Anadigics is inthe process of constructing an additional facility for both manufacturing and administration purposes. The166,000 square foot facility, also located in Warren, New Jersey, will house a 12,000 square-foot Class 100cleanroom that will manufacture 100mm GaAs wafers. Production to begin in late 1998 or early 1999.
Anadigics, Inc. Anadigics, Inc.35 Technology Drive 141 Mt. Bethel RoadWarren, New Jersey 07059-5197 Warren, New Jersey 07059Cleanroom size: 8,000 square feet (Class 100) Cleanroom size: 12,000 square feet (Class 100)Capacity (wafers/week): 500 Capacity (wafers/week): 500Wafer size: 100mm Wafer size: 100mmProcess: GaAs MESFET Process: GaAs MESFETFeature size: 0.5µm (Production to begin in late 1998 or early 1999).
Analog Devices is a leading manufacturer of precision high performance integrated circuits used in analog anddigital signal processing. ADI offers leadership products in analog, mixed-signal, and digital signal processing.
The company manufactures and markets a broad line of high-performance linear, mixed-signal and digitalintegrated circuits (ICs) that address a wide range of real-world signal processing applications. The company’sprincipal products include system-level ICs and general purpose, standard product linear ICs. Other productsinclude devices manufactured using assembled product technology, such as hybrids, which combineunpackaged IC chips and other chip-level components in a single package.
Analog Devices’ business strategy for many years has focused on developing, manufacturing and marketingintegrated circuits (ICs) used for signal processing. Their products enable their customers—which are primarilyoriginal equipment manufacturers (OEMs)—to process real-world analog signals, such as voice, video, audio,temperature, pressure, acceleration and many others, in both the analog and digital domains.
Analog Devices maintains a strong focus on Standard Linear ICs, or SLICs. Approximately 60 percent of theirrevenues come from this product category, and the majority of that comes from data converters and amplifiers. ADIhas its focus on power management and interface ICs, the two other major SLIC product categories.
Over the past few years Analog Devices has become a major supplier of digital signal processing ICs, or DSPs.They provide both general-purpose DPSs and system-level ICs, which integrate analog and digital signalprocessing technology to provide highly integrated solutions to leading manufacturers of communications,computer and high-end consumer products. ADI provides system-level ICs that do not require DSP for selectedapplications in markets such as automatic test equipment.
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Analog Devices North American Company Profiles
Management
Ray Stata ChairmanJerald G. Fishman President and Chief Executive OfficerRoss Brown Vice President, Human ResourcesDavid D. French Vice President and General Manager, Computer Products DivisionRussell K. Johnsen Vice President and General Manager, Communications DivisionRobert R. Marshall Vice President, Worldwide ManufacturingWilliam A. Martin TreasurerRobert McAdam Vice President and General Manager, Standard Linear Products DivisionBrian P. McAloon Vice President, SalesJoseph E. McDonough Vice President, Finance, and Chief Financial OfficerH. Goodloe Suttler Vice President, Marketing, Quality, and PlanningFranklin Weigold Vice President and General Manager, Transportation and
Industrial Products Division
Products and Processes
Analog continues to develop new products such as: the ADXL202, 3.0V accelerometer; the EnhancedAD20msp425 GSM chipset; and the Pentium® II Motherboard PC Life Guard™. ADI also offers high-performancelinear, digital, and mixed-signal ICs such as data converters, amplifiers, voltage references and comparators, signalprocessors and conditioners, application-specific ICs for the consumer, disk drive, telecommunications, andautomotive industries, and temperature and accelerometer sensors.
SLICsAnalog Devices principal SLIC products are high-performance amplifiers and data converters. Other SLICproducts include analog signal processing devices, voltage references, and comparators. High-speedproducts introduced in 1996 included the company’s first RF and IF SLICs, which operate at up to 2GHz. Thecompany continues to expand its SLIC product line to include offerings in areas where it traditionally has hadlimited focus, primarily interface circuits and power management ICs, and to include a much larger number ofproducts designed to operate from single-supply 3-volt or 5-volt power sources.
System-Level ICsADI’s system-level ICs include general-purpose DSPs and multi-function devices that feature high levels offunctional integration on a single chip. All of the company’s DSPs share a common architecture and codecompatibility. The company is aggressively pursuing the 32-bit floating-point DSP market with its line ofSHARC™ products. The ADSP-21061 features high performance of 120 MFLOPS, 1M of on-chip dual-portSRAM, and 240 Mbytes/sec I/O bandwidth.
Most of the company’s other system-level ICs are mixed-signal devices (with some incorporating a DSP core)and special-purpose linear ICs generally designed to meet the needs of a specific application. The companyalso offers sensors and surface micromachined ICs.
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North American Company Profiles Analog Devices
Assembled ProductsThe company’s assembled products consist of hybrids, multichip modules (MCMs), and printed-board modules(primarily I/O modules used in industrial control and factory automation equipment).
In addition to utilizing standard bipolar and CMOS process technologies, ADI employs a number of proprietaryprocesses specifically tailored for use in manufacturing high-performance linear and mixed-signal SLICs andsystem-level ICs.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Analog Devices meets most of its need for wafers fabricated using linear and mixed-signal processes withcompany-owned production facilities and uses third-party wafer fabricators for most wafers that can be producedon industry-standard digital processes. Its two principal foundries are Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing(TSMC) and Singapore’s Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing.
During 1995 and 1996, Analog Devices expanded its relationships with TSMC and Chartered in response to therapid growth of its systems IC business. These transactions included an equity investment in Chartered,advanced payments to both Chartered and TSMC in order to secure access to future wafer capacity, and mostsignificantly, the announcement of a joint venture agreement with TSMC and other investors to construct andoperate a fab facility in Camas, Washington. ADI agreed to invest $140 million in the joint venture, calledWaferTech, in return for an 18 percent equity ownership and up to 27 percent of the plant’s total output.
ADI converted its company-owned fabrication facility in Wilmington, Massachusetts from 100mm to 150mm waferproduction for high-speed linear devices. In addition, ADI upgraded and modernized the fab in Sunnyvale,California, it acquired from Performance Semiconductor in 1995.
In 1996, Analog Devices established a wafer fabrication facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts, dedicated to thedevelopment and production of the company’s surface micromachined ICs. The fab is located in a buildingpreviously used by Polaroid Corporation as an R&D fab.
Analog Devices, Inc. Analog Devices, Inc.Semiconductor Division PMI Division804 Woburn Street 1500 Space Park DriveWilmington, Massachusetts 01887 Santa Clara, California 95052Cleanroom size: 34,000 square feet Capacity (wafers/week): 1,750Capacity (wafers/week): 2,500 Wafer size: 100mmWafer sizes: 100mm, 150mm Processes: CMOS, BiCMOS, bipolarProcesses: CMOS, BiCMOS, bipolar Products: Linear and mixed-signal ICsProducts: Linear and mixed-signal ICs, DSPs, ASICs Feature size: 1.5µmFeature sizes: 1.0µm CMOS
Analog Devices, Inc. Analog Devices Ireland, Ltd.610 East Weddell Drive Bay F-1, Raheen Industrial EstateSunnyvale, California 94089 Limerick, IrelandCleanroom size: 20,000 square feet Cleanroom size: 15,000 square feetCapacity (wafers/week): 3,500 Capacity (wafers/week): 7,000Wafer size: 150mm Wafer sizes: 100mm, 150mmProcesses: BiCMOS, complementary bipolar Processes: CMOS, BiCMOSProducts: Linear ICs Products: Linear and mixed-signal ICs, ASICs(Acquired from Performance Semiconductor in 1995). Feature sizes: 0.6µm, 1.0µm, 2.0µm
WaferTech, LLCCamas, WashingtonCapacity (wafers/week): 7,500Wafer size: 200mmProcess: CMOSProducts: FoundryFeature sizes: 0.25µm, 0.35µm(Joint venture between TSMC, Analog Devices, Altera,and ISSI. ADI owns 18 percent. Scheduled to beginoperations in late 1998).
Analog Devices has its own test and assembly facilities located in California, Massachusetts, North Carolina,Ireland, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
Key Agreements
• In March 1998, Analog Devices announced an agreement with Pacific Microsonics to include its HDCD®Process technology on the ADSP-21061 SHARC® 32-bit digital signal processor (DSP), to result in theindustry’s first 32-bit HDCD decoder.
• In March 1998, ADI and Aware, Inc. announced an expanded strategic partnership for asymmetric digitalsubscriber line (ADSL) and DSL Lite chipset development. Under the new relationship, ADI will receivebroader access to Aware’s technology and software, which will allow ADI to directly provide complete softwareand silicon support to its customers.
• In early 1997, Analog Devices licensed TEMIC Semiconductors its ADSP-21020 DSP architecture. TEMIC willbuild radiation-tolerant versions of the high-performance 32-bit floating-point DSP.
• In October of 1997, SST and Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) announced a licensing agreement to use SST’sSuperFlash™ technology in a variety of ADI products.
• ADI licensed its ADSP-21xx 16-bit digital signal processor core to AMD and Acer Laboratories (Taiwan) in early1996. AMD will embed the core in communications-related ICs and Acer Labs will use it for future PC telephonyand telephone-answering devices.
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North American Company Profiles Analog Devices
• Analog Devices announced a license agreement with Hitachi in February 1996, for Hitachi’s 16-bitmicroprocessor H8/300H core. ADI also has the option of licensing Hitachi’s next-generation H8S/2000 core.The core will be used by ADI’s Wireless Communications Division.
• In early 1996, Aspec Technology licensed to Analog Devices its high-density ASIC architectures. Theagreement includes Aspec’s family of embedded array and standard cell architectures, as well as associateddesign tools.
• Analog devices entered an agreement with Noise Cancellation Technologies Inc. (NCT) to provide design andfoundry services for NCT's first line of custom chipsets.
• Analog Devices is working with DSP Group to provide DSP Group's TrueSpeech voice compressiontechnology on ADI's digital signal processors.
• Analog Devices has an alliance with IBM in the joint design, production, and marketing of mixed-signal and RFICs based on IBM's silicon-germanium (SiGe) process technology.
• Analog Devices is developing surface micromachined accelerometers with Delco Electronics (now Delphi) and
Lockheed-Martin for both defense and commercial applications.
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Aptos North American Company Profiles
APTOS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Aptos Semiconductor Corporation2254 North First Street
San Jose, California 95131Telephone: (408) 474-3000
Aptos Semiconductor Corporation designs high-performance integrated circuits, targeted for thetelecommunications, networking instrumentation, and computer markets. Aptos Semiconductor addresses thecommunication equipment market needs for faster equipment and increased bandwidth by combining itsexpertise in high-speed circuit design, with their proprietary design software, and state-of-the-art wafer processes.
The company was founded in 1993, and introduced its first product, a 256K R\SRAM, in 1994. Since that time,Aptos has introduced SRAMs in the following organizations: 32K x 8, 128x 8, 256K x 4, 64K x 16, 64K x 18. Thefirst memory module using Aptos products was introduced in early 1995. The first non-memory product, the
Network Associative Processor, was announced in the third quarter of 1997. Aptos was profitable in 1995, notprofitable in 1996.
Products and Processes
Aptos has developed a broad family of high-speed SRAMs with performance specifications that are the fastest andlowest power for their size and organization. The products come in organizations that are 4-, 8-, 16-bits wide andare available in 256K, 1M at 5V, and 1M and 4M densities at 3.3V operating voltage. The family is available in awide range of packages designed to fit various equipment requirements. All SRAMs are designed using wafersprocessed with line widths of 0.5 microns or smaller.
In the area of specialty memories, Aptos offers customers a broad line of synchronous and asynchronous FIFOs.All memory products are available to be placed on modules for space-conscience customers. FIFOs are availablein x9, x18, x36 and BiFIFO configurations.
Aptos has developed a core processor technology that can search large databases in a minimum number of clockcycles, or at extremely fast rates. This core technology is known as an Associative Processor. Specific processorsfor different market applications are being developed using this core technology. The first family of products usingthe Associative Network Processor is for network systems, such as switches, bridges, and routers, and is calledNetwork Associative Processors (NAP). The NAP circuits are programmable, reconfigurable protocols including100Mbit Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Token Ring and ATM.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Aptos has established good relationships with several pure-play wafer foundries with state-of the-art wafer
processes and wafer sizes. One of Aptos’ key foundry partners is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing
Corporation, based in Hsin-Chu, Taiwan.
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Array Microsystems North American Company Profiles
ARRAY MICROSYSTEMS
Array Microsystems, Inc.987 University Avenue, Suite 6
Array Microsystems, a privately-held company, was founded in 1991 to design, develop, and market high-performance digital signal processing (DSP) products with a focus on video compression technologies andsystem level designs for multimedia applications. Array’s mission is to become the leading supplier of turnkeyMPEG video encoding board solutions for personal computers (PCs).
Management
Paul Smith President and Chief Executive OfficerSurendar S. Magar, Ph.D. Founder and Chief Technical OfficerTom Kopet Vice President, Systems TechnologyE. Flint Seaton Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerShannon Shen, Ph.D. Vice President, IC TechnologyRoger Westberg Vice President, Sales and MarketingJim Larkin Vice President, Operations
Products and Processes
Array Microsystems has developed a complete line of processor and controller ICs, SRAM memory modules,software simulators, and processor boards. The company's first product family, the a66, includes proprietary VLSIchipsets, development tools, and array processor boards that set industry performance standards for frequencydomain processing. Array's two-chip video compression chipset, based on unique vector data flow architecture,forms the core of the VideoFlow product family. One of the chips is called an image compression coprocessor(ICC) and the other a motion estimation coprocessor (MEC).
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Array Microsystems is a fabless IC supplier. The company's devices are produced by other companies, includingSamsung and Atmel.
North American Company Profiles Array Microsystems
Key Agreements
• Array Microsystems has a technology development pact with Samsung that provides Array with a strongfoundry partnership. The two companies codeveloped the initial VideoFlow video compression technology.The deal provides Array with access to Samsung's advanced 0.5µm and 0.35µm CMOS fab capacity for themanufacture of its products. In 1993, Samsung secured a 20 percent equity ownership position in ArrayMicrosystems, and in mid-1995, Samsung increased its stake to 37 percent.
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends November 30
1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7
Sales 15 22Net Income 3 2
Employees — 127
Ownership: Publicly held. NASDAQ: ASPC.
Company Overview and Strategy
Founded in 1991, ASPEC Technology Inc. provides designs and design implementation tools to ASIC vendors,IC companies and system houses. Customers include: AMD, Hyundai, National Semiconductor, Samsung,Winbond and Yamaha.
These tools are used with process technologies ranging from 0.8 micron to 0.25 micron.
Management
Dr. Conrad Dell’Oca President and Chief Executive OfficerMitchell Bohn Chief Operating OfficerJai Shin Executive Vice PresidentPatrick Y.C. Yin Senior Vice PresidentYen C. Chang Senior Vice President, EngineeringJim Behrens Vice President, Business DevelopmentCharles Kummeth Vice President, MarketingEdward Wan Vice President, Design Services
In April 1998, Aspec Technology acquired SIS Microelectronics, Inc. in exchange for the issuance of an aggregateof 400,000 shares of common stock. SIS Microelectronics is an engineering design services company that hasapproximately 20 employees. The acquisition will expand Aspec’s engineering design services capacity.
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Atmel North American Company Profiles
ATMEL
Atmel Corporation2325 Orchard Parkway
San Jose, California 95131Telephone: (408) 441-0311
Fax: (408) 436-4200Web Site: www.atmel.com
IC Manufacturer
Regional Headquarters/Representative Locations
Japan: Atmel Japan K.K. • Chuo-ku, Tokyo, JapanTelephone: (81) (3) 3523-3551 • Fax: (81) (3) 352-7581
Atmel designs, manufactures, and markets a broad array of high-performance CMOS memory, logic, and analogintegrated circuits. Founded in 1984, the company serves the manufacturers of communications equipment,computers, and computer peripherals as well as producers of instrumentation, consumer, automotive, military, andindustrial equipment. Many of Atmel's ICs are based on its proprietary non-volatile memory technology. Thecompany's name was derived from Advanced technology: memory and logic.
Atmel is a leading supplier of EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory components. Nevertheless, the company isshifting its focus away from being primarily a memory company toward having a balanced portfolio of memory andlogic products. Still, the company hopes to continue expanding its share of the memory market even as logicproducts take over a larger share of its production capacity.
Atmel has made several acquisitions over the past few years in support of its core product lines, non-volatilememory and logic ICs. The company bought out FPGA supplier Concurrent Logic in 1993, acquired SeeqTechnology's EEPROM product line in early 1994, and made a minority investment in SRAM producer ParadigmTechnology in 1995, in return for certain SRAM product rights. In 1996, Atmel acquired an 8-bit RISCmicrocontroller architecture and design team from Nordic VLSI in Trondheim, Norway. Also in 1996, the companyacquired DSP architecture and development from an organization called TCSI in Berkeley, California.
The company’s most substantial acquisition came in April 1995, when it purchased a majority interest (75 percent)in the French IC manufacturer ES2. By the end of 1995, Atmel increased its ownership of the company to morethan 90 percent and renamed it Atmel-ES2. Atmel expanded Atmel-ES2’s existing fab facility and constructed anew 0.35µm, 200mm wafer fab.
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Atmel North American Company Profiles
Management
George Perlegos Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerGust Perlegos Executive Vice President and General ManagerTsung-Ching Wu Executive Vice President, TechnologyBernard Pruniaux Chief Executive Officer, Atmel-ES2 OperationsChih Jen Senior Vice President and General Manager, Asian OperationsRalph Bohannon Vice President, ManufacturingKris Chellam Vice President, Finance and Administration, and Chief Financial OfficerJames Hu Vice President, Process DevelopmentB. Jeffrey Katz Vice President, MarketingKen Kwong Vice President, North American SalesKrish Panu Vice President, MCU, PLD, FPGA OperationsSteve Schumann Vice President, Non-Volatile ProductsMikes Sisois Vice President, Planning and Information SystemsGraham Turner Vice President, European OperationsTashiki Wada Vice President, Atmel Japan
Products and Processes
Atmel's products are outlined below.
NonVolatile Memory ICs• EPROMs — Standard, high-speed, and low-voltage parts ranging in density from 256K to 8M.• EEPROMs — Serial-interface parts ranging in density from 1K to 1Mb.
— Parallel-interface parts ranging in density from 4K to 4M.• Flash memories — Single voltage supply (5V or 2.7V) parts ranging in density from 256K to 8M.
Programmable Logic Devices and Field Programmable Gate Arrays• PLDs — Generic PAL-type ICs including fast, low-power, and 3V flash-based versions of the standard 22V10,16V8, and 20V8.
— Complex PLDs with densities to 10,000 gates.• FPGAs — SRAM-based devices with 2,000 to 40,000 usable gates and very low power. Partial or full
reconfiguration, in system, during normal operation.ASIC Devices
• Gate arrays — High speed with up to 1.2 million routable gates.• RFID ASICs — Analog, digital, and memory on a single-chip ASIC.• Cell based ASICs — Mixed-technology (Digital, Analog, NVM).
Other Products• Microcontrollers — Combine Intel's 80C51 core logic or Atmel’s proprietary AVR 8-bit RISC core logic with 1KB to 128KB of Atmel's flash memory, and 256 Bytes - 2KB of EEPROM.
Atmel announced plans to build its next sub-half micron CMOS wafer fab facility, to be called Fab 8, adjacent to itsexisting Colorado Springs, Colorado facilities. The facility will house a 75,000 square-foot cleanroom.
Atmel maintains a facility for IC test and qualification at its headquarters in San Jose and assembly work isperformed offshore.
Atmel uses proprietary CMOS and BiCMOS technologies for the processing of its chips. Most products areproduced with 0.6µm and 0.5µm line widths. The company's newest Colorado Springs fab facility is capable ofproducing ICs with 0.35µm feature sizes, as is the newest fab in Rousset, France.
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Atmel North American Company Profiles
Key Agreements
• Atmel licensed “Oak” and “Pine” DSP core logic and development tools from DSP Group in 1996.
• Atmel-ES2 licensed from Advanced RISC Machines in mid-1995, the ARM7DMI 32-bit RISC processor coreand associated software tools. The company will develop standard Flash-based MCUs using this architecture.
• Atmel has a cross-licensing and product exchange agreement with Philips Semiconductors covering several ofeach company's proprietary PLDs.
• Atmel established an agreement with Wireless Logic Inc. of Hong Kong in 1994 that calls for thecodevelopment and joint marketing of special-purpose DSP and microcontroller chipsets for the spread-spectrum wireless communications market.
• Atmel and Poloroid established an agreement in 1997 to co-develop CMOS image sensing and colorprocessing and image storage chipsets.
• Atmel acquired the intellectual property assets and development processes of Nordic VLSI in 1995, and hasdeveloped the AVR 8-bit RISC MCU family in the resulting Atmel-Norway design center.
• Atmel acquired the intellectual property assets and development resources of Fincitec in 1997, and isdeveloping mixed technology MCU products in the resulting Atmel-Finland design center.
• Atmel acquired the intellectual property assets and development resources of Digital Resource ElectronicsAcoustic Music (DREAM) in 1996, and has developed the DREAM™ family of Music Synthesizer products inthe resulting Atmel-Dream design center in France.
• Atmel acquired digital signal processing intellectual property assets and a development team, fromTelecommunications Systems, Inc. (TCS) in 1996, and is developing wireless communications chipsets in theresulting Atmel-Berkely design center.
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North American Company Profiles Auctor Corp. / ACC Microelectronics Corp.
AUCTOR CORPORATION / ACC MICROELECTRONICSCORPORATION
Auctor Corporation / ACC Microelectronics Corporation2401 Walsh Ave., 2nd Floor
Santa Clara, California 95051Telephone: (408) 980-0622
Auctor Corporation is a leading manufacturer of Windows-based connectivity products for computer,communication and consumer applications. The company’s strength is in creating single chip system controllersolutions, which formally trademarked the term Single Chip Solution. Auctor Corporation gained its reputationbeing the first in creating single chip system controller solutions for 16-, 32- and 64-bit x86 portable systemdesigns.
ACC Microelectronics is a leading manufacturer of Low Power Logic (LPL) controller chips for a variety of VLSIcircuit devices in computer system control, computer system board integration, and communication applications.
Management
Wei-Tau Chiang, Ph.D. President and Chief Executive OfficerMark Shieu Vice President, Engineering
Products and Processes
The Auctor companies provide chipsets and controller chips for 386/486-based and Pentium-based computers.Other products include buffer chips, power management chips, peripheral controllers, and mixed-signal chips.
Auctor is a leader in the production of connectivity products. Options include memory controllers, advancedpower management controllers, floppy disk controllers, parallel ports, keyboard and mouse controllers, LCDcontrollers, integrated peripheral controllers, and advanced connectivity products.
The Maple Engine, a trademark of Auctor Corporation, is an ultra-integrated 486 based “system-on-a-chip” thatwill provide software and hardware capabilities and versatility for multimedia electronics and embedded solutionsas well as a single chip processing engine for the sub-subnotebook and micro-notebook markets. Other productsinclude the ACC2089, which is a 486 Super Chip Solution with highly integrated PCI-based system designfeatures, and the ACC2051 (Pentium-class counterpart) are also for embedded and portable systemsapplications.
Auctor Corp. / ACC Microelectronics Corp. North American Company Profiles
Auctor offers products for consumer and industrial applications: the “Memphis” connectivity controller, theDataLink Processor and the ACC 3350 Ultra Fast controller/ACC 3360 Ultra Wide SCSI controller. These productsprovide high performance solutions for data intensive applications such as video conferencing, on-demandinteractive entertainment by implementing multimedia connectivity with consumer devices such as set-top boxes,VCRs, DVD, camcorders, digital cameras, HDTVs, hard disks, printers and scanners.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Auctor works with world class, quality foundry partners.
ACC Micro has second-source licensing agreements with Motorola to support delivery schedules.
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North American Company Profiles Audio DigitalImaging Inc
AUDIO DIGITALIMAGING INC. (ADI)
Audio DigitalImaging Inc.511 West Golf Road
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005Telephone: (847) 439-1335
Fax: (847) 439-1533Web Site: www.adi.net
Fabless IC SupplierFounded: 1989
Ownership: Publicly held. NASDAQ: ADIKF and VSE: ADH.
Company Overview and Strategy
Audio DigitalImaging Inc., a subsidiary of ADI Technologies, Inc., specializes in the design and development of ICsfor digital video and audio compression multimedia components. ADI chip components are designed for use inPC printed circuit boards, add-in PC boards and other multimedia products including television set-top receiverboxes, digital TVs and DVD players.
Products and Processes
ADI has developed a unique “system-on-chip” design within a family of ASIC components, Apogee&trade. ADI’sMPEG chip technology incorporates many system management features, such as system transport layermanagement, and into all of its Apogee&trade products which eliminate the need to use multiple external chipcomponents or firmware. ADI expects to introduce its MPEG video and audio decode-only chips, the Apogee D-1and D-2, in 1998.
The ADI MPEG Audio Player (AMAPLAY) is a full featured, high quality 32-bit MPEG audio player for use withWindows 95 and NT. AMAPLAY was optimized for MPEG sound quality. AMAPLAY is representative of the audioquality that is used in the Apogee Series of MPEG ASICs. Features full stereo playback support; decodes andplays MPEG1, MPEG2, layer 1 and layer 2 audio files; auto re-sync on corrupt MPEG audio streams; supports fastforward and rewind; and slide bar can be dragged forward or reverse, even while player is decoding.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
ADI Inc.’s fabrication and production services are provided by IBM.
Key Agreements
• ADI and Cadence Design Systems have established a long-term business agreement that validates ADI’salgorithmic solutions and methodologies.
Aureal develops and markets advanced audio semiconductor and software solutions. Applications for Aureal’sdigital audio technology include PCs, consumer devices, and sound studios.
Aureal has progressed in setting the 3D audio standard for future PC platforms by licensing its A3D Interactiveaudio technology to several leading PC audio manufacturers (including Diamond Multimedia, S3, LSI Logic, CirrusLogic, Rockwell International, Analog Devices and Oak Technology), and providing support to world-class gameand Internet software developers (such as Activision, LucasArts, Electronic Arts, Psygnosis, Acclaim, GTInteractive, Terratec Electronic GmbH, Dell Computer, and Interplay).
North American Company Profiles Aureal Semiconductor
Aureal’s strategy to be a leading supplier of advanced audio solutions to the consumer electronics and PC marketsis supported by their continuing development. Rather than burdening the audio device with the entirecomputational task related to audio, the audio accelerator is developed to be used in conjunction with thecomputing power of the general-purpose host CPU. The audio accelerator only provides enough additionalcomputational power to significantly off-load the main CPC while providing baseline audio performance whichwould completely overwhelm the main CPU if delivered through software alone. Aureal is developing devicestargeted to the consumer marketplace which provide lower system cost through integration of digital, analog andother audio system functions. The existing VSP901 provides Surround Sound quality through a two speakerpresentation. Further products under development address Dolby Digital media, and provide integration ofvarious components of the audio sub-system of consumer market products.
Revenues for 1997 totaled $1.6 million resulting primarily form technology licensing transactions, withapproximately 10 percent coming from semiconductor sales. Aureal’s products are sold via local salesrepresentatives and distributors throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
Aureal’s A3D technology is a high quality digital audio technology that enables real-time interaction where soundsemanate from multiple sources or locations, and follow the user’s movement throughout three dimensional space,for PC and dedicated gaming platforms. A3D Interactive technology provides surround playback, throughspeakers, of pre-recorded media in the home theater and PC environments without the need for five- or six-speaker setups. Aureal has licensed these technologies to various semiconductor and OEM customers.
Aureal’s semiconductor devices include.• “Vortex” PCI-based AC’97 Digital Audio Accelerator (AU8820);• A3D Dolby Pro Logic virtual surround processor (VSP901); and• Music and effects processor (ASP301).
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Aureal contracts with independent silicon foundries for production of its semiconductor products.
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Aureal Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Key Agreements
• In July 1998, Aureal Semiconductor and Diamond Multimedia Systems Inc. announced a major strategicalliance to co-develop and market next-generation PC audio solutions for the PC consumer and game markets.
• Aureal Semiconductor has licensing agreements with Compaq Computer, Yamaha Corporation, ZoranCorporation, LSI Logic Corporation, S3 Incorporated, ATI Technologies Inc., and Analog Devices for its A3DSurround technology.
• In May 1996, Aureal acquired 100 percent ownership of Crystal River Engineering, Inc., a leader in the field of3D audio technology. This merger has enabled Aureal to offer hardware and software solutions for 3D audiopresentation. Total recorded cost of the merger was $6.4 million.
• In August 1995, the Company announced that it was divesting its multimedia components business toimplement a business plan based on development and sale of software and semiconductor solutions providingadvanced audio for the PC and consumer electronics markets. In conjunction with the Company’s change inbusiness, it formally changed its name to Aureal Semiconductor Inc.
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North American Company Profiles Austin Semiconductor
AUSTIN SEMICONDUCTOR
Austin Semiconductor, Inc.8701 Cross Park DriveAustin, Texas 78754
Telephone: (512) 339-1188Fax: (512) 835-8358
Web Site: www.austinsemiconductor.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Financial History ($M)
1 9 9 3 1 9 9 4 1 9 9 5 1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7
Sales 7 14 19 21 25
Employees 60 110 114 150 150
Ownership: Privately held.
Company Overview and Strategy
Austin Semiconductor, Inc. (ASI) was founded in 1988 to supply high-reliability semiconductors and microcircuitdevices to the military and aerospace industries. In 1993, ASI acquired the Micron Semiconductor MilitaryProducts Group, and now supplies standard memory chips to those industries.
The company's business is currently divided into two distinct groups: a custom product line and a standardproduct line (consisting primarily of the former Micron products). At the end of 1997, about 70 percent of ASI'sbusiness was in memory products, with the balance in custom products.
Management
Roger C. Minard Chief Executive OfficerH. Donald Ludwig PresidentMarty Lanning Vice President, MarketingEd Walker Director, Sales
Products and Processes
ASI's standard IC products include: 64K to 16M DRAMs, 64K to 4M SRAMs, and 1M VRAMs, as well asEEPROMs, flash memories, and SCSI interface processors. ASI also has the right to introduce military-gradeversions of Micron's new products as they are brought out.
Austin Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
ASI's custom product capabilities include testing and packaging of a wide array of custom memory products,including DRAMs, SRAMs, EEPROMs, and flash memories, interface devices, and analog/digital communicationsproducts. ASI also offers devices manufactured using a silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) process.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
ASI is a fabless IC supplier, but maintains a Class 100 assembly, packaging, and test facility on site. As part of itspurchase of Micron's military products group, ASI receives wafers from Micron. The firm also uses other majormanufacturers for the fabrication of its product wafers.
Benchmarq Microelectronics, founded in 1989, has a worldwide presence in the power-sensitive and portableelectronic systems marketplace. It provides integrated IC and module solutions that address real-world problemsin managing battery-operated, low-power, and power-sensitive equipment. Benchmarq's products are adoptedby companies producing PCs, cellular phones, telecommunications equipment, and portable electronics systems.
In 1997, international sales accounted for approximately 60 percent of total sales.
Management
Derrell Coker ChairmanAl Schuele President and Chief Executive OfficerJim Vernon Vice President, SalesWill Davies Vice President, Product and Market DevelopmentDavid Heacock Director, Marketing and Corporate CommunicationsLoren Reifsteck Director, Quality Technology and AssuranceEric Smith Director, Manufacturing OperationsGene Armstrong Director, Product DevelopmentDavid Freeman Director, Applications EngineeringScott Schaefer Chief Financial Officer
Benchmarq's product portfolio consists of CMOS and BiCMOS mixed-signal circuits. The focus is on low-power,battery-backed ICs and ICs for battery management. Geometries on its devices range from 0.8µm to 1.2µm.
Benchmarq’s IC product families include:• Battery management ICs and modules that provide fast charge control, sophisticated battery conditioning, and
“gas gauge” capacity monitoring of many different types of battery-operated systems.• Real-time clock ICs and modules, which provide highly integrated clock/calendar solutions for microcomputer-
based designs. The RTCs are available with 3V or 5V operation.• Nonvolatile SRAM (nvSRAM) ICs in densities ranging from 64K to 16M.• Nonvolatile controller ICs and modules that provide power monitoring, write protection, and supply switching to
convert standard SRAM and a battery backup into a reliable, predictable nonvolatile memory.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
The company is fabless, relying instead on domestic and overseas foundries for wafer fabrication. Burn-in and testof ICs and value-added assembly of hybrid circuits is performed at the company's headquarters in Texas.
Key Agreements
• In March 1998, Unitrode announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to merge with BenchmarqMicroelectronics, Inc. On April 17, 1998 – Unitrode and Benchmarq jointly announced that on April 15, 1998,the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act expired. The merger remainssubject to the approval of the shareholders of both companies and the satisfaction of other customary closingconditions.
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North American Company Profiles Bright Microelectronics
Bright Microelectronics, Inc. (BMI) was founded in 1991 to provide high-density, non-volatile flash memory thatoperates on a single low-voltage power supply. BMI serves the telecommunications, computers and consumerelectronics markets. Bright designs, produces, and markets single low voltage products ranging from 1 Megabit to16 Megabit densities.
Products and Processes
BMI’s patented technology is based on a split-gate cell which features source-side electron injection during theprogramming. A 3 micron square cell size is achieved by a contactless array architecture using a 0.6 microntechnology.
The company presently has seven U.S. patents on flash technology.
BMI features three basic types of products: AMD Compatible; Application Specific; and Chipset Solutions.
In 1993, BMI developed 0.8µm technology with Sharp. In 1994, BMI developed 0.6µm technology with Hyundai.In 1995, BMI developed 0.6µm 3V technology with Ricoh. In 1996, BMI transferred 0.6µm technology toWinbond. In 1997, BMI started 0.35µm product developments.
BMI has partnerships with Ricoh – Advanced Technology/3.5V Flash; Winbond – Flash Memory Manufacturing;Hyundai – Flash Memory Manufacturing; and ISD – Multilevel Digital Storage.
North American Company Profiles Broadcom Corporation
Company Overview and Strategy
Broadcom Corporation is a leading supplier of system-level silicon solutions for the high-speed datacommunications market. The Company’s highly integrated digital and mixed-signal CMOS chips are for cable-TV,cable modem, local area network, digital broadcast satellite, XDSL and digital radio applications.
Management
Dr. Henry T. Nicholas President, Chief Executive Officer and FounderDr. Henry Samueli Chief Technical Officer and Vice President of Research and DevelopmentWilliam J. Ruehle Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerTim M. Lindenfelser Vice President, MarketingAurelio Fernandez Vice President, Worldwide SalesMartin Colombatto Vice President/General Manager, Networking Business UnitVahid Manian Vice President of Manufacturing OperationsDavid Dull Vice President of Business Affairs and General Counsel
Products and Processes
Broadcom’s product line consists of: High-Speed Networks, Cable-TV and Cable Modem, XDSL and DirectBroadcast Satellite. The Company uses proprietary communication building blocks to develop standard andcustomer-specific products. Broadcom has developed a suite of silicon compilers that integrate with customers’Verilog HDL and VHDL designs, using a specialized VLSI design methodology. These silicon compilers consist ofdigital filters, adaptive equalizers, modulators and demodulators, numerically-controlled oscillators, frequencysynthesizers, A/D converters, D/A converters.
Broadcom Corporation’s QAMLink® product line consists of 64/256 QAM downstream demodulators andmodulators, QPSK 16-QAM upstream burst demodulators and modulators and 16/64-QAM, ADSL/VDSLtransceivers. These digital transmission devices are used in digital set-top boxes, cable data modems and twisted-pair XDSL modems.
The Company’s high-speed networking product lines are 10/100Base-T transceiver and repeater devices for Fast-Ethernet applications. These high-speed LAN devices are in line cards, hubs, switches, test equipment androuters. Broadcom also develops custom chips for digital broadcast satellite and digital radio equipment.
Broadcom’s products are detailed below.
High-Speed Networks
The products in this category include single-chip Fast-PHY transceivers; a Quad-PHY transceiver; a Fast-EthernetTransceiver that incorporates four entire transceivers into a monolithic CMOS chip; 13-port Fast-EthernetRepeater Controller; and a five port Integrated 100BASE-TX Repeater that integrates four 100BASE-TXtransceivers, an MII port, and a five port repeater controller into a single monolithic CMOS chip.
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Broadcom Corporation North American Company Profiles
Cable-TV and Cable ModemThe cable-TV and cable modem product lines consist of a QAMLink demodulator; two types of QAMLink UpstreamBurst Modulators and a QAMLink Upstream Burst Demodulator; two types of QAMLink Media Access Controllerswith 56-bit DES encryption and decryption; a QAMLink Universal Modulator with an FEC encoder and anintegrated D/A converter; a Universal QAM Modulator; and three types of QAMLink receivers.
XDSL Product
This product (BCM6010) is a QAMLink ADSL/VDSL Transceiver that incorporates a rate adaptive QAM transmitterand receiver with FEC. Integrated features include a 4-256 QAM demodulator, 10-bit A/D and D/A converters,Nyquist filters, acquisition and tracking loops, Reed-Solomon FEC encoder and decoder, a digital adaptivedecision feedback equalizer, and ATM Utopia Level 1 and 2 standard interfaces.
Direct Broadcast Satellite Product
The BCM4200 is a DVB/DSS® Satellite Receiver for digital satellite set-top boxes. It supports variable data ratesup to 90Mbps and is compliant with DVB and DSS standards. The features in this device include dual 6-bit A/Dconverters, a phase/frequency recovery block, variable rate digital filters, square-root Nyquist matched filters,acquisition and tracking loops, and a DVB/DSS compliant concatenated Viterbi/Reed-Solomon FEC decoder withdeinterleaver. This product provides support for DIRECTV® licensees.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
The company is fabless and relies on two outside foundries, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation(TSMC) in Taiwan and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing in Singapore.
Substantially all of Broadcom’s products are assembled and tested by one of two third-party subcontractors,ASAT, Ltd. in Hong Kong and ST Assembly Test Services in Singapore.
Key Agreements
• In August 1998, MIPS Technologies, Inc. announced a strategic alliance with Broadcom Corporation. Broadcom will incorporate MIPS Processor Architecture into its Broadband Communications semiconductors.
• In May 1998, Broadcom announced a cooperation with Sony Corporation to develop a range of integrated circuit products designed for use in consumer electronics products.
• In March 1998, Broadcom and General Instruments (GI) entered into a strategic partnership for Next-Generation Digital Set-Top Terminal Silicon. GI will purchase ICs for its products from Broadcom.
Founded in 1956, Burr-Brown Corporation is primarily engaged in the design, manufacture, and marketing of abroad line of proprietary standard high-performance analog and mixed-signal ICs used in the processing ofelectronic signals. The company’s products are used in applications such as electronic and medicalinstrumentation, process and industrial control, communications, manufacturing automation, automatic testequipment, consumer audio, computer peripherals, and multimedia.
Burr-Brown is expanding from its traditional focus on older IC processing technologies — primarily linear bipolar —and adding new technologies such as CMOS, BiCMOS, BCDMOS and CBCMOS technologies. The companyhas also been strategically shifting some of its production to outside foundries, a trend that is expected tocontinue in order to access sub-micron CMOS technology.
In early 1996, Burr-Brown sold its interest in Power Convertibles Corporation (PCC). PCC, formerly a majority-owned affiliate of Burr-Brown, manufactures DC-to-DC converters and battery chargers used in cellular telephoneapplications. The divestiture of PCC is part of Burr-Brown’s strategic plan to build a stronger focus on its analogand mixed-signal IC business. New product development will focus on developing standard linear ICs (SLICs) aswell as application specific standard products (ASSPs).
In 1995, Burr-Brown set new directions for its foreign operations. Burr-Brown’s Japanese development subsidiaryis now concentrating primarily on the digital audio and video and other consumer markets, while the company’sLivingston Scotland operation has been re-directed from subcontract manufacturing to in-house product R&D.
Management
Thomas R. Brown, Jr. ChairmanSyrus P. Madavi President and Chief Executive OfficerScott Blouin Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerMichael Paugh Vice President, QualityMichael M. Pawlik Vice President, MarketingPaul Prazak Vice President, Data Conversion DivisionRobert E. Reynolds Vice President, OperationsBryan Rooney Vice President, Worldwide SalesR. Mark Stitt Vice President, Linear DivisionRod Lawton General Manager, Scotland DivisionToshiyuki Yamasaki President, Japan Operations
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North American Company Profiles Burr-Brown
Products and Processes
Burr-Brown's product portfolio includes operational, instrumentation, power, and isolation amplifiers,optoelectronic ICs, digital audio devices, digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital converters, data communicationsproducts, LAN products, microterminals, design and development software, and board-level microcomputersubsystems. The company’s products are manufactured using processes that include bipolar, complementarybipolar, CMOS, and BiCMOS.
The following describes the various processes that Burr-Brown utilizes in the manufacture of its ICs.
40 Volt Bipolar Process:This is a high-voltage (40V) bipolar process (±15V or 36V power supplies) used to make high-voltageoperational and instrumentation amplifiers. High precision in these products is made possible by the capabilityof ion implanted JFETs and trimmable resistors. Other typical products made from this process are universalactive filters, isolation amplifiers, and high-voltage power amplifiers.
20 Volt Bipolar Process:This is a lower voltage (20V) bipolar process especially suited for data acquisition and PCM components.These are faster circuits utilizing smaller devices with lower RC. Trimmable resistors allow high precisionproducts.
Dielectrically Isolated Bipolar Process:This is a dielectrically isolated high-voltage bipolar (40V) process used for low noise, high precision, and lowdrift. Very high-performance amplifiers are built using this process where the noise and drift characteristics areimportant, especially in the medical equipment markets that it serves.
Complementary Bipolar Dielectrically Isolated Process:This is a dielectrically isolated process with complementary NPN and PNP bipolar transistors. It is used tomanufacture high-voltage operational amplifiers, voltage-to-frequency converters, and sample/hold circuits.
CMOS Double-Level Metal Poly-Poly Process:This is a 3.0µm double-level metal CMOS process that also makes use of parasitic bipolar devices. This is a ±5Vprocess with compatible thin-film resistors and very high quality poly-poly capacitors. It produces high density,high precision (16-bit and 18-bit) single and dual analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters.
BiCMOS Process:This double-poly, double-metal 3.0µm process is optimized for analog circuitry including critical thin-film resistorcapability. The process is primarily used for data conversion products.
Processes not available internally are sourced from various foundries, including Lucent Technologies, MitelSemiconductor, Oki, Hualon Microelectronics, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC). Suchprocesses include 2.0µm, 1.2µm, and 0.6µm BiCMOS and CMOS processes, and a very high-frequency bipolarprocess for products such as video amplifiers.
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Burr-Brown North American Company Profiles
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Burr-Brown Corporation6730 South Tucson BoulevardTucson, Arizona 85706Cleanroom size: 30,000 square feetCapacity (wafer/week): 4,200Wafer size: 100mm (Planning conversion to 150mm wafers)Processes: CMOS, Bipolar, BiCMOSProducts: Digital and linear ICs, monolithic and hybrid assemblyFeature sizes: 1.0µm-3.0µm
Burr-Brown has IC assembly facilities in Tucson and Scotland. The company also incorporated plastic multichipmodule (MCM) assembly capability in its Tucson facility in 1995.
Key Agreements
• Burr-Brown is jointly developing with Oki, 20-bit BiCMOS A/D and D/A converter chips for business digital audioequipment.
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North American Company Profiles C-Cube Microsystems
C-CUBE MICROSYSTEMS
C-Cube Microsystems Inc.1778 McCarthy BoulevardMilpitas, California 95035
Founded in 1988, C-Cube Microsystems is a provider of highly integrated, standards-based, programmable digitalvideo compression and decompression products and systems. The company's innovative encoder, decoder, andcodec products bring full motion video and still image capabilities to a broad range of end-user products in theconsumer electronics, computer, and communications markets. Such products include DVD-PCS, digital set-topreceivers, DVD consumer players, video CD players, and non-linear editing applications, interactive digital cableTV systems, and direct broadcast satellite (DBS) systems.
C-Cube Microsystems North American Company Profiles
In 1995, C-Cube acquired Media Computer Technologies (MCT), a supplier of PC-based digital video processingand video-windowing technology. As a subsidiary of C-Cube, MCT is responsible for developing ASICs,reference designs, and application software, and contributing to development projects of C-Cube’s PCcustomers. In 1996, C-Cube acquired DiviCom Inc., a digital video networking company that designs, integrates,and markets complete systems for the delivery of broadcast video networks. DiviCom will operate as a whollyowned subsidiary of C-Cube.
Management
Alexandre A. Balanski, Ph.D. President and Chief Executive OfficerMark K. Allen Senior Vice President, OperationsAlex Daly Senior Vice President, Sales and Corporate MarketingJohn Hagedorn Vice President, Finance and Administration, and Chief Financial OfficerRichard Foreman Vice President and Chief Information OfficerDidier Le Gall, Ph.D. Vice President, Research and Development, and Chief Technology OfficerSenjeev Renjen, Ph.D. Vice President, Decoder EngineeringNolan Daines Chief Executive Officer, DiviCom Inc.Tom Lookabough President, DiviCom Inc.
Products and Processes
C-Cube's single-chip and chipset products include: MPEG 1 video and audio/video encoders and decoders forconsumer electronics applications; and MPEG 2 video encoders and decoders for broadcast and consumerapplications and MPEG-2 codecs; and MPEG 2 transport demultiplexers for communications applications. InFebruary 1997, C-Cube introduced the ZiVA family of single-chip DVD products, which include decoders,encoders, and system-level solutions for consumer and multimedia OEMs. C-Cube’s unique set-top silicon,application software and production ready designs, offer the market a feature-rich set-top system solution.
C-Cube’s IC products are currently manufactured using two- or three-layer metal CMOS process technology with0.5µm, 0.35µm, and 0.25µm feature sizes.
The company also markets a line of design example boards and demonstration systems products.
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North American Company Profiles C-Cube Microsystems
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
C-Cube does not manufacture its own ICs; it uses independent foundries. The company’s principal IC foundry isTSMC in Taiwan. Other foundry partners include Matsushita and Yamaha. Assembly, test, and packaging of itsdevices is also subcontracted to third parties.
In 2Q96, C-Cube signed an agreement with foundry partner TSMC. As part of the agreement, C-Cube agreed tomake advanced payments to secure wafer production capacity through 2001.
Key Agreements
• In February 1998, C-Cube announced a cooperative engineering effort with Intel Corporation. The C-Cube/Intel solution will allow audio/video data to be directly decoded by C-Cube’s ZiVA DVD chip and passedto the Intel processor for scaling and display.
• In December 1997, C-Cube announced strategic alliances with two innovative providers of “Internet-over-TV”services. Through these alliances, C-Cube is integrating WEB browsing solutions from Worldgate andMoreCom with its AViA chipset, offering advanced graphics and Internet support for set-top devices. This willallow service providers to offer Internet access over television, in addition to digital video services.
• In April 1997, C-Cube and Adaptec announced that they are joining forces to provide a Fire Wire basedsolution and tools that will allow video professionals and consumers to move between multiple digital videoformats, including MPEG-2 and DVC.
• In March 1997, C-Cube and Quadrant International (QI) entered into a development partnership. Through thispartnership, QI’s DVD technology will be ported to C-Cube’s ZiVA DVD decoder family.
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California Micro Devices North American Company Profiles
CALIFORNIA MICRO DEVICES (CMD)
California Micro Devices Corporation215 Topaz Street
Milpitas, California 95035-5430Telephone: (408) 263-3214
Fax: (408) 263-7846Web Site: www.camd.com
IC Manufacturer
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends March 31 effective 1995, previously June 30
Founded in 1980, California Micro Devices (CMD) is a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of integrated thin-film,silicon-based termination and filtering passive components and active electronic circuitry. These products aretargeted primarily at applications in the computer, networking, and communications industries. CMD exited themilitary market in 1996.
North American Company Profiles California Micro Devices
In 1996, CMD introduced its new line of thin-film P/Active™ devices, which combine the company’s thin-filmtechnology with active semiconductor components and techniques to create enhanced passive networks calledapplications specific passive network (ASPN™) products. With these products, CMD is striving to become anexpert in the matters of high-performance termination systems for PCs, workstations, and networking equipment,as well as in the filtering and complementary functions necessary in both computers and mobile communications.
Foreign sales, primarily in Asia, Europe, and Canada accounted for approximately 36 percent of net product salesin fiscal 1997.
Management
Wade Meyercord ChairmanJeffrey C. Kalb President and Chief Executive OfficerNick Bacile Vice President, MarketingRobert Filiault Vice President, Worldwide SalesJohn Jorgensen Vice President, EngineeringArieh Schifrin Vice President, OperationsJohn E. Trewin Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerScott Hover-Smoot General CounselFrank Ellis Manager, Product Marketing
Products and Processes
CMD's thin-film products use silicon-based thin-film materials and process technology to combine multiple passiveelements in a single package. They fall into two categories: the traditional IPEC™ family, consisting of custom andgeneral purpose devices; and the new P/Active ASPN components, which use semiconductor techniques anddevices to enhance the performance and functionality of its traditional thin-film passive technologies. Its firstP/Active devices include termination devices for the Intel Pentium and Pentium Pro and Motorola Power PCprocessor buses, bias networks for Linear Technology’s and Harris’ PC voltage regulators, special diode clampingcircuits for second-generation PCI, memory, and other computer buses, and filter circuits for parallel ports in PCs.
CMD also offers a variety of precision and non-precision thin-film resistors and capacitors as well as combinations ofthose elements with and without semiconductor devices. The company has particular strength in the area ofresistor-capacitor filters.
The company's semiconductor products include analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits, such as datacommunications and interface devices and telecommunication dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) receiver andtransceiver products. These products are used in personal computers, answering machines, portabletelephones, and switching systems. They are manufactured in 1.25µm through 3.0µm BiCMOS and CMOSprocessing technologies.
CMD also offers the use of its Tempe fabrication facility as a foundry and test service.
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California Micro Devices North American Company Profiles
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
CMD plans to convert certain of its fabrication facilities from 125mm to 150mm wafers during the next couple ofyears.
California Micro Devices, Microcircuits Division California Micro Devices2000 West 14th Street 215 Topaz StreetTempe, Arizona 85281 Milpitas, California 95035-5430Telephone: (602) 921-6000 Telephone: (408) 263-3214Cleanroom size: 16,000 square feet (Class 1) Cleanroom size: 10,000 square feetCapacity (wafers/week): 1,000 Capacity (wafers/week): 750Wafer size: 125mm Wafer sizes: 125mm, 4.5 in. squareProcesses: CMOS (SM/DP, DM/SP, DM/DP); Products: Thin-film discretes
BiCMOS (SM/DP, DM/DP)Products: Linear and mixed-signal ICs, thin-film
The company uses subcontractors in Asia, primarily Thailand and the Philippines, for the assembly and packagingof most of its products. Most of its product testing is done in-house, but its assembly partners are increasinglybeing used for testing purposes.
Key Agreements
• In February 1998, CMD announced a partnership with Flip Chip Technologies and Avex Electronics Inc. todevelop flip chip packaging and assembly of CMD’s patented integrated passive components (IPCs).
• In January 1998, CMD and Sipex Corporation announced that they had expanded their foundry relationship(which started in late 1995) to include a broader range of Sipex products.
• California Micro Devices has a comprehensive strategic alliance with Hitachi Metals, Ltd. (HML), a subsidiary ofHitachi, Ltd., that involves joint product development, manufacturing, marketing, and worldwide distribution.HML owns 980,000 shares of CMD stock, about 10 percent.
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North American Company Profiles Calogic
CALOGIC
Calogic Corporation237 Whitney Place
Fremont, California 94539Telephone: (510) 656-2900
Fax: (510) 651-3025Web Site: www.calogic.com
IC Manufacturer
Employees: 200
Company Overview and Strategy
Calogic is a privately held company, founded in 1983. The company offers a line of standard and full customsemiconductor products made using several technologies including CMOS/DMOS and bipolar. Its product line isspecifically designed for high-performance applications. The company strives to form relationships with itscustomers by offering technical expertise from design to processing to final test.
Management
Manny Del Arroz PresidentCharlie Bevivino Director, SalesBrenda Hill Director, Marketing
Products and Processes
Calogic offers bipolar standard products (e.g., switches, multiplexers, and op amps) and CMOS, DMOS, and JFETfull custom ICs. Calogic acquired a small signal discrete line from Harris and now offers one of the broadest smallsignal FET product lines in the industry. In addition, Calogic offers its production facilities as a foundry service.
CRT Related Products : Instrumentation Products :
CRT driver amplifiers (30MHz to 185MHz) Op ampsPre-amplifiers ReferencesBuffers Analog switchesLevel shifters
Full Custom and Semicustom Capabilities : Video Products :
Design, layout, manufacturing, and test Widebank buffers and amplifiers
Low drop out regulatorsAdjustable shunt regulatorsMOSFET driversDC to DC converters
Discretes :
High-speed lateral DMOS FET switch and switch arrays (switching speeds under 1ns)Vertical MOS FET switchesJFETsMOSFETsDiodes
Calogic’s process technologies include a dielectrically isolated (DI) complementary bipolar process, a highfrequency (1GHz), low-noise bipolar process, a medium-voltage, medium-frequency, bipolar process for supplyvoltages up to ±20 volts, CMOS, BiCMOS, JFET, lateral and vertical DMOS.
*In February 1996, fiscal year changed from ending March 31 to April 30.
Ownership: Publicly held. NASDAQ: CATS.
Note: Effective August 6,1998, the Company’s shares are traded on the OTC bulletin board.
Company Overview and Strategy
Catalyst Semiconductor, established in 1985, designs, develops, and markets a broad range of nonvolatilememory IC products that have applications in the computer, consumer electronics, wireless communications,network, automotive, industrial, and instrumentation markets.
The company's strategy is to become a leading supplier of flash memory devices while maintaining its position as aleading supplier of EEPROM products. The company’s development efforts are focused on improving itsfabrication processes and the development of advanced products.
For the nine months ended January 31, 1998, approximately 51 percent of the company’s revenues were fromsales of its Flash memory devices, and approximately 70 percent of its revenues were derived from shipments tointernational customers versus 60 percent in Fiscal 1997.
Catalyst's family of nonvolatile devices includes flash memories (512K, 1M, 2M, 4M, and 8M), serial EEPROMs (1Kto 64K), parallel EEPROMs (16K to 256K), and NVRAMs (i.e., shadow RAMs and devices that combine EEPROMwith SRAM). Catalyst also offers a line of BiCMOS data converters and other specialized products such as itsapplication-specific electrically erasable devices (ASEEDs™), and its mixed-signal products used in freight billingsystems and contactless security control.
In January 1998, Catalyst shipped its first product built at its UMC foundry — a 2 Meg Flash memory (the 28F020),fabricated with the company’s advanced 0.5 micron technology.
Most of the company's products are designed and manufactured using a 0.8µm CMOS EEPROM process or a0.5µm flash memory process.
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North American Company Profiles Catalyst
Catalyst if ISO 9001 certified.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Through the establishment of long-term licensing agreements, Catalyst principally uses Oki and UMC for thefabrication and testing of its devices. Catalyst also has agreements with Seiko-Epson, Chartered Semiconductorand Newport Wafer-Fab Ltd.
Key Agreements
• In April 1998, Catalyst Semiconductor announced that in two separate agreements reached with OkiElectronics Industry Co. Ltd. and Trio-Tech International PTE Ltd., the company will receive additional credit topurchase wafers. Catalyst currently has over $9 million in backlog, a significant portion of which is delinquent tothe customer’s requested delivery date.
• In January 1998, Catalyst Semiconductor and JACO Electronics, Inc. of Hauppauge, New York, signed aDistribution Agreement. The agreement allows JACO to distribute Catalyst’s Serial EEPROMs, ParallelEEPROMs, Mixed-Signal Products and Flash Memory devices.
• In 1996, Catalyst announced an agreement with United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC). As part of theagreement, UMC will take a 10 percent equity stake in Catalyst and will provide significant wafer foundrycapacity. Also, UMC and Catalyst will jointly develop 0.5µm and 0.35µm process technologies, geared for flashmemory products.
• In November 1995, Catalyst signed a cross-licensing agreement with Intel. The agreement provides Catalystwith the right to utilize all of Intel’s flash memory patents.
• Catalyst signed on Wales, U.K.-based Newport Wafer-Fab Ltd. in May 1995 for the manufacture of itsEEPROMs and for process technology development.
• Catalyst formed an alliance with Zilog that calls for the joint development of 20M and 40M 2.5-inch solid-statedisk drives merging Catalyst's flash memory devices with Zilog's compression and controller technology. Thetwo companies are also developing other devices combining flash and microcontroller technology.
Noteworthy News
• On August 4, 1998, Catalyst announced that, effective at the market close of business August 5, 1998, its Common Stock would be delisted from The Nasdaq National Market due to a failure to satisfy the continuing listing requirements of maintaining a closing bid price of at least $1.00 per share. Effective August 6, the Company’s shares will be traded on the OTC Bulletin board.
• In March 1998, Catalyst announced restructuring and new leadership changes to allow the company to returnto profitability. (Management changes are reflected in this profile).
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Catalyst North American Company Profiles
In April 1998, Catalyst announced a recovery plan to improve its operating results. In conjunction with stepstaken earlier in the year, Catalyst will reduce cash expenditures for manufacturing overhead and operatingexpenses. The plan includes an additional 20 percent reduction in force in the Sunnyvale operation andleveraging existing lower cost operations in the Far East and Eastern Europe.
Founded in December 1994, Celeritek designs, develops, manufactures and markets high frequency radioproducts that provide core transmit and receive functions for wireless communications systems. Celeritek’sproducts are utilized primarily in four markets: (1) microwave radios; (2) cellular telephone systems and personalcommunications services ("PCS"); (3) satellite-based communications; and (4) defense electronics. For fiscal1997, approximately 61 percent of Celeritek’s total net sales were derived from the commercial wirelesscommunications markets. At fiscal year end 1997, Celeritek had two customers, P-Com and Westinghouse, whoaccounted for approximately 20 percent and 11 percent of total net sales, respectively.
Celeritek’s gallium arsenide radio-frequency integrated circuits (GaAs RF ICs) and high frequency radio transceiversubsystems and components operate in the high radio frequency (RF) range of 800MHz to 1GHz and in themicrowave frequency range of 1GHz to 40GHz. Celeritek’s wireless subsystem division's products includesubsystems and components for point-to-point radios, very small aperture terminals (VSAT) and for cellular andPCS base stations. Celeritek’s semiconductor division's products include GaAs RF ICs for PCS, wireless local loopand cellular subscriber equipment and base station applications. Celeritek’s defense electronics products are forapplications such as missile guidance, electronic countermeasures and communications satellites.
Celeritek’s strategy is to identify and expand penetration into high-growth wireless, target leading OEMs in thosemarkets with a broad range of solutions and, on a “teaming” basis, provide its customers the application-specificproducts they require by leveraging its expertise in integrated circuit and system design, as well as high frequencysignal processing technology and GaAs process technologies.
Celeritek has 15 U.S. distributors across 15 states. They also have 17 international distributors across 14countries.
Management
Tamer Husseini Chairman of the Board, President and CEOMargaret E. Smith Vice President, Finance and CFORobert D. Jones Senior Vice President, Marketing and SalesPerry Denning Vice President and General Manager, Semiconductor DivisionWilliam W. Hoppin Vice President, SalesGary J. Policky Vice President, Engineering and Chief Technical OfficerRichard G. Finney Vice President, Manufacturing
Products and Processes
Celeritek's GaAs products are produced using implanted MESFET as well as epitaxial and PHEMT structures. Byhaving a variety of options, the Company selects the best fit for a given product function based on achievingmaximum, cost-effective performance. In addition, Celeritek continues to explore new and emerging GaAs-basedtechnologies as they become available.
Celeritek offers a line of GaAs semiconductor products to OEM customers for use in the commercial wirelesscommunications markets, in addition to those semiconductor products that it incorporates into its own assemblies.The GaAs semiconductor products produced by the company are transceiver components such as amplifiers,switches and converters. Some of these products are combined to function as complete transceivers. Celeritek'scurrent revenues from semiconductor products are derived principally from the sale of discreet GaAs FETs andGaAs ICs for use in wireless communications applications such as cellular, PCS and wireless local loop basestations and subscriber units.
Celeritek manufactures twelve 900MHz MMIC products (amplifiers and power GaAs FETs), thirteen 1.8GHz PowerGaAs FETs, eleven 2.4GHz MMIC products, three 2.4GHz Power GaAs FETs, and a single high dynamic range,low-noise GaAs FET.
Celeritek's products are optimized for a number of transmit frequency applications including cellular (800MHz-1.0GHz), satellite (1.6-1.7GHz), PCS (1.8-2.0GHz), and WLAN/Wireless local loop (2.2-2.7GHz). Modulationformats as varied as GSM, TDMA, CDMA, DCS, PHS and others are all supported. Power GaAs RF ICs and discretepower FETs form the backbone of Celeritek's diverse product offerings.
In fiscal 1997, Celeritek introduced a new product family of gallium arsenide radio-frequency integrated circuits(GaAs RF ICs), called the Triniti DX(TM) for use in PCS and cellular phones. These were designed into handsetsand base stations at customers including Lucent, Motorola, and Ericsson.
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North American Company Profiles Celeritek
In February 1998, Celeritek announced two new, low cost, "true" 3.0 Volt power amplifiers. The products supportdual band handset requirements including linearity demands of CDMA and TDMA systems over the entiredischarge cycle of a lithium ion battery, allowing users to have longer talk time. The CMM0530 delivers 28.5dBmof CDMA output power with 27dB of gain cross the 824-928MHz band with 40 percent digital efficiency andexceeding 60 percent analog efficiency while meeting both TDMA and CDMA spectral mask requirements for IS-136 and J-STD-18. Similarly, the CMM1530 delivers 28.5dBm of CDMA output power with 30dB of gain acrossthe 1850-1910MHz band with 35 percent digital efficiency, meeting both IS-136 and IS-95 spectral maskrequirements. Both products are fabricated using PHEMT technology in Celeritek's GaAs foundry. Manufacturedfor high volume, these parts are packaged in an 8-pin plastic package, offering high thermal characteristics with anassociated smaller footprint.
Celeritek’s proprietary wafer fabrication process produces line-width geometries as small as 0.25 micron that permitthe production of high performance, highly integrated devices. Celeritek has accumulated a sizable base oftechnology associated with the specification of this special starting material and uses its knowledge of GaAssurface preparation techniques to design the surface of its GaAs products to optimize its customers' specific priceand performance objectives. Celeritek’s GaAs process has seven major steps for both its FET and IC products. ItsGaAs manufacturing process is accomplished with commercially available fabrication equipment including contactphotolithography equipment.
Since its inception in 1984, Celeritek has accumulated a substantial base of knowledge in the development ofsystem architectures and integrated circuits for RF and microwave signal processing. This has been developedinto an extensive library of signal processing functions that it integrates into higher level systems.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Celeritek’s 57,000 square foot headquarters houses its main manufacturing plant. In April, 1997, the Companyleased an additional 25,000 square foot building in Santa Clara, California to house its wireless subsystemsmanufacturing operation. Celeritek’s facilities are approved for MIL-Q9858A quality production. Themanufacturing facility includes cleanrooms, with Class 10 performance.
Noteworthy News
• Beginning in the second quarter of fiscal 1999, in order to reduce operating expenses, Celeritek will lay off approximately 40 employees, or ten percent, and reduce work weeks through the end of calendar 1998.
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Cherry Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
CHERRY SEMICONDUCTOR
Cherry Semiconductor Corporation2000 South County Trail
East Greenwich, Rhode Island 02818-0031Telephone: (401) 886-3500
Fax: (401) 885-5786Web Site: www.cherry-semi.com
IC Manufacturer
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends February 28
Formed in 1972 as Micro Components Corporation, Cherry Semiconductor originally manufactured linear bipolarICs with a focus on the photography market. In 1977, MCC was acquired by The Cherry Corporation and renamedCherry Semiconductor Corporation (CSC). The market orientation of CSC began to include more automotivebusiness as the photo market began to sag. In 1985, the company committed to two major market focuses:automotive and computer. Within these two markets, CSC focused further on four application areas: dedicatedautomotive, power supply control, motor control, and memory management (high-performance disk drive circuits).
In 3Q95, CSC was organized into three business groups: automotive OEM, automotive electronics, andcomputer and industrial. The company’s global customer base includes automotive equipment manufacturers andsuppliers, power systems suppliers and resellers, computer OEMs, and telecommunications systemsmanufacturers.
North American Company Profiles Cherry Semiconductor
Management
Alfred S. Budnick President, Cherry SemiconductorAndrew F. Durette Executive Vice PresidentWalter E. McMann Vice President, Finance and AdministrationDennis Gaetano Director, Worldwide Sales and Marketing
Products and Processes
Cherry Semiconductor designs and builds standard linear and mixed-signal ICs and semicustom and full-customICs (ASICs). The company’s automotive ICs are most often custom designs, while its standard ICs are usuallytargeted at the computer market.
Cherry Semiconductor developed its high-performance PowerSense™ BiCMOS process for automotive circuits.It is a mixed-signal process that allows analog power functions and compact digital logic to be combined on a singlechip. It uses 15 masks and has five critical alignments. In addition, CSC has developed a 16-volt BiCMOS processfor disk drive applications and a 2.5MHz bipolar process for computer applications. The firm’s bipolar processesfeature vertical and lateral PNP transistors, up-down isolation, and low leakage diodes.
Cherry developed an Al-Ni bumping capability in 1972 which was changed to Ti-W in 1986. Cherry currentlysupplies 1,200 bumped wafers/month.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Cherry Semiconductor Corporation2000 South County TrailEast Greenwich, Rhode Island 02818Cleanroom size: 24,000 square feetCapacity (wafer/week): 3,500Wafer sizes: 100mm, 150mmProcesses: Bipolar, BiCMOSProducts: Linear and mixed-signal ICs and ASICsFeature size: 1.4µm
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Cherry Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Key Agreements
• In 1997, Cherry Semiconductor made an equity investment in Switch Power, Inc. Cherry Semiconductor willhelp Switch Power to co-develop new product definitions.
• Cherry Semiconductor works with Motorola to develop ASICs for the automotive industry. The two companiesstruck their first agreement in the late 1980's.
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North American Company Profiles Chip Express
CHIP EXPRESS
Chip Express Corporation2323 Owen Street
Santa Clara, California 95054Telephone: (408) 988-2445
Ownership:Privately held; funded by Elron Electronic Industries (Israel), Morgan Stanley Venture Partners (U.S.)and Toyo INK/Intex (Japan).
Company Overview and Strategy
Chip Express started its operations in 1990 when it was spun-out from Elron Electronics Industries Ltd. (an Israelihigh technology holding company). The company has developed a series of unique capabilities that allowcustomization of gate arrays outside of conventional fabs, enabling significant flexibility, fast time to market andproduction-cost reduction. Chip Express provides a complete “Time-to-Market Solution™” that offers flexibleASIC production solution with a seamless migration path for transferring a logic design from netlist to fast-turnprototypes and then to volume production.
The company produces laser programmable gate arrays (LPGAs), gate arrays fabricated using programmable lasercutting equipment, a patented technology. Traditional gate array and standard cell vendors are focusing more onservicing designs that lead directly to high volume production, leaving customers who require lower volume and/orlower density and fast turnaround, without any low risk, low cost solution. Chip Express introduces a technologythat revives the gate array value and avoids the traditional gate array deficiencies, such as no low volumealternatives, longer lead times for gate array design turns, and higher NRE.
Zvi Or-Bach President and Chief Executive OfficerHoward Brodsky Chief Financial OfficerPaul Indaco Vice President, SalesUzi Yoeli Vice President, Research and Development (Israel)Meir Janai Chief Scientist (Israel)
Products and Processes
Chip Express offers CMOS gate array prototype and production capability densities that range from 4K to 200Kgates. In 2Q96, the company introduced the new CX2000 gate array family, which features a 0.6µm triple metaldevice with up to 160K usable gates plus configurable embedded memory of up to 128K bits. In 1Q97, thecompany introduced the next generation CX2001 product family with PLL capability. In addition, in 2Q97, thecompany developed 0.5µm device capabilities.
The company is currently developing a triple metal 0.35µm technology, the CX3000 LPGA, with foundry partners.Chip Express proprietary techniques are used to selectively remove specific metallization points topersonalize/customize standard gate arrays. These techniques are optimized for use on a single die (laserprogramming), a single wafer (OneMask process) or a wafer lot (TwoMask process).
At the prototyping phase, no masks are required and only a few dies need to be customized. For ASICprototyping, the QuICk System disconnects the predefined links of multi-layer metal in a single operation with20,000 per second. A real time computer and image processing system use the Cut-List to control the automaticlaser cutting process. The QuICk System personalizes one die at a time, in less than two hours. Therefore, theNRE is reduced tremendously and the turnaround time is as short as one day. For the initial production phase,Chip Express utilizes a simple dedicated fab-line to process a single wafer at a time, requiring only a single maskand one etch process step for ASIC customization. The turnaround time for low volume production (quantities upto a few thousand devices) can be as short as one week. The company offers a seamless migration to high volumeproduction, where the generic wafers could be processed up to metal 2, requiring only two masks for thecustomization.
Cores (Mega Cells) – Chip Express is partnering with cores suppliers to provide system designers with pre-designed, tested modules (i.e., PCI, microcontrollers, Ethernet controllers). The OPEN CORE program offerseasy access for core providers to verify their cores on silicon and enables a quick and smooth transition from logicdesign through fully-verified ASIC prototypes to volume production.
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North American Company Profiles Chip Express
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Chip Express has a 37,000 square foot facility that provides gate array prototyping and low volume productionservices. The prototype is customized in a self-contained Class 100 laminar air flow cell. The OneMask, lowvolume production operation is performed in a Class 10 cleanroom environment, processing a single wafer at atime, in a single etch step using only a single mask for personalization.
The LPGA fabrication is provided by Tower Semiconductor and Yamaha. Additional foundry partners includeSony, Seiko-Epson, and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing.
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Chips and Technologies North American Company Profiles
CHIPS AND TECHNOLOGIES
Chips and Technologies, Inc.2950 Zanker Road
San Jose, California 95134Telephone: (408) 434-0600
Chips and Technologies, a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel Corporation, develops semiconductor and softwaresolutions for leading manufacturers of personal computers. The company has a product portfolio that includesdisplay controllers, graphics accelerators, video devices, communications ICs, and system logic chipsets. Theseproducts are built into a wide range of systems from compact portables to high-performance desktop computers.
Chips’ product strategy has taken several turns since it was founded in 1984. The company initially placed itsprimary focus on system logic chipsets and built up this particular business to represent 87 percent of totalrevenues in fiscal 1989. Chips’ annual sales in 1990 grew over 100 percent from that in 1988. However, thecompany’s logic chipset business took a turn for the worst and the company reported a net loss in 1991, the firstsince its inception.
In an effort to move the company out of the red, Chips sold off several product lines in 1993 and implemented aplan to reorganize the company’s strategy. With its new objectives — to provide highly-integrated silicon andsoftware solutions to the PC industry by creating unique, high-quality products — the company slowly turnedaround.
Today, Chips and Technologies maintains a leading position as a supplier of graphics and video controllers toportable computer manufacturers. The Company’s strategy is to leverage its core expertise and market leadershipto rapidly bring advanced display controller technologies to portable computers. During 1997, Chips extended itsHiQVideo family of video display controllers.
North American Company Profiles Chips and Technologies
Management
James F. Stafford President and Chief Executive OfficerMorris E. Jones, Jr. Senior Vice President and Chief Technical OfficerKeith Angelo Vice President, MarketingLee J. Barker Vice President, OperationsTimothy R. Christofferson Vice President, Finance, and Chief Financial OfficerRichard E. Christopher Vice President, SalesLawrence A. Roffelsen Vice President, EngineeringJeffery Anne Tatum Vice President, General Counsel
Products and Processes
Chips' product line includes CRT and flat-panel graphics controller ICs, graphical user interface (GUI) accelerators,PC video circuits, I/O and peripheral controllers, and system logic chipsets. The company's LCD controllers havebeen well received by makers of industry-leading products in the laptop, notebook, and sub-notebook industries.
In 1996, Chips’ introduced a line of LCD flat panel/CRT controllers and accelerators, called the HiQVideo™ family,which are based on a new 64-bit display graphics engine architecture and feature multiple window display,zoomed video, and full-motion video acceleration and scalability.
In 1997, Chips began preliminary sampling of flat panel multimedia accelerators with integrated memory and logic,designed with foundry partner Samsung Semiconductor. The two companies announced in mid-1996 a plan tojointly develop integrated memory products as part of a plan by Chips to introduce a new generation of low-power,high-bandwidth, and high-performance products that are software-compatible with its HiQVideo product family.
Following is a sampling of Chips and Technologies’ HiQVideo series.
Chips and Technologies North American Company Profiles
The majority of Chips’ products are built using 0.5µm and 0.35µm triple-layer-metal CMOS processes. Thecompany plans to utilize 0.35µm and 0.25µm process geometries for most of its future products.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Chips and Technologies uses subcontractors for the fabrication and assembly of its semiconductor components.Currently its foundry partners include Chartered Semiconductor, IBM, NEC, Samsung, LG Semicom, and TSMC.
Key Agreements
• In January 1998, Intel Corporation acquired the outstanding shares of Chips and Technologies, Inc. forapproximately $430M. Chips and Technologies became a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel Corporation, part ofIntel’s Graphics Component Division.
• Chips and Technologies signed a production agreement with Chartered Semiconductor. Chips agreed to payChartered $20 million for guaranteed production capacity support of 200mm wafers through 2000.
• In fiscal 1996, Chips and Technologies established a long-term foundry agreement with TSMC. Theagreement called for Chips to make deposits totaling $23.5 million to TSMC in exchange for a guaranteed wafersupply through 2000.
Wearnes is a holding company for several high-tech companies including Advanced Logic Research (ALR), thecomputer/server company. Wearnes is represented on Chrontel’s board by Wong Chun Win.
Financial History
Sales for Chrontel in 1996 were in the $10 million to $25 million range. Chrontel had 85 employees at thebeginning of 1998, all located at the San Jose headquarters.
Company Overview and Strategy
Founded in 1986, Chrontel is a privately-held operating unit of Singapore’s Wearnes Technology Pte. Ltd.Chrontel uses a “partnership-based business model” and a fabless strategy, relying on Taiwan SemiconductorManufacturing Company (TSMC) and United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) for fabrication of its multimediaproducts. Chrontel’s core competencies are in mixed-signal IC design; video signal processing; innovativeproduct features; and the use of full custom layout for precise product tuning.
Based on these core competencies, Chrontel develops what it calls “visually oriented multimedia solutions.”Chrontel targets the convergence (TVs/PCs/communications) segment of the consumer multimedia market whichit assesses as “poised for significant growth.” Target applications include PC-TVs, DVD players, set-top boxes,video CDs, Internet web browsers and video conferencing.
Chrontel currently produces a variety of clock chip products, video encoder products, and video DACs andmultiplexers, and has a video camera IC now under development. Chrontel entered the video encoder market as abrand new player in 1996, Chrontel claims to be the world's leading maker of these devices, shipping more thanone million encoders per month. Chrontel expects to maintain its leadership position by offering an expandedrange of encoders and by continuing its aggressive video encoder marketing program.
Chrontel offers its products through a worldwide network of distributors and manufacturers' sales representatives,including 17 U.S. manufacturer sales representatives across 20 states and another 17 international distributorslocated in Canada, Mexico, England, Wales, Austria, Germany, Israel, Italy, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singaporeand Taiwan. Sager Electronics is Chrontel’s U.S. distributor, with offices in 19 states.
Management
David Soo, Ph.D. Founder, President and Chief Executive OfficerGene McCown Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial OfficerLawrence Tse Vice President, EngineeringGary Salter Vice President, Advanced TechnologyDemonder Chan Vice President, Systems and Software EngineeringTed Friedland Vice President, SalesKenneth Lowe Vice President, Marketing
Products and Processes
Chrontel’s name is based on its initial sole product line of clock chips. Chrontel has since expanded its productportfolio, but continues to offer an innovate and broad range of clock synthesizer products including graphicsclock generators and video encoders, true-color ChronDAC clock generators, motherboard clocks, Rambus-compatible clocks, dual programmable clock generators and general purpose device clocks.
Chrontel claims to be the world's leading supplier of PC-TV encoder solutions, shipping over one million units permonth into PC, video CD and web browser applications. Its CH7002 is positioned as the industry’s first stand-alone, scalable PC-to-TV encoder chip, and is fully Microsoft PC ‘97 compliant. The chip incorporates proprietaryTrueScale rendering technology to optimize images to NTSC or PAL TV standards. It is also fully programmablethrough an I2C input port. The CH7003, which began shipping in August 1997, uses a digital input interface.
MPEG-to-TV encoders are another major product area for Chrontel. The company claims that its flagshipCH7201B chip has captured more than 75 percent of the video CD market, which though largely limited to thePRC market, is supposedly expanding rapidly in India and South America. Chrontel is in the early stages ofdeveloping a DVD-targeted product which will be Macrovision compliant and will be implemented using a 0.5micron die.
Chrontel manufactures digital color key video mixers, analog color key devices and video DACs. It introduced an8-bit version of its video mixer in Q1 1997, and plans to integrate DACs and muxes with video encoders in thefuture.
Chrontel is developing a video camera IC featuring an active CMOS sensor designed for multiple applicationsincluding video conferencing, security and entertainment. Target capabilities for the chip include SIF resolution of353x228, CCIR 601 digital output and up to 30fps speed.
Chrontel’s overall product direction is to offer more integration and cost reductions with a systematic targeting ofmultimedia market requirements.
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North American Company Profiles Chrontel
Key Agreements
• Chrontel has partnerships with 2D/3D graphics chipmakers such as Cirrus Logic and S3. In the MPEG camp,Chrontel has teamed up with several MPEG chip manufacturers including C-Cube Microsystems and ESSTechnology.
• Chrontel and its IC partner, Cirrus Logic, jointly developed a fully PC '97 compliant integrated multimediareference design which enables PC users to view high-quality 2D, 3D and video images on a standard TV. Thereference card is based on Chrontel's CH7002 VGA-to-NTSC/PAL encoder and Cirrus' Laguna 3D-AGPgraphics controller. Being incorporated by OEMs, the card will allow such large-format applications as 3Dgames, web browsing, video playback and video conferencing.
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Cirrus Logic North American Company Profiles
CIRRUS LOGIC
Cirrus Logic, Inc.3100 West Warren Avenue
Fremont, California 94538-6423Telephone: (510) 623-8300
Fax: (510) 226-2240Web Site: www.cirrus.com
IC Manufacturer
Regional Headquarters/Representative Locations
Japan: Cirrus Logic K.K. • Tokyo, JapanTelephone: (81) (3) 3340-9111
North America: Cirrus Logic, Inc. • Austin, TexasTelephone: (512) 445-7222
Europe: Cirrus Logic, Inc. • United KingdomTelephone: (44) (1727) 872424
Asia-Pacific: Cirrus Logic, Inc. • TaiwanTelephone: (886) (2) 2718-4526
Cirrus Logic Inc. is a premier supplier of system-level integrated circuits that demand high-performance mixed-signal processing. The company combines its systems, mixed-signal and silicon expertise to create innovativesolutions for high-volume applications in data storage, networking and multimedia for both computing andconsumer electronics markets, as well as ultra-precision data acquisition applications in industrial automation andinstrumentation markets.
Founded in 1984, Cirrus Logic completed its initial public offering in 1989. The company grew rapidly in theensuing seven years and reached a billion dollar annual revenue run rate, faster than any other Silicon Valleysemiconductor manufacturer. This remarkable growth was highlighted in September 1997, when Deloitte &Touche LLP and Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network announced the winners of the “Silicon Valley Fast 50.” Atthis annual tribute, special recognition was given to the fourteen companies that placed in the “Fast 50” for threeconsecutive years. With 569 percent revenue growth over the 1992-1996 period, Cirrus Logic ranked tenth inthis distinctive group.
Cirrus Logic has amassed a rich portfolio of intellectual property over its years in business. The company currentlyholds more than 750 patents (issued or pending), a number of which have set new industry standards.Approximately 40 percent of these patents involve mixed-signal technology.
Focusing on high-performance, mixed-signal chip solutions that leverage its innovative analog circuit designtechniques and algorithmic software expertise, Cirrus Logic targets emerging and existing high-growth marketsthat are undergoing high rates of technological change. The company enables high-growth markets byanticipating transitions and developing unique system-level chip solutions ahead of those translations. Followingthis strategy, Cirrus Logic continues to add high value to major brands worldwide.
Within the continental United States, Cirrus Logic operates from its headquarters in Fremont, California and a majorsite in Austin, Texas, as well as from its design centers in Greenville, South Carolina; Raleigh, North Carolina;Broomfield, Colorado and other locations. Internationally, the company operates from offices in Europe, Japanand Pacific Asia. The company’s products are sold under its own name as well as the Crystal™ product brand,which is well established in industrial automation and consumer/professional audio markets.
Cirrus Logic is a partner in two wafer fabs: MICRUS with IBM in East Fishkill, New York, and Cirent Semiconductorwith Lucent Technologies in Orlando, Florida. These joint ventures reinforce the company’s manufacturingstrategy of balancing joint-venture ownership with its strong foundry relationships. With this strategy, Cirrus Logicexpects to realize cost efficiencies that come from balancing direct owned capacity with foundries—plus the earlyand direct access to world-class process technologies.
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Cirrus Logic North American Company Profiles
Cirrus Logic has invested substantially in R&D and in the acquisition of key technologies to develop its “systems insilicon” expertise. Past acquisitions include Pixel Semiconductor (1991), Crystal Semiconductor Corporation(1991), Acumos Inc. (1992), Pacific Communication Sciences, Inc. (1993), PicoPower Technology, Inc. (1994),the 3D graphics chip technology of Austek Microsystems (1994), and the graphics and disk interface ICbusinesses of Appian Technology (1994). The intellectual property gain from these acquisitions, combined withCirrus Logic’s on-going research and development, have enabled the company to broaden and deepen itstechnology in the areas of mixed-signal design, digital audio, graphics acceleration, modulation/demodulationalgorithms, and digital wireless communications.
As part of the company’s streamlining efforts in fiscal 1996, certain acquisitions were divested, includingPicoPower Technology (sold to National Semiconductor in May 1996), PCSI’s Wireless Infrastructure EquipmentGroup (sold to ADC Telecommunications in December 1996), and PCSI’s Wireless Semiconductor Group (sold toRockwell Semiconductor Systems in January 1997).
With approximately 2,600 employees worldwide, Cirrus Logic operates with a division infrastructure designed todrive high product development synergy within key markets and high customer satisfaction. The company’s fourmarket-focused divisions are profiled under “Products and Processes.”
Management
Michael L. Hackworth Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerThomas F. Kelly Office of the President, Chief Operating OfficerGeorge N. Alexy Office of the President, Chief Products and Marketing OfficerEdward C. Ross President, Technology and Manufacturing GroupHank Josefczyk Senior Vice President, SalesRonald K. Shelton Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial OfficerSteven Dines Vice President and General Manager, Mass Storage Products DivisionMichael D. Shealy Vice President and General Manager, Communications Products DivisionEric C. Broockman Vice President and General Manager, Crystal Semiconductor Products DivisionHalappa Ravindra Vice President, Research and DevelopmentSatish K. Gupta Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Business DevelopmentRobert F. Donohue Vice President and Chief Legal OfficerPatrick V. Boudreau Vice President, Human ResourcesThomas P. Rigoli Vice President, Corporate Communications
Products and Processes
Cirrus Logic’s broad portfolio of products emanate from four market-focused divisions:
• Mass Storage Products Division addresses the increasing demand for higher-storage capacity and fasterinformation access with high-performance mixed-signal chip solutions for both magnetic and optical movingmedia. A long-time market leader in the magnetic drive segment, Cirrus Logic has more recently begun strongpenetration into the optical segment. Using advanced mixed-signal processing to integrate drive electronics,Cirrus Logic has led the industry with innovations such as PRML (Partial Response Maximum Likelihood) read-channel chips, which enable disk drive makers such as Seagate and Western Digital to pack more data on amagnetic platter. Cirrus Logic is also bringing similar innovations to the optical market working with customerssuch as Sony.
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North American Company Profiles Cirrus Logic
• Communications Products Division serves three key communications markets. In the wide area andlocal area networking (WAN and LAN) infrastructure equipment market, the division provides: advanced T1/E1chip solutions to a large base of WAN customers; an expanding breadth of LAN products including 10BASE-Tand 100BASE-TX/FX Ethernet chips to key customers such as Bay Networks; and a solid portfolio of highlyintegrated, multiprotocol engines to industry leaders such as Cisco Systems. In the intelligent “network-aware”appliance market, the company focuses on emerging WEB-centric TV and telephony markets as well as thenew high-end cellular phone and PDA segments that demand high integration. The company also offers Card-Bus (PC Card) chips that enable portable PC “bridge applications” not only to desktop PCs but also to networkinfrastructure and industrial equipment.
• PC Products Division offers advanced multimedia chip solutions for personal computing and homeentertainment markets. Leveraging its powerful PC product platforms (CrystalClear™ Audio; Languna3D™Graphics/Video; and FastPath™ Telephony), Cirrus Logic is focused on delivering system-on-a-chip solutionsthat speed the development and time-to-market of affordable multimedia PCs and PC-based entertainmentappliances. Cirrus Logic’s platforms enable customers to provide CD-quality audio, cutting-edge 3Dgraphics/video, and high-speed Internet access, plus the opportunity to achieve high-level system integration.Customers include major PC manufacturers such as Compaq, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and IBM.
• Crystal Semiconductor Products Division focuses its advanced mixed-signal chip solutions onconsumer electronics, industrial automation and instrumentation markets. The patented delta-sigmatechnology pioneered by this division is today an industry standard technique for analog-to-digital (A/D)conversion, and key to achieving ultra-precision data acquisition. Moreover, the high-performance mixed-signal design techniques that originate in this division are applied to chip solutions across Cirrus Logic’sproduct line. Products sold under the Crystal brand serve consumer/professional audio customers such asHarmon International, Philips, and Blaupunkt as well as industrial/instrumentation customers such as RockwellAutomation and Schlumberger.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Cirrus Logic currently manufactures most of its IC products using 0.35µm and 0.6µm triple-layer-metal CMOSprocess technologies. The company balances joint venture fab ownership (see Key Agreements) with the use offoundries.
In late 1995, Cirrus Logic announced a program to expand its manufacturing infrastructure, targeting 0.35µm and0.25µm process capabilities. The program called for the company to invest approximately $2 billion over a five-year period. In early 1997, the amount was reduced by half.
This program resulted in the expansion of MiCRUS and the formation of Cirent Semiconductor, a new joint venturewith Lucent Technologies, that operates within an existing Lucent wafer manufacturing facility in Orlando, Florida.Cirent is 40 percent owned by Cirrus Logic and 60 percent by Lucent Technologies. The two firms share theproduction output of the new 200mm wafer facility, which initially focused on 0.35µm, and is now migrating to0.25µm processing.
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Cirrus Logic North American Company Profiles
With both of its joint manufacturing ventures in production, Cirrus Logic has reduced its dependence onfoundries. Whereas, the company used a dozen foundries before the joint ventures, the company now dependson less than half that number to meet its production needs. Cirrus Logic continues to nurture its foundryrelationships, which include long-standing relationships with TSMC and UMC.
MiCRUS Cirent Semiconductor(Joint venture with IBM) (Joint venture with Lucent)1580 Route 52 9333 South John Young ParkwayHopewell Junction, New York 12533 Orlando, Florida 32819Telephone: (914) 892-2121 Telephone: (407) 345-6000Wafer size: 200mm Wafer size: 200mmProcess: CMOS Process: CMOSFeature sizes: 0.25µm-0.6µm Feature sizes: 0.25µm, 0.5µm
Key Agreements
• IBM and Cirrus Logic formed a joint manufacturing venture called MiCRUS in 1994. IBM and Cirrus Logic own52 percent and 48 percent of MiCRUS, respectively. Volume production of logic chips for Cirrus and memoryICs for IBM began in mid-1995. The agreement does not include product and/or technology exchange. In1996, Cirrus Logic entered into a similar joint venture agreement with Lucent Technologies to form CirentSemiconductor in Orlando, Florida. Cirrus Logic has access to the production outputs of up to 55 percent and25 percent of the MiCRUS and Cirent fabs, respectively.
• Cirrus Logic is a long-time licensee of Advanced RISC Machines (ARM) Ltd., and as such licensed to embedARM processors into its chip solutions.
• Chrontel and its IC partner, Cirrus Logic, jointly developed a fully PC '97 compliant integrated multimediareference design which enables PC users to view high-quality 2D, 3D and video images on a standard TV. Thereference card is based on Chrontel's CH7002 VGA-to-NTSC/PAL encoder and Cirrus' Laguna 3D-AGPgraphics controller. Being incorporated by OEMs, the card will allow such large-format applications as 3Dgames, web browsing, video playback and video conferencing.
• In 1996, Cirrus Logic entered into a licensing agreement with U.S. Robotics that gave the company rights touse U.S. Robotics’ x2 protocol for high-speed (56Kbps) access. Cirrus Logic’s software configurable line ofFastPath modem chipsets is currently being upgraded to the new International Telecommunications Union(ITU) worldwide standard.
• Cirrus Logic licensed the Rambus high-performance DRAM interface architecture in early 1995. Cirruspioneered the use of the Rambus in 3D graphics accelerators.
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North American Company Profiles Compensated Devices, Incorporated
Thomas Kachel PresidentDon Smith Vice President, EngineeringCharles Smith Vice President, Marketing (Scottsdale, AZ 602-990-7326)Elizabeth Parker Manager, ProductThomas Briand Manager, National SalesPeter Haxton Manager, Quality AssuranceLorraine Goodhue Manager, Human Resources
Products and Processes
CDI manufactures Current Regulator Diodes, Schottky Diodes and Rectifiers, Temperature-Compensated VoltageReference Diodes, and Zener Voltage Regulator Diodes. Products are available for the commercial market and forthe military market (JAN, JANHC, JANKC, JANTX, JANTXV, JANS).
Semiconductor relays accounted for 47 percent and 37 percent of the Company's net sales in fiscal 1997 and1996, respectively.
Company Overview and Strategy
Founded in 1937, C.P. Clare was acquired by General Instrument (GI) in 1967 only to be divested by GI to Theta-JCorporation in 1989. In January 1997, the company consolidated its headquarters into a newly constructed facilityin Beverly, Mass.
C.P. Clare is a leading provider of small signal semiconductor and electromagnetic switches and relays. Its primarymarkets are telecommunications and data communications. However, it also sells to a wide range of other marketsincluding consumer electronics, appliances, computer peripheral, gaming equipment, automotive, aerospace,automatic test equipment, industrial control and instrumentation. The communications industry represents thecompany’s largest market due to the ubiquity of switch and relay technology, and the need for integratedsolutions, in that market.
The company is organized around four strategic business units: Semiconductor, Reed Relay, Surge Arrestor andAdvanced Magnetic Products (AMP).
North American Company Profiles C.P. Clare Corporation
C.P. Clare’s corporate development strategy is to capitalize on semiconductor opportunities, focus on thecommunications industry as a market, increase and enhance new product development, reduce complexity andcosts of operations, and increase inter-unit portfolio synergies to better leverage its corporate brand and customerfranchises. The company therefore has a two-prong segmentation strategy: provide customized solutions andleverage resources by selling complementary products across all product lines, in both existing and new markets.
C.P. Clare has 21 distributors worldwide, including 11 in the U.S., as well as 12 sales “representatives”organizations, three of which are not also distributors. With branch units and 700 total personnel worldwide, suchas U.S.-based Allied Electronics’ Isando, South Africa unit, Allied Electronics Components (Pty.) Ltd.
Management
CorporateArthur R. Buckland President and Chief Executive OfficerMichael J. Ferrantino Chief Operating OfficerWilliam D. Reed Executive Vice President, Sales and MarketingThomas B. Sager Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerRobert M. Palladino Vice President and Corporate TreasurerRichard E. Morgan Vice President, Human ResourcesHarsh Koppula Vice President and General Manger, Advanced Magnetic Prods.Mike Ferrantino Vice President and General Manager Components ProductsBill Miller Vice President, ManufacturingJoAnn McDonald Major Accounts ManagerRose Ferrara Distribution ManagerPat Swiencicki Distributor Sales ManagerDonna Boland Director of Corporate Customer ServiceLori M. Henderson Corporate Counsel and Clerk
Products and Processes
C.P. Clare’s core competencies are analog semiconductor processes and design, optical isolation, wafertechnology and multi-chip packaging, package molding, coil winding, ceramic-to-metal sealing and materialsprocessing.
C.P. Clare Semiconductor is a leading small signal relay manufacturer. The company believes it pioneered theapplication of semiconductor technology into relay products. Its working assumption is that semiconductor relaysrepresent the fastest growing segment of the small signal relay market. The unit offers over 270 relayconfigurations.
Recent products include the (7/96) Cybergate 2000, the (8/96) dual linear optocoupler LOC210P, LOC211Pmodels and the LIA100 Series, the (10/96) Cybergate 2001 and the (1/97) LOC110/111 and LOC112 enhancedoptocoupler series.
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C.P. Clare Corporation North American Company Profiles
The Circuits Division’s latest product is its telephone line interface, the Cybergate Series Data AccessArrangement (DAA) Module. Cybergate application targets include Home Medical Devices, Utility Meters,Voicemail Systems and Telephony, PBX Systems and Set-Top Boxes. A turnkey device, the Cybergate is V.34compatible (28.8Kbps) and is available in a 2-4 wire hybrid version, and domestic and international versions. TheCybergate 2000 DAA series was introduced in order to penetrate the analog modem market where multiplediscrete components can be displaced by the small package size Cybergate.
C.P. Clare Reed Relay manufactures a broad range of dry and wetted reed switches and relays. These productsoperate electromagnetically and their largest market is the telecommunications industry. In August 1996, the unitintroduced an instrument grade single in-line relay, the SIL4 Reed Relay, and the MVS Series Reed Relay, 1 FormA Reed Switch. The unit’s DYAD product was the first commercially available switch to have surface mountcapabilities. The unit’s wetted reed high performance switch uses a liquid mercury film which is applied or wettedto the electrical contacts. These products are used primarily in telecommunications applications (CO equipment;telephone switching gear and test systems; PBXs), as well as in process control applications and precisionmeasuring and water meter applications.
In fiscal 1997, the Reed Relay unit also developed a standard telecommunications transformer designed toreplace isolation transformers used in large volumes in communications applications. Fulfilling the complementaryproducts strategy, Reed Relay also began offering a modem isolation transformer in the semiconductor DAAproduct in fiscal 1997.
The C.P. Clare Surge unit manufactures a line of surge arrestors used primarily for circuit protection intelecommunications, data transmission lines and cable TV systems. These products are often used in conjunctionwith semiconductor and reed relays.
C.P. Clare AMP provides application-specific engineering, design and manufacturing subcontracting services formagnetic components. Its products are used in applications such as transformers and lighting ballasts. AMPintroduced its Modem Isolation Transformer (MIT) line in July 1996.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
All of C.P. Clare’s manufacturing facilities are ISO-9001 certified. Manufacturing and assembly facilities total about354,400 square feet of floor space. The St. Louis facility is 20,000 square feet, the Guadalajara, Mexico facility is194,000 square feet, and the Chitu, Taiwan facility is 25,000 square feet.
Aside from its headquarters consolidation, which houses its 5 inch wafer fabrication facility (32,400 square feet),the company is also consolidating and automating its facilities. Additionally, in mid-1997 the company anticipatedadding capacity to the headquarters fabrication facility. During fiscal 1997, it expanded manufacturing operationsin Mexico.
Most fabricated chips are shipped for assembly to a subcontractor in the Philippines, although some are sent tothe company's Guadalajara, Mexico facility.
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North American Company Profiles C.P. Clare Corporation
The company manufactures dry reed switches in St. Louis, Missouri and assembles relays in Chitu, Taiwan andGuadalajara, Mexico. Wetted reed switches and some wetted reed relays are purchased from TMC (Tongeren,Belgium). Magnetic components are designed and assembled in Guadalajara, Mexico.
• In February 1997, C.P. Clare’s Surge Arrestor Products Group acquired Wickmann GmbH’s gas discharge tube(GDT) surge protection product line. Under a reciprocal supply agreement, C.P. Clare moved the technologyand assets to its factory in Guadalajara, Mexico from which it will supply Wickmann. Additionally, C.P. Clare nowsells these products to its customers worldwide through its existing sales and distribution channels tocomplement its line of surge arrestors. The acquisition was positioned as an investment designed to leveragebrand and distribution channel franchises, and to enhance penetration of the international telecommunicationsmarket. It was also intended to complement the company’s 11/96 partnership with Harris Semiconductor toresell their surge protection product line.
• In January 1997, C.P. Clare completed the sale of its Tongeren Manufacturing Company (TMC) to GuntherGmbH. The companies entered into a long term supply contract in which Gunther Belgium will supply itsmercury switches and relays exclusively to C.P. Clare, (which will continue to offer these products worldwidethrough its existing sales channels). TMC was renamed Gunther Belgium. The sale was aimed at exiting a highlabor cost region and a mature product with serious environmental liabilities.
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Cypress Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR
Cypress Semiconductor Corporation3901 North First Street
San Jose, California 95134-1599Telephone: (408) 943-2600
Fax: (408) 943-2796Web Site: www.cypress.com
IC Manufacturer
Regional Headquarters/Representative Locations
Japan: Cypress Semiconductor Japan K.K. • Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, JapanTelephone: (81) (3) 5296-0781 • Fax: (81) (3) 5269-0788
Founded in 1983, Cypress Semiconductor is a designer, developer, and manufacturer of high-performance digitalintegrated circuits for a variety of markets including networking, military, computers, telecommunications, andinstrumentation. Cypress’ product offerings include SRAMs, EPROMs, specialty memories, programmable logicdevices (PLDs), data communications products, timing devices, and USB microcontrollers.
North American Company Profiles Cypress Semiconductor
Suffering its first revenue decline in 1992, Cypress initiated a restructuring program. From the company'sbeginning, it had been known for its niche-market strategy of acquiring and managing smaller autonomousbusinesses. That approach, however, has been modified to take advantage of Cypress' lowered manufacturingcosts, allowing the company to compete effectively in high-volume markets such as the PC market. Cypress hasalso turned to a more market-driven focus.
Restructuring activities included the selling of its SPARC processor subsidiary, Ross Technology, to Fujitsu andthe realignment of its subsidiaries — Aspen Semiconductor and Multichip Technology — under the company'sfour business units: the Memory Products Division (MPD), the Programmable Products Division (PPD), the DataCommunications Division (DCD), and the Computation Products Division (CPD). Cypress also made a fewstrategic acquisitions, including Seattle-based IC Designs, Inc., a supplier of clock-frequency synthesis chips forthe PC market, and the high-speed FCT logic product line from Performance Semiconductor.
During 1997, Cypress’ sales grew to $544 million. Cypress entered 1998 with a reinforced strategy to continuedeveloping new products and processes utilizing its proprietary technologies to address the needs of its targetmarkets as well as enter new markets in order to reduce its dependence on specific markets.
In 1997, Cypress introduced a record number of new products. Cypress debuted a 4Mbit SRAM, low-powerdevices for mobile applications, the NoBL (TM) SRAMs for networking applications, and the company’s first 0.35micron device, a 64K x 16 SRAM targeted to work with DSPs.
Cypress also has introduced new products for other applications including DUB and SMPTE video, ATM, PCclocking solutions, the world’s largest First-In First-Out (FIFO) memory, new universal serial bus (USB)microcontrollers, high-speed logic products, and 3.3V compatible CPLDs.
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Cypress Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Management
Pierre Lamond ChairmanT.J. Rodgers President and Chief Executive OfficerAntonio Alvarez Vice President, Memory Products Division and Research and DevelopmentDan Barrett Vice President, European Sales and MarketingLou Chetaud Vice President, Worldwide Assembly and Test ManufacturingBernard Glasauer Vice President, Product EngineeringEmmanuel Hernandez Vice President, Finance and Administration and Chief Financial OfficerJeff Kaszubinski Vice President, Manufacturing OperationsPaul Keswick Vice President, New Products DevelopmentJim Kupec Vice President, Business DevelopmentJeff Linden Vice President and Corporate ControllerLothar Maier Vice President, Worldwide ManufacturingJ. Daniel McCranie Vice President, Marketing and SalesChristopher Norris Vice President, Programmable Logic DivisionRich Parker Vice President, North American DistributionJohn Ramacciotti Vice President, ProcurementR. Michael Starnes Vice President, Process TechnologyJoyce Sziebert Vice President, Human ResourcesJohn Torode Vice President and Chief Technical OfficerEdward Rodriguez Vice President, Data Communications DivisionWilliam Verde Vice President, Strategic AccountsMichael Villott Vice President, North American SalesChristopher Seams Vice President, Worldwide Wafer ManufacturingDavid Fleischer Vice President, Asia PacificThomas Knueppel Vice President and Corporate ControllerJagdish Belani Vice President, Packaging TechnologyAnthony Cantu Vice President, QualityGerald Cummings Vice President, Central Manufacturing OperationsNeil Weiss Tax and Treasury
Products and Processes
Highlights of Cypress Semiconductor's product portfolio are given below. Its integrated circuits are fabricatedusing proprietary 0.5µm, 0.65µm, and 0.8µm CMOS and BiCMOS technologies.
SRAMs Specialty Memories and Memory Modules• 4K to 4M CMOS SRAMs • Industry-standard FIFOs• 64K and 256K BiCMOS SRAMs • Bidirectional FIFOs• 64-bit x 18 Cache tag RAMs • Clocked FIFOs
PROMs/EPROMs Data Communications• 4K to 512K CMOS PROMs • HOTLink point-to-point communications• 4K-1M CMOS EPROMs • Fibre Channel, and ATM/ SONET transceivers/receivers
Timing Technology Products Logic and Bus Products• Motherboard frequency synthesizers • FCT logic chips• Low-power system logic devices • VMEbus controllers• Graphics frequency synthesizers • Programmable skew clock buffers• Programmable products • Low-skew clock buffers• Custom oscillators• Pentium clock synthesizers/drivers
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Several strategic activities took place at Cypress during the late-1997 to early-1998 timeframe. Cypressconsolidated its manufacturing to two main fabs. Fab II in Round Rock, Texas now does all of Cypress’ non-SRAMbased manufacturing, including data communications, programmable logic, and USB microcontrollers. Fab IV inBloomington, MN — the company’s 8-inch, 0.35 micron facility — will produce all of Cypress’ SRAM-basedproducts. Cypress’ Fab III, also in Bloomington, has been closed for renovation and will come back on-line as a0.25 micron facility when that capacity is needed. Cypress spent $85 million in 1Q98 for this restructuring, whichwill significantly reduce costs.
Cypress Semiconductor Inc. Cypress Semiconductor (Texas) Inc.3901 North First Street 17 Cypress DriveSan Jose, California 95134 Round Rock, Texas 78664Telephone: (408) 943-2653 Telephone: (512) 244-7789Fab I Fab II (17 percent owned by Altera)Cleanroom size: 12,000 square feet Cleanroom size: 25,000 square feetCapacity (wafers/week): 1,000 Capacity (wafers/week): 2,700Wafer size: 150mm Wafer size: 150mmProcesses: CMOS, BiCMOS Processes: CMOS, BiCMOSProducts: R&D Products: SRAMs, PLDs, FPGAs, EPROMs,Feature sizes: 0.35µm-0.8µm datacom ICs.
Feature sizes: 0.5µm-1.2µm
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Cypress Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
• In March 1997, QuickLogic and Cypress terminated the Existing Agreement, and replaced it with a newarrangement whereby the company’s FPGA products will no longer be second sourced by Cypress. Inexchange for the termination of the Existing Agreement and the reversion of the rights to the intellectualproperty developed thereunder to the company, the company paid $4.5 million in cash and agreed to issue2,603,817 shares of common stock to Cypress, resulting in a charge of approximately $23 million in the firstquarter of 1997. The 2,603,817 shares of common stock to be issued to Cypress are issuable upon theconsummation of an initial public offering by the company or by April 1, 1998, whichever is first. In addition, thecompany granted Cypress certain contractual rights as to the shares of the company’s stock held by Cypress,including the right to sell shares in this offering.
• QuickLogic and Cypress also entered into a new foundry agreement effective through the year 2001. Thisagreement guarantees weekly wafer starts at established prices and yields for the company’s pASIC 1 andpASIC 2 product families, which are fabricated using a 0.65µm three-layer metal CMOS process on 6-inchwafers. These products will continue to be manufactured at Cypress’ Round Rock, Texas facility, and willcontinue to utilize QuickLogic’s proprietary ViaLink amorphous silicon antifuse technology.
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North American Company Profiles Cyrix
CYRIX(A National Semiconductor Company)
Cyrix Corporation2703 North Central ExpresswayRichardson, Texas 75080-2010
Telephone: (972) 968-8388Fax: (972) 699-9857
Web Site: www.cyrix.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends December 31
*As of November 1997, Cyrix is a wholly owned subsidiary of National Semiconductor — financial information nolonger disclosed separately.**As part of the agreement made with IBM in early 1994, Cyrix purchases substantially all of the equipmentrequired by IBM to manufacture Cyrix products.
Company Overview and Strategy
In November 1997, Cyrix became a wholly owned subsidiary of National Semiconductor.
Founded in 1988, Cyrix Corporation designs, develops, and markets high-performance x86 software-compatiblemicroprocessors for the desktop and mobile computer markets. The company seeks to serve the needs of the PCmarketplace as an alternative source for x86 microprocessors of original design with competitiveprice/performance characteristics.
Fiscal 1996 was a difficult year for Cyrix financially. The transition from the old 486 product line to the 6x86™processor did not occur as quickly as expected. The 6x86 was recognized with numerous awards for itsexceptional processing power, but it did not gain broad market acceptance until late in the year. Significantdemand for the 6x86 was experienced in 4Q96.
*As of November 1997, Cyrix is a wholly owned subsidiary of National Semiconductor. Sales no longer disclosedseparately.
Cyrix has strategic alliances with IBM Microelectronics, National Semiconductor, and TSMC for the production of itshigh-performance microprocessors. These agreements support the company's current strategy to focus itsresources on product design, market development, and customer support.
Products and Processes
Cyrix’s first products were math coprocessors. The company delivered its first x86 microprocessors in 1992. Itthen moved quickly to develop a full line of 486 processors with advanced power management, clock-doublingcapabilities, integrated math coprocessors, and write-back cache. In 1995, Cyrix introduced its fifth-generation5x86 and sixth-generation 6x86 high-performance processors (the 486 products are no longer in production).
Cyrix’s 6x86 (formerly called the M1) is based on a superscalar, superpipelined architecture and a RISC core. The6x86 was offered (no longer available) at several performance levels ranging from PR133+ to PR200+. The PR+nomenclature suggests which specific higher-clock-rate Intel Pentium each of the members best compete with.
Cyrix launched its M2 processor (6x86MX) in May 1997. Building on the 6x86 core, the six-million-transistor M2features Cyrix’s fully compatible MMX technology, a quadrupled (64KByte) internal Cache, enhanced memorymanagement, and other architectural and performance innovations. In March 1998, Cyrix announced the6x86MX™ PR266 processor, which delivers performance comparable to systems based on a 266MHz Pentium® IIprocessor, at approximately half the price. The 6x86MX™ processor also provides Winstone® 98 performance onpar with similarly configured Pentium II processor systems running at 266MHz. Meanwhile, the development ofthe seventh-generation processor, called the M3 is under way.
Cyrix began shipping its first MediaGX processors in early 1997. Due to the number of functions integrated on-chip, the MediaGX eliminates the need for L2 Cache, memory controller, graphics controller, graphics memory,and audio card. Cyrix’s MediaGX processors are offered at speeds of 166MHz, 180MHz, 200MHz, and 233MHz.The MPU interfaces with the Cyrix-designed Cx5510 core logic chipset that provides a PCI-ISA bridge.
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North American Company Profiles Cyrix
In March 1998, Cyrix announced the 233MHz MMX-enhanced MediaGX™ processor. The company currentlyuses 0.35µm five-layer-metal CMOS technology for its 6x86 products. The initial MediaGX processor is beingproduced with IBM’s 0.44µm three-layer-metal CMOS process, with a 0.4µm process scheduled forimplementation by the end of 1997. The 6x86MX is being produced with IBM’s 0.33µm five-layer-metal CMOSprocess.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Cyrix's agreement with IBM Microelectronics was established in April 1994 and is good through the end of 1999.As part of the agreement, Cyrix made a capital equipment investment of about $88 million in an IBM fab in 1995.Cyrix expanded its partnership with IBM in May 1996 to increase the quantity of wafers supplied by IBM throughthe end of 1997.
Key Agreements
• In November 1997, Cyrix became a wholly owned subsidiary of National Semiconductor.
• In 1Q96, Cyrix announced an agreement with Cadence Design Systems. Under the agreement, Cadence willprovide a broad range of technologies and services to Cyrix, and work together in designing Cyrix’s seventh-generation x86 microprocessor, called the M3.
• Cyrix and IBM announced a five year agreement in early 1994 under which IBM is manufacturing Cyrix's x86-compatible microprocessors. The agreement calls for the two companies to equally share the output of theCyrix-designed chips.
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Dallas Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
DALLAS SEMICONDUCTOR
Dallas Semiconductor Corporation4401 South Beltwood Parkway
Dallas Semiconductor (NYSE: DS) designs, manufactures, and markets high performance CMOS ICs andsemiconductor-based systems that provide innovative and cost-effective solutions to electronic design problemsin a wide range of markets. The company's continuous new product development strategy serves as a means toincrease future revenues and avoid dependence upon a single industry, market, or customer. Its products aresold to OEMs in the personal computer and workstation, scientific and medical equipment, industrial control,automatic information, telecommunications, and other markets.
Positive 1997 financial results have further validated their strategy of using proprietary circuit architectures andtechnologies to create non-commodity products for a broad customer base.
North American Company Profiles Dallas Semiconductor
Management
Charles Vincent Prothro Chairman, President and Chief Executive OfficerChao C. Mai, Ph.D. Senior Vice PresidentMichael L. Bolan Vice President, Marketing and Product DevelopmentAlan P. Hale Vice President, FinanceF.A. Scherpenberg Vice President, Computer Products
• Telecommunications ICs • System extension circuitsT1 and E1 circuits CPU supervisorsSCSI terminators Digital potentiometers
Thermal and battery management• Silicon timed circuits
In 1996, Dallas’ Automatic Information product division introduced a device called the Cryptographic iButton. Thedevice is said to provide safer transfer of sensitive information such as credit card numbers or electronic transfer offunds. The device consists of a processor, an arithmetic accelerator, a true time clock, a random numbergenerator, and 8K of SRAM.
For 1998, Dallas Semiconductor remains committed to new product development and manufacturing costreductions, including a more aggressive policy of shrinking the size of their chips.
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Dallas Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) is one of the world's largest manufacturers of computers and computer-related products. The company provides network computer systems, systems integrator, computer peripheralequipment, software, and associated computer accessory equipment to customers in more than 100 countries.
Digital Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
DEC began developing semiconductor products in 1975 for use in its electronic systems. In 1993, Digitalexpanded its semiconductor charter to become a merchant vendor. As part of its push into the merchant market,DEC spun out its semiconductor operation in mid-1994 to become an autonomous business unit, called DigitalSemiconductor. For the past several years, Digital Semiconductor has worked to establish itself as anindependent semiconductor vendor, but its largest customer always has been Digital Equipment, which bases itsworkstations and servers on its proprietary high-performance RISC microprocessor, called Alpha. Still, thecompany desires to expand its merchant focus.
Digital Semiconductor designs, manufactures, and markets a broad portfolio of semiconductor products includingits Alpha processor and PCI-based networking, bridge, and graphics/multimedia devices.
Management
Robert B. Palmer President and Chief Executive OfficerCharles F. Christ Vice President and General Manager, Components DivisionR.E. Caldwell Vice President, Digital SemiconductorWilliam N. Johnson Vice President, Marketing, Digital Semiconductor
Products and Processes
Digital Semiconductor’s IC products include its Alpha 64-bit RISC microprocessors with speeds as fast as 533MHz;the high-performance, low-power StrongARM 32-bit RISC microprocessor; PCI-compliant system and peripherallogic chipsets; PCI-PCI bridge devices; Ethernet and Fast Ethernet LAN controller ICs; and graphics andmultimedia coprocessors.
Digital’s Alpha 21164 microprocessor is available in speed grades ranging from 366Hz to 533Hz. It is designed foruse in high-performance computing systems like network servers and workstations. A 600MHz version of the21164 entered the sampling stage in early 1997. Also in early 1997, Digital announced its first Alpha chipdesigned for use in a desktop PC. The 21164PC die is 34 percent smaller than its big brother 21164 and requires86 fewer pins. The result is a high-performance 533MHz RISC microprocessor for systems that sell for as little as$2,500.
Digital's IC products are built using primarily CMOS and bipolar technologies, with all advanced processdevelopment centered on CMOS technology. Its leading-edge 0.35µm, four-level interconnect, CMOS-6process technology is being used to manufacture the latest versions of the Alpha 21164.
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North American Company Profiles Digital Semiconductor
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
In 1995, Digital Semiconductor sold to Motorola its South Queensferry, Scotland, fabrication facility.
• Samsung Electronics became a licensee of the Alpha architecture in 1996 and is manufacturing and sellingAlpha microprocessors to its customers as an independent alternate source of Alpha technology.
• Mitsubishi agreed to be both a second source for Digital's Alpha MPUs and a development partner. TheJapanese company began producing Alphas for Digital at its Saijo facility in late 1994. Subsequently,Mitsubishi began designing and fabricating its own versions of the RISC architecture for use in its own systemsand for sale to its own customers.
• In 1995, Advanced RISC Machines Ltd. began jointly developing with Digital and Apple Computer a family ofhigh-performance microprocessors compatible with the ARM RISC line. The 32-bit processor, calledStrongARM, is being produced by Digital using its 0.35µm CMOS-6 process. Volume shipments began in thefirst half of 1996 and are targeted at applications in digital imaging, multimedia, set-top boxes, handheldcomputers, and communications products, as well as Apple's Newton line.
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Diodes Inc. North American Company Profiles
DIODES INCORPORATED
Diodes Inc. 3050 East Hillcrest Drive
Westlake Village, California 91362 Telephone: (805) 446-4800
Fax: (805) 446-4800 Web Site: www.diodes.com
Fabless IC Manufacturer
Founded: 1959
Financial History ($M) 1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7
Sales 56 66 Net Income 3 5 Ownership: Publicly held. ASE: DIO. Company Overview and Strategy Diodes Incorporated provides high-quality discrete semiconductor devices and customer support to leadingmanufacturers in the automotive, electronics, computing and telecommunications industries. Diodes’ productsinclude small signal transistors and MOSFETs, transient voltage suppressors, zeners, Schottkys, diodes,rectifiers, and bridges. Despite pricing pressures is Asia, higher revenues and an improvement in gross margins was experienced in 1997– gross margins grew to 27.9 percent in 1997, from 26.5 percent in the prior year. The record results reflect thegrowing contribution of Kai Hong, a joint venture manufacturing facility in China. Twenty-four percent of Diodes’1997 revenues were attributed to Asian business, compared to 14 percent the prior year. First announced in June 1995, Kai Hong, in which the Company has invested approximately $5M, owns andoperates a facility in mainland China for the manufacture of high-quality SOT 23 products. In 1997, Diodesrecently increased their equity position in Kai Hong to 95 percent from 70 percent, and is currently implementing aplanned $12M capital equipment expansion program at Kai Hong. In 1990, Diodes formed a technology alliance with Lite-On Group which specializes in power semiconductors.Lite-On Group now owns 40 percent of Diodes, Inc. stock. In 1997, Lite-On Group and Vishay Intertechnologycreated a joint venture, of which Diodes is now a part.
Management Michael A. Rosenberg President Joseph Liu Chief Financial Officer Products and Processes Diodes offers the following discrete products.
• Schottky diodes and rectifiers;• Switching diodes;• Zeners and transient voltage suppressors;• Standard, fast, and ultra-fast and super fast recovery rectifiers;• Bridge rectifiers; and• Small-signal transistors and MOSFETs.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities Diodes Inc. has agreements with foundry facilities in Taiwan and Shanghai.
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Dionics North American Company Profiles
DIONICS
Dionics Inc.65 Rushmore Street
Westbury, New York 11590-4839Telephone: (516) 997-7474
Fax: (516) 997-7479
IC Manufacturer
Employees: 25
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends December 31
1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7
Sales 1.5 1.8Net Income 56 146R&D Expenditures 35 40
Company Overview and Strategy
Established in 1969, Dionics is a developer, manufacturer, and marketer of innovative high-quality integratedcircuits and discrete products. It targets these devices at areas of the industrial and military markets where highvoltage, high frequency, and unusual structures are required.
Using a dielectric isolation process, Dionics has evolved from a supplier of discrete components to a manufacturerof hybrid circuits and photovoltaic ICs, solid-state relays (SSRs), and MOSFET-drivers. The products were initiallytargeted for use in digital watches, but have since made their way to markets that require high reliability that isinherent to the dielectric isolation process.
Management
Bernard L. Kravitz President
Products and Processes
Photovoltaic ICs, SSRs, and MOSFET-drivers.
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North American Company Profiles Dionics
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Dionics Inc.65 Rushmore StreetWestbury, New York 11590-4839Cleanroom size: 3,000 square feetCapacity (wafers/week): 400Wafer size: 100mmProcess: Dielectric isolation bipolarProducts: Photovoltaic ICs, SSRs, and MOSFET-driversFeature sizes: 2.0µm-5.0µm
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DSP Group North American Company Profiles
DSP GROUP
DSP Group, Inc.3120 Scott Boulevard
Santa Clara, California 95054Telephone: (408) 986-4300
DSP Group Inc. is a leader in the development and marketing of high-performance, cost-effective, Digital SignalProcessing (DSP) cores and integrated solutions for the consumer telephony and computer telephony markets.By combining three key technologies — digital signal processing, speech processing algorithms and telephonyalgorithms — the company is delivering a wide range of enabling application-specific ICs to these markets. DSPG’score designs and software are licensed by industry leaders such as NEC, LSI Logic, Samsung, Fujitsu, Siemens,VLSI Technology, GEC Plessey, ROHM, TSMC and more.
DSP Group began business in 1987 with the purchase of a small design house that was involved in paramilitaryDSP-related design for applications such as noise cancellation and eavesdropping. The company begandeveloping its own DSPs and established a design center in 1990. In 1992, the company launched DSPSemiconductors as a subsidiary to directly focus on the licensing of its technology. Since then, DSPSemiconductors has been folded back into DSP Group and now operates as the Semiconductor Division.
The company’s strategy is to use its digital speech processing knowledge, and DSP core architecture to be aleading supplier of DSP-based solutions for the emerging markets such as digital speech products.
Management
Igal Kohavi ChairmanEli Ayalon President and Chief Executive OfficerAvi Basher Vice President, Finance, and Chief Financial OfficerMartin Skowron Senior Vice President, OperationsGideon Wertheizer Corporate Vice President, Marketing
Products and Processes
DSP Group has developed a family of low-power consumption, low-cost DSP core architectures that are suitablefor consumer, mobile computer, and communications products. The company’s products are manufactured using0.35µm and 0.6µm CMOS technologies.
SmartCores™ Products• The company’s SmartCores™ products are a family of standard DSP macrocells for use in standard cell ASIC
libraries. The SmartCores™ are designed for speech/audio processing, telecommunications, digital cellularand embedded control applications. The first three members of the family are the PineDSPCore®, theOakDSPCore®, and the TeakDSPCore™ all of which are 16-bit general-purpose, low-power, low-voltage, andhigh-speed DSP core architectures. The PineDSPCore® is based on 0.8µm or 0.6µm double-level-metalCMOS technology (scaleable to 0.5µm and below). The OakDSPCore® is based on 0.6µm double-level-metalCMOS technology (scaleable to 0.35µm and below). The TeakDSPCore™ is a “Soft Core” design and isportable to any technology.
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DSP Group North American Company Profiles
TrueSpeech® Software• TrueSpeech® is a proprietary software-based digital speech compression technology. It is designed for a wide
range of applications, including video conferencing, computer telephony, the Internet, and personalrecorders.
CT Products• DSP Group’s CT products are coprocessors that implement real-time TrueSpeech® compression and
decompression functions. They are available for Windows 95 messaging, DSVD (digital simultaneous voiceand data) modem, video conferencing, and multimedia visual telephony applications.
TAD Related Products• The company’s D6000 family of products are for digital telephone answering device (TAD) and voice recorders.
They implement all functions of TrueSpeech® compression and decompression, voice prompts, voicerecognition, telephone line signal processing, and memory management.
Current licensees of the company’s DSP Core architectures include Adaptec, Asahi Kasei Microsystems, Atmel-ES2, DSP Communications, GEC Plessey Semiconductors, Hyundai/Symbios, ITDK Semiconductors, IntegratedCircuit Systems, LSI Logic, NEC, Rohm, Samsung, Siemens, TI/Silicon Systems, TEMIC, TSMC, VLSITechnology, and Fujitsu among others.
Licensees of DSP Group’s TrueSpeech® technology include Atmel, Cirrus Logic, Creative Labs, Intel, LSI Logic,Lucent Technologies, Microsoft, Siemens, Sierra Semiconductor, U.S. Robotics, and VLSI Technology.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
As a fabless supplier, DSPG depends on foundries for the manufacturing of its devices. The company hasestablished foundry relationships with several companies, including TSMC and Samsung.
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North American Company Profiles Edal Industries
EDAL INDUSTRIES, INC.
Edal Industries, Inc.51 Commerce Street
East Haven, Connecticut 06512Telephone: (203) 467-2591
Edal Industries, Inc., is a manufacturer of discrete components: diodes rectifiers, varistors and metal oxidevaristors.
Management
Robert Cowles President
Products and Processes
Edal manufactures a complete line of silicon rectifiers — from 1 amp diodes to 6 amp diodes; high voltage diodesto 50,000 volts; high voltage rectifier assemblies to 220,000 volts; and bridge rectifiers. They also make acomplete line of power rectifiers which include D04, D05, D08 and D09 up to 300 amps. Edal offers a completeline of JEDEC devices and can supply units which are screened and tested to MIL-S19500. Special assembliessuch as single and three phase bridge assemblies, in current ranges from 25-100 amps, are also available.
*Pro forma data. Electronic Designs, Inc. was acquired by Crystallume in October 1995, and the entire companywas renamed Electronic Designs, Inc. in March 1996.
Company Overview and Strategy
Electronic Designs, Inc. (NASDAQ: EDIX) is a supplier and an industry leader in the design, manufacture andmarketing of high performance memory products and Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Displays (AMLCDs) for OriginalEquipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in the global commercial, industrial and military markets, particularlytelecommunications, datacommunications and avionics.
EDI’s primary product lines are high density, high performance memory devices (Asynchronous SRAM,Synchronous SRAM, DSP Memory Solutions, PC CARDS, Flash, and DRAM) for the performance driventelecommunications and datacommunications markets, and ruggedized applications worldwide. New commercialmemory modules offered by EDI are geared to support the latest microprocessor devices used in advancedcommunications systems.
EDI’s memory products are used in many segments of the electronic equipment industry, including computersystems and peripherals, telecommunications, medical equipment, and military systems. The companyemphasizes a time-to-market advantage for its high-speed SRAM modules. Other memory products incorporateSRAM, DRAM, flash, and EEPROM technologies. The company recently announced the release of a line ofPCMCIA memory cards. Memory product development is currently focused on the design and prototyping of newmodule and monolithic products based on 4M SRAM, as well as on new MCM-L, flash memory, and high-densityDRAM designs.
EDI’s offering of AMLCDs includes various sizes of ruggedized panels for use in display heads, monitors, andcomputer systems. The company is developing technology for a PC system incorporating its displays, in additionto electronic circuit boards for “smart” displays.
Management
Don McGuinness Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerFrank Edwards Senior Vice President, Finance, and Chief Financial OfficerKen Buckley Vice President, Marketing and SalesDaniel R. Doyle Vice President, Display ProductsFrank Muscolino Vice President and General Manager, Display Products
Products and Processes
EDI's products include the following:
• High-speed monolithic 1M and 4M CMOS SRAMs (industrial or military).• High-density CMOS SRAM modules (1M to 32M) with speeds of 8ns-70ns (commercial, industrial, or military).• JEDEC pinout super high-density DRAM modules (64MB to 288MB; commercial or industrial).• JEDEC pinout flash SIMM modules (4M to 64MB; commercial or industrial).• Active-matrix LCDs for avionics and other specialty applications.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
EDI handles assembly, test, and QCI at its headquarters in Westborough. For the production of its memoryproducts in wafer, die, and component form, the company has partnerships with major semiconductormanufacturers in the U.S. and the Far East, including Micron, Mitsubishi, Samsung, and Sharp.
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North American Company Profiles EDI
Key Agreements
• In February 1998, EDI and SanDisk Corporation announced the formation of a strategic partnership tointroduce embedded solid state data storage modules. EDI will incorporate SanDisk’s ATA/IDE Flash Chipsettechnology in their new embedded Flash Module product family.
• In May 1997, EDI announced its intention to divest its Crystallume Diamond Products Division. This divestiturewas completed in October 1997. As a result of the Acquisition and subsequent divestiture of the CrystallumeDiamond Products Division, EDI’s current focus is the design, manufacture and sale of semiconductor memoryand flat panel display products to specialty niche markets within these commodity markets.
• EDI formed an agreement with Atmel in 1994 calling for EDI to design, manufacture, and market high-densitymemory modules using Atmel's flash memory devices.
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EG&G Optoelectronics North American Company Profiles
EG&G OPTOELECTRONICS
EG&G, Inc.Optoelectronics Group
2175 Mission College BoulevardSanta Clara, California 95054Telephone: (408) 565-0700
*Included an asset impairment of $28.2 million, $23.5 million after tax.
Company Overview and Strategy
EG&G Optoelectronics is one of three product groups within EG&G, Inc., a $1.4 billion company involved indiversified technology markets. The EG&G Optoelectronics business segment consists of eight autonomousdivisions, including EG&G Amorphous Silicon, EG&G Canada Ltd., EG&G Electro-Optics, EG&G HeimannOptoelectronics, EG&G IC Sensors, EG&G Judson, EG&G Reticon, and EG&G Vactec. These businessesspecialize in photonic products that are sensitive in the x-ray and ultraviolet to far infrared region of the lightspectrum.
North American Company Profiles EG&G Optoelectronics
The divisions involved in the production of integrated circuit-related devices are EG&G Reticon and EG&G ICSensors. Reticon was founded in 1971, and became a subsidiary of EG&G in 1976. From its start, Reticon hasbeen a leader in image sensing. It was among the first semiconductor companies to specialize in solid-stateimaging components and vision system products. IC Sensors was formed originally as a spin-off from Foxboro/ICTin 1982, and was acquired by EG&G in 1994. IC Sensors specializes in the manufacturing of siliconmicromachined pressure sensors, accelerometers, valves, and custom microstructures for applications inautomotive airbags, scientific instruments, and medical pressure sensitive devices.
Management
Reiner Quad General Manager, EG&G IC SensorsChris Raanes General Manager, EG&G Reticon
Products and Processes
EG&G Reticon Products• EG&G Reticon manufactures solid-state linear and area cameras, both analog and digital, image sensor arrays,
CCDs and pinned photodiode arrays including CMOS, PMOS and CCD process, and machine vision systems.
EG&G IC Sensors Products• Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices, such as pressure sensors, accelerometers, and custom
microstructures for a broad range of applications, including medical, industrial, automotive, consumer, andaerospace.
Elantec Semiconductor, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets high-performance analog integrated circuits forthe video/multimedia, data processing, instrumentation, and communications markets (i.e., amplifiers, drivers,faders). The company serves these markets with standard products and application-specific standard products(ASSPs), using primarily high-speed complementary bipolar and advanced CMOS technologies.
The company offers more than 150 high performance analog products, such as amplifiers, drivers, faders,transceivers and multiplexers, most of which are available in multiple packaging configurations. Their products aresold either directly, with the assistance of independent sales representatives, or indirectly through independentdistributors to over 2,500 electronic systems manufacturers worldwide.
North American Company Profiles Elantec Semiconductor
Management
David O'Brien, Ph.D. President and Chief Executive OfficerRichard E. Corbin Vice President, TechnologyRalph S. Granchelli, Jr. Vice President, MarketingEphraim Kwok Vice President, Finance, and Chief Financial OfficerBarry L. Siegel Vice President, Engineering and Quality
Products and Processes
Elantec's analog and mixed-signal ICs for commercial markets include the following:
• Op amps • H-sync Genlock-computer video circuits• Video circuits • DC restore subsystems• Analog buffers • Fader circuits• Fully integrated DC/DC converters • MOSFET drivers• Comparators and ATE pin drivers • PWM controllers• IGBT drivers • Laser diode drivers
The company’s process technologies include dielectric isolation and junction isolation complementary bipolar,junction isolation bipolar, and CMOS technologies.
In 1996, the company introduced its first product for the optical disk storage market – a high performance laserdriver to power the read/write function of the laser diode. Long term this market has great potential as consumerstransition to DVD (digital video disk) for their primary video entertainment system.
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Elantec Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
During the first quarter of 1998, Elantec initiated the expansion of its wafer fabrication facility to provide additionalbipolar wafer capacity. Completion is scheduled for mid-1998.
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North American Company Profiles Electronic Technology Corporation
ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
Electronic Technology Corporation402 Campus DriveHuxley, IA 50124
Telephone: (515) 597-7000Fax: (515) 597-7001
Web Site: www.etechcorp.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Company Overview and Strategy
Electronic Technology Corporation (ETC) was founded in 1983, initially as a design center for linear and digitalgate array manufacturers. The company has since developed its own mixed-signal CMOS designs andtechnology.
The company now supplies mixed-signal ASICs to the industry. Customers include: Hewlett-Packard, EatonAutomotive Controls, and ITT Aerospace. The company has its own CAD, testing and quality assurancecapabilities at the above location.
Ownership: Publicly held under Creative Technology Ltd. NASDAQ: CREAF.
Company Overview and Strategy
ENSONIQ is a key innovator in the design and development of PCI audio microchip technology and has strongbrand recognition association with its line of electronic musical instruments. The Company is the leading supplierof sound ICs, owning over 75 percent of the sampling keyboard market and recognized as one of the leadingsuppliers of samplers and synthesizers to professional, semi-professional and home musicians.
North American Company Profiles ENSONIQ Corporation
ENSONIQ products are sold through a select group of musical instrument retailers in the United States,international distributors and a direct sales office in Japan.
In 1992, after years of successfully integrating ENSONIQ chip technology into products of companies such asApple Computer, Baldwin Piano & Organ, and Taito Corporation, ENSONIQ established its Multimedia Division.The company’s expertise in audio technology has won a wide range of design and production contracts from PC,video arcade game, karaoke, and other markets (such as Disney Imagineering, which uses ENSONIQ technologyfor programming audio in its theme park rides). In 1994, the company entered the rapidly growing market forpersonal computer multimedia sound cards, using its music and sound expertise to lead the evolution of PC audiofrom inferior FM (frequency modulation) synthesis to the more realistic sounding wavetable synthesis.
In December of 1997, ENSONIQ was acquired by Creative Technology Ltd., based in Singapore, forapproximately $75M. Creative Technology Ltd. develops, manufactures and markets a wide array of advancedmultimedia solutions for the PC, entertainment, education, music and productivity tools markets. Creative’sproducts are marketed through both the OEM and retail channels under a variety of trademarks, including the“Blaster” family name. Sound Blaster® has become the multimedia industry’s de facto audio standard.
Each of ENSONIQ’s products contains one or more custom integrated circuits. These chips are specificallydesigned for wavetable synthesis, sampling and digital effects, incorporating in hardware the sound generationand processing algorithms.
Management
Albert Scharpentier Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive OfficerJoel Friel Vice President, EngineeringJohn Spataro Director of Marketing – Multimedia DepartmentDavid Looft Worldwide Retail Sales Manager
Products and Processes
ENSONIQ’s key products include the following.
• PCI Bus – Digital Audio and Music Controllers — The PCI bus, ES1370, provides high speed access to systemmemory and resources for 2- and 4-Mbyte wavetable data and effects processing. It is compatible with themultimedia enhancement of Intel’s MMX architecture, and also supports drivers for Windows 3.1x, Windows 95and Windows NT 3.5/4.0. The AudioPCI chipset, which includes the AK4531 codec, provides a low powersolution for the motherboard. Power-down mode is supported under software control.
• The Signal Processor, ES5510 – “ESP,” is a custom digital signal processor chip with over 75,000 transistors,used in the Company’s musical instruments and some multimedia products. It is a high-speed microprocessorwith an instruction set that is optimized for manipulating audio data, with typical sample rates between 10kHzand 50kHz. The ESP chip is capable of creating a wide range of digital effects including reverb, delay, echo,equalization, and distortion, and is capable of generating multiple effects simultaneously. The ESP is a VLSIdevice designed in a 1.0 micron, double-metal, CMOS process.
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ENSONIQ Corporation North American Company Profiles
• Sound ROM Library – ENSONIQ’s sound library contains sounds ranging from basic General MIDI to specialpurpose effects, world instruments, and large memory sounds that satisfy even the most demanding fidelityrequirements.
• The ES 5506 OTT chip is a sample playback synthesizer designed to playback digital recordings. It creates one
or more complete musical instruments through onboard signal processing. OTT is capable of altering pitch andtimbre of a digital recording and operating with 32 channels. OTT is a VLSI device designed in a 1.5 micron,double-metal CMOS process, and contains approximately 80,000 transistors.
Key Agreements
• In September 1997, Berkley Integrated Audio Software, Inc. (BIAS), a leading manufacturer of digital audioediting software, announced a software bundling agreement with ENSONIQ, creators of the new ProfessionalAudio Recording Integration System (PARIS), a fully integrated 24-bit digital audio workstation. According tothe agreement, ENSONIQ’s PARIS will now include the Peak LE digital audio editing software for Macintosh.
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North American Company Profiles ESS Technology
ESS TECHNOLOGY
ESS Technology, Inc.48401 Fremont BoulevardFremont, California 94538
ESS Technology, founded in 1984, designs, develops, and markets highly integrated mixed-signalsemiconductor and software solutions for multimedia applications in the PC and consumer markets. Currentdevelopment is focused on new PC audio and multimedia products for the PC and consumer markets that providevideo and fax/modem/voice capabilities.
ManagementFred S.L. Chan Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerRobert L. Blair Executive Vice President, OperationsNicholas A. Aretakis Vice President, PC Products GroupJohn H. Barnet Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerHoover J. Chen Vice President, EngineeringJohnston Chen Vice President, Consumer Products GroupJan Fandrianto Vice President, Video Group EngineeringHadi Ibrahim Vice President, Engineering, Multimedia Technology Design (Austin, Texas)Robert S. Plachno Vice President, Research and DevelopmentRoger K. Shum Vice President, ManufacturingChi-Shin Wang Vice President and Chief Technical Officer
ESS Technology has three principal product lines: the AudioDrive™ family, which targets the PC digital audiomarket; the VideoDrive™ family, which targets MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 decompression-based consumer products,such as DVD, video compact disk players, and set-top boxes; and the TeleDrive™ family, which focuses onintegrated audio-fax/modem applications, including full duplex speakerphone, digital simultaneous voice anddata, and videoconferencing.
The company’s chips are manufactured using mixed-signal 0.35µm, 0.5µm and 0.6µm CMOS processtechnologies.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
ESS has contracts with several independent foundries for the manufacture of its products. The majority of itsdevices are currently manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), its primarysupplier since 1989. The company also uses UMC, Sharp Corporation, and IC Works.
In December 1995, ESS announced a wafer supply program to commit approximately $62 million, and an option tocommit another $31 million, over a three year period for expanding manufacturing capacity and developingadvanced technology. The company expanded its relationship with TSMC by entering into a long term agreementfor an increased amount of wafer capacity. ESS agreed to pay approximately $32 million to TSMC in exchange forwafer supply through 1999. ESS also obtained an option to further expand this agreement for additional capacity.
ESS also entered into a joint venture agreement with United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) of Taiwan. ESSagreed to invest $30 million for a five percent equity ownership in UMC’s new 200mm wafer joint manufacturingfacility, United Integrated Circuits Corporation (UICC). The wafer fab, located in Taiwan, is expected to beginproduction in 1Q99.
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North American Company Profiles Exar
EXAR
Exar Corporation48720 Kato Road
Fremont, California 94538Telephone: (510) 668-7000
Exar Corporation (NASDAQ: EXAR) designs, develops and markets innovative, systems-oriented analog andmixed-signal products for video, imaging, communications and silicon sensing. The company was formed in 1971and is located in Fremont, California, with operations in the United States, Europe, Taipei and Japan.
Exar’s competence is in the area of high-performance analog and mixed-signal design. This is becoming moreimportant as digital devices increasingly interface with an analog world. Exar enjoys strong customer relationshipsin its established markets, supplying both components and subsystem solutions.
Communications: The Communications Division supports multiple segments of transmission and networkingmarkets. The firm offers T1/E1 and T3/E3 line interface devices; an extended line of Universal AsynchronousTransmitters Receivers (UARTs) with 1, 2 and 4 channels, and V .35 transceivers which are used in the routers thatform the backbone of the Internet. A family of crystal clock oscillators and clock multipliers allow voltage control, ormultiply the input clock frequencies to a higher transmission rate, as Internet speeds increase. Customers includeworld leaders in the fields of voice and data communications.
Video and Imaging: Exar also offers an extensive product line for video and image signal conditioning anddigitizing, leveraging the company’s strong capability in high-performance analog-to-digital conversion enablingtechnology. The company’s video focus is on devices and subsystems for low power analog-to-digital and digital-analog functions in digital video and digital still cameras. Exar’s document imaging offerings are used in scanners,whether handheld or flatbed, and in multifunction products that combine scan, print and fax operations.Customers include consumer electronic vendors.
Silicon Sensors: Exar is a market pioneer of this emerging technology which allows users to integrate ananalog function, such as pressure or motion, to electronic signal processing in a way that is fast, reliable andaccurate. Sensor products are used in the automotive industry, for example, in engine control, emission controland antilock braking systems. They are also used in medical instruments, disposable blood pressure devices, andrespirators and ventilators.
Management
Donald L. Ciffone President and Chief Executive OfficerRonald W. Guire Executive Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerRoubik Gregorian Vice President, Chief Technical Officer,
and General Manager, Communications DivisionJim Knutti Vice President and General Manager, Silicon Microstructures DivisionJohn Sramek Vice President and General Manager, Video and Imaging DivisionSuhas "Sid" Bagwe Vice President, Strategic DevelopmentThomas W. Jones Vice President, QualityStephen W. Michael Vice President, ManufacturingLinda Prosser Vice President, Marketing CommunicationsMichael Class Vice President, North American Sales
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North American Company Profiles Exar
Products and Processes
Exar’s IC products can be divided into five major market groups: communications, data communications, video andimaging, silicon microstructures, and other products.
• For the communications market, the company offers T1/E1 and T3/E3.
• For the data communications market, Exar supplies UARTs/DUARTs/QUARTs, clock oscillators/clockmultipliers, line drivers/receivers, frequency timing generators and Super I/O devices.
— In 1998, Exar introduced the industry’s first UARTs with on-chip transmit and receive FIFO counters —XR16C580 (single) and XR16C854 (quad).
• For video and imaging applications, Exar supplies A/D and D/A converters, CCD analog signal processors andconditioners.
— Processors include: the XRD9829, a single-channel, 10-bit integrated linear processor. It operates at6MSPS, and integrates AFE and AD functions on one chip. The XRD9812 and the XRD9822 are 12-bitprocessors that operate at 8MSPS. These processors combine AFE and AD functions onto a single chip forhigh-performance scanners and copiers.
• Subsidiary Silicon Microstructures currently offers high-precision pressure sensors for applications such asengine control and tire pressure in automobiles, inter uterine pressure in medical instruments, and HVAC andpressure transducers in industrial equipment. Silicon Microstructures also supplies accelerometers forautomotive applications.
• Other products include general purpose analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters for a wide variety ofapplications, including pace makers, handheld digital voltmeters, and high-speed digital communications.
Exar is ISO 9001 and QS9000 certified.
Key Agreements/Announcements
• In March 1998, Exar announced that Connectix Corporation chose Exar’s XRD4460 analog image signalprocessor for the Connectix QuickCam VC(r).
• In February 1998, Exar announced that Eastman Kodak chose its new XRD6418 analog-to-digital device forthe film scanner in Kodak’s digital Advanced Photo System.
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Extel Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
EXTEL SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Extel Semiconductor, Inc.250 Mines Road
Livermore, California 94550Telephone: (510) 443-6300
Fax: (510) 443-6310
IC Manufacturer
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends December 31
1 9 9 7
Sales $5-10 (est.)Employees 30
Kanematsu provided full funding in Q4 1996. Terms were not available. The management team was assembledby the end of Q1 1997.
Company Overview and Strategy
Extel Semiconductor, Inc. was formed June 13, 1996, as a joint venture of Kanematsu Corporation (KanematsuSemiconductor Corporation) and Seaway Semiconductor Inc. (Livermore, CA), and Impala SemiconductorManufacturing Corporation of the United States. Kanematsu also owns Powerchip Semiconductor Corp., amanufacturer of DRAMs. Kanematsu USA, Sunnyvale, positions Extel as a “strategic business partner.” Exteloperates as a privately-held company and is quite reticent about operations and financials.
Extel claims its formation was based upon a realization of the need for a “pure foundry” service in Silicon Valley.Extel began shipping for revenue October 1997.
Extel uses ZeusTec Sales (Santa Clara) as their sole manufacturer’s representative.
Management
Dr. Mano Malwah Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology OfficerDom Consorte Director, Sales and MarketingMarcello Martinez Applications ManagerSusanne Scullen Fab ManagerDan Brors Director (President, Seaway Semiconductor)
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North American Company Profiles Extel Semiconductor
Products and Processes
Extel Semiconductor is a CMOS and BiCMOS sub-micron foundry. Extel is currently running a 0.6 micron, doublepoly, double metal process for the majority of output. Single and double poly CMOS with 2-3 metal layers fromC300A-C035A is available or anticipated by Q4 1998. Double poly, two metal BiCMOS will be available in Q31998 and double poly, three metal BiCMOS is planned for Q1 1998. Current capacity is 2,000 six inch wafer outsper month, with 6,000 per month anticipated for “late” 1998 and 17,500 per month by “late” 1999. The foundrywas initially producing geometries of 0.8µm on 150mm wafers.
Extel is offering additional capacity at attractive prices in order to penetrate the market.
Extel claims that it has customer designs in the prototype stage and that it is planning a ramp starting “mid year.”Extel’s current focus is to provide analog and mixed-signal foundry services for Silicon Valley fablesssemiconductor companies, with expansion on the West Coast planned in “the near future.” Services includedesign assistance and customer support.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Seaway Semiconductor Inc. had purchased Intel's Fab 3 facility in Livermore, (vacated four to five years prior),some time in late winter 1996. It then converted it into two foundry fabs, initially with one as a Class 100 cleanroomcapable of 20,000 wafers/month and the other a smaller Class 1 cleanroom with a capacity of 15,000wafers/month. The Class 1 facility appears to have been assigned to the Extel joint venture, though the Class 100facility may have been upgraded to its current capability of “better than Class 10.”
Extel currently is claiming an approximate 14,000 square feet for its cleanroom and greater than 85,000 totalsquare feet for the facility overall.
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Fairchild Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR
Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation333 Western Avenue
South Portland, Maine 04106Telephone: (207) 775-8100
Fairchild Semiconductor was relaunched in March 1997, when the combined logic, memory, and discretebusinesses of National Semiconductor were purchased by private investors. Fairchild Semiconductor originallyemerged in the late 1950’s when the late Sherman Mills Fairchild sponsored a small group of scientists — amongthem Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore — in the development of a new process for the manufacturing oftransistors. The team reached their goal in 1959 with the introduction of the Planar process. A facility wasestablished in 1962 in South Portland, Maine, for the manufacture, test, and assembly of transistors.
Beginning in 1978, Fairchild became a major force in the development and production of logic circuits. Its firstinnovation was the FAST® (Fairchild Advanced Schottky Technology) family of advanced Schottky TTL logiccircuits. Next came the invention of the FACT™ (Fairchild Advanced CMOS Technology) family of logic circuits in1985. Still today, Fairchild is the leading supplier of FAST and FACT, as well as LCX, logic products.
In 1987, National Semiconductor purchased Fairchild from Schlumberger Ltd., a French conglomerate that hadacquired the company in 1979. National dropped the Fairchild name, but resurrected it in mid-1996 when its logic,memory, and discrete businesses were combined to form the Fairchild Semiconductor Division. The division wassold in March 1997. National retains a 16 percent stake in Fairchild.
Together with its advanced logic IC products, Fairchild’s high-performance non-volatile memory and discretesemiconductor technologies form the foundation of the new company’s product portfolio. The fiscal 1997 (endedMay 31) revenues from these products were approximately $590 million.
Fairchild is investing in research and development to enhance its portfolio in the fast-growth areas of CMOS, low-voltage logic, power and small-signal discretes, and non-volatile standard and application-specific memories.Applications for Fairchild’s products include automotive entertainment systems, communications products,desktop and portable computers, security, consumer products, and satellites and aerospace systems.
North American Company Profiles Fairchild Semiconductor
Management
Kirk Pond Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerJoseph Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerDaniel Boxer Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Chief Administrative OfficerWayne Carlson Executive Vice President and General Manager, Logic GroupJerry Baker Executive Vice President and General Manager, Non-Volatile Memory and
Discrete Power and Signal Technologies GroupDarrell Mayeux Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Marketing
Products and Processes
MOS MEMORY ANALOG
DRAM Amplifier
SRAM Interface
✔ Flash Memory Consumer/Automotive
✔ EPROM Voltage Regulator/Reference
ROM Data Conversion
✔ EEPROM Comparator
✔ Other (Including Non-Volatile RAM) Other (Includes Telecom)
MOS LOGIC DIGITAL BIPOLAR
✔ General Purpose Logic Bipolar Memory
Gate Array ✔ General Purpose Logic
Standard Cell Gate Array/Standard Cell
Field Programmable Logic Field Programmable Logic
✔ Other Special Purpose Logic ✔ Other Special Purpose Logic
MPU/MCU/MPR
MOS MICROCOMPONENT
MPU OTHER
MCU Full Custom IC
MPR ✔ Discrete
DSP Optoelectronic
Logic Products
Fairchild offers 17 families of standard logic devices utilizing CMOS, bipolar, and BiCMOS process technologies.The company claims to be the world’s third-largest supplier of standard logic ICs.
Its logic products include FAST® high-speed, low-power bipolar devices; FACT™ high-performance advancedCMOS devices; FACT QS™ low-noise, high-performance advanced CMOS devices; LVQ low-voltage CMOSdevices, LCX/LVX high-performance, low-voltage CMOS devices with over-voltage protection; and VHC HC-replacement, low-noise, high-speed CMOS devices.
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Fairchild Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Memory Products
Fairchild’s memory products include several varieties of non-volatile memory ICs. It is among the world’s leadingsuppliers of serial EEPROMs and EPROMs. Its EEPROM product group includes several families of standarddevices as well as application-specific devices such as a Plug-and-Play controller for ISA cards, a serial presencedetect (SPD) device for the memory module market, and the HiSEC™ family of products for remote keyless entryapplications. The company’s EPROM products include 5V devices with densities ranging from 16K to 4M and low-voltage 1M parts.
Through an alliance formed originally by National and Toshiba in 1992, Fairchild also offers flash memory devicescompatible with Toshiba’s NAND and NOR architectures.
Discrete Products
Fairchild’s principal discrete products are DMOS power MOSFETs. Its other discrete products are small-signalcomponents such as small-signal transistors, JFETs, and diodes.
Some of Fairchild’s IC products continue to be produced at fabs owned by National Semiconductor and vice versa.Fairchild’s semiconductor assembly and test plants are located in Penang, Malaysia, and Cebu in the Philippines.
Key Agreements
• In January 1998, Fairchild Semiconductor and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing agreed that Charteredwill manufacture EEPROM products based on Fairchild’s advanced EEPROM process. Fairchild hascompleted the transfer of its EEPROM technology to Chartered, and Chartered has already returned test runsof silicon to Fairchild, with high yields.
• In December 1997, Fairchild completed its acquisition of Raytheon Electronics Semiconductor, a division of theRaytheon Company, for approximately $120 million in cash.
• National and Fairchild remain closely linked through a long-term agreement to make the transition as smooth aspossible. The two companies also share and swap fab capacity.
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North American Company Profiles Fairchild Semiconductor
• Motorola, Toshiba, and Fairchild Semiconductor announced in early 1997 they would jointly develop next-generation high-speed CMOS logic ICs. The three companies will work to develop 2.5V and 3.3V devices witha propagation delay time of 2ns.
• Fairchild has a long-term partnership with Toshiba for the development, licensing, design, and manufacture ofNAND and NOR flash memories. The agreement was signed by Toshiba and National Semiconductor in 1992.
• Tower has an agreement with Fairchild Semiconductor to supply advanced EPROM processes for thecommodity and ASSP markets. In January 1998, the parties extended their agreement to include a new familyof products. The first project under way is the development of a next-generation Flash technology.
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General Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
GENERAL SEMICONDUCTOR
General Semiconductor, Inc.10 Melville Park Road
Melville, NY 11747Telephone: (516) 847-3000
Fax: (516) 847-3236Web Site: www.gensemi.com
Discrete Semiconductor Manufacturer
Financial History ($), Fiscal Year Ends December 31
The Asian-Pacific region accounted for approximately 40 percent of General Semiconductor’s sales in 1997.
Company Overview and Strategy
General Semiconductor was formed from the 1960 merger of General Transistor and General Instruments. TheSemiconductor Components Division of General Instruments was then formed in Hicksville, NY, with its name laterchanging to Discrete Semiconductor Division and then Power Semiconductor Division. In July 1997, GeneralSemiconductor was spun-off from General Instruments into a publicly-traded firm.
General Semiconductor is a leading worldwide designer, manufacturer and seller of discrete semiconductors. Thecompany sells these components into the consumer electronics, computer, telecommunications, lighting ballasts,home appliance, automotive and industrial markets.
Management
Ronald A. Ostertag Chairman, President and Chief Executive OfficerAndrew M. Caggia Senior Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerVincent M. Guercio Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales and MarketingW. John Nelson Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific OperationsStephen B. Paige Senior Vice President, General and SecretaryLinda S. Perry Senior Vice President, Human ResourcesJohn P. Phillips Senior Vice President, European OperationsRobert J. Gange Vice President and Controller
North American Company Profiles General Semiconductor
Products and Processes
General Semiconductor manufactures low-to-medium-power rectifiers, and transient voltage suppressor (TVS)components in axial, bridge and surface mount packages. With the acquisition of discrete small signal productsmanufacturer ITT Industries, Inc. in October 1997, the company now also sells small signal diodes, transistors andzener diodes. Leaded and surface mount packaging are offered.
General Semiconductor offers standard, Schottky (metal-silicon junctions and majority carrier conduction), and fastefficient rectifiers (reverse recovery times as low as 25 nanoseconds up to 1,000 volts). Its selection of rectifierpackage types is one of the largest in the world and includes plastic encapsulated, glass passivated, Superectifierand surface mount packaging. The company has developed proprietary sputtered metallization process and ion-implanted guard ring technology for its Schottky product line.
General Semiconductor’s bridge rectifier is comprised of four separate rectifier components configured into a"bridge" arrangement in a single package. The company manufactures over 100 bridge rectifier products forvarious power and case style requirements across multiple applications.
The company’s TVS devices include a wide variety of semiconductor surge protection products. GeneralSemiconductor anticipates a significant increase in demand for TVS devices in applications incorporatingincreasingly sensitive and smaller ICs. The small signal diode portfolio is marketed for a wide range of applicationsincluding telecommunications equipment, personal computer motherboards, automotive systems, powersupplies and consumer electronics. The company’s zener product lines provide a wide variety of specializedfunctions for complex electronic circuits. Zener applications include voltage regulators, voltage reference andvoltage suppressors.
General Semiconductor's small signal transistors, sold into nearly all end markets, round out its portfolio ofelectronic building blocks available to its customers.
From the market/application segmentation perspective, General Semiconductor’s automotive electronics portfolioincludes the SUPERECTIFIER™ and PAR™ TVS. Transient Voltage Suppressors (TVS) fabricated with GeneralSemiconductor’s patented proprietary PAR™ (Passivated Anisotropic Rectifier) process have very high stability(absorbs high energy; low reverse leakage) and power handling capability across the temperature range ofautomotive and other applications. The company’s surface mount load dump TVS series (SM5A27 throughSM8A27) and avalanche alternator rectifier series (AS30 through AS40) are two new products incorporating PARtechnology.
General Semiconductor’s strategy is to increase its share of the discrete semiconductor market by focusing onvalue-added investment and manufacturing, (high-volume, highly automated operations; very low-defect output),product breadth expansion (through internal research and development efforts, strategic partnerships andstrategic acquisitions), capitalizing on its global sales and distribution franchise, and maintaining and expandingcustomer relationships.
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General Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Semiconductor Manufacturing Facilities
General Semiconductor’s facilities are ISO9001 and QS9000 approved.
At year end 1997, the company’s Taiwanese facilities accounted for about 50 percent of its total productionoutput.
General Semiconductor’s 112,000 square foot Macroom, County Cork, Ireland facility employs over 750 people(projected to reach over 1,000 by the end of 1998). The Macroom plant is ISO9001 and QS9000 qualified. Theplant produces Transient Voltage Suppressor (TVS) devices in a variety of leaded, surface mount and arraypackages. Surface mount rectifiers and low current bridge diodes are also produced here. The facility wasexpanded in 1997 to increase the company’s penetration of the European market.
The 360,000 square foot Taipei, Taiwan facility, opened in the late 1960s, employs 2,300 people. The locationhouses the Standard Rectifier Products Group’s wafer fab, a Schottky wafer fab, Superectifier, Bridge, andSurface Mount manufacturing and testing areas. Service and support sections utilize nearly 20 percent of the totalsquare footage. At 14 million devices per day, the facility produces Superectifiers, Bridge Rectifiers, Fast EfficientRectifiers, Schottky Diodes, Transient Voltage Suppressors, Clamper/Damper Products, Surface MountProducts, and Power Rectifiers. The facility has previously won many quality awards including Delco Electronics’"Quality Wins" PPAP, Ford’s Q1 and AT&T "Quality Leader ‘Gold’ Supplier” award.
In October 1997, General Semiconductor opened a $29 million, 120,000 square-foot semiconductor factory on a540,000 square-foot site in China’s Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area. Plant employmentwas approximately 750 at year end 1997. Scheduled to begin in 1998, and reach completion by the year 2000, asecond phase of development will add 65,000 to 120,000 square feet to the facility and an increase employmentby 500 to 1,000. The company cited the facility’s proximity to several of its largest customers and fastest growingmarkets as key drivers in opening the facility. The Tianjin facility is producing General Semiconductor’sSUPERECTIFIER diodes, GBL, KBPM, WOG, GBU, GBPC, DFM bridge rectifiers, and small signal transistors
General Semiconductor's Westbury, New York plant, opened in 1956 as Semi-Metals, is a 13,000 square footfacility, currently employing a staff of 50. Facility equipment includes Gemini Epitaxial Reactors, used to producesilicon epitaxial wafers at a rate of 1,800 wafers per day, meeting the entire company’s epitaxial waferrequirements. Co-located with this facility is the company’s applied material sciences research and developmentlaboratory.
Key Agreements
• Implementing its corporate strategy of increasing market share, on October 1, 1997, General Semiconductoracquired the small signal transistor business from ITT Industries, Inc. for $8.0 million. The unit had trailing 12-month revenues of approximately $60.0 million. The company’s target market segments now make up 44percent, versus the prior 20 percent, of the $13 billion total available market for discrete semiconductors.
Founded in 1987, Genesis Microchip is a technology leader in digital video/image manipulation. The companydesigns, develops, and markets leading-edge ICs targeted at both existing and emerging applications demandinghigh-quality video/image processing. Genesis sets the standard in video/image resizing.
Management
Paul M. Russo President and Chief Executive OfficerPeter Dakin Vice President, Manufacturing OperationsEric Erdman Vice President, Finance and AdministrationHamid Farzaneh Vice President, Worldwide SalesLance Greggain Vice President, Product Development OperationsStephen Solari Vice President, Marketing and Business DevelopmentScott Baker Director, Product Development OperationsPerry Chappell Director, SalesShyam Nagrani Director, SalesJay Giblon Manager, Information SystemsDavid Green Manager, SalesGraham Loveridge Manager, Customer and Product SupportPeter Mandl Manager, Video DSP Technology
Genesis' products include the Genesis Scaling™ series of video/image resizing ICs (gmz1, gm865x1, gm833x2,gm833x3, gm833x3F), the gm2242B half-band filter, and the gmVLD family of video line doublers plus supportingevaluation boards and software. The patented algorithms and architectures provide improvement incomputational efficiency over traditional finite impulse response (FIR) filter structures. All of Genesis' designefforts currently employ 0.8µm (and below) CMOS technology. Several products are described below.
• gmz1 — A highly integrated IC designed to solve de-interlacing, zoom scaling, display synchronization andoverly control.
• gmFC1 — A frame rate conversion chip that tracks video frame location to avoid “picture tear.”
• gm865x1 — This is the first of the Genesis Scaling chip series. The gm865x1 IC is a single-channel devicethat provides high-quality video/image processing technology for medical imaging, broadcast equipment,and projection systems.
• gm833x2 — This is the second of the Genesis Scaling chip series and first in the mid-range family ofGenScale chips. The gm833x2 is a dual-channel device for use in workstations, projection systems, andmultimedia applications.
• gm833x3 — This is a triple-channel version in the 833 class designed for use in projection systems,videographic workstations, and scan conversion equipment.
• gm833x3F (fast) “Bullet” — This is a 68MHz version of an RGB scaler, featuring low power and an advanced0.35µm, 3.3V CMOS process.
• gm2242B Half-Band Filter — This is a decimating/interpolating digital filter for use in applications requiringpre- or post-filtering of digital video signals. The gm2242B supports NTSC, PAL, SECAM, and square pixelvideo standards.
• gmVLD8/gmVLD10 Video Line Doublers — This is a single-chip de-interlacing device for use in equipmentsuch as large screen televisions, video walls, projection systems, video-in-a-window workstations, and hometheater screens.
Genesis is ISO 9001 certified.
Key Agreements
• In April 1998, Genesis and Micronas Intermetall announced they are using each other’s chips to produce aunique set of video processing reference designs.
• In March 1998, Genesis and Philips Semiconductors announced that its Z1MP and Z1FCMP referencedesigns for LCD applications will use Philips’ TDA 8752 triple high-speed analog-to-digital converter (ADC)chip.
Gennum Corporation is a Canadian high technology company that designs, manufactures, and markets electroniccomponents, primarily silicon integrated circuits for specialized applications. Gennum’s manufacturing capabilityranges from wafer fabrication through to device packaging, assembly and test. The company’s products includelow-voltage audio electronic amplifiers and analog signal processing circuits supplied to the world hearinginstrument industry; video signal distribution and processing components sold to the professional video andbroadcast television markets; and user specific ICs for a wide variety of specific applications where information isbeing conditioned, transmitted, or interpreted. In the packaging area, Gennum has developed a line of proprietaryultra-miniature device package configurations, including tape automated bonding (TAB).
The company markets and distributes its products worldwide through a direct sales organization as well as througha network of independent manufacturer’s representatives and regional distributors. The company also operates abrand office in Tokyo to service the Japanese market. Gennum is registered to the ISO 9001 (1994) qualitystandard.
Management
H. Patrick Thode ChairmanH. Douglas Barber, Ph.D. President and Chief Executive OfficerIan L. McWalter, Ph.D. Executive Vice President, and Chief Operating OfficerMichael R. Fielding Vice President, Marketing and SalesDavid L. Lynch Vice President, Research and DevelopmentC. Timothy Zahavich Vice President, Finance and Administration, and Chief Financial Officer
Products and Processes
Gennum concentrates on the design and fabrication of linear and mixed-signal devices utilizing bipolar and CMOStechnologies and the associated packaging of these products. Products include:• Low voltage (i.e., 1.0V) audio electronic amplifiers and analog signal processing circuitry to the world hearing
instrument industry.• High speed serial digital interface chips for the broadcast video market with operation to 400Mbits.• High performance analog signal processing and switching devices for the video communications industry.• High performance digital signal processing ICs for standard conversion and filtering applications.
North American Company Profiles Germanium Power Devices Corporation
GERMANIUM POWER DEVICES CORPORATION (GPD)
Germanium Power Devices Corporation300 Brickstone Square,
York Street, Box 3065 SVSAndover, Massachusetts 01810-3065
Telephone: (978) 475-5982Fax: (978) 470-1512
Web Site: www.gpd-ir.com
IC ManufacturerFounded: 1973
Employees: 25
Ownership: Privately held.
Company Overview and Strategy
Germanium Power Devices has been a manufacturer of power transistors and diodes since its founding. Inaddition, GPD has manufactured infrared photodetectors for military, commercial, and telecommunicationsapplications. The company offers Germanium, Germanium Avalanche, and InGaAs photodetectors. GPD is alsoinvolved in custom designs.
Products and Processes
Germanium Power Devices manufacturers a broad range of Germanium p-n, p-I-n, APD and InGaAs p-I-n high-speed and large area photodetectors. Many of the standard detectors can be supplied with integrated amplifiers.
The following are products of GPD:
• Germanium Photodetectors• Germanium Avalanche Photodiodes• Germanium Rectifiers• High Speed InGaAs Photodiodes• Large Area InGaAs Photodiodes• Germanium Transistors• Germanium Small Signal Transistors• Germanium NPN Transistors• Germanium PNP Mesa Transistors• Germanium PNP Small Signal Transistors• Germanium Power Transistors
GHz Technology, Incorporated3000 Oakmead Village Drive
Santa Clara, California 95051-0808Telephone: (408) 986-8031
Fax: (408) 986-8120Web Site: www.ghz.com
IC ManufacturerFounded: 1977
Company Overview and Strategy
GHz Technology is a worldwide supplier of Silicon RF and Microwave Power Transistors for use in applicationspecific products. Product families support high power amplifier applications including: airborne avionics (DME,IFF) to broadcast (FM, UHF-TV), cellular, defense and microwave communications and RADAR systems. Themajority of GHz’s customer base represent companies who have been using these transistors for more than 20years. GHz products are sold via sales representatives and distributors throughout North America.
Management
Frank W. Schneider President and Chief Executive OfficerRoger W. Thorton Chairman and Executive Vice President, OperationsMike Mallinger Vice President, Marketing and SalesLyle T. Leverich Vice President, EngineeringJeffery B. Hume Director of Product EngineeringDavid Diamond Director of Sales
Products and Processes
GHz products include RF and microwave power transistors for use in application specific products. Their productsare optimized for custom applications, focused on providing the highest level performance for the lowest total costof ownership.
All GHz products incorporate the design and process technologies which will provide a transistor with the bestachievable performance and reliability. These include: gold topside metal used for the high mean time-to-failure;silicon nitride passivation to protect against surface contamination; diffused ballast resistors to increase toleranceto load mismatch; gold thermosonic wirebonding for consistent product performance and high reliability; hermetic-solder seal to ensure protection from the outside environment, even under the most severe operating conditions.
The company’s facility, which is 20,000 square feet, includes 4,000 square feet of Class 1,000 cleanroom. Alsoon site are test and assembly areas that are fully compliant with U.S. Space Applications requirements.
Key Agreements
• The founders of GHz Technology purchased the right to the Acrian Inc. Power Transistor product line – whichincluded the predecessor Varian (CTC). The acquisition included the rights to tooling, process documentationand product specifications. In addition to the tooling, GHz purchased a full complement of Acrian Inc. waferfabrication, assembly and test equipment. The Company also purchased material which was available fromAcrian as “work in process,” thereby, allowing it to be begin to make immediate shipments to selectedcustomers.
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GMT Microelectronics Corporation (GMT) North American Company Profiles
GMT MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION (GMT)
GMT Microelectronics Corporation (GMT)Valley Forge Corporate Center
GMT is funded and approximately 80 percent owned by a syndicate of venture capitalists consisting of PecksManagement Partners, Unterberg Harris, Liebman Capital and TL Ventures. Additionally, Kopin Corp. andUnitrode, (the current CEO’s former employer), each own a 4.5 percent share of the company, and employeesown the remaining 11 percent.
GMT provides Kopin Corp., (Taunton, MA; NASDAQ: KOPN), with output for its very high resolution (active matrix)LCD display products. Early stage funding was $4.5 million, exclusive of TL Ventures and the other corporateinvestments. $4.3 million of this was for the purchase of assets from CMG (see below).
New product sales, versus foundry service contracts to external clients, currently account for about 25 percent oftotal sales. The goal is to move revenue mix to 75 percent internal products within five years, as well as to achievea 55 percent gross margin, 25 percent pretax net and 6-8 percent market share. GMT also plans to go public,though no timeframe has been set.
Company Overview and Strategy
GMT Microelectronics is an independent, privately held company that produces analog and mixed-signalintegrated circuits. The company is also a silicon wafer foundry service. GMT was formed by former CMGmanagement and their backing by the above investment group’s January 1995 buy out of the captivesemiconductor assets of the Commodore Semiconductor Group (CMG), a unit of Commodore International Ltd.’sCommodore Business Machines.
Although production ramp was initiated in May 1995, difficulties in launching the operation necessitated a turnaround program. This was executed by the current CEO, hired in October 1996.
North American Company Profiles GMT Microelectronics Corporation (GMT)
GMT’s processing expertise includes the manufacture of digital, analog, mixed-signal, and power managementproducts using various CMOS, NMOS, and BiCMOS process technologies as advanced as one-micron in featuresizes, with double metal and double poly layers. Strategically, GMT’s goal is to balance customer mix across thefoundry services, semiconductor merchant and OEM markets.
GMT has begun to offer its own brand of analog, mixed-signal power management ICs. GMT is targeting OEMs ofcommunications, computer, industrial, and consumer products.
Management
Dennis A. Peasenell Chairman, President and Chief Executive OfficerThomas W. Aiken Senior Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerJames H. Oerth Senior Vice President and Chief Technology OfficerAlan R. Sabanosh Vice President, ManufacturingAnthony R. Wilson Vice President, Facilities and ServicesSergio Mendes Vice President, Sales and MarketingBarry Signoretti Director, Marketing (San Jose Office)Ben Rappaport Director, Product DevelopmentEvonna Phillips Director, Customer Relations
Products and Processes
In April 1998, GMT introduced a new high voltage (40V) bipolar CMOS DMOS process for mixed-signaltechnologies. The process is targeted for telecommunications, battery power, motor control and smart powerapplications. The 40V DMOS device has a Vt of 1.8V and an Rds-on of 0.32 ohm-mm2. The 40V VNPN has an ftof 2.5GHz, beta = 95, Va = 150 and a Vce-sat of 0.42V. The 40V VPNP has an f{\s\do2(t)} of 200MHz, beta = 90,Va = 85 and a Vce-sat of 0.32V. Other available active devices include 15V NMOS and PMOS and 20V PMOStransistors and 7V zener diodes.
The new BCD40 process offers 3.0 micron feature size with 1.5 micron line widths. One or two metal layers areavailable along with one or two layers of polysilicon. The polysilicon layers can be used for poly capacitors.
In April 1998, GMT announced availability of a pulse width modulation controller IC for DC-DC converterapplications requiring high speed performance in an MSOP package. The GMT38HC4x family of current modePWM controllers are industry standard UC384x and MIC38HC/C4x device compatible. Shoot-through current is4mA and current sense delay time is typically 50ns. GMT cites its BCDMOS process as enabling such capabilities.The products are available in 8- and 14-pin DIP, 8- and 14-pin SOIC and 8-pin MSOP packages.
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GMT Microelectronics Corporation (GMT) North American Company Profiles
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
GMT operates its 150,000 square foot, ISO-9002 certified wafer fab on a twenty-four hour, five shifts per weekschedule. The fab has a capacity of 7,000 125mm wafer outs per month, with capability to expand to 10,000wafers out per month within three months. Situated on 14 acres, the facility contains space for the futurecompletion of a second wafer fab with equal or more capacity than the current facility. When equipped, it will behoused in an existing structure designed and built for more advanced manufacturing technologies.
Key Agreements
• In December 1994, GMT signed an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency to resolve claimsresultant from the Commodore Semi-Conductor Superfund site where the foundry is now located. Inconsideration for a limited covenant not to sue and also contribution protection, GMT made a $675,000payment to the EPA, deposited $375,000 in escrow and will make annual payments up to $65,000 for anyfuture “response” actions the EPA takes relating to prior violations.
GrayChip develops high speed CMOS signal processing chips tailored for the telecommunication markets. Theyspecialize in the design of function-specific DSP chips. The Company’s products include all-digital down-converters, up-converters, digital filters, and chipsets for high-speed QAM modems. Annual revenues for 1997were under $10M, up from 1996 revenues of less than $5M.
Management
Joseph H. Gray PresidentLars Jorgensen Vice President, TechnologyBrad Evans Director of Marketing
Products and Processes
GrayChip custom designs chip solutions tailored for specific requirements. Examples of their customer-specificDSP’s are as follows.
• Digital filter ICs;• Wideband digital tuner ICs;• Receiver ICs — Quad digital receiver ICs, single chip digital receivers, dual channel receivers;• Transmitter ICs — Quad digital transmitter ICs, FFT ICs (30MHz radix-8);• Demodulator ICs — 50 M-baud equalizer/demod chipset, supergroup demodulator chip, and quad group
Harris Corporation (NASDAQ: HRS) is a global communications company with core capabilities in wirelesscommunications, digital television systems, microelectronics, information processing, defense communicationsand office systems. Their business is comprised of four major businesses – Communications, Semiconductor,Lanier Worldwide, and Electronic Systems. Harris is an ISO 9000 certified company.
North American Company Profiles Harris Semiconductor
Harris Semiconductor originated as the Microelectronics Division of Radiation, Inc. in 1962. It became HarrisSemiconductor in 1967 through the merger of Harris and Radiation. Then in 1988, Harris Semiconductor nearlytripled in size through the acquisition of the General Electric Solid State semiconductor business.
Harris’ Semiconductor business is focused on five major markets: Communications, Telecommunications,Automotive, Video/Multimedia, and Power Control. During the past five years, company investments have beenconcentrated in wireless communications, multimedia, and power control.
Broad Product categories include: discrete MOS power transistors (MOSFETs, IGBTs, MCTs) power protectiondevices for surge protection; intelligent power ICs with mixed-signal content; data converters and associated dataacquisition signal conditioning ICs; amplifier ICs; digital processing ICs; telecom line card ICs; CMOS logic andmicroprocessors; and radiation-hardened ICs and transistors for spacecraft and satellites. Also offered are analog,digital, power and mixed-signal ICs and discrete power semiconductors specifically for the communications,automotive, power control, multimedia, aerospace and military markets.
Product breakthroughs in two key areas – wireless communications and multimedia – are critical areas of focus. Inwireless communications, for example, Harris introduced the PRISM family of chipset solutions that providewireless access to company local area networks and from there to the Information Superhighway. Another PRISMsolution allows wireless voice or data telephone service in what are called “local loops” – an important solution forcountries without wired telephone infrastructures. In multimedia systems, Harris has developed an advancedchipset and complete system solution for high-quality video conferencing for desktop PCs. The highly integratedHarris solution will allow such systems to retail for about $500, making easy to use, high-quality video conferencingan affordable upgrade for any PC.
The power semiconductor market is another strategic growth area. Power semiconductors and ICs are used tocontrol, condition, or monitor the power in virtually any electric powered device – from watches, cameras, mobilephones, stereos, and TVs or computers, to washing machines, air conditioners, cars, and space stations. Thecompany doubled its production capacity with the start-up of a new high-capacity eight inch fabrication facility infiscal 1997. Along with this sizable expansion, the company launched an innovative manufacturing process thathelps their power products out perform the competition. Harris expects to develop more than 200 new powerdevices in fiscal 1998 and will be in position to expand production as the market grows.
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Harris Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Management
Harris CorporationPhillip W. Farmer Chairman, President and Chief Executive OfficerBryan R. Roub Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Harris Semiconductor SectorJohn C. Garrett PresidentF. Scott Moody Vice President, Military and Aerospace Products DivisionW. Russell Morcom Vice President and GM, Semiconductor Products DivisionDyer Matlock Vice President, EngineeringCarleton Smith Vice President (Asia), SalesBill McLean Vice President and GM, Worldwide Sales and MarketingEdward Verbeek Vice President (Europe), Sales
Products and Processes
Harris offers a broad range of standard, semi-custom, and custom ICs and discrete semiconductors, includingintelligent power devices, data acquisition and signal processing circuits, digital microprocessor, peripheral, andlogic ICs, as well as radiation-hardened circuits for spacecraft and satellite applications. Harris also offers advancedchipsets and complete system solutions for desktop PC-based video conferencing. Products listed by market areas follows:
Communications – wireless LAN (local area network) systems; cellular base stations; satellite communicationssystems; set-top boxes.
• PRISM Wireless Radio data communications chipset; RF-optimized operational amplifiers, digitaldown converters, high speed data converters, digital filters.
Telecommunications – PBX, central office, wireless local loop, fiber-in-the-loop equipment• Single, dual SLICs (subscriber line interface circuits). Also, CODEC/Filter products.
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North American Company Profiles Harris Semiconductor
Automotive – Antilock braking systems, engine and emission controls, engine knock sensing, air-bag systems,entertainment systems
• J1850 Multiplexing chipset; engine knock sensor; devices for power management, control. Powerprotection circuits.
Video/Multimedia – video and imaging processing systems; video teleconferencing; multimedia.• Video buffers, op amps, crosspoint switches, routers, digital video mixers, and digital filters; video-
optimized A/D and D/A converters and sample and hold amplifiers.
Power Control – Motor controllers, disc drives, power supplies, distributed power systems, power switching.• Power MOSFETs, IGBTs, power processing products, MOV (metal oxide varistors), intelligent power
products.
General Electronics Markets – Test equipment, industrial controls, consumer electronics, medical imaging,computer peripherals, hand-held portable equipment; military and aerospace electronics.
• Op amps, sample-and-hold amplifiers; Analog switches, multiplexers; A/D and D/A converters;Microprocessors, microcontrollers; Logic devices; DSP ICs; Power MOS; Power processing products;MOVs; Intelligent power products; radiation-hardened ICs and discretes, semicustom ICs for militaryand aerospace applications.
MOS MEMORY ANALOG
DRAM ✔ Amplifier✔ SRAM ✔ Interface
Flash Memory ✔ Consumer/Automotive
EPROM ✔ Voltage Regulator/Reference
ROM ✔ Data Conversion
EEPROM ✔ Comparator✔ Other (Including Non-Volatile RAM) ✔ Other (Includes Telecom)
MOS LOGIC DIGITAL BIPOLAR✔ General Purpose Logic Bipolar Memory✔ Gate Array General Purpose Logic✔ Standard Cell ✔ Gate Array/Standard Cell
Field Programmable Logic Field Programmable Logic✔ Other Special Purpose Logic Other Special Purpose Logic
MPU/MCU/MPR
MOS MICROCOMPONENT✔ MPU OTHER✔ MCU ✔ Full Custom IC✔ MPR ✔ Discrete✔ DSP ✔ Optoelectronic
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Harris Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Process technologies used by Harris Semiconductor include: CMOS, BiCMOS, power BiMOS, high-frequencybipolar/power MOS, high-voltage bipolar/power MOS, complementary bipolar dielectric isolation (bonded wafer),CMOS/SOI (silicon-on-insulator), CMOS/SOS (silicon-on-sapphire), and radiation hardening.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Harris supplements its internal semiconductor production capabilities with foundry agreements with externalsemiconductor manufacturers. For example, the company uses foundries for the fabrication of triple-layer-metalCMOS devices like signal processing ICs.
Harris Semiconductor (Ohio), Inc. Harris Semiconductor (Florida), Inc.1700 Fostoria Road P.O. Box 883Findlay, Ohio 45840 Palm Bay, Florida 32905Telephone: (419) 423-0321 Telephone: (407) 724-7000Cleanroom size: 57,500 square feet Cleanroom size: 53,000 square feetCapacity (wafers/week): 15,000 Capacity (wafers/week): 7,000Wafer sizes: 100mm, 125mm Wafer sizes: 3 in., 100mm, 125mmProcesses: CMOS, bipolar, BiCMOS Processes: CMOS, PMOS, bipolarProducts: Custom digital, linear, logic, and Products: MPUs, SRAMs, linear and digital ICs,
In early 1996, Harris began building a new IC assembly and test facility in Suzhou, China. The company expectsconstruction to be completed by summer of 1998. The new facility will assemble and test digital logic,microperipheral, and analog and mixed-signal devices. Harris has existing semiconductor assembly factories inKuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Dundalk, Ireland, and Palm Bay, Florida.
In 1997, Harris completed construction and check-out of a new fabrication facility in Mountaintop, Pennsylvania,This is noted to be the first facility in the world to produce discrete power devices on an eight-inch wafer.
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North American Company Profiles Harris Semiconductor
Key Agreements
• February 1998, Solectek Corporation, an industry leader in wireless LAN/WAN connectivity products,announced a collaboration with Harris Semiconductor to develop a high-speed, long range wireless bridgeproduct, the Solectek MP1100E. The Solectek MP1100E will provide high speed building-to-buildingwireless bridging with IP and IPX routing features using Harris’ PRISM™ 2.5GHz direct sequence spreadspectrum (DSSS) radio technology.
• In January 1998, Harris Semiconductor and Netwave Technologies, Inc. have agreed to collaborate to bringhigh performance wireless technology to the market this year. The joint venture leverages Harris’ expertise inthe semiconductor arena and Netwave’s networking and software experience. The partnership will yieldadvanced 2Mbps and 11Mbps wireless LAN products based on state-of-the-art radio chipsets from Harris.
• August 1997, Harris Semiconductor partnered with Chrysler to develop a multiplexing system for cars. Inparallel, Harris, Chrysler and the Society of Automotive Engineers helped define a new standard for in-vehicledata transmission. This new standard, known as SAE J1850, defined minimum data communicationrequirements so that the resulting network is cost effective for simple applications yet flexible enough to use incomplex applications. This will allow complex communications wiring in an auto to be replaced by a singlecentral communications wire that loops through the car and to which all the electronic components are joinedby small nodes.
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Holt Integrated Circuits North American Company Profiles
HOLT INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
Holt Integrated Circuits23351 Madero
Mission Viejo, California 92691-2730Telephone: (949) 859-8800
Fax: (949) 859-9643Web Site: www.holtic.com
IC ManufacturerFounded: 1976
Employees: 25
Ownership: Privately held.
Company Overview and Strategy
Holt Integrated Circuits, with 1997 total sales of $5.1 million, is a major supplier of CMOS display drivers andavionics databus and monolithic ICs to the avionics and military markets. As one of the early suppliers of cell basedcustom and semi-custom CMOS, Holt Integrated Circuits provided low voltage, mixed signal ASICs worldwide.Applications included heart pacemakers, data and voice communications, industrial instrumentation, consumerapplications and avionics products. Holt gradually changed its focus to become a major supplier of standardproducts for the display driver and avionics markets.
The HI-8010 series of Dichroic LCD Display Drivers was Holt’s first standard product entry into the avionics marketin 1984. Along with the newer HI-8020, HI-8040 and HI-8045 drivers, they are now widely used in a variety ofmilitary and commercial avionics displays as well as ground based applications.
The initial Holt ARINC 429 standard products were introduced in 1990, in response to requests from severalavionic’s manufacturers for an alternate, cost effective source of monolithic devices for this protocol. The productline has further expanded with additional devices. New products are under development for both this and otheravionics protocols.
Management
William Holt Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerRichard Kemmerle Vice President, OperationsGerald Donaldson Director, Marketing and Sales
North American Company Profiles Holt Integrated Circuits
Products and Processes
MOS MEMORY ANALOG
DRAM Amplifier
SRAM ✔ Interface
Flash Memory Consumer/Automotive
EPROM Voltage Regulator/Reference
ROM Data Conversion
EEPROM Comparator
Other (Including Non-Volatile RAM) ✔ Other (Includes Telecom)
MOS LOGIC DIGITAL BIPOLAR
General Purpose Logic Bipolar Memory
Gate Array General Purpose Logic✔ Standard Cell Gate Array/Standard Cell
Field Programmable Logic Field Programmable Logic✔ Other Special Purpose Logic Other Special Purpose Logic
MPU/MCU/MPR
MOS MICROCOMPONENT
MPU OTHER✔ MCU Full Custom IC
MPR Discrete
DSP Optoelectronic
Standard Products
Holt offers a family of high voltage (up to 35V) CMOS display drivers and a family of avionics databus devices foruse in both commercial and military aircraft applications.
The high voltage display driver products are available with 30, 32, 34, 38, 80 and 85 segments in a variety of plasticand ceramic, leaded and surface mount packages for both industrial and military applications.
The avionics databus products provide monolithic solutions for ARINC 429 protocol application. The productsencompass transmitter/receivers for use with 8- and 16-bit microprocessors/microcomputer; differential linereceivers to convert the ARINC 429 levels to CMOS/TTL levels; and differential line drivers that convertCMOS/TTL logic levels to ARINC 429 bus levels. All are available in a variety of plastic and ceramic, leaded andsurface mount packages suitable for industrial and military applications.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Holt’s products are manufactured using a combination of qualified wafer and assembly services in conjunction withHolt’s in-house design, test and screening capabilities.
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Honeywell North American Company Profiles
HONEYWELL SSEC
Honeywell, IncorporatedSolid State Electronics Center (SSEC)
Founded in 1885, Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) is an international company that provides control components,products, systems, and services for the home and building, industrial, space and aviation, and defense and marinemarkets.
Honeywell established its Solid State Electronics Center (SSEC) in 1965 to support the high technologydemands in the markets served by the parent company. This growing reliance on microelectronics led SSEC tobecome a niche market manufacturer of specialized ICs and solid-state sensors.
The SSEC's mission is to develop and produce niche semiconductor technologies and products which arefocused in the market areas of sensors, radiation-hardened space components, and specialized ICs for its parent'sneeds and select external markets. SSEC is the world’s leading supplier of SOI CMOS ICs for space and industrialapplications. Approximately 50 percent of the SSEC's IC production is sold to external customers.
Management
Michael R. Bonsignore Chief Executive OfficerD. Larry Moore President and Chief Operating OfficerLarry C. Welliver Vice President, SSECBrian Urke Director, Aerospace ElectronicsLou Del Monte Director, Business Management, SSECBryan Johnson Director, Human Resources and Facilities, SSECPravin Parekh Director, Operations, SSECJay Schrankher Director, Quality and Information Systems, SSECKaren Dale Director, Material Management, SSECRod Clark Manager, ASIC Products, SSEC
Products and Processes
Honeywell SSEC's key business areas are outlined below.
Space components (for commercial, military space, and tactical and strategic missile applications).• SRAMs• ROMs (SOI and bulk)• Gate arrays (SOI and bulk) with ultra low power options• Bus interface products (1773 and 1553)
Sensors (for industrial control, automotive, medical, and aircraft applications).• Precision pressure• High-accuracy magnetic
High-temperature products (for oil service industry, industrial control, and gas turbine control applications). All SOI devices.
• Op amps• Switches• A/D converters and controllers
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Honeywell North American Company Profiles
About 90 percent of Honeywell's ICs are manufactured using CMOS or radiation-intensive CMOS (RICMOS™)processes and 10 percent using an advanced bipolar process.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Honeywell, IncorporatedSolid State Electronics Center12001 Highway 55Plymouth, Minnesota 55441Wafer size: 150mmProcesses: CMOS, bipolarProducts: Rad-hard memories, ASICs, analog ICs, digital ICs, sensors, foundry servicesFeature sizes: 0.3µm, 0.4µm, 0.5µm, 0.7µm, 0.8µm, 1.2µm
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North American Company Profiles HP
HEWLETT-PACKARD (HP)
Hewlett-Packard Company3000 Hanover Street
Palo Alto, California 94304-1112Telephone: (650) 857-1501
Fax: (650) 857-5518Web Site: www.hp.com
Captive IC Manufacturer
Regional Headquarters/Representative Locations
Europe: Hewlett-Packard Company • Geneva, SwitzerlandTelephone: (41) (21) 780-8111
Asia-Pacific: Hewlett-Packard Company • Causeway Bay, Hong KongTelephone: (852) 2599-7777
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends October 31
*Calendar year**Includes internal and external sales
Ownership: Publicly held. NYSE: HWP.
Company Overview and Strategy
Hewlett-Packard (HP) is one of the world's leading designers and manufacturers of electronic, medical, analytical,and computing instruments and systems. HP divides its business into five product categories: computerproducts, electronic test and measurement instruments and systems, medical electronic equipment, analyticalinstruments, and electronic components.
Hewlett-Packard’s Components Group (CG) is structured into four main businesses:
• Optoelectronics Division: Broad range of visible LEDs, Displays, and Motion Sensing and Control products.
• Communications Semiconductor Solutions Division: Fiber Optic Transmit and Receive products, Infraredcommunication link products, RF/Microwave semiconductor devices, High Isolation Optocouplercomponents, and High Speed I/O integrated circuits and modules.
• Wireless Infrastructure Division: RF/Microwave/Millimeter-wave subsystems and components for wirelesscommunications infrastructure equipment.
• Integrated Circuit Business Division: Application Specific Integrated Circuits, MPUs.
HP CG serves the following market areas: Communications Equipment (mobile, infrastructure, wired/wireless),Computer/Office Equipment, Transportation, Consumer Electronics, and Industrial Electronic Equipment. Alsounder the wings of Hewlett-Packard is HP Labs, which is one of the world's leading electronic research centers.
Management
Lewis E. Platt Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerByron Anderson Vice President and General Manager, Microwave and Communications GroupBill Sullivan Vice President and General Manager, Components GroupAlan Marty General Manager, Integrated Circuits Business DivisionDick Chang General Manager, Communications Semiconductor Solutions DivisionNeal Carney Manager, Marketing, IC Business DivisionLance Mills Manager, Research and Development, IC Business Division
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North American Company Profiles HP
Products and Processes
HP's semiconductor products range from analog and high-speed digital ICs to RF, microwave, and optoelectronicsemiconductors. The company also offers motion control devices, solid-state relays, and millimeter-wavecomponents. In addition, HP manufactures RISC MPUs that are designed using what it calls PrecisionArchitecture-RISC (PA-RISC).
In 1998, HP introduced three new Intel-based models to its family of home PCs. The new line features thefollowing models.
• HP Pavilion 8290 PC — powered by a Pentium II 400MHz processor with 100MHz system bus, 64MBSDRAM, a 12.0GB hard drive and a DVD drive.
• HP Pavilion 8250 PC — powered by the new 266MHz Intel Celeron processor and comes with 48MBSDRAM and a 6.0GB hard drive.
• HP Pavilion 3265 PC — offers a 233MHz Pentium processor with MMX technology, 32MB SDRAM and a56Kbps modem.
In early 1997, HP introduced the latest product from its PA-8000 RISC microprocessor family of 64-bit MPUs forhigh-end systems—the 12-million transistor PA-8500. Claiming to be HP’s most powerful microprocessor, the PA-8500 incorporates 1.5MB of memory on chip and was designed on a 0.25µm process. Target applications for thedevice include Internet access, database access and management, computer-aided design and manufacturing(CAD/CAM), and communications.
HP uses sophisticated semiconductor technologies based on silicon, GaAs, and InP materials.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
In April 1997, Hewlett-Packard announced the development of a new joint venture foundry company with foundrycompany, Chartered Semiconductor, and the Economic Development Board (EDB) of Singapore. This is thesecond fab facility investment HP has made in Singapore.
The new venture, called Chartered Silicon Partners, will be located adjacent to Chartered’s exiting facilities in theWoodlands Industrial Park in Singapore. Construction of a 200mm wafer manufacturing facility is expected tobegin in September 1997 with production beginning in mid-1999. HP will receive a specified amount of wafers(0.35µm and 0.25µm ASICs) from the venture in exchange for its investment, while the remaining capacity will beoffered as part of Chartered’s usual foundry services. Chartered will hold the majority interest of the venture whileHP and the EDB will hold minority positions.
Hewlett-Packard Hewlett-PackardSanta Rosa, California Santa Clara, CaliforniaCapacity (wafers/week): 1,000 Cleanroom size: 17,000 square feetWafer size: 2 in. Capacity (wafers/week): 225Process: Bipolar Wafer size: 3 in.Products: Discretes Process: GaAs Products: ICs and discretes
TECH Semiconductor Singapore Pte. Ltd.P.O. Box 2093, SE 9040990 Bendemeer RoadSingapore 1233Telephone: (65) 298-1122Cleanroom size: 40,000 square feetCapacity (wafers/week): 6,250 Wafer size: 200mmProcess: CMOSProducts: DRAMsFeature sizes: 0.35µm, 0.5µm(Joint venture with Texas Instruments, the Economic DevelopmentBoard of Singapore, and Canon.)
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North American Company Profiles HP
Key Agreements
• Intel and HP have worked for more than three years on the next-generation microprocessor architecturetechnology. On October 14, 1997, the two companies revealed the first details of their jointly defined ExplicityParallel Instruction Computing (EPIC) technology and IA-64 (Intel Architecture 64-bit). IA-64, based on EPICtechnology, will enable breakthrough performance, compatibility and scalability addressing next-generation,64-bit high-end workstation and server market requirements. HP’s future systems will be built with IA-64-basedprocessors that will take full advantage of EPIC technology.
• Early in 1997, HP and Cisco Systems Inc. agreed to a broad technology-development, Internet solutions andcustomer-support alliance. This agreement expanded an ongoing relationship to more fully integratecomputing, networking and network management, and to offer end-to-end support and security for Internet-ready networked computing solutions.
• HP announced a joint strategy with Microsoft to increase the productivity of their enterprise customers’computing technology while reducing costs. Together, they’re developing an initiative to help customersachieve cost-effective enterprise environments.
• AT&T Microelectronics (now Lucent Technologies) and Hewlett-Packard signed an agreement in early 1995 todevelop and dual-source fiber-optic transceivers for SONET/SDH and ATM applications.
• To promote and coordinate the use of its PA-RISC architecture, Hewlett-Packard formed PRO, the PrecisionRISC Organization. Some of the founding members are Convex Computer, Hitachi, Oki, Hughes Aircraft, andMitsubishi. Other members include Sequoia Systems and Winbond Electronics.
• Although not a PRO member, Samsung has the right to manufacture PA-RISC ICs to sell on the merchantmarket and use in its own workstations.
• HP formed an alliance with Analog Devices for the joint development of advanced mixed-signal processesbased on HP's submicron CMOS and BiCMOS technologies.
• Hewlett-Packard and Intel announced a wide ranging joint research and development alliance in 1994 underwhich the partners are seeking to design a superior next-generation 64-bit microprocessor by 1999, a year laterthan originally planned. The processor will be binary-compatible with both Intel x86 code and HP PA-RISCcode.
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Hughes Electronics North American Company Profiles
HUGHES ELECTRONICS*
Hughes Electronics Corporation
Delco Electronics Corporation Hughes Aircraft CompanyOne Corporate Center Microelectronics Division
Kokomo, Indiana 46904-9005 500 Superior AvenueTelephone: (317) 451-5700 Newport Beach, California 92663
*In January 1997, Hughes Electronics Corporation and Raytheon entered into a definitive agreement to bring
about the merger of the defense operations (Hughes Aircraft Company, which includes the MicroelectronicsDivision) and Raytheon. As part of the agreement, Delco Electronics will be transferred from Hughes Electronicsto GM’s Delphi Automotive Systems. On October 20, 1997 — GM announced that it was moving forward withrestructuring transactions that include the spin-off of Hughes Defense and its merger with Raytheon, and thetransfer of Delco Electronics from Hughes Electronics to GM.
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends December 31
*Delco Electronics returned to GM’s Delphi Automotive Systems, and Hughes Aircraft was sold to Raytheon whoin turn sold its Semiconductor Division to Fairchild.
Company Overview and Strategy
Hughes Electronics Corporation (HE), known as GM Hughes Electronics Corporation prior to March 1995, is asubsidiary of General Motors Corporation. HE's principal operating organizations are Delco ElectronicsCorporation and Hughes Aircraft Company. Its other business units are Hughes Telecommunications and SpaceCompany, DirecTV, Inc., and Hughes Network Systems, Inc.
North American Company Profiles Hughes Electronics
Delco Electronics (DE) is a world leader in the development, manufacture, and marketing of vehicle and driversystems for the global automotive market, and Hughes Aircraft, acquired by GM in 1985, is a world leader inaerospace, defense electronics, and information systems.
Delco Electronics, alone, is the third largest captive IC manufacturer. Its fabrication facilities produce about 40percent of its semiconductor needs. The company produces advanced ICs that perform a variety of functions,such as deciphering radio frequency signals for audio systems, controlling the release of an airbag, suspensionsystem control, and fuel, electrical, and ignition management. Some of its new technologies include night visionsystems, collision avoidance systems, navigation systems, keyless start systems, tire pressure warning systems,and reconfigurable LCD head-up displays.
Hughes Aircraft continues to restructure its business to adapt to severe cuts in U.S. defense spending. Thecompany intends to maintain its leadership in key defense markets, while at the same time, explore newmarketplaces and exploit new technologies. Some commercial ventures the company is involved in include:digital cellular communications systems, advanced acoustic technologies, light projection systems, digital signalcompression, character recognition, and airport integration systems.
In January 1997, GM and Hughes Electronics announced a series of strategic transactions designed tostrengthen the position of GM in two key areas — telecommunications and space, and automotive electronics. GMhas a definitive agreement with Raytheon to spin off Hughes Aircraft from Hughes Electronics and then merge theoperation into Raytheon. Separately, Delco Electronics will be transferred from Hughes Electronics to GM’s DelphiAutomotive Systems. Both of these transactions are expected to take place in 3Q97.
Management
Michael T. Smith Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Hughes Electronics CorporationCharles H. Noski President, Hughes ElectronicsMichael J. Burns Executive Vice President, Hughes Electronics Corporation;
General Manager, Delco Electronics CorporationJohn C. Weaver Senior Vice President, Hughes Electronics Corporation;
President, Hughes Aircraft Company
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Hughes Electronics North American Company Profiles
Products and Processes
IC Delco, DE's automotive semiconductor unit, designs and manufactures custom analog and digital ICs forspecific automotive applications such as anti-lock brake systems, engine controllers, suspension control systems,communications, and instrumentation. IC Delco also produces silicon-based electronic sensors.
Among the semiconductor devices Hughes Aircraft designs and manufactures are ASICs, memory devices,microcomponents, rad-hard circuits, monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs), and millimeter-wave devicesusing a variety of process technologies including CMOS, BiCMOS, GaAs, and InP.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Delco Electronics Corporation Hughes Aircraft CompanyIC Delco Business Unit Microelectronics Division700 East Firmin Street 500 Superior AvenueKokomo, Indiana 46902-2340 Newport Beach, California 92663-3627Cleanroom size: 125,000 square feet (3 fabs) Telephone: (714) 759-2411Capacity (wafers/week): 12,000 Capacity (wafers/week): 1,600Wafer sizes: 100mm, 125mm Wafer sizes: 100mmProcesses: NMOS, CMOS, BiCMOS, bipolar Processes: CMOS, BiCMOS, SOS, CryoCMOSProducts: MPUs, MCUs, ASICs, logic and Products: ASICs, memories, MCUs, LCD drivers, linear ICs, discretes. linear ICs, rad-hard ICs, foundry services.Feature sizes: 1.0µm-2.0µm Feature sizes: 1.25µm-5.0µm
• In December 1997, Fairchild completed its acquisition of Raytheon Electronics Semiconductor, a division ofthe Raytheon Company.
• Delco Electronics and Texas Instruments jointly developed a new methodology, called Prism, that is claimed tocut the high cost and long lead time of taking complex mixed-technology designs from concept to silicon.Prism is being used by DE to produce configurable 16-bit microcontrollers for GM cars.
Hutson Industries was formed in 1965, and specializes in the design and manufacturing of semiconductorswitching devices for the industrial market. Today, Hutson is one of the largest manufacturers of thyristors.
Products and Processes
The basic product line includes:
• DIACS• SCRs• SIDACS• TRIACS• Chips and Wafers
The company offers most of its product line in chip or wafer form for the hybrid market or special assemblies.
San Jose, California 95134-1700Telephone: (408) 922-0202
Fax: (408) 922-0833Web Site: www.icworks.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends March 31
1 9 9 4 1 9 9 5 1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7 1 9 9 8
Sales 21 26 41 47 55
Employees 125 150 200 250 120
Ownership: Privately held.
Company Overview and Strategy
IC Works was established in June 1992, when it acquired the San Jose fabrication facility, process technology,and engineering and manufacturing staff of Samsung Semiconductor, the U.S. business of Korea’s Samsung.
As an independent company, IC Works designs, manufactures, and markets mixed-signal products using itsdesign and in-house facility, and provides quick-turn, submicron foundry services to selected mixed-signalsemiconductor companies.
IC Works operates three complementary mixed-signal businesses — clock products, wireless communicationsproducts, and submicron foundry services.
Management
Ilbok Lee, Ph.D. President and Chief Executive OfficerDan Feier Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerBarry Small Vice President, Fab OperationsBarr Leff Vice President, MarketingChen Wang Vice President, Engineering
IC Works' products and services include high-performance clock generator ICs, and wireless communicationcircuits. New products for the computer and data communications markets are being developed.
Clock ProductsIC Works offers a wide range of high performance phase-locked-loop (PLL)-based clock ICs for systemmanufacturers in a variety of markets. The main applications within the clock market include PC motherboards,communications, mass storage, multimedia, and workstations. Products include clock buffers and single anddual PLL clocks.
Wireless CommunicationsUtilizing its PLL and BiCMOS process technologies, IC Works is developing RF solutions for the wirelessmarketplace, focusing on data communications. This product strategy includes development of componentlevel functional block products and ASSPs.
As part of the buyout, Samsung licensed IC Works to use its scaleable submicron CMOS and BiCMOS processtechnologies. Currently, the majority of IC Works’ production wafer output is processed to 0.7µm design rules witha migration to 0.6µm under way. Future plans include development of finer geometry processes down to 0.35µm.
Key Agreements
• In 1996, IC Works and Motorola announced a second-source agreement for the development and manufactureof CMOS and BiCMOS-based mixed-signal timing circuits. Motorola will contribute high-performance timingsolutions targeted at workstations, servers, and network applications, while IC Works will provide “clock”solutions targeting personal computers and peripheral applications.
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North American Company Profiles ICS
INTEGRATED CIRCUIT SYSTEMS (ICS)
Integrated Circuit Systems, Inc.2435 Boulevard of the Generals
P.O. Box 968Valley Forge, Pennsylvania 19482-0968
Telephone: (610) 630-5300Fax: (610) 630-5399
Web Site: www.icst.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Financial History ($M)
Year Ended Year-to-Date Year ended June 3 0 June 2 9 June 2 8 Six Months
1997 – Reflects special charges relating to the acquisition of MicroClock, Inc. ($11.2) and the write-off of the investment in Voyetra ($7.0).
1996 – Reflects special charges of $3.3 million relating to the Turtle Beach operations.
1995 – Reflects special charges of $7.4 million associated with severance and other exits costs associated with redirection of the company’s multimedia strategy.
Company Overview and Strategy
Integrated Circuit Systems, Inc. (ICS), with headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, a major design center inSilicon Valley, California, and a product test center in Singapore, is a fabless semiconductor company specializingin high performance mixed-signal integrated circuits for frequency synthesizers, data communications, imaging,and ASIC products. ICS was founded in 1976, launched an IPO in 1991, and trades on the NASDAQ stockexchange under the stock symbol ICST.
ICS’ primary focus is to combine its innovation, market position, and competency in mixed-signal and phaselocked-loop technology to capitalize on the trend convergence of computer, communications, and consumerapplications, especially in the LAN/WAN communications marketplace.
Henry Boreen Chairman of the BoardHock Tan Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial OfficerChristopher Bland Vice President, Consumer Products GroupEdward Christiansen Vice President, OperationsMartin Goldberg Vice President, SalesPaul Lessard Vice President, Systems TechnologyBarry Olson Vice President, Multimedia FTGGregory Richmond Vice President, Computer Products GroupK. Venkateswaran, Ph.D. Vice President, Data Communications Group
Products and Processes
Mixed-Signal Technology
ICS markets high performance, mixed-signal CMOS integrated circuits. Mixed-signal technology combines analogand digital circuitry on a single integrated circuit. ICS continues to push the envelope of mixed-signal designtowards the computer, consumer, and communications markets.
Frequency Timing Generators
ICS is a worldwide leader in Personal Computer frequency timing generators. Every computer system has at leastone frequency timing generator (FTG) to synchronize timing between the microprocessor and peripherals with theexchange of data. Frequency timing applications include personal computers, peripherals, such as hard diskdrives, printers, scanners, modems and digital cameras, consumer products, such as TV set-top boxes, satellitereceivers, cordless phones, and professional products, such as workstations and multimedia. ICS’ FTGs areavailable for all popular microprocessor families, as well as compatible processors and core logic sets.
Data Communications
ICS’ data communications products include high-performance transceiver chips designed for applications innetwork systems. These devices work in Local Area Networks (LAN) and Wide Area Networks (WAN), includingSONET/SDH fiber optic systems and 100/10M Fast Ethernet TX/FX systems. ICS is a market leader in single chipCMOS PHYceivers™ for Fast Ethernet, and is also a founding member of the Gigabit Ethernet Alliance with plansto support the Gigabit Ethernet market.
Core Technology and Custom ICs
ICS’ mixed-signal chips integrate analog functions with digital logic, allowing development of cost effective, state-of-the-art designs. Applications technology includes major industry groups, such as telecommunications,military/aerospace, consumer and computers. ICS’ design strengths include data acquisition, switched capacitorfilters, phase-lock loops (PLL) with patented voltage controlled oscillators (VSO), voltage controlled crystaloscillators (VCXO), and gigahertz CMOS.
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North American Company Profiles ICS
Key Agreements
• ICS has entered into agreements with foundries such as Chartered Semiconductor, UMC, TSMC, and AMI tosupply wafers manufactured to its specifications and designs. Some of these agreements provide forinvestment from ICS to ensure availability of capacity.
• During fiscal year 1996, ICS established an agreement with Chartered Semiconductor to secure a minimumwafer supply from Chartered covering a five year period.
• ICS acquired a 51 percent interest in ARK Logic, Inc. in 3Q95. ICS plans to combine its audio design specialtywith ARK’s video graphics expertise to develop a chip that handles 3D graphics, VGA control, and audio andvideo processing. ICS may purchase the remaining 49 percent of ARK Logic.
• In October 1992, ICS entered into an alliance with American Microsystems Inc. under which ICS secured waferprocessing capacity through the year 2000.
• ICS licensed DSP Group’s Pine digital signal processing and TrueSpeech voice compression technologies foruse in its next-generation audio components.
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ICT North American Company Profiles
ICT
ICT Inc.2123 Ringwood Avenue
San Jose, California 95131Telephone: (408) 434-0678
Fax: (408) 432-0815Web Site: www.ictpld.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Company Overview and Strategy
ICT Inc., founded in November 1991, designs, manufactures, and markets programmable logic devices (PLDs) fora variety of applications such as PCs, telecommunications, industrial, medical, and consumer electronics. Thecompany was originally established in 1983 by International CMOS Technology.
ICT is organized into two divisions: the Programmable Logic Division (PLD) and the Personal Computer ProductsDivision (PCPD). The PLD designs, develops, and markets user-programmable integrated circuits specializing inprogrammable logic devices (PLDs). The PCPD designs and markets PC core logic chipsets and peripheralcontroller products.
Management
David Sears, Ph.D. ChairmanEdward D. Barnett President and Chief Operating OfficerVolker Cathrein Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Finance
Products and Processes
ICT's programmable logic product line consists of two families of CMOS PLDs — PEEL (Programmable ElectricallyErasable Logic) Devices and PEEL Arrays — in addition to supporting development tools. PEEL Devices aresimple PLDs designed as replacements for standard 20-pin and 24-pin PAL/GAL devices with speed gradesranging from 5ns to 25ns. PEEL Arrays are complex PLDs (CPLDs) that combine a non-segmented PLA withFPGA-like logic cells with wide single-level delays as fast as 9ns/15ns (internal/external). PEEL Arrays are used forcombinatorial logic, with clocking frequencies running up to 80MHz for sequential functions.
ICT's PLDs are designed and manufactured using proprietary 0.8µm CMOS EEPROM technology.
The company's PC product line consists of Pentium and 486 portable and desktop core logic chipsets,programmable peripheral interface ICs, and peripheral controller ICs.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
ICT is a fabless IC supplier therefore, utilizes external fabrication and assembly facilities. ICT wafers are currentlyfabricated by two companies: Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing of Singapore and Rohm Co. of Japan.Assembly and test work is handled by multiple vendors in the Philippines, Thailand, and Taiwan.
Key Agreements
• ICT has a license agreement with AMD involving PLD products.
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IDT North American Company Profiles
INTEGRATED DEVICE TECHNOLOGY (IDT)
Integrated Device Technology, Inc.2975 Stender Way
Santa Clara, California 95054Telephone: (800) 345-7015
Integrated Device Technology, Inc. (IDT), enables a digitally connected world by providing innovativesemiconductor solutions to leading-edge system designers in communications and computing. IDT’s broadproduct mix consists of communications memories, networking devices, both RISC and x86 microprocessors,high-speed SRAMs and high-performance logic. The company’s technologies and products take aim at marketsexpected to exceed a total of $20 billion in 1998.
Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, the company employs approximately 5,000 people worldwide and hasmanufacturing facilities in California, Oregon, the Philippines and Malaysia.
Management
D. John Carey ChairmanLeonard Perham President and Chief Executive OfficerAlan Krock Chief Financial OfficerRay Farnham Executive Vice PresidentJerry Taylor Executive Vice President, Worldwide Manufacturing and Memory ProductsGlenn Henry Senior Vice PresidentStuart Bardach Vice President, QualityCharles Clark Vice President, Subsystems Products/SRAM ProductsWilliam Cortelyou Vice President, Wafer OperationsDave Côté Vice President, MarketingStefan Braken-Guelke Vice President, Logic ProductsRobin Hodge Vice President, Assembly and TestJimmy Lee Vice President, FIFO ProductsDaniel Lewis Vice President, Worldwide SalesChuen-Der Lien Vice President, Technology DevelopmentJohn Mick Vice President, Systems Technology GroupBob Phillips Vice President, Worldwide ManufacturingRobert Proebsting Vice President, Advanced Design Concepts
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IDT North American Company Profiles
Christopher Schott Vice President, Specialty Memory ProductsThomas Wroblewski Vice President, Human ResourcesJohn Payne Vice President, Far Eastern OperationsNick Kucharewski Vice President, Microprocessor ProductsJack Menache Vice President, General Counsel and SecretaryWilliam Cowing Vice President, European SalesGary Dean Vice President, MaterialsRick Picard Vice President, Special ProgramsJoel Dedrick Vice President, Graphics and System Solutions
Products and Processes
IDT produces communications products, SRAMs, logic products and both RISC and x86 microprocessors. Theseproducts are designed and manufactured using proprietary advanced submicron CMOS and BiCMOS processtechnologies, including the company's 0.5µm process and its next-generation 0.35µm process. IDT's productgroups are outlined below.
SRAMs• Fast CMOS asynchronous and synchronous SRAMs with 16K to 4M densities and access times as fast as 8ns.• Fast CMOS ZBT™ synchronous SRAMs that optimize system performance in applications that frequently turn
the data bus around between reads and writes. Available in 1M density and 4M density devices that will supportclock speeds up to 133MHz.
• High-speed industry-standard and custom CMOS SRAM modules.
Communications Memory Products• High-speed CMOS multi-port SRAMs in densities from 8K to 1M with both synchronous and asynchronous
interfaces.• High-density CMOS first-in, first-out memories (FIFOs) in synchronous unidirectional or bidirectional and
asynchronous unidirectional or bidirectional versions, covering depths from 1K to 256K and widths from 4 to 36bits.
• Low-cost Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) 25 to 155Mbps segmentation and reassembly (SAR) controllersand physical layer (PHY) transceivers for use in emerging XDSL, NIC and DSLAM markets.
Logic Products• Leading supplier of high-performance, low-power logic.• More than 242 logic, interface and clock management components.• ALVC and LVC families of high-performance logic.
RISC and x86 Microprocessors• IDT is leading innovator of 32- and 64-bit RISController™ microprocessors.• IDT WinChip™ products for sub-$1,000 desktop computers.• Full range of development tools.
• IDT is in a cooperative agreement with Micron and Motorola to manufacture and market SRAM products basedon Zero Bus Turnaround™ (ZBT) architecture.
• IDT announced an alternate source agreement with Texas Instruments to manufacture ALVC and LVC logicproducts.
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IMI North American Company Profiles
INTERNATIONAL MICROCIRCUITS (IMI)
International Microcircuits Inc.525 Los Coches Street
Milpitas, California 95035-5423Telephone: (408) 263-6300
Fax: (408) 263-6571Web Site: www.imicorp.com
IC Manufacturer
Ownership: Privately held (profitable from operations since inception).
Employees 80
Company Overview and Strategy
IMI focuses on Application Specific Standard Products (ASSPs) targeting the computer, computer peripheral andcommunications markets with mixed analog/digital integrated circuits. Current IMI products focus on SystemClocks and Spectrum Spread products.
IMI was founded by Frank Deverse in the early 1970s. In December 1997, a leveraged buyout of Mr. Deverse byIMI management, T.A. Associates, a large and nationally well respected venture capital firm, took place.
There are four elements to the company’s strategic positioning: focus, diversification, fast time to market andcompetitive pricing. As a company, IMI focuses on not only specific markets but on the leaders within thosemarkets.
While having segmented the markets, IMI primarily targets the industry leaders within those segments. Becomingthe OEM supplier to the industry leaders is IMI’s goal.
IMI also plans to diversify into other applications.
IMI’s products are sold worldwide through direct sales and independent sales representatives. Exports accountedfor over 70 percent of the company’s revenues in FY97.
IMI addresses the consumer market in computer and communication applications. IMI addresses its focus marketsegments with mixed signal integrated circuits. In the computer market, IMI supplies system clocks, based ontraditional and spectrum spread technologies.
With unique technology and a broad line of low EMI system clock circuits, the company is well positioned to takeadvantage of the market’s growing need for reduced EMI. IMI expects its family low EMI integrated solutions tocontinue to gain wide acceptance in the market.
IMI’s customer list includes: IBM, Hewlett Packard, Compaq, Dell, Siemens, NEC, Fujitsu, DEC, Apple, MicroStar,ACER, Goldstar, and Daewoo.
IMI is ISO 9001 certified.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
IMI’s wafer production is done by the company’s foundry partner, IBM, using primarily the Burlington, MA andEssones, France facilities. IMI uses 0.8 micron (5 inch wafers) and 0.35 micron (8 inch wafers) processtechnologies.
All assembly is contracted to the Far East and is dual sourced. All wafer sort and final test functions are conductedat IMI’s headquarters.
International Microcircuits Inc.525 Los Coches StreetMilpitas, California 95035-5423Cleanroom size: 2,000 square feet (Class 10)Wafer size: 150mmProcess: CMOSProducts: ASSPsFeature sizes: 0.35µm, 0.8µm
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IMP North American Company Profiles
IMP
IMP, Inc.2830 North First Street
San Jose, California 95134-2071Telephone: (408) 432-9100
IMP, Inc. designs, manufactures and markets standard-setting analog integrated circuits and specialty analog waferfoundry processes for data communications and power management applications in computer, communicationsand control systems. IMP products are sold through a worldwide network of representatives and distributors.
To address the need for wafer capacity by small fabless startup companies, IMP announced the establishment ofits Silicon Venture Partners (SVP) program in May 1995. Under the SVP program, IMP provides access to waferfabrication capabilities to fabless semiconductor startups. This includes absorbing some of the expenses ofdeveloping and producing a new IC in exchange for product, marketing, and/or technology rights, a share offuture profits, or other compensation.
Company Facilities
IMP headquarters and ISO 9001 certified wafer fabrication and test facility are located in San Jose, California.Product development centers are in Pleasanton, California, and Lee, New Hampshire. The company employs 226people.
Analog Integrated Circuit Products
Key areas of focus are Data Communications and Power Management.
Data Communications includes memory bus terminators and second generation Small Computer Serial Interface(SCSI) termination functions that lower system cost.
Power Management includes devices to generate, distribute, protect and manage thermal and powerconsumption characteristics of desktop and portable computers, mobile communication devices and batterypowered electronic systems. Examples include Electroluminescent (EL) lamp drivers, low dropout (LDO)regulators, microprocessor supervisors and high-frequency switching converters.
The company also supplies read-channels, preamplifiers, programmable filters, write drivers and other complexmixed-signal ICs for tape back-up and other mass-storage peripherals.
Wafer Fabrication and Manufacturing Services
High-volume, analog and mixed-signal wafer foundry services on low-power, high-voltage, CMOS, BiCMOS, andEEPROM processes, including turnkey packaging and test capabilities. Fabrication services include databaseproduction using IMP standard processes, and porting of customer-owned technology.
Management
David Laws Chairman of the BoardPhil Ferguson President and Chief Executive OfficerGeorge Rassam Chief Financial OfficerJerry DaBell Sr. Vice President, Design EngineeringBarry Wiley Vice President, Sales and Application EngineeringMoiz Khambaty, Ph.D. Vice President, TechnologyTarsaim Batra Vice President, ManufacturingRon Laugesen Vice President, Product Engineering
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IMP North American Company Profiles
Products and Processes
Analog Integrated Circuit ProductsData Communications – Internal system data communications devices, including memory bus terminatorsand state-of-the-art Small Computer Serial Interface (SCSI) termination functions, both single-ended andmulti-mode, that lower system cost.
Power Management – Devices to generate, distribute, protect and manage thermal and power consumptioncharacteristics of desktop and portable computers, mobile communication devices and battery poweredelectronic systems. Examples include Electroluminescent (EL) lamp drivers, low dropout (LDO) regulators,microprocessor supervisors and high-frequency switching converters.
Analog Wafer Foundry ServicesIMP’s Wafer Foundry Services provide wafer fabrication services on value-added analog, mixed-signal andhigh-voltage processes. Both fast-turn prototype and high-volume production demands are supported.The product line also manages selective ASIC design programs in association with the customer and third-party design resources. To date, more than 1,000 designs have been manufactured for many customersincluding AT&T, Adaptec, Daimler-Benz, International Rectifier, Level One Communications, RockwellSemiconductor, Siemens and Tektronix.
IMP offers manufacturing capability on a broad range of CMOS technologies in its ISO 9001 registered,18,000 square foot wafer fabrication facility, with 8,000 square feet under Class 10 laminar-flow, cleanroomconditions. Processes available today include BiCMOS, CMOS and EEPROM technologies.
IMP manufactures products using N-well and P-well, single and double layer poly CMOS analog processes.Analog capabilities range from 5 micron high-voltage, down to high-speed 0.8 micron processes. Theseinclude double-poly technology to ensure maximum capacitor stability in analog circuits. Vertical and lateralbipolar transistors are available to minimize noise in analog inputs and support high-drive outputs.Processes created for battery-operated circuits provide low-voltage operation, down to 1.5V.
BiCMOS technology options provide solutions for users requiring the speed and drive of bipolar devicesand the low power/high density of CMOS. High-voltage manufacturing experience includes 30V BiCMOSprocesses for audio and power management applications, 100V for display and lamp drivers, and custompower programs from 300V to 600V. Electrically Erasable CMOS modules permit the incorporation ofunique user-configurable features into analog and mixed-signal designs.
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North American Company Profiles IMP
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
IMP, Inc.2830 North First StreetSan Jose, California 95134Cleanroom size: 8,000 square feet (Class 10)Capacity (wafers/week): 3,500Wafer size: 125mmProcesses: CMOS, BiCMOS, EECMOS, High-Voltage CMOSProducts: Foundry Services (wafer, test, packaging)
Data Communications: SCSI terminators, PCM SwitchesPower Management: µP Supervisors, Electroluminescent (EL) lamp drivers,SMPS controllers and Low Dropout (LDO) regulators.
• In June 1998, IMP announced the signing of a Joint Technology development agreement with Honeywell’sMicro Switch Division. The long-term program will develop new analog and mixed signal IC wafer manufacturingtechnology based on an existing IMP BiCMOS process. With completion of the technology developmentphase, IMP will provide wafer manufacturing services to Honeywell on proprietary analog integrated circuits forsale in the North American and International Markets.
• In September 1997, IMP introduced the IMP5000 family, the first product line resulting from a strategicpartnership with Linfinity Microelectronics that was announced in July 1997. Based on a new second-generation, Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) termination architecture, the IMP5000 BiCMOS devicesdeliver higher bandwidth and lower system cost than the first generation linear terminators currently available.With this announcement, IMP is entering the fast growing market for devices serving data communicationsapplications for local computer to peripheral interconnections based on the industry-standard SCSIspecifications.
Under the agreement, IMP developed a BiCMOS process optimized for high volume production of advancedSCSI terminator devices. Linfinity developed the UltaMAX™ adaptive, non-linear termination architecture thatprovides improved performance and eliminates many expensive and board area consuming capacitors requiredby first generation devices from Unitrode and Dallas Semiconductor.
• In July 1997, IMP announced a broad technology strategic alliance with Linifinity Microelectronics Inc., ofGarden Grove, CA, a subsidiary of SymmetriCom, Inc. As part of this alliance, Linfinity, which designs andmanufacturers a wide variety of next-generation portable power, desktop power and data communicationsanalog and mixed-signal IC solutions, will gain the use of IMP’s advanced process technology, manufacturingcapacity and design resources.
IMP has licensed SCSI terminator technology from Linfinity.
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IMP North American Company Profiles
• IMP has a design and process technology transfer agreement with South African Microelectronic Systems(SAMES). SAMES purchased the rights to IMP’s 1.2-micron and 2.0-micron mixed-signal processtechnologies and has been qualified as a second source for IMP’s high-volume manufacturing process.
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North American Company Profiles Infinite Technology
INFINITE TECHNOLOGY
Infinite Technology Corporation2425 North Central Expressway, Suite 323
Established in 1991, Infinite Technology Corporation (ITC) is involved in the research, design, development, andmarketing of high-performance reconfigurable function and application specific semiconductor products andtechnology. It also provides design support and design services.
ITC has developed a field-programmable, in-system reconfigurable architecture that efficiently addresses theneed for high performance arithmetic datapath functionality required to accelerate data stream algorithms for imageprocessing in video editing, digital still cameras, broadcast video, pattern recognition, medical instrumentation,and virtual reality. Other applications for the company’s products include robotics, communications, satellites, datastorage, and military equipment.
Management
Tim Smith Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerLavelle Gibson President and Chief Operating OfficerArt Berger Chief Financial OfficerGlen Haas, Jr. Vice President, EngineeringRobert L. (Les) Veal Vice President, Marketing and SalesGeorge Landers Vice President, RAD Technology
Products and Processes
ITC’s products and services include: reconfigurable arithmetic datapath (RAD™) IC products, which are essentiallyreconfigurable coprocessors; technology license agreements for programmable logic, reconfigurable arithmeticdatapath, and digital signal processing architectures; ASIC design services, including custom macrocelldevelopment; and software development services.
Infinite Technology North American Company Profiles
ITC’s RAD5A4 device features four 100MHz 16-bit MacroSequencer processors, a built-in dual PLA, and five databuses. The RAD5A4 offers concurrent parallel processing performance (up to 3.2 billion operations per second)when integrated into system solution as a coprocessor.
The company’s ASIC design services provide custom development of ICs and design cell libraries specializing indigital, analog, and mixed-signal devices, as well as memories. Design libraries include a range of custom I/Os(including SCSI, ultra SCSI AGP and PCI), dense RAMs, PLLs, oscillators, and high-speed multipliers.
The company also offers its RADcore(™) technology to implement high-performance hard datapath core forcomplex system-level ASICs. The RADcore datapath generator core requires no synthesis, is softwareconfigurable, and can be integrated with popular microprocessor cores. The RADcore coprocessor core can alsobe used to design custom DSP ICs.
ITC has a broad semiconductor process experience base and recently has implemented circuit designs ranging inCMOS process feature sizes from 0.6µm down to 0.18µm.
Infinite Technology also functions as the U.S. distributor for Nippon Precision Circuits and has a close relationshipwith the Japanese company involving technology and design.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
ITC’s RAD devices are manufactured by TSMC through Nippon Precision Circuits.
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North American Company Profiles Integraphics Systems
IGS is an independent, privately-held U.S. company with 1996 estimated sales in the $2.5 million to $5 millionrange.
Company Overview and Strategy
Integraphics Systems, Inc. (IGS) was founded in 1993, by J.C. Kuo and Yee Wong. IGS’ first product, the IGA1680, was a 128/64-bit GUI accelerator developed using the company’s expertise in mixed-signal multimediavideo and graphics technology.
IGS’ strategy is to be a major supplier of Multimedia Accelerator chips for both the desktop and notebook 2D and3D markets. IGS plans to later become a leader in the emerging PC Appliance and Media Processor markets. IGS’customers include systems builders and providers of board-level products used in multimedia applications.
IGS sells through distributors in the PRC, Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore, as well as Premier Technical Sales(Santa Clara, CA) for U.S. markets. IGS plans to expand in Europe and the ROW.
Products and Processes
IGS’ 168X series products include graphics and video accelerators, and the recently announced Cyber2000extends the IGS’s multimedia capabilities to include an integral TV encoder for enhanced PC-basedvideoconferencing solutions. The current production IGA1682 is a 128/64-bit video graphics accelerator chipdesigned to support a variety of display screen resolutions, including 1280 x 1024 pixel screens with 24/32-bitcolor images, and to handle mixed color depths of graphics and video.
Integraphics Systems North American Company Profiles
IGS claims that Cyber2000 is the first accelerator chip incorporating a TV encoder; it’s volume priced at under $10and is targeted at OEMs. The Cyber2000’s TrueTV proprietary technology enables viewing of output on a TVscreen from both desktop PCs and networked computers.
IGS is a fabless supplier using “volume production/volume pricing” fab facilities in Asia.
Management
Kenny Liu President and Chief Executive OfficerJ.C. Kuo Vice President, EngineeringYee Wong Vice President, OperationsMike Raghavan Senior Marketing Director
Key Agreements
• IGS has an alliance with an unnamed major consumer electronics company to jointly develop a series ofmultimedia accelerator chips for the notebook market. They are also working together to develop mediaprocessor products for the PC market. IGS is also pursuing other alliances for “mainstreaming digital and analogvideoconferencing solutions on the PC.”
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North American Company Profiles Integrated Silicon Solution
INTEGRATED SILICON SOLUTION (ISSI)
Integrated Silicon Solution Inc.2231 Lawson Lane
Santa Clara, California 95054Telephone: (408) 588-0800
China: ISSI China • Suzhou City, JiangsuTelephone: 86 727 250384 • Fax: 86 727 250536
Hong Kong: ISSI Hong Kong, Ltd.Telephone: 85 22 319 2212 • Fax: 85 22 319 2004
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends September 30
1 9 9 2 1 9 9 3 1 9 9 4 1 9 9 5 1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7
Sales 29 53 61 123 132 108
Net Income 1 6 5 30 1 (8)R&D Expenditures 3 6 9 15 21 26
Employees — 190 228 311 385 450
Ownership: Publicly held. NASDAQ: ISSI.
Company Overview and Strategy
Integrated Silicon Solution, Inc. (ISSI) designs and markets high-performance SRAM and non-volatile memory ICs.The company’s initial development efforts were focused on high-performance SRAMs for Cache memoryapplications and introduced its first SRAM products in 1990. ISSI has since expanded its product offerings toinclude high-speed EPROMs, serial EEPROMs, and flash memory devices. Its markets also include networkingapplications, telecommunications, office automation, instrumentation, and consumer markets.
Integrated Silicon Solution North American Company Profiles
To date, SRAM sales have accounted for substantially all of ISSI’s product sales. In an effort to reduce itsdependency on the memory market, ISSI entered the microcontroller market in early 1997 with the introduction ofa microcontroller family.
Management
Jimmy S.M. Lee Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerGary L. Fischer Executive Vice President, Finance and Administration,
and Chief Financial OfficerKong-Yeu Han Executive Vice President and General Manager, ISSI-TaiwanRobert G. Cushman Vice President, Corporate MarketingThomas Doczy Vice President, Memory DivisionRobert Shen Vice President and General Manager, ISSI ChinaPaul Song Vice President, Design EngineeringJohn Unger Vice President, Quality and ReliabilityChung Wang Vice President, Technology DevelopmentBruce Campbell Vice President and General Manager, Embedded Specialty ProductsLou Yang Vice President, Business DevelopmentRonald Lam Vice President, GEM Microcontroller and Voice ProductsJames Wang Vice President, SRAM and Embedded Memory DesignDonald Trask Vice President, Sales
Products and Processes
ISSI designs and markets a family of high-performance SRAMs, as well as several families of non-volatile memoryproducts, such as high-speed, high-density EPROMs, serial EEPROMs, and flash memories. In early 1997, ISSIintroduced the first products in a new family of microcontrollers with integrated non-volatile memory. ISSI’sadvanced design and process capability now produce standard devices operating in excess of 100MHz, andsynchronous 3.3V products with clock access times exceeding 200MHz. 0.3 micron processes are currently inproduction. A 0.25 micron memory technology is scheduled for introduction the first half of 1998. Developmentwork on 0.18 micron processes are also in the works.
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North American Company Profiles Integrated Silicon Solution
SRAM Products• 5V SRAMs in 64K, 256K, 512K, and 1M density levels with access speeds as low as 10ns.• 3.3V SRAMs in 256K, 512K, and 1M density levels with access speeds as low as 12ns.• 3.3V 1M and 2M synchronous SRAMs with access speeds as low as 4ns for Pentium and PowerPC Cache
applications.
Trail Blazer• ISSI’s Trailblazer is a 64K x 16 asynchronous CMOS SRAM with “Virtual Dual Port” architecture. Trailblazer
provides high speeds needed by advanced DSPs and controllers. It is a versatile, cost effective, DSP systembuilding block ideal for networking and telecommunications applications.
EPROM Products• 5V EPROMs in 256K, 512K, and 1M density levels with access speeds of 30ns to 90ns.• 3.3V EPROMs in 512K and 1M density levels with 90ns access times.• 2.4V voice EPROMs with embedded speech algorithm technology.
EEPROM Products• 3.3V and 5V serial EEPROMs in 1K, 2K, and 4K density levels.
Flash Memory Products• 1M Intel-compatible bulk-erase flash memories with access time of only 45ns. The company introduced a 2M
bulk-erase and 1M, 2M, and 4M boot block flash chips in 1996. Concentrating in the 1Mbit through 4Mbitproduct area, ISSI’s Flash product line is expanding to include high-speed devices with both 12V and 5Vprogramming voltages.
Microcontroller Products• The company offers variations on the industry-standard 8051 and 8031 8-bit MCUs with embedded ROM.
Other Products• ISSI entered the voice-chip market in 1996 with the introduction of a one-time programmable (OTP) voice-chip.
The device features ADPCM compression and pop noise reduction. These devices, now supplemented withmask-programmable alternatives, store digitized sounds, and playback the recorded sound. An analog outputsignal can directly drive a speaker or buzzer. ISSI has also developed programming and editing tools for thevoice-chip that provide users with complete turnkey record and playback capabilities.
• ISSI offers 2-4Mbit DRAMs with access speeds from 35 to 60ns.
ISSI develops its advanced CMOS process technology in collaboration with its Asian manufacturing partners.Through these alliances, ISSI has jointly developed and taken into production six generations of CMOS memorytechnology with 1.2µm, 1.0µm, 0.8µm, 0.6µm, 0.5µm, and 0.35µm feature sizes. The company currently hasseveral development programs with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), including a programbased on a 0.35µm design for advanced SRAM applications and a 0.5µm design for a high-speed flash memoryproduct. ISSI is currently in the process of developing 0.3µm and 0.25µm SRAM processes.
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Integrated Silicon Solution North American Company Profiles
The company also has collaborative programs with Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing (CSM) in Singaporefor 0.5µm SRAM process technology and with Belling Semiconductor in China for EEPROM design and processtechnology.
ISSI is undertaking efforts to diversify into other product areas such as NVM products, specialty DRAMs andembedded memories. If the market for SRAM products should decline and the company has not successfullydiversified, such decline would have a material adverse affect on the company’s financial performance.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
ISSI’s principal manufacturing partner is TSMC, with whom it also jointly develops process technology. Since1993, ISSI has also used Chartered as a foundry for some SRAM and flash products.
In addition to securing capacity with independent foundries, ISSI has invested in several joint ventureagreements, further guaranteeing capacity. In June 1996, ISSI entered into a joint venture with TSMC, along withAltera, Analog Devices, and other investors, to create a wafer fabrication facility, called WaferTech LLC, to belocated in Camas, Washington which will be a leading edge fab focusing on 0.3 and 0.25 micron processtechnology. ISSI also has a similar agreement with United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), located in Taiwan,for additional supply of wafers (see Key Agreements below).
ISSI has agreed to certain minimum wafer purchase commitments with its foundry partners in exchange for wafercapacity commitments. The company also agreed to make certain annual payments to TSMC for capacityincreases. Additional required payments to TSMC totaling approximately $26.4M over the next four yearsrepresent annual increases in capacity which must be purchased by the company. ISSI also has minimumpurchase obligations for its joint ventures with UMC and WaferTech LLC.
Key Agreements
• In November of 1997, ISSI announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire Nexcom Technology,Inc., a Flash development company in Sunnyvale, CA. Nexcom, a seven year old private company, hasdeveloped several important patents in EEPROM/Flash memory cell and design technology and has a total ofthirteen patents issued as of 1997. Their development has focused on low power, low voltage, high-speed,high-density Flash memory for both stand-alone and embedded memory applications using innovative processand design techniques.
• In July 1996, ISSI signed a manufacturing and joint venture agreement with TSMC, along with other investors.The agreement calls for ISSI to receive a minimum wafer capacity from TSMC in return for a four percent equitystake in the new venture. Construction of WaferTech LLC began in June 1996, with production expected tostart in 2H98 (see separate profile of TSMC).
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North American Company Profiles Integrated Silicon Solution
• In early 1996, ISSI announced an agreement with Intel. ISSI licensed flash-related patents from Intel and willpay royalty fees to Intel for the revenues generated from certain flash-based products.
• In fiscal 1995, ISSI and UMC signed a manufacturing and joint venture agreement. Under terms of theagreement, ISSI agreed to invest $30 million for an equity stake in a joint manufacturing venture (UICC) that willprovide ISSI with an additional supply of wafers beginning in 2H97.
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Integrated Technology Express North American Company Profiles
Integrated Technology Express, Inc. (ITE) is dedicated to the design, development, engineering and marketing ofadvanced computer and communications IC products. ITE serves customers worldwide, including several majorPC manufacturers.
In 1996, the Company shipped 16.8 million pieces of Super I/O (input/output) controllers around the world,representing approximately 25 percent of the world’s Super I/O consumption.
North American Company Profiles Integrated Technology Express
Management
Daniel Chen Chairman, President and Chief Executive OfficerYoung Liu Senior Vice PresidentVincent Hu Vice President, Research & Development OperationVictor Lee Vice President, Sales and Marketing, USASteven Huang Vice President, Marketing & System Integrator Operation
Products and Processes
ITE’s products are centered around three divisions - Peripheral, Portable, and Mixed-Signal Products. ThePeripheral product division designs and markets peripheral I/O controllers and USB (Universal Serial Bus)controllers for personal computers. The portable products group designs and markets PC core logic chipsets fornotebooks and HPCs (Hand-held PCs) and chipsets for RISC based CPU platforms. The Mixed-Signal productdivision develops a series of Internet communications and analog interface ICs.
ITE’s product designs include the following.
• The First Windows CE Intelligent Peripheral Controller (IPC);• Peripheral I/P circuits, including Super I/O, PCI I/O and FIR (fast infrared);• Universal Serial Bus and Firewire (IEEE 1394) technologies;• PC core logic;• Power Management Units for portable and hand-held PCs;• Complete docking and peripheral solutions (Card Bus, PCMCIA) for mobile applications;• Ethernet and fax modem;• Embedded DRAM;• LCD controller;• Sigma-Delta Codec (encoder, decoder);• ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line); and• DSP (Digital Signal Processing).
Key Agreements
• In 1996, Integrated Technology Inc. acquired the Computer Products Division of United MicroelectronicsCorporation and established its Taiwan subsidiary. This alliance provided access to PC core technologies, andmarkets.
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Integrated Telecom Technology North American Company Profiles
INTEGRATED TELECOM TECHNOLOGY(Acquired by PMC-Sierra, Inc.)
Integrated Telecom Technology, Inc.18310 Montgomery Village Avenue, Suite 300
Integrated Telecom Technology, Inc. (IgT) provides high performance, system-level integrated circuits forasynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and local area network (LAN) switching technologies.
The company was founded in 1991 with a focus on high-speed telecom and datacom integrated circuits.
Integrated Telecom is a fabless semiconductor company that has developed partnerships with subcontractors andfoundry services. Presently LSI Logic Corporation and SMOS provide foundry services at 0.8 micron, 0.65micron, and 0.5 micron.
IgT is ISO 9001 certified.
Noteworthy News
• On May 20,1998, PMC-Sierra, Inc. announced the completion of the acquisition of Integrated Telecom Technology, Inc.
InterFET is a 15 year old company which manufactures discrete Junction Field Effect Transistors, and customintegrated circuits. The company headquarters and manufacturing facilities are located at the above address.
InterFET’s offices and plant are approximately 30,000 square feet. The wafer fabrication area includes 2,000square feet of cleanroom space. Hermitic assembly occupies approximately 8,000 square feet. The wafer probeand final testing is performed on-site. Subcontract manufacturing for plastic encapsulated devices is performed inMalaysia.
International Rectifier (IR) was founded in 1947, and is today a major worldwide manufacturer of powersemiconductors with applications in the automotive, consumer electronics, computer and communications,industrial lighting, and government/space markets.
International Rectifier North American Company Profiles
The company's growth products recently have been HEXFET® power MOSFETs, insulated gate bipolar transistors(IGBTs), control ICs, and high-performance diodes. In control ICs, new development efforts concentrate ondevices tailored to specific applications. New control ICs are tuned to specific power levels, features, and circuittopologies in motor control, lighting, and power supply applications. IR’s focus is in the area of “solution” productsthat combine multiple components and technologies to benefit the customers’ overall circuit size, cost, andperformance.
Management
Eric Lidow Chairman and Co-FounderAlexander Lidow Co-Chief Executive OfficerDerek B. Lidow Co-Chief Executive OfficerRobert J. Mueller Executive Vice President, Worldwide Sales and External AffairsMichael P. McGee Chief Financial Officer
Products and Processes
IR manufactures power semiconductors, including HEXFET power MOSFETs, IGBTs, high-voltage control ICs,diodes, rectifiers, thyristors, and standard and custom power modules.
IR’s high-voltage control ICs combine power MOSFETs with analog and digital control circuitry on a single chip.The company has instituted several development initiatives aimed at creating integrated chipsets for commonpower conversion applications including power supplies, motor controls, lighting ballasts, solenoid drivers,welding equipment, telecom switches, computer peripherals, instrumentation and test equipment, and compactfluorescent light bulbs.
In late 1995, IR introduced its next-generation manufacturing technology, a four-step mask, low-voltage processcalled Gen5. By the end of fiscal 1996, IR had over 200 Gen5 HEXFET devices in volume production.
In 1997, IR introduced a 1,200 volt integrated circuit, which is intended to bring major design and cost benefits tothe industrial electronics marketplace. IR leveraged this 1,200 volt IC in their second generation of motor controlsolutions, called PowIRTrain™ products. Their Generation4 IGBTs are a broad-line family of transistors for medium-to high-power applications.
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North American Company Profiles International Rectifier
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
International Rectifier International Rectifier(HEXFET America) 233 Kansas Street41915 Business Park Drive El Segundo, California 90245Temecula, California 92590 Telephone: (310) 322-3331Telephone: (714) 676-7500 Capacity (wafers/week): 3,250Cleanroom size: 45,000 square feet Wafer size: 100mmCapacity (wafers/week): 13,100 Processes: CMOS, BCDMOSWafer sizes: 125mm, 150mm Products: Discretes, power ICsProcesses: CMOS, BCDMOS Feature size: 5.0µmProducts: Discretes, power ICsFeature sizes: 1.0µm-5.0µm
Rectificadores Internacionales S.A. de C.V. International Rectifier Company9234 Prolongación Ave. (Great Britain) Ltd.Los Cabos Hurst Green OxtedParque Industrial Pacifico Surrey RH89BB, EnglandTijuana B.B. Mexico Size: 70,000 square feetSize: 150,000 square feet No. of employees: 425No. of employees: 1,850 Certifications: ISO-9001 certifiedCertifications: ISO-9001, QS9000 certified Manufacture: Discrete components and packagingManufacture: Discrete components and packaging
Key Agreements
• In September 1998, International Rectifier announced the building of an assembly plant in Wales to meetdemand for its proprietary motion and power control modules.
The plant, located on 20 acres in an industrial park near Sulansea Wales, will be designed to generateapproximately $300 Million of annual revenue at full capacity.
The plant is expected to employ 500 people at full capacity. Ground-breaking is scheduled for the fourthquarter of 1998, and IR expects to occupy the plant by mid-summer 1999.
• International Rectifier signed a cross-licensing and alternate-source agreement with Motorola covering powerICs and power discretes.
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ISD North American Company Profiles
INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICES (ISD)
Information Storage Devices, Inc.2045 Hamilton Avenue
San Jose, California 95125Telephone: (408) 369-2400
Fax: (408) 369-2422Web Site: www.isd.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends December 31
Information Storage Devices, Inc. (ISD) designs, develops, and markets integrated circuits for voice recording andplayback using the company’s proprietary ChipCorder® storage technology. The company’s ChipCorder®products are targeted at the consumer, communications, and industrial market segments.
In 1991, ISD introduced its first commercially available products — non-volatile chips that store analog signals inanalog form. From its inception in December 1987, ISD's charter has been to develop such devices for storage ofvoice, music, and other forms of analog information on a single chip.
In early 1997, ISD purchased National’s CompactSPEECH™ processor product line. The purchase enables ISD toadd long duration record and playback chips to its ChipCorder® product line. The CompactSpeech™ product lineincludes a family of RISC-based speech processors that feature advanced DSP technology designed for voiceapplications in the communications market.
ISD's storage technology is adaptable to a variety of small form factor applications, such as hand-held products,alarms, answering machines, cellular phones, greeting cards, and implantable medical devices. The firm's originalchips were capable of storing up to 20 seconds of information. However, ISD’s newest devices are able to storeup to eight minutes of information. The company has received twenty-six patents with several others pending.
David L. Angel Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerEric J. Ochiltree President and Chief Operating OfficerKarin Bootsma Vice President, MarketingJames Brennan Vice President, Technology and Advanced DevelopmentMichael Geilhufe Vice President, Business DevelopmentPaul Ross Hayden Vice President, SalesCarl R. Palmer Vice President, EngineeringFelix J. Rosengarten Vice President, Finance and Administration, and Chief Financial OfficerAl Woodhull Vice President, Manufacturing
Products and Processes
ISD's ChipCorder® products are solid-state memory devices based on flash technology that store analog signalsin a multilevel format. The company currently offers nine product families incorporating its ChipCorder®technology. All of the company’s ChipCorder® products feature an on-chip oscillator, microphone preamplifier,automatic gain control, anti-aliasing filter, smoothing filter, and speaker amplifier. The devices are being built using0.8µm CMOS technology.
The CompactSPEECH™ product line offers a family of advanced digital speech processors fortelecommunications and consumer voice applications, including answering machines, cordless phones, featurephones, and digital voice recorders. Featuring advanced digital signal processing (DSP) technology, high qualityspeech compression algorithms and flash memory management technology, CompactSPEECH™ speechprocessors offer customers a long duration voice recording and playback and an array of digital features like multi-country caller ID and full-duplex speakerphone capabilities. The powerful synergy between CompactSPEECH™digital speech processing technology and ISD’s multi-level storage technology is expected to lead to anintegration of these two technologies, enabling ISD to deliver the best of both worlds — unique, flash messagemanagement, nonvolatile memory, and other innovative features at attractive price/performance points.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
ISD currently has foundry agreements with Rohm, Samsung, Tower, and Winbond.
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IXYS North American Company Profiles
IXYS
IXYS Corporation3540 Bassett Street
Santa Clara, California 95054Telephone: (408) 435-1900
Fax: (408) 435-0670Web Site: www.ixys.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Ownership: Privately held.
Company Overview and Strategy
IXYS Corporation designs, develops, and markets a broad spectrum of power semiconductors, integrated circuits,and modules for the global power market. IXYS products are incorporated into various industrial, commercial, andmilitary systems.
Founded in 1983, IXYS has been an innovator in power MOS semiconductor products and technologies since itsinception. However, it has differentiated itself by focusing on the higher voltage and higher power end of theMOSFET and IGBT spectrum. The company's strategy is to provide cost-effective systems solutions for its targetmarkets. To that end, it provides several lines of low-cost chipsets for various applications.
In April 1989, IXYS acquired the Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) power semiconductor operation in Lampertheim,Germany. Now called IXYS Semiconductor GmbH, the firm is recognized for pioneering direct copper bonding-to-ceramic packaging technology and provides IXYS with a strong foothold in the European market.
Management
Nathan Zommer, Ph.D. President and Chief Executive OfficerPeter Ingram Managing Director, IXYS Semiconductor GmbHArnold Agbayani Vice President, FinanceRich Fassler Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Products and Processes
The IGBT discrete and IGBT module product lines are the company's flagship products. They are targeted at theAC motor drive market first and at electric vehicles for the long-term market.
Modules• IGBT modules• High current thyristor and rectifier modules• Rectifier bridges• Custom (customer-specific) power modules
Discretes• Ultra-fast and short circuit-rated IGBTs• MegaMOSFET™ devices• HiPer FET™ power MOSFETs• High-voltage BiMOSFET™ devices•Ultra-fast recovery epitaxial diodes (FREDs)• High-current rectifiers and switching current regulators• High-power thyristors and rectifiers• Schottky rectifiers
Smart Power ICs• High-voltage current regulators• Half-bridge (high side/low side) smart power ICs• Pulse width modulation controllers
Direct Copper Bond (DCB) Ceramic Substrates
For the design of its products, IXYS uses a proprietary HDMOS (high performance DMOS) technology, which iscompatible with standard bulk CMOS.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
The company’s semiconductor products are fabricated at their Germany facility and in external wafer fabricationfacilities through technology and foundry relationships with a number of semiconductor companies throughoutthe world.
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Lansdale Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
LANSDALE SEMICONDUCTOR
Lansdale Semiconductor, Inc.2502 West Huntington Drive
Founded in 1964, Lansdale Semiconductor is a semiconductor lifecycle extender dedicated to manufacturingpast and present technologies as long as the market requires them. The privately-held company is a strategicresource for critical military programs, telecommunications systems, and semiconductor OEMs wishing to offertheir products longer than the normal lifecycle dictates.
The company purchases lines as they are discontinued by large semiconductor companies such as Intel,Signetics, Harris, National, and Motorola. It actively seeks new product licenses from semiconductormanufacturers as part of its niche strategy and supports OEM semiconductor companies by manufacturing waferson a foundry basis to extend their product lifecycles.
Military weapons systems typically operate for approximately 25 years while the commercial lifecycle of asemiconductor chip is about seven years. Lansdale manufactures and supports these products on a continuingbasis making it possible to extend the lifecycles of the system and its products.
Management
R. Dale Lillard Owner and President
Products and Processes
Lansdale's current product lines (about 2,600 parts) include NMOS 8-bit MPUs and bipolar general purpose logic,MPU, SRAM, PROM, and linear ICs, as well as bipolar full custom devices.
Lattice Semiconductor, founded in 1983, is a leader in the design, development, and marketing of high-densityand low-density programmable logic devices (PLDs) and related software development systems. Its proprietaryGeneric Array Logic (GAL®), pLSI®, and ispLSI® devices are sold worldwide, primarily to OEMs in the fields ofcommunications, industrial control, and military systems. In 1992, the company pioneered the development of afamily of in-system programmable products called Lattice ISP. Lattice ISP products give customers the ability toprogram a PLD without removing it from the circuit board, subsequently increasing the PLD’s flexibility. ISPproducts have emerged as the de facto standard in the high density PLD market, and Lattice holds the numberone market position for ISP PLDs. Its product line encompasses more than 30 ISP logic devices and a broadrange of design software tools to support them.
North American Company Profiles Lattice Semiconductor
Lattice's strategy is to offer a full line of high-performance in-system programmable devices based on innovativearchitectures. The company supports its products with sophisticated logic development tools providing highfunctionality at low cost that can be easily adopted and fully integrated with common third-party CAE developmentsystems.
International sales represented 49 percent of the company’s total sales in fiscal 1997.
Management
Cyrus Y. Tsui Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerSteven A. Laub Senior Vice President and Chief Operating OfficerSteven A. Skaggs Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and SecretaryJonathan K. Yu Corporate Vice President, Business DevelopmentMartin R. Baker Vice President and General CounselRandy D. Baker Vice President, ManufacturingAlbert L. Chan Vice President, California Product DevelopmentStephen M. Donovan Vice President, International SalesPaul T. Kollar Vice President, SalesRodney F. Sloss Vice President, FinanceKenneth K. Yu Vice President and Managing Director, Lattice Asia
Products and Processes
Lattice entered the high-density complex PLD (CPLD) market in 1992 and currently offers four families of ispLSI®
products. The ispLSI® 1000E family incorporates familiar GAL-like logic building blocks and offers performance upto 125MHz (7.5ns) and densities of 2,000 to 8,000 gates. The ispLSI® 2000 family provides speeds of up to180MHz (5.0ns) and 3.3V and 5V operating voltages and densities from 1,000 to 6,000 gates. The ispLSI® 3000family offers densities of 7,000 to 20,000 gates, while retaining performance up to 125MHz (7.5ns). The ispLSI®
6000 family extends the company’s CPLD density range to 25,000 gates and enables integration of completelogic subsystems. The family utilizes an innovative cell-based architecture that combines a general-purpose high-density CPLD with memory and other function specific circuit blocks.
Lattice offers one of the industry’s highest performance and broadest lines of low density CMOS PLDs. Thecompany sells the industry standard GAL16V8, GAL20V8, GAL22V10, GAL20RA10, and GAL20XV10architectures in a variety of speed grades (as fast as 3.5ns), with 5V or 3.3V signal compatibility. Lattice also offersseveral proprietary architectures, the GAL26CV12, GAL18V10, GAL16VP8, GAL20VP8, and GAL6001/2, eachof which is optimized for specific applications. In 1994, the company extended its GAL line by introducing theispGAL22V10, bringing the advantages of in-system programmability to the low density market. In January 1998,it introduced the industry’s only 3.3V ISP GAL, the ispGAL22LV10.
In April 1997, Lattice unveiled its ispGDX™ product family designed primarily for routing applications. According tothe company there is no control logic on the chips, allowing them to operate faster than conventional PLDs. Thefamily includes four devices with 64, 80, 120, and 160 programmable I/Os, with input-to-output delays of 5ns,clock-to-output delays of 5ns, and operating frequencies of 111MHz.
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Lattice Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Lattice also offers its ispGDS™ (Generic Digital Switch) family of in-system programmable switching matricestargeted at mechanical dip switch replacement and connectivity applications.
The company's products are based on a proprietary EECMOS process technology, called UltraMOS®. The currentmainstream processes, UltraMOS V (0.65µm) and UltraMOS VI (0.5µm) are advanced double-metal CMOStechnologies.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Most Lattice Semiconductor products are produced by Seiko-Epson in Japan. In 1994, Lattice advanced toSeiko-Epson $42 million for the expansion of Seiko’s submicron wafer fab in Sakata, Japan. The investment willprovide Lattice with additional submicron manufacturing capacity through 1997. The foundry relationshipbetween Lattice and Seiko-Epson was further strengthened in early 1997. As part of their latest agreement,Lattice agreed to invest up to $150 million in Seiko-Epson’s Sakata, Japan, wafer fab facility in exchange for aproduction line dedicated to Lattice.
Lattice added Taiwan’s United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) as a foundry partner in 1995. In October 1995,Lattice said it would invest $60 million over a two and a half year period for a 10 percent equity stake in one ofUMC’s joint-venture fabs that will come on-line in mid-1997. Production is now expected to begin 1Q99.Additionally, UMC agreed to provide Lattice with interim wafer capacity from one of its existing fabs.
In December 1996, Lattice secured additional future capacity by signing a foundry and technology developmentagreement with Taiwan-based Holtek Microelectronics (see Key Agreements below).
Key Agreements
• Lattice signed a foundry and technology agreement with Holtek Microelectronics in December 1996. Underthe agreement, Lattice will make an equity investment in Holtek’s 200mm wafer facility that is currently underconstruction in Taiwan. In return, Holtek will provide Lattice with foundry capacity from the facility. Additionally,Holtek plans to develop non-volatile memory products for Lattice.
• Lattice entered into a joint venture with UMC and other US-based fabless IC companies. Lattice will invest $60million to gain a 10 percent equity stake in a new joint-venture wafer fab UMC is building in Taiwan. The jointventure fab, called United Integrated Circuits Corporation (UICC), is expected to begin production in 1Q99.
• In 1994, Lattice signed a production agreement with Seiko-Epson. As part of the agreement, Lattice advancedSeiko $42 million to finance additional submicron wafer capacity at its fab in Sakata, Japan. In 1995, Latticeinvested an additional $2 million for the development of submicron process technology. In early 1997, Latticesigned an agreement to advance up to $150 million to Seiko-Epson, in return for a dedicated production line inSeiko-Epson’s Sakata wafer fab.
• Lattice has a cross-licensing agreement with AMD under which patents for AMD's PALs have been exchangedfor Lattice's GAL patents.
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North American Company Profiles Level One Communications
LEVEL ONE COMMUNICATIONS
Level One Communications Inc.9750 Goethe Road
Sacramento, California 95827Telephone: (916) 855-5000
Fax: (916) 854-1101Web Site: www.level1.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends December 31
Level One Communications, Inc., (NASDAQ: LEVL) founded in 1985, is a leading supplier of “Silicon ConnectivitySolutions.” The company provides mixed-signal integrated circuit solutions for high-speed digital signal telecomand networking applications. The company name “Level One” refers to the company’s initial focus on the physicallayer, “layer one,” of the seven layer network model developed by the International Standards Organization (ISO).
The company specializes in the development of ASSPs and custom derivatives, such as transceivers, repeaters,and related devices used in two key areas of the telecommunications and data communications industry: interfacesolutions for digital transmission systems; and local and wide area networking (LAN/WAN) solutions, includingEthernet LAN, datacom, and digital modems. Most of Level One’s ICs feature complex functions incorporated ona single silicon chip for applications formerly requiring multiple chips.
In June 1995, the company acquired San Francisco Telecom, which operates as a wholly owned subsidiary anddevelops products for the SONET/SDH, wireless, and cable modem communications markets. In 4Q96, LevelOne acquired Silicon Design Experts Inc. (SDE) to accelerate its development of Gigabit Ethernet and xDSLproducts.
Level One Communications North American Company Profiles
Management
Robert D. Pepper, Ph.D. Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerMike Wodopian Vice President, Business DevelopmentJohn Kehoe Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial OfficerDaniel S. Koellen Vice President, Quality and Reliability AssuranceManuel Yuen Vice President, Operations
Products and Processes
Level One’s semiconductor products include T1/E1 transceivers, receivers, repeaters, and clock adapters; digitalsubscriber line (DSL) chipsets; PDM multiplexers; and Ethernet transceivers and repeaters.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Level One utilizes several foundries in the U.S., Europe, and the Far East for the fabrication of its ICs, but does allits chip testing in-house.
Key Agreements
• In 1995, Level One entered into a technology agreement with Maker Communications Inc. for thedevelopment of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) products.
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North American Company Profiles LightSpeed Semiconductor
Sunnyvale, California 94086Telephone: (408) 616-3200
Fabless IC SupplierFounded: 1995
Regional Offices/Representative Locations
North America: Breakthru Communications • San Jose, CaliforniaTelephone: (408) 777-9364
Employees: 25
Ownership: Privately held – Mohr Davidow Ventures, U.S. Venture Partners, Mayfield Fund, InveStar Capital.
Company Overview and Strategy
LightSpeed Semiconductor Corporation was founded in 1995, to provide ASIC solutions that take a design fromconcept to full production. LightSpeed provides a new ASIC design solution using a Module Based Arrayarchitecture that targets the needs of the mainstream (1,000 to 100,000 devices per year) ASIC market.LightSpeed caters to ASIC customers.
Management
Jack Peckham President and Chief Executive OfficerBob Osann Chairman and FounderDavid P. Lautzenheiser Vice President of MarketingDr. Shafy Eltoukhy Vice President of Technology DevelopmentDr. Don MacMillen Vice President of Software EngineeringAlan Swahn Vice President of Sales and Business Development
Products and Processes
Primary products include LightSpeed’s COMIC (Cycle Optimized Sea of Modules IC) devices manufactured on a0.35µm process, ranging in size from 190,000 to more than 450,00 usable gates. LightSpeed’s unique TopMetal technology enables low NREs and cuts production lead-time by eight weeks or more as compared withthe conventional ASIC cycle time. LightSpeed devices can integrate user logic as well as a variety of memoryrequirements into a single device.
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LightSpeed Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
LightSpeed is a fabless company. LightSpeed is partnered with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing CompanyLtd. (TSMC) to ensure a high-quality, uninterrupted supply of semiconductor devices for their customers.
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North American Company Profiles Linear Systems
LINEAR SYSTEMS
Linear Integrated Systems, Inc.4042 Clipper Court
Fremont, California 94538Telephone: (510) 490-9160
Fax: (510) 353-0261
(Have Fab Capability)
Employees: 15
Ownership: Privately held.
Company Overview and Strategy
Linear Integrated Systems (LIS), a.k.a. Linear Systems, was formed in 1987 with the goal of establishing a marketniche by taking advantage of refractory-metal interconnect technology. While in the past, most firms have stayedaway from refractory metals and instead prefer to use CVD and silicon-gate technologies, many firms are nowrecognizing a need for metal gates as gate dimensions shrink to below .35 micron.
Linear Systems specializes in developing integrated circuits for applications in systems where obsolete devices orprocesses are no longer available or require upgrading. Existing IC products include operational amplifiers,voltage references, and multiplexers. Besides proprietary products, Linear Systems also supplies a broad rangeof second source and obsolete devices manufactured to customer's requirements.
In addition to semiconductor design and custom manufacturing services, state-of-the-art precision thin-filmservices are also offered.
Management
John H. Hall PresidentDon Howland Manager, Eastern U.S. MarketingPaul Norton Manager, Western U.S. Marketing
Products and Processes
Linear Systems’ proprietary product line includes bipolar linear ICs (e.g., amplifiers, voltage references,multiplexers) and discretes, as well as full custom bipolar, CMOS, and BiCMOS ICs.
Using CMOS, bipolar, and dielectric isolation processes, Linear Systems offers a family of second-source productsincluding multiplexers, monolithic dual N-channel JFETs, monolithic dual PNPs and NPNs, switches, andamplifiers.
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Linear Technology North American Company Profiles
LINEAR TECHNOLOGY
Linear Technology Corporation1630 McCarthy Boulevard
Milpitas, California 95035-7487Telephone: (408) 432-1900
Fax: (408) 434-0507Web Site: www.linear-tech.com
IC ManufacturerFounded: 1981
Regional Offices/Representative Locations
Japan: Linear Technology K.K. • Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, JapanTelephone: (81) (3) 3267-7891 • Fax: (81) (3) 3267-8570
Linear Technology Corporation (LTC) designs, manufactures, and markets a broad line of high-performancestandard linear integrated circuits. Its devices monitor, condition, amplify, or transform continuous analog signalsassociated with such physical properties as temperature, pressure, weight, position, light, sound, or speed.Product categories include power management/regulators, interface and multi-protocol devices, data converters,filters, and amplifiers.
The Company targets its product and marketing efforts toward the high-performance segments of the linear circuitmarket. Applications for its products include telecommunications; notebook and desktop computers;video/multimedia; computer peripherals; cellular telephones; industrial, automotive and process controls; networkand factory automation products; and satellites. Products are sold directly or through distributors to originalequipment manufacturers.
Management
Robert H. Swanson, Jr. President and Chief Executive OfficerPaul Chantalat Vice President, Quality, ReliabilityPaul Coghlan Vice President, Finance, and Chief Financial OfficerTimothy D. Cox Vice President, North American SalesClive B. Davies, Ph.D. Vice President and Chief Operating OfficerRobert C. Dobkin Vice President, EngineeringSean T. Hurley Vice President, OperationsLouis Di Nardo Vice President, MarketingHans J. Zapf Vice President, International Sales
Products and Processes
Linear Technology products include operational, instrumentation and audio amplifiers; voltage regulators, powermanagement devices, DC-DC converters and voltage references; comparators; monolithic filters; communicationsinterface circuits; one-chip data acquisition sub-systems; pulse width modulators and sample-and-hold devices.The company markets approximately 5,200 finished part types, of which more than 90 percent are proprietary.
Linear Technology uses a variety of process technologies in the design and fabrication of its chips, includingstandard bipolar, CMOS, BiCMOS, and complementary bipolar, as well as thin-film and laser trimming technologies.
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Linear Technology North American Company Profiles
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Linear Technology Corporation Linear Technology Corporation1630 McCarthy Boulevard Camas, WashingtonMilpitas, California 95035-7487 Fab 3Fabs 1 and 2 Capacity (wafers/week): 2,500Cleanroom size: 170,000 square feet Wafer size: 150mmCapacity (wafers/week): 4,500 Processes: CMOS, bipolarWafer size: 100mm Products: Linear ICsProcesses: CMOS, BiCMOS, bipolar Feature sizes: ≤2.0µmProducts: Linear ICs (Began production in early 1997).Feature sizes: 2.0µm-3.0µm
LTC maintains a plastic assembly facility in Penang, Malaysia, and a test facility in Singapore.
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North American Company Profiles Linfinity Microelectronics
LINFINITY MICROELECTRONICS
Linfinity Microelectronics Inc.11861 Western Avenue
Garden Grove, California 92841Telephone: (714) 898-8121
Linfinity Microelectronics Inc. (LMI) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Symmetricom, Inc. (formerly Silicon General,Inc.). It was founded in 1968 as Silicon General Semiconductors and adopted its current name in 1993. LMIdesigns, manufactures, and markets linear bipolar, CMOS, and BiCMOS integrated circuits for industrial,commercial, automotive, and military applications. Linfinity's special area of expertise is in power management withan emphasis on mixed-signal technology. Sales from power supply products, represented over 50 percent oftotal sales in fiscal 1997.
The company is expanding the value-added products and services it currently provides for power supply systems,while adding product lines to serve new areas such as signal conditioning and motion control systems. Thecompany currently offers about 400 standard products.
Management
James Peterson President (acting)Ralph Brandi Vice President, SalesShufan Chan Vice President, DevelopmentMark Granahan Vice President, MarketingJames Hartman Vice President, Manufacturing
Linfinity Microelectronics North American Company Profiles
Products and Processes
Linfinity's products generally address four main markets: power supply systems, motion control, analog signalconditioning, and data communications.
Power SupplyLinfinity is a leading supplier of a wide variety of power management products, including pulse widthmodulators (PWMs), voltage regulators, supervisory circuits, and power factor conversion chips. Typicalapplications for these products include desktop and portable computers, portable communicationsequipment, video monitors, automotive entertainment, HVAC products, satellites, and lighting. The newproduct focus in this area includes controllers, linear regulators, DC-DC converters, FET drivers, and voltagesupervisors.
Motion ControlLinfinity makes two kinds of motion control integrated circuits: one that controls the spin motor in computerdisk drives and another that controls the position of the read-write head. The new product focus in this areaincludes sensorless spindle controllers, voice coil controllers, and brushless DC motor controllers.
Analog Signal ConditioningLinfinity's signal conditioning circuits include operational amplifiers, comparators, and voltage references.Typical applications include instrumentation, industrial controls, telecommunications, and audio equipment.
Data CommunicationsA relatively new product area for Linfinity, the company’s data communications ICs include small computersystems interface products and high speed, parallel communications buses, which permit high data transferrates between computers and various peripheral devices.
Linfinity uses a wide range of process technologies that address linear and mixed-signal product requirements.
BipolarTwo main process flows are available in this technology. Option A provides a rugged, high-voltage (60V),high-power process for applications such as off-line power supplies and motor drivers. Option B provides ahigh-performance, low-voltage (20V) process for applications in high-speed, low-noise signal conditioningequipment.
CMOSExhibiting all the characteristics of a good analog CMOS process it provides 18V MOS transistors coupled withhigh density 3.0µm feature sizes for optimal packing density. Limited logic capability is available at this featuresize.
BiCMOSThe BiCMOS process combines the Option B bipolar and CMOS processes into a single flow. The process isidealized for mixed-signal applications requiring excellent analog performance in conjunction with logiccapability. A double-level metal option is available for optimum packing density. Applications include powersupply controllers and high-performance disk drive motor controllers.
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North American Company Profiles Linfinity Microelectronics
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Linfinity Microelectronics Inc.11861 Western AvenueGarden Grove, California 92841Capacity (wafers/week): 1,700Wafer size: 100mmProcesses: Bipolar, CMOS, BiCMOSProducts: Linear ICs, ASICsFeature size: 3.0µm
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Logic Devices North American Company Profiles
LOGIC DEVICES
Logic Devices Incorporated1320 Orleans Drive
Sunnyvale, California 94089Telephone: (408) 542-5400
Logic Devices Incorporated (NASDAQ: LOGC) was founded in 1983. It develops and markets high-performancedigital integrated circuits for applications requiring high operating speeds and low operating power. Suchapplications include computers, workstations, video image processing, medical instrumentation,telecommunications, and military signal processing.
Logic Devices was founded as a supplier of building-block DSPs, but later entered the growing 1989 SRAMmarket. It was driven from the SRAM market in 1992 due to cost and quality problems with its then supplier ofSRAM wafers. Sales of the company’s SRAM products rebounded in 1994 and 1995, but then suffered priceerosion. SRAM products fell from representing 45 percent of the company’s sales in 1995 to 15 percent in 1997.While the company plans to remain a player in fast SRAMs and other niche SRAM markets, it has also placed agreater emphasis on DSP devices, which grew to represent 85 percent of sales in 1997, up from 55 percent in1995.
In April 1995, Logic Devices acquired Star Semiconductor, which developed the SPROC programmable digitalsignal processor architecture. The SPROC architecture enables multiple processors to efficiently share data via acommon memory array, resulting in high processing throughput.
Research efforts continue to focus on DSP circuits to address broadcast, studio, and audio and video imageprocessing applications, and new products utilizing the company’s SRAM technology.
Management
Howard L. Farkas ChairmanWilliam J. Volz PresidentMary C. deRegt Chief Financial OfficerWilliam L. Jackson Senior Vice PresidentScott Andrews Chief Technical OfficerTim Flaherty Director of MarketingDave Hoffmaster National Sales Manager
Products and Processes
High-speed, low-power CMOS SRAMs and DSP circuits are Logic Devices' principal product lines. Its DSPsprimarily target video editing, broadcast special effects, and studio production applications, where losslessmanipulation of very high bandwidth data is required. The company also offers specialty memories, registerproducts, and high-performance CMOS SCSI controllers.
Fast SRAM Fast Logic Specialty Memory Programmable DSP
256K family Pipeline registers Cache-tag memories Star Spruce1M family Register files FIFO
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Logic Devices North American Company Profiles
Computational Interface Video Image Processing Components
Multipliers SCSI bus controllers Coordinate transformersMultiplier-accumulators Template matcherFIR filters 2D video filtersArithmetic logic units Line buffersDigital correlators Video mixersBarrel shifters Image rotation and work generators
Color space converters
The company's chips are produced using 0.35µm, 0.5µm, and 0.8µm CMOS technologies.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Logic Devices utilizes TSMC for its wafer foundry requirements.
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North American Company Profiles LSI Computer Systems
LSI COMPUTER SYSTEMS
LSI Computer Systems, Inc.1235 Walt Whitman Road
Melville, New York 11747-3086Telephone: (516) 271-0400
Ownership: 100% of capital stock is owned by the officers equally.
Company Overview and Strategy
LSI Computer Systems, Inc. (LSI/CSI) designs full custom and standard ICs for products in applications rangingfrom consumer and industrial to military and aerospace. They are recognized as one of the leading suppliers oflighting control ICs and full custom ICs, and were the first company to develop and market ICs for brushless DCmotors. LSI/CSI is an ISO 9002 registered company.
Management
Al Musto Chief Executive OfficerAttila Tetik PresidentAlvin Kaplan Secretary-Treasurer
Products and Processes
LSI Computer Systems supplies both standard and full custom ICs. Its standard ICs include programmable digitaldelay timers, CMOS dividers, incremental encoder interface chips, counters, melody generators, lighting controlICs, AC and brushless DC motor controllers, Dynamic Scattering LCD drivers, telephone remote isolation devices,programmable digital lock circuits, and PIR detection circuits.
The use of several external mask and wafer foundries that offer a broad range of process technologies makes theExtra-Custom service, analog and digital design services, flexible in meeting the needs of a variety of applicationsand provides automatic second-sourcing of product. LSI Computer Systems custom designs every detail of eachExtra-Custom IC in order to deliver the desired performance and reliability at the lowest possible price.
LSI Logic (NYSE: LSI) is a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance ASICs and related productsand services. Founded in 1981, the company uses advanced process technology and design methodology todesign and develop highly complex ASICs and other integrated circuits. Customers of LSI Logic are primarilyoriginal equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the electronic data processing, consumer electronics,telecommunications, and certain office automation industries. Within these industries, the company emphasizesdigital video, digital broadcasting, networking and wireless communications, desktop and personal computing,and office automation applications.
As process technology becomes more sophisticated, allowing greater density and increased functionality, the"system-on-a-chip" is becoming the foundation of LSI Logic's business. In fact, the company has trade markedthe term “The System-on-a-Chip Company™.” Its product libraries, including its CoreWare® libraries, combinedwith its deep submicron process technologies provide the company with the ability to combine microprocessor"engines," logic blocks (including industry standard functions, protocols, and interfaces), and memory with acustomer’s proprietary logic on a single chip.
LSI Logic’s CoreWare® technology is at the center of its shift toward more consumer and communicationsproducts. In 1997, CoreWare® products accounted for 40 percent of the company’s revenues, versus 30percent in 1996. New industry-standard cores added to the CoreWare® library include those for the GSM wirelessmarket, Internet and Intranet applications, satellite set-top boxes, networking, and DVD products. In 1H97, thecompany entered the cable modem market with the introduction of its Cablestream™ QAM Receiver core.
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LSI Logic North American Company Profiles
Management
Wilfred J. Corrigan* Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerElias J. Antoun* Executive Vice President, Consumer ProductsJohn P. Daane* Executive Vice President, Communications, Computer and ASIC ProductsW. Richard Marz* Executive Vice President, Geographic MarketsR. Douglas Norby* Executive Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerJoseph M. Zelayeta* Executive Vice President, Worldwide OperationsManiam B. Alagaratnam Vice President, Package DevelopmentJohn J. D’Errico Vice President and General Manager, Pan AsiaSimon P. Dolan Vice President, Consumer Products MarketingBruce L. Entin Vice President, Worldwide Customer Marketing, Geographic MarketsDonald J. Esses Vice President, U.S. ManufacturingAmnon Fisher Vice President, Consumer Technology EngineeringJeffrey L. Hilbert Vice President, Methodology and Customer EngineeringJames W. Hively Vice President, Memory and Mixed Signal EngineeringCharles E. Laughlin Vice President and General Manager, LSI Logic Japan Semiconductor, Inc.Theodore Leno Vice President, Assembly and Test OperationsBryon Look Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategic PlanningR. Gregory Miller Vice President, Corporate ControllerPierre Nadeau Vice President and General Manager, LSI Logic Europe Ltd.Willsie H. Nelson Vice President, Worldwide LogisticsDavid E. Sanders* Vice President, General Counsel, and SecretaryRichard D. Schinella Vice President, Wafer Process R&D and Santa Clara OperationsChiaki Terada Vice President, Industrial EngineeringFrank Tornaghi Vice President, North America SalesLewis C. Wallbridge Vice President, Human ResourcesMary E. Albanese President, Mint TechnologyNorm L. Armour Vice President and General Manager, Gresham OperationsHugh H. Durdan Vice President and General Manager, Computer Products DivisionThomas Daniel Vice President, ASIC TechnologyDan King Vice President, Quality and ReliabilityMarlon R. Murzello Vice President, MIPS EngineeringKing F. Pang Vice President, Digital Video EngineeringRanko L. Scepanovic Vice President, Advanced Development LabsGiuseppe Staffarom Vice President and General Manager, Communications Products DivisionLam H. Traong Vice President, Information Technology and Chief Information OfficerDean J. Westman Vice President, Operations, Consumer Division
*Executive Officers
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North American Company Profiles LSI Logic
Products and Processes
LSI Logic's broad product line includes high-performance gate array, cell-based, and embedded array ASICs withup to 26 million gates. The company's CoreWare® library contains cells and cores based on industry-standardfunctions, interfaces, and protocols. Example cores from the CoreWare® library include Ethernet controllers, theATMizer™ II segmentation and reassembly engine, and the GigaBlaze G10™ SeriaLink 1.25-gigabit/secondtransceiver for communications applications; PCI and USB bus interfaces and Fibre Channel protocol circuits forcomputer applications; MPEG-2 and DVD decoders for digital video applications; and a GSM baseband processorfor GSM mobile phones. In addition, cores such as these may be combined with LSI Logic’s MiniRISC™ family ofMIPS-based RISC microprocessor cores, including the TinyRISC™ 16-/32-bit compressed-code MPU, andspecial-purpose memory circuits to realize system-level applications on a single chip.
In addition, LSI Logic offers a family of application specific standard products (ASSPs), high-speed digital signaland image processing devices that handle many common digital signal processing functions. Some of the ASSPsdesigned by LSI Logic are included in the company’s CoreWare® library. The company also sells stand-aloneSPARC- and MIPS-based RISC microprocessors.
The company has developed and uses advanced CMOS technologies to manufacture its IC products. Its G10™0.35µm 3-volt CMOS process, introduced in 1995, allows for up to 49 million transistors (or up to five million usablegates) on a single chip. In early 1997, LSI Logic formally announced its next-generation G11™ processtechnology featuring a 0.25µm gate length, providing up to 64 million transistors (or up to 8.1 million usable gates)and allowing greater density and increased functionality on a single chip. Devices in the G11™ ASIC family willoperate on 1.8V, 2.5V, or 3.3V, and consume one-fourth of the power of the G10™ devices.
The G12™, introduced in March 1998, is the newest system-on-a-chip technology capable of combining all of thesystem functions needed to create new classes of communications, computer, and consumer products on onesilicon chip. The 0.18 micron drawn G12™ technology offers 26,000,000 usable logic gates on a 20- by 20-millimeter silicon chip. Prototype designs using the G12™ technology will begin in the 4Q98. Production will start2Q99.
In a significant step to increase yields and allow for greater chip customization, LSI Logic during 1996 installedchemical mechanical polishing (CMP) equipment in its Japanese fabrication facilities. In addition, the companystarted using flip-chip interconnect package technology for its most complex chips.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Most of LSI Logic's wafers are manufactured by its Japanese subsidiary, LSI Logic Japan Semiconductor, Inc.(JSI), which prior to January 1995, was jointly owned by LSI Logic (55 percent) and Kawasaki Steel Corporation (45percent). LSI Logic is now the sole owner of JSI, as a result of the purchase of Kawasaki Steel's interest.
LSI Logic also obtains wafers from Chartered Semiconductor in Singapore. In 1995, LSI Logic made a $20 millionequity investment in Chartered, in exchange for guaranteed wafer capacity for products based on 0.6µmtechnology and smaller for a period of 10 years.
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LSI Logic North American Company Profiles
In 1996, the company closed its aging fab in Milpitas, California, and delayed the launch of its new 200mm waferfab under construction in Gresham, Oregon. The Gresham facility is now scheduled to begin production in thelater half of 1998.
LSI Logic Japan Semiconductor, Inc.(formerly known as Nihon Semiconductor)10 Kitahara, Tsukuba-shiIbaraki-ken 300-32, JapanTelephone: (81) (298) 64-7229Fax: (81) (298) 64-33362Fabs I and IICleanroom size: 50,000 square feetCapacity (wafers/week): 10,000Wafer size: 150mm, 200mmProcesses: CMOSProducts: ASICs, MPUs, MPRsFeature sizes: 0.35µm-1.0µm
Key Agreements
• In March 1998, LSI Logic announced that it will supply Sony Corporation with a single-chip DVD decodingengine for Sony’s recently announced second-generation DVD video players.
• In November 1997, LSI Logic announced a technology alliance with Compaq Computer Corporation to providecustom and standard ASICs for the Compaq Netelligent 5526 Manageable Ethernet Switch.
• In July 1997, LSI Logic and Qualcomm Incorporated signed a license agreement that enables LSI Logic todevelop, manufacture and sell cdmaOne (IS-95) ASICs to Qualcomm’s subscriber equipment licensees fordigital cellular, personal communications services and wireless local loop applications around the world.
• In July 1997, LSI Logic announced the acquisition of Mint Technology Inc., an engineering services companyproviding expertise in the areas of system architecture and system level design verification.
• In June 1997, LSI Logic and Micron Technology, Inc. announced an embedded DRAM technology alliance.The companies will develop and produce digital logic integrated circuits which will have the capability ofembedding from 64 to 128Meg of conventional 1T DRAM on a single chip.
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North American Company Profiles LSI Logic
• In May 1997, LSI Logic announced a technology alliance (initiated in 1996) with Minolta Co., Ltd., for thespecification, validation and application of DCAM digital camera system-on-a-chip products.
• In February 1997, LSI Logic and Motorola’s Information Systems Group (ISG) announced a licensing agreementin which Motorola’s V.34 software modems will be embedded into LSI’s leading custom semiconductors.
• In early 1997, LSI Logic licensed the ARM 32-bit RISC microprocessor core of Advanced RISC Machines.
• In 3Q96, LSI Logic and MIPS Technologies, Inc. extended and expanded the scope of the architecture licensethat allows LSI Logic to produce MIPS-based RISC microprocessors and microprocessor cores. The newlicense will expire in the year 2004.
• The company formed a five-year alliance with Argonaut Software to develop a family of 3D graphicsaccelerators. Incorporating LSI Logic’s system-on-a-chip, the companies will develop upgradable 3D graphicscores for LSI’s ASIC library.
• LSI Logic entered into an agreement with InterDigital Communications Corporation that calls for LSI Logic todevelop and produce custom chips for InterDigital to use in Personal Communications Services (PCS)handsets and Wireless Local Loop equipment. The cores that LSI Logic will use in the design are based on thecompany’s G10™ 0.35µm process technology.
• LSI Logic established a joint development agreement with Sanyo Electric to design the core of an HDTVsystem.
• LSI Logic signed an agreement with Philips to collaborate on developing video compression ICs for HDTVapplications.
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Lucent Technologies North American Company Profiles
* Data for fiscal year ended December 31. In 1996, the fiscal year was changed to start in October.** Calendar year.*** Includes Power Systems – (now part of Network Products, see Lucent Overview) 12,000 without power.FY - Fiscal Year.
North American Company Profiles Lucent Technologies
Company Overview and Strategy
Lucent Technologies’ Microelectronics Group designs and manufactures advanced integrated circuits andoptoelectronic components. Its product line is built upon strengths in digital signal processing, networkedcomputing, and communications technologies. The company's products are used in applications such aspersonal computers/multimedia systems, local-area networks (LANs), cellular base stations, TV set-top boxes,telephones, and answering machines. It is a leader in digital signal processors (DSPs), cell-based ASICs, videoconferencing ICs, and optoelectronics.
Last October, Lucent announced a reorganization that created a series of smaller businesses to better focus onthe industry’s fastest growth opportunities. The corporation’s reorganization enables it to focus more clearly onhigh growth areas such as wireless, semiconductors, data networking, and optical networking. As a result, Lucentis made up of Bell Laboratories, the research and development arm, and eleven business groups:Microelectronics Group, Business Communications Systems, Data Networking Systems, Global Service ProviderBusiness, Wireless Networks, Switching and Access Systems, Optical Networking, Network Products,Communications Software, New Ventures Group, and the Intellectual Property Division. Lucent’s power systemsmanufacturing operation, which was formerly a part of the Microelectronics Group, is now part of the NetworkProducts Group.
Lucent’s semiconductor roots stretch back to the late 1940’s, when Bell Labs, invented the transistor. Bell Labswas given the Nobel Prize for its invention in 1956. The Microelectronics Group was strictly an internal supplier forthirty years. While Lucent’s semiconductor unit is a large internal supplier, two-thirds of the MicroelectronicsGroup’s 1997 production volume was sold to other customers.
Lucent Technologies’ Microelectronics Group products can be divided into two areas: integrated circuits for use incommunications and computing products and systems; and optoelectronic products for the telecommunications,cable television, and network computing markets.
Much of Lucent’s recent growth in sales of microelectronic products has been due to higher sales in DSPs andASICs to OEMs, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. International revenues represented approximately half ofthe Microelectronics Group’s sales in fiscal 1997.
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Lucent Technologies North American Company Profiles
Management
Lucent TechnologiesRichard A. McGinn Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerBen Verwaayen Executive Vice President and Chief Operating OfficerDan Stanzione Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and President, Bell LabsJohn T. Dickson President, Microelectronics GroupWilliam T. O’Shea President, Business Communication Systems and Data Networking SystemsCarleton S. Fiorina President, Global Service Provider BusinessJames K. Brewington President, Wireless Networks GroupRobert C. Holder President, Switching and Access Systems GroupWilliam R. Spivey President, Network Products GroupGerald J. Butters President, Optical Networking GroupThomas M. Uhlman President, New Ventures GroupJ. Carl Hsu Acting President, Communications Software Group
Lucent Technologies Microelectronics GroupJohn T. Dickson PresidentHoma Firouztash Vice President, Worldwide SalesKenneth Dorushka Vice President, Lucent Technologies SalesRichard Hegberg Vice President, North American OEM SalesJohn Hughes Managing Director and Sales Vice President, Europe, Africa and the Middle EastJames Mackin Managing Director and Sales Vice President, Japan and Asia-PacificJohn V. Pilitisis Vice President, OptoelectronicsDaniel Dileo Vice President, Wireless and Messaging Integrated CircuitsMark Stibitz Vice President, Integrated Systems Integrated CircuitsAhmed Nawaz Vice President, Network Communications Integrated CircuitsPeter T. Panousis Vice President, Silicon Manufacturing and Development and
Cirent Semiconductor President
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North American Company Profiles Lucent Technologies
Products and Processes
Lucent utilizes CMOS, BiCMOS, and bipolar processes in the manufacture of its integrated circuits. The followingare Lucent’s primary semiconductor products: 16-bit and 32-bit DSPs (including modem DSPs), ASICs (digital andmixed-signal standard cells and FPGAs), MPEG-2 digital TV devices, and communications ICs (e.g., networkinterface ICs, transceivers, and line card ICs).
Recent new product unveilings have included the new ORCA™ 3 series of FPGAs that will carry the ORCA™family into 0.25µm processes, the first single-chip receiver for the North American digital television standard (DTV),and a chip based on Lucent’s new DSP16000 core architecture that consumes up to five times less power andrequires up to five times less memory than the most advanced DSPs on the market. Lucent’s Digital SubscriberLine Technology, called Wildwire, can download data at 1.5 megabits per second, which is about 30 times fasterthan today’s analog modems.
Lucent’s most recent product is its latest addition to its family of new NetLight™ transceivers. NetLighttransceivers are used in gigabit Ethernet, ATM, SONET and fibre channel applications providing bandwidth of 155and 622 megabits per second (Mb/s) up to 1.2 and 2.5 gigabits per second (Gb/s).
The company also provides bipolar foundry services to outside companies. The Bipolar Foundry utilizes twoindustry leading advanced complementary bipolar process technologies, called CBIC-U2 and CBIC-V2.
MOS MEMORY ANALOG
DRAM ✔ Amplifier
SRAM ✔ Interface
Flash Memory Consumer/Automotive
EPROM Voltage Regulator/Reference
ROM Data Conversion
EEPROM ✔ Comparator
Other (Including Non-Volatile RAM) ✔ Other (Includes Telecom)
MOS LOGIC DIGITAL BIPOLAR
General Purpose Logic Bipolar Memory
Gate Array ✔ General Purpose Logic
✔ Standard Cell Gate Array/Standard Cell
✔ Field Programmable Logic Field Programmable Logic
✔ Other Special Purpose Logic Other Special Purpose Logic
MPU/MCU/MPR
MOS MICROCOMPONENT
MPU OTHER
MCU ✔ Full Custom IC
MPR Discrete
✔ DSP ✔ Optoelectronic
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Lucent Technologies North American Company Profiles
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Lucent Technologies Inc. Lucent Technologies Inc.Allentown Reading555 Union Boulevard P.O. Box 13396Allentown, Pennsylvania 18103 Reading, Pennsylvania 19612Telephone: (610) 712-6011 Telephone: (610) 939-7011Cleanroom size: 80,000 square feet Cleanroom size: 70,000 square feetCapacity (wafers/week): 15,000 Capacity (wafers/week): 5,000Wafer sizes: 125mm Wafer sizes: 100mm (2 in. for optoelectronics)Processes: NMOS, CMOS, bipolar Processes: Bipolar, HVCMOS, BCDMOSProducts: Linear and logic ICs, DSPs, ASICs, Products: Linear ICs, optoelectronics,
Lucent Technologies Inc. Cirent SemiconductorOptoelectronics Center 9333 South John Young Parkway9901 Hamilton Boulevard Orlando, Florida 32819Breiningsville, Pennsylvania 18031-9359 Telephone: (407) 345-6000Telephone: (610) 391-2000 Capacity (wafers/week): 2,500Cleanroom size: 10,000 square feet Wafer size: 200mmWafer size: 2 in. Process: CMOSProcess: LPMDCVD Products: ASICs, MPRsProducts: Optoelectronics Feature sizes: 0.35µm-0.18µmFeature sizes: 0.1µm-5.0µm (Joint venture with Cirrus Logic,
see Key Agreements).
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North American Company Profiles Lucent Technologies
Key Agreements
• In April 1998, The Microelectronics Group of Lucent Technologies announced a minority equity investment ofup to $10 million in Chip Express for rapid customization of semiconductor devices.
As part of the agreement, the companies will develop next-generation technology for a class of integratedcircuits known as laser-programmable system chip (LPSCs) — devices that help chip designers speed thedevelopment of new application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for use in computers, communicationsequipment, and business and consumer electronics products.
• In April 1997, Lucent announced it had licensed Advanced RISC Machines’ high-performance, low-power RISCmicroprocessor core technology (ARM7TDMI) for integration with Lucent’s ASIC library.
• Lucent and Mitsubishi established an alliance in mid-1996 to jointly develop a set of ICs that together willperform all of the functions needed for next-generation HDTV sets for the U.S. market. The first samples of thechipset are expected to become available in early 1998.
• The output of the Cirent Semiconductor is split 75 percent for Lucent and 25 percent for Cirrus Logic.
• Lucent signed an agreement with Hewlett-Packard in 1995 to develop and dual-source fiber-optic transceiversfor SONET/SDH and ATM applications.
• Lucent (then AT&T Microelectronics) struck an agreement with Standard MicroSystems Corp. (SMC) in 1994under which SMC agreed to buy equipment for installation in Lucent's fab in Spain in return for a guaranteedportion of the fab output for a period of five years.
• Lucent is working with IBM, Lockheed-Martin Federal Systems, and Motorola to establish a manufacturinginfrastructure for x-ray lithography.
• Lucent has been collaborating with NEC on the development of advanced CMOS process technologies since1991. The team completed development of a 0.25µm process flow in early 1997 and are currently working on asuccessor 0.18µm program, which is targeted for completion in 1999.
• Lucent has several agreements with TriQuint Semiconductor involving the development, manufacture, andmarketing of GaAs ICs for high-performance wireless and telecommunications systems. As part of the deal,Lucent discontinued its production of GaAs wafers and now relies on TriQuint for the manufacture of its GaAswafers. The two companies are developing an epitaxial process based on Lucent's GaAs intellectual property.
• Lucent is teamed with Sandia National Laboratories to develop new lithography patterning technologies for theproduction of high-density ICs with geometries below 0.2µm.
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Lucent Technologies North American Company Profiles
• Mitsubishi Electric America and Lucent Technologies jointly developed the industry’s first end-to-end, receiver-to-display digital television (DTV) chipset that meets the North American Advanced Television StandardsCommittee (ATSC) digital television standard for both high-definition television (HDTV) and standard-definitiontelevision (SDTV) applications. The chipset enables digital televisions, set-top boxes, personal computers andother digital appliances to receive digital video and CD-quality audio signals from terrestrial broadcast stations.
• Lucent Technologies joined the “Universal Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line Working Group” (UAWG), anorganization of leading telecommunications and computer companies working to accelerate widespread use ofDigital Subscriber Line (DSL) modem technology. The UAWG plans to propose an industry standard for asimplified version of Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) technology that will deliver to consumershigh-speed modem communications over standard phone lines. Lucent will contribute to the development ofthis standard by offering the engineering expertise of its research and development arm, Bell Labs, whichpioneered DSL technology and holds several of the earliest and most fundamental patents related to it.
• Lucent Technologies and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing signed an agreement to form a $1-billion-plus joint venture in Singapore to manufacture wafers for a variety of integrated circuits using processtechnology developed by Bell Labs and Chartered. The new company, called Silicon Manufacturing Partners,is 51 percent owned by Lucent and 49 percent owned by Chartered. Both companies will share the facility’sproduction output, which is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 1998.
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North American Company Profiles Maxim Integrated Products
MAXIM INTEGRATED PRODUCTS
Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.120 San Gabriel Drive
Sunnyvale, California 94086Telephone: (408) 737-7600
Fax: (408) 737-7194Web Site: www.maxim-ic.com
IC ManufacturerFounded: 1983
Regional Offices/Representative Locations
Japan: Maxim Japan Co., Ltd. • Tokyo, JapanTelephone: (81) (3) 3232-6141
Maxim Integrated Products is a leading designer, developer, and manufacturer of linear and mixed-signalintegrated circuits. Maxim's products are the interface between the real, analog world and the world of digitalprocessing. They detect, measure, amplify, and convert real world signals, such as temperature, pressure, orsound, into the digital signals necessary for computer processing. Its circuits are used in a wide variety ofmicroprocessor-based equipment, including PCs and peripherals, test equipment, handheld products, wirelesscommunicators, and video displays. The company also provides a range of high-frequency design processes andcapabilities that can be used in custom design.
Maxim Integrated Products North American Company Profiles
Maxim’s main objective is to actively develop and market both proprietary and industry standard analog integratedcircuits that meet the increasing quality standards demanded by customers.
In mid-1994, Maxim acquired substantially all of the assets of the Tektronix's Integrated Circuits Operation inBeaverton, Oregon, for about $22 million. The acquisition provided Maxim with additional wafer productioncapacity and leading-edge high-frequency bipolar technologies that have broadened the firm's presence in thewireless and optic communications markets, as well as in high-speed data acquisition, RF signal processing, andvideo products.
Management
Jack F. Gifford Chairman, President and Chief Executive OfficerFrederick G. Beck Vice President, Marketing and SalesZiya G. Boyacigiller Vice PresidentMichael J. Byrd Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerStephen R. Combs, Ph.D. Vice President, OperationsTunc Doluca Vice President, Research and DevelopmentKenneth J. Huening Vice PresidentWilliam N. Levin Vice PresidentRobert F. Scheer Vice President, Wafer OperationsRichard E. Slater Vice President and Chief Accounting OfficerVijay Ullal Vice PresidentRichard C. Hood Vice PresidentNasrollah Navid, Ph.D. Vice PresidentPirooz Parvarandeh Vice President
Products and Processes
Maxim Integrated Products offers a broad range of linear and mixed-signal ICs, including data converters, interfacecircuits, microprocessor supervisory circuits, operational amplifiers, power control circuits, timers and counters,display circuits, multiplexers and switches, battery chargers, voltage detectors, filters, comparators, and voltagereference circuits.
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North American Company Profiles Maxim Integrated Products
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
During fiscal year 1996, Maxim converted over half of its wafer fabrication capacity from 100mm to 150mm wafers.To supplement its own IC production capacity, Maxim has foundry agreements with independent foundrycompanies.
Micrel Semiconductor, founded in 1978, designs, develops, and manufactures a range of high-performanceanalog ICs targeting the communications, computer, and industrial markets. In 1982, Micrel acquired an ICfabrication facility in Sunnyvale, California from Siemens Components and began acting as a silicon foundry. Thisled to the company's development of semicustom and standard linear smart power ICs. In early 1993, Micrelmoved its headquarters and manufacturing operations from Sunnyvale to San Jose. The new fab, formerly ownedby Seeq Technology, tripled Micrel's fab capacity.
The company’s products are divided into three key areas: standard ICs, custom ICs, and foundry services. In1996, the majority of the company’s revenues were from sales of standard products. The company’s standardproducts have grown from representing 14 percent of total revenues in 1992 to 76 percent in 1997. Micrelcurrently offers over 800 standard products.
North American Company Profiles Micrel Semiconductor
In addition to standard products, the company manufactures custom analog and mixed-signal circuits and provideswafer foundry services for customers who produce electronic systems for communications, consumer, and militaryapplications.
Micrel is focusing its efforts on the design and marketing of its high-performance analog power ICs to become astrong force in portable computing, desktop computing, communications, and automotive and aviationelectronics. Future plans include a continued transition toward standard products, while maintaining its presencein the custom IC and foundry business.
Management
Raymond D. Zinn President and Chief Executive OfficerRobert Whelton Executive Vice President, OperationsGeorge T. Anderl Vice President, Sales and MarketingRobert J. Barker Vice President, Finance, and Chief Financial OfficerJohn D. Husher Vice President, Fabrication DivisionWarren H. Muller Vice President, Test OperationsLarry R. Sample Vice President, Design
Products and Processes
Micrel supplies both standard and custom products. The company's key standard product lines include high-current low-side power MOSFET drivers, high-side power MOSFET drivers, low dropout (LDO) linear regulators,high-efficiency switching regulators, PCMCIA power control matrices, power latched drivers, display drivers, P-channel MOSFETs, and open drain power switches. Micrel also continues to offer the use of its fabricationfacilities as a foundry source.
Micrel uses and offers a full range of processes: CMOS, DMOS, bipolar, BiCMOS, and BCDMOS. The company’sfab is capable of handling metal-gate, silicon-gate, double-metal and double-poly architectures with feature sizesdown to 1.0µm.
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Micrel Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Micro Linear Corporation (NASDAQ: MLIN) headquartered in San Jose, California, was founded in 1983 as ananalog ASIC semiconductor manufacturer. Since then, the company’s expansion has been in standard productsfor mass storage, networking, and power management.
Micro Linear is now a major supplier to the communications, computer, and industrial markets with a productportfolio of over 225 standard products. The company is an ISO 9002 certified supplier of analog and mixed-signalintegrated circuits.
Micro Linear designs, develops, and markets high performance analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits for abroad range of applications. The company has targeted high growth market segments that can benefit from itshighly integrated system level solutions. Using the relationships that have been developed with key customers,the company focuses on applications issues and develops highly integrated products that solve system leveldesign problems. Additionally, the company has recently opened a design center in Cambridge, England to focuson radio frequency products.
International sales represented approximately 53 percent of total revenues in 1997.
Arthur B. Stabenow Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerCarlos A. Laber Vice President, EngineeringChris A. Ladas Vice President, OperationsRay A. Reed Vice President, Business DevelopmentJ. Philip Russell Vice President, Finance and Administration, and Chief Financial OfficerJohn K. Stahl Vice President, SalesPaul E. Standish Vice President, Marketing
Products and Processes
Micro Linear continues to expand its range of standard products with its unique tile array design methodology.This advanced, proprietary tile array approach allows custom designs and standard products that can be quicklymodified.
The product mix consists of the following categories:
• Network Products • Battery Management• Telecommunications • Lamp Ballast• Mass Storage • Data Acquisition• Motor Control • Bus Products• Switch Mode Power Supply • Video Products
Micro Linear develops and manufactures products utilizing the following process technologies:
• 12 Volt Bipolar • 40 Volt Bipolar• 3µm CMOS • 1.2µm CMOS• 0.8µm BiCMOS • 1.5µm BiCMOS• 15 Volt BiCMOS
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North American Company Profiles Micro Linear
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Micro Linear owns and occupies 100,000 square feet of combined manufacturing and office space in San Jose,California. These facilities house marketing, sales, and administration, as well as a state-of-the-art high-speedanalog test floor, design engineering and CAD facilities, and a “backend” wafer metallization line for bipolarproducts. Micro Linear utilizes wafer foundries and contract assemblers for the production of its ICs.
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Micro Networks North American Company Profiles
MICRO NETWORKS
Micro Networks CorporationMicroelectronics Business Unit
324 Clark StreetWorcester, Massachusetts 01606
Telephone: (508) 852-5400Fax: (508) 853-8296
Web Site: www.mnc.com/company.html
Fabless IC Supplier
Ownership: Privately held.
Company Overview and Strategy
Micro Networks Corporation (MNC) designs and manufactures custom and semi-custom data acquisition products,clock oscillators, application specific ICs (ASICs), and custom hybrid microcircuits for worldwide high reliabilityaerospace/defense, industrial, and commercial applications.
MNC was established in 1969 as a hybrid producer and quickly became a dominant player in data conversionproducts. A second product line, frequency control products, was added in 1991. Micro Networks also designsand manufactures custom microelectronics products including thick- and thin-film substrates, hybrids, andmultichip modules. Typical applications for its custom microelectronics products are avionics, imaging, portablesatellite terminals, military electronics equipment and submarine communications receivers.
In September 1996, MNC acquired the assets of GTE Microelectronics from GTE Corporation, one of the world'slargest suppliers of communications systems, equipment, and services for commercial and government/defenseapplications. GTE Microelectronics was an organization within the Communications Systems Division of GTEGovernment Systems, one of GTE Corporation's two operating groups. With the assets of GTE Micro, MNCexpanded its monolithic capabilities and its custom microelectronics product line to include capabilities in ASICdesign, manufacture, and test. With regard to ASICs, MNC specializes in the conversion of ASIC designs and themanufacture of secure ASIC products.
Approximately 60 percent of MNC’s sales, which were about $15 million for 1997, are from military-relatedproducts. Commercial-related products make up the remaining 40 percent.
Management
Debbie Cremin Vice President, Microelectronics Business UnitJohn Condon Corporate Vice President
Micro Networks’ custom microelectronics products include ASICs, FPGAs, multichip modules, and hybrid circuits.The company specializes in rapid prototyping, small production runs, custom packaging, and conversion ofhybrids to ASICs.
The company’s ASIC offerings include a variety of standard cell and gate array technologies down to submicronCMOS, BiCMOS, and bipolar for digital, analog, and mixed-signal circuits.
Micro Networks also provides custom test services for test development and production of analog, digital, andmixed-signal circuits including temperature testing, characteristics, and qualification.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
For the production of its ICs, MNC works with a number of wafer foundries including National Semiconductor,Symbios Logic, and Mitel Semiconductor.
Key Agreements
• As part of the acquisition of GTE Microelectronics in September 1996, MNC established an alliance with GTEGovernment Systems that calls for MNC to supply GTE Government Systems with custom ASICs, which werepreviously supplied by GTE Micro.
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Micro-Rel North American Company Profiles
MICRO-REL
Micro-Rel2343 West Tenth PlaceTempe, Arizona 85281
Telephone: (602) 929-5576Fax: (602) 968-9691
IC SupplierFounded: 1973
Employees: 1,000
Company Overview and Strategy
Micro-Rel is a world class producer of analog, digital and mixed-signal devices. The company also provides customASICs. Micro-Rel manufactures electronic circuits for pacemakers, defibrillators and other Medtronic medicaldevices implanted in the body. Micro-Rel is a subsidiary of Medtronic Incorporated. 1997 annual sales revenueswere $250 Million.
Products and Processes
Micro-Rel designs, produces and tests integrated circuits in 1.5µm, 3.0µm, 5.0µm CMOS and BiCMOStechnology. A 0.8 micron analog/digital CMOS process is also available and the company is currently working on0.6 micron CMOS.
Microchip Technology (NASDAQ: MCHP), was organized in 1989 by a group of venture capital investors toacquire General Instrument Corporation's Microelectronics division, which was established in 1960. Since theacquisition, Microchip Technology has shifted its focus from commodity memory and logic products to embeddedcontrol system products.
The company is now a leading manufacturer of highly integrated, field-programmable RISC microcontrollers,complementary ASSPs, and related specialty memory products for high-volume embedded control applications.Microchip sells its products to a broad and diverse customer base in the consumer, automotive, communications,office automation, and industrial markets.
Microchip Technology North American Company Profiles
Microchip's embedded control products (microcontrollers, serial and parallel EEPROMs, and high-speed and low-power EPROMs) represented 93 percent of total product sales in fiscal 1996 compared to only eight percent oftotal product sales in fiscal 1990. The remaining 7 percent in fiscal 1996 was represented by the company’scommodity memory and logic products.
In 1995, Microchip acquired the “KeeLoq” hopping code and secure smart card technology and patentsdeveloped by Nanoteq of South Africa. The $10 million acquisition also provided Microchip with worldwidemarketing rights to the technology. New products have been, and continue to be, developed that combine theKeeLoq and smart card technology with Microchip’s 8-bit MCUs and serial EEPROMs for enhanced securityapplications in wireless/remote controlled systems.
Management
Steve Sanghi Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerTimothy B. Billington Vice President, Manufacturing OperationsFrederick J. Bruwer Vice President, Secure Data ProductsC. Philip Chapman Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and SecretarySteve Drehobl Vice President, ASIC Products DivisionHarold R. Fischer Vice President, Far East SalesLanny Flessas Vice President, Worldwide Distribution SalesMichael J. Jones Vice President, Human Resources and Information SystemsAdrian Kuzdas Vice President, Advanced Microcontroller and Technology ProductsDavid S. Lambert Vice President, Process Development and Manufacturing EngineeringRobert A. Lanford Vice President, Worldwide SalesMitchell R. Little Vice President, Standard Microcontroller and ASSP DivisionRobert J. Lloyd Vice President, Facilities ManagementSumit K. Mitra Vice President, Systems and ApplicationsJohn F. Oatley Vice President, Manufacturing Operations-Pacific RimGordon W. Parnell Vice President, Controller, and TreasurerGeorge P. Rigg Vice President, Advanced Microcontroller and Technology DivisionRichard J. Simoncic Vice President, Memory and Specialty Products DivisionHoward C. Teeter Vice President, Europe SalesErnest M. Villicaña Vice President, Advanced Microcontroller and Technology Division MarketingWilliam Yang Vice President, Finance-Pacific RimPaolo Spadini Vice President, Technology Development
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North American Company Profiles Microchip Technology
Products and Processes
During the 1970's and 1980's, a high-volume ROM and EPROM business was then-General Instrument's primaryrevenue generator. Since then, however, Microchip has placed designs derived from microcontrollers at theforefront of its strategy, and has limited nonvolatile offerings to specialty areas such as serial EEPROMs. Althoughcommodity EPROM shipments will continue to decrease as a percentage of total sales, the company intends tomanage EPROM production levels to maintain optimal manufacturing capacity utilization.
Microchip's integrated circuit products are outlined below. These products are based on CMOS processtechnology with lithography dimensions down to 0.7µm.
Microcontroller Products• PICmicro™ 8-bit microcontrollers that combine a high-performance RISC processor with one-time-
programmable (OTP) EPROM technology or reprogrammable EEPROM or flash memory technology. CurrentPICmicro™ microcontroller product families include advanced features such as sophisticated timers, embeddedA/D converters, extended instruction/data memory, inter-processor communication (I2C/Microwire/SPI™ busports and USARTs), and ROM, RAM, EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memories. Some of Microchip’s MCUsoperate from power supplies as low as 2.0V.
• In 1996, Microchip unveiled the industry’s first 8-pin MCU family of devices—the PIC12CXXX. The PIC12CXXXpacks the 8-bit high-speed RISC architecture of the PICmicro™ families into the smallest footprintmicrocontroller. The MCU also integrates a 10-bit A/D converter without increasing the pin count.
QuickASIC™ Products• In 1996, Microchip acquired quick-turn ASIC specialist ASIC Technical Solutions, Inc. Microchip is developing
the technology to allow the combination of the company’s PICmicro™ MCU core with configurable gate arrays,thereby providing a wider range of flexibility, power ranges, and custom functionality.
EEPROM Products• Serial CMOS EEPROMs with densities ranging from 1K to 64K and featuring data transfer rates up to 1MHz and
a 10 million erase/write cycle endurance. The company’s serial EEPROMs are offered with a wide operatingvoltage range (1.8V to 6.0V). Microchip also developed the world’s first 64K smart serial EEPROM. Thecompany offers the world’s smallest serial EEPROM––in a SOT-23 package.
• Parallel CMOS EEPROMs available in 4K, 16K, and 64K densities with 10,000 to 100,000 erase/write cycles(typ).
EPROM Products• Standard CMOS EPROMs with densities ranging from 64K to 512K.• Low-voltage (as low as 3.0V) CMOS EPROMs with densities ranging from 64K to 512K.• High-speed 256K CMOS EPROMs with access times as fast as 55ns.
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Microchip Technology North American Company Profiles
Secure Data Products• KeeLoq® family of secure data products. The encoder and decoder devices, which feature Microchip’s
patented KeeLoq code hopping technology, are suitable for remote keyless entry, logical/physical accesscontrol systems, alarm and immobilizer systems, garage door openers, and home security systems.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Microchip installed a 200mm wafer pilot line in its Fab 2 facility in 1997, and will completely convert the fab over to200mm wafers over time. Construction of the company’s Fab 3, 200mm wafer fab is expected to begin in 1999-2000.
Microchip’s IC products are assembled and tested primarily at a subsidiary in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, at the company’snew test facility near Bangkok, Thailand and by a third-party contractor in Bangkok, Thailand. Other third-partyassembly and test suppliers used by Microchip are located in the Philippines and other Asian countries.
Micron Technology, Inc. (MTI) was founded in 1978 as a semiconductor design consulting firm. In 1981, thecompany opened its first fabrication facility, and in late 1982, entered the memory market with a 64K DRAM, whichhad a significantly smaller die size than competing products.
Today, Micron is a leading developer and manufacturer of DRAMs, very fast SRAMs, flash memories, and othersemiconductor memory components, as well as personal computer systems, Remote Intelligent CommunicationRIC) chips and systems, flat panel displays, and complex printed circuit board assemblies (90 percent being sold).Its memory products continue to feature some of the smallest die sizes in the industry.
MTI is comprised of several operating subsidiaries and divisions. Among them are Micron SemiconductorProducts, Inc., which is responsible for the sales and support of MTI’s semiconductor products; MicronElectronics, Inc., which develops, manufactures, markets, and supports PC systems, workstations, and custom-manufactured printed circuit boards; Micron Display Technology, which develops and manufactures small-areafield emission displays (FEDs); Micron Communications, Inc., which develops and manufactures a line ofMicroStamp™ remote intelligent communications (RIC) products; and Micron Quantum Devices, which designs,develops, and markets flash memory IC products and systems.
MTI’s customers are primarily computer and computer peripheral manufacturers. Other customers represent theconsumer electronics, CAD/CAM, telecommunications, office automation, data processing, and graphics displayindustries.
Management
Steven R. Appleton Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerDonald D. Baldwin Vice President, Sales and MarketingMichael W. Sadler Vice President, SalesKipp A. Bedard Vice President, Corporate AffairsEugene H. Cloud Vice President, MarketingRobert M. Donnelly Vice President, Memory ProductsD. Mark Durcan Vice President, Process Research and DevelopmentJay L. Hawkins Vice President, OperationsRoderic W. Lewis Vice President, Legal Affairs, General Counsel, and Corporate SecretaryNancy M. Self Vice President, AdministrationSteven L. Stout Vice President, FacilitiesW. G. Stover, Jr. Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial OfficerJohn W. Aiton Vice President, Wafer FabricationDavid A. Cathey, Jr. Vice President and General Manager, Display DivisionTrung T. Doan Vice President, Process DevelopmentJames E. Mahoney Vice President, Information Systems
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North American Company Profiles Micron Technology
Products and Processes
Micron's semiconductor product strategy is focused on the design, development, and manufacture of memoryproducts, primarily DRAMs, for standard and custom memory applications. In recent years, the company has beenapplying its core semiconductor technology in other areas, such as RIC products and flat panel displays, in order todiversify its business.
Standard and Specialty DRAMs• 4M, 16M, and 64M standard DRAMs — fast page, extended data-out (EDO).• 16M and 64M synchronous DRAMs (SDRAMs) — offered in speed grades of 12ns/83MHz, 10ns/100MHz,
8ns/125MHz.• 4M EDO DRAMs for graphics applications — x16 configuration and access times as low as 40ns.• 8M synchronous graphics RAMs (SGRAMs) — x32 configuration, with speed grades of 15ns/66MHz,
12ns/83MHz, and 10ns/100MHz.• DRAMs are also offered in bare-die form or module form.
Synchronous SRAMs• 1M, 2M, and 4M flow-through or pipelined burst SRAMs — the flow-through devices support bus frequencies
up to 67MHz and the pipelined devices up to 125MHz.• 2M and 4M zero bus turnaround (ZBT) SRAMS — Support 66-167MHz cycle times.
Flash Memories• 2M, 4M, and 8M NOR-type boot block flash memories using Intel-licensed SmartVoltage technology.• 8M and 16M NOR-type sector erase flash memories using Intel-licensed SmartVoltage technology.• Micron introduced a line of solid-state flash memory cards in 2H96.
Communications ICs• The MicroStamp Engine™ is a single-chip device that integrates an 8-bit microcontroller, 256 bytes of SRAM,
and a microwave radio to produce a stamp size remote intelligent communications (RIC) product. TheMicroStamp unit can be encoded with information and attached to almost any object. The stored data can thenbe retrieved or modified remotely at distances of 10-20 feet.
Micron’s semiconductor products are based on CMOS process technology, with the majority of chip designs at the0.30µm and 0.25µm geometry levels. The company’s research and development efforts are focused on shrinkversions of its 16M DRAMs, 64M synchronous DRAMs, and a move from 0.3µm to 0.25µm and 0.18µm processtechnologies. Other development efforts are devoted to 128M, 256M, and 1G DRAMs, and the design of newflash memory and RIC products.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
In 1996, Micron completed the conversion of its 150mm wafer lines (Fabs I/II and III) to 200mm wafers.Furthermore, in mid-1995, the company began construction of a new $2.5 billion 200mm wafer fab complex inLehi, Utah. However, Micron announced in early 1996 that it would complete only the shell of the fab, and hold offon outfitting and equipping the facility until market conditions warrant. Recently, a back end test facility in Lehi hasresumed and will be on line by mid-1998. When completed, the new plant will be capable of processing 10,000wafers per week, utilizing 0.18µm technology.
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Micron Technology North American Company Profiles
Micron Technology, Inc. Micron Technology, Inc.8000 South Federal Way 8000 South Federal WayBoise, Idaho 83707-0006 Boise, Idaho 83707-0006Fab I/II Fab IIICleanroom size: 32,400 square feet Cleanroom size: 32,000 square feetCapacity (wafers/week): 6,500 Capacity (wafers/week): 7,000Wafer size: 200mm Wafer size: 200mmProcess: CMOS Process: CMOSProducts: DRAMs, SRAMs, RFID ICs Products: DRAMs, SRAMs, flash memoriesFeature sizes: 0.35µm-0.25µm Feature sizes: 0.35µm, 0.25µm
Micron Technology, Inc.8000 South Federal WayBoise, Idaho 83707-0006Fab IVCapacity (wafers/week): 700Wafer size: 200mmProcess: CMOSProducts: Memory R&DFeature sizes: 0.25µm, 0.18µm
Micron’s ICs are tested and assembled at its own facilities located at the site of its headquarters and fabs in Boise,Idaho.
Key Agreements
• Micron, Motorola, and AMD joined together with DuPont Photomasks Inc. (DPI) in 1996 to form a technologyventure called DPI Reticle Technology Center, to develop advanced mask technology and provide pilot linefabrication of leading-edge reticles.
• Micron signed a cross-licensing agreement with Intel in 1995 covering flash memory ICs, making Micron a truealternate source for Intel’s flash devices.
• Micron announced in 1992 a memorandum of understanding with NEC on the mutual OEM sales of eachother's semiconductor memory products.
• Micron has made a number of agreements to license its known-good die (KGD) technology. Licensees includeHoneywell SSEC, Chip Supply, nChip, and Cybex Technologies.
• Micron and LSI announced an embedded memory and logic cooperation agreement.
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North American Company Profiles Microsemi Corporation
MICROSEMI CORPORATION
Microsemi Corporation2830 South Fairview StreetSanta Ana, California 92704Telephone: (714) 979-8220
Fax: (714) 424-1704Web Site: www.microsemi.com
IC Manufacturer
Financial History ($), Fiscal Year Ends September 28
Microsemi Corporation was incorporated in 1960. It changed its name from Microsemiconductor Corporation inFebruary 1983. In 1986, Microsemi purchased the assets of the Allen Bradley PTC transistor business in order tobroaden its product line. In 1987, the company acquired Coors Components and renamed it Microsemi Colorado.Also in 1987, Microsemi acquired Salem Scientific in Massachusetts, now known as Sertech Labs. Microsemiacquired General Microcircuits in North Carolina the next year to serve as local source for assembly, screening, andtesting of surface mount assemblies for customers on the East Coast. In order to increase foreign sales,Microsemi acquired Watertown, Massachusetts Unitrode Semiconductor Division in 1992.
Microsemi Corporation is a multinational supplier of high-reliability discrete semiconductors, surface mountedassemblies and hi-rel screening and testing services. The company’s power conditioning semiconductorproducts and custom assemblies are used in a wide array of applications in space, defense, medical and othermarkets. Applications have ranged from telecommunication satellites to heart pacemakers, x-ray and other medicalequipment, automotive, computer and automation products and communications equipment. Customers includeHughes, ITT, Bosch Telecom, Motorola, Lockheed-Martin, Loral, Lucent Technologies and Boeing.
Microsemi Corporation North American Company Profiles
Management
Philip Frey, Jr. Chairman, President and Chief Executive OfficerDavid R. Sonksen Vice President, Finance, Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and SecretaryHarold R. McKeighan Vice President and General Manager, Microsemi-ScottsdaleLane Jorgensen Vice President and General Manager, Microsemi-Santa AnaAndy T.S. Yuen Vice President, International OperationsJames M. Thomas Vice President, Human ResourcesEduardo R. Fernandez Vice President, Marketing and Sales
Products and Processes
Microsemi’s major high reliability product lines are silicon rectifiers, zener diodes, low leakage and high voltagediodes, temperature compensated zener diodes, transistors and a family of subminiature high power transientsuppressor diodes. Commercial products include automatic surge protectors, transient suppressor diodes usedfor telephone applications and computer switching diodes used in computer systems.
New products include Microsemi Santa Ana’s revolutionary ThinKey™ technology (patent efforts commenced)uses a pressed and metallized ceramic frame, solid metal pads and seal rings, and direct high temperature solderbond. This ultra-compact packaging technology allows miniaturization of existing designs. The ThinKey™ tips thescales at 1.0 grams maximum. Equally impressive is a thermal resistance of less than 0.5°C/W. The ThinKey1package will hold a 100A Schottky die from 20-100V.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Microsemi’s domestic semiconductor plants manufacture and process all products and assemblies starting frompurchased silicon wafers and piece parts. The principal domestic semiconductor manufacturing operations arelocated in Santa Ana, California; Broomfield, Colorado; Scottsdale, Arizona and Watertown, Massachusetts. Eachplant operates its own wafer processing, assembly, testing and high reliability testing and screening departments.
The Scottsdale, Arizona plant was opened in 1982. It is a 137,000 square foot facility that is MIL-certified to MIL-S-19500 (JANS). In-house capabilities include a full wafer fab, assembly and screening, including hi-rel.
The Microsemic Corporation Santa Ana, CA facility is 100,000 square foot and houses a new wafer processingbuilding and expanded hi-rel manufacturing and test area. It is MIL-certified to MIL-S-19500 (JANS). Processcapabilities include voidless, hermetically sealed, clear glass, thermally matched and metallurgically bondedconstruction.
Microsemi Colorado, acquired in 1987, supplies high-power Schottky diodes and rectifiers primarily to thecommercial markets. It is a 115,000 square foot facility that is MIL-I-45208, MIL-S-19500 (JANS) and IS09001certified. It has a Class 100 wafer fab.
Microsemi Chatsworth, established in 1991, provides low cost commercial parts.
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North American Company Profiles Microsemi Corporation
The Microsemi RF Products facility, Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania, is MIL-certified to MIL-S-19500.
The Microsemi PPC, Inc. facility is located in Riviera Beach, Florida.
Microsemi Watertown is a 164,600 square foot facility MIL-certified to MIL-S-19500. Located nearby is Microsemi’sSertech Labs.
Microsemi’s Bombay, India facility assembles a commercial zener diode line for the purpose of competing in thelower-cost commercial and consumer markets. This plant also performs subcontract coil manufacturing.
Microsemi’s Hong Kong subsidiary, Microsemi (H.K.) Ltd., produces diode products for major commercialcustomers. The Hong Kong subsidiary utilizes diode chips manufactured in Microsemi’s U.S. plants andassembles, tests and finishes the products. The plant is approved for assembly of certain military specified diodes.
Microsemi’s Ennis, Ireland operation manufactures diodes, rectifiers, zeners, thyristors and transistors andsupports the other Microsemi operations. This plant is Defense Electronics Supply Center (DESC) approved bythe U.S. government to screen high reliability product to Military Specification Standard MIL-S-19500 and is alsoEuropean Space Agency qualified.
Microsemi Micro Electra is located in Tijuana, Mexico.
Key Agreements
• In October 1996, Microsemi RF Products, Inc. (RF), formerly known as Micro Acquisition Corporation, a whollyowned subsidiary of Microsemi, purchased certain assets and the right to manufacture a selected group ofproducts of the high-reliability portion of SGS-Thomson's Radio Frequency Semiconductor business inMontgomeryville, Pennsylvania (RF Products).
• In September 1997, Microsemi PPC, Inc. (PPC), formerly known as Micro PPC Acquisition Corp., a whollyowned subsidiary of Microsemi, purchased all of the assets and assumed certain liabilities of three affiliatedcompanies: PPC Products Corporation, Technett Seals Inc., and Semiconductors, Inc. (collectively referred toas PPC Products). PPC Products is a supplier of power transistors, fixed and adjustable linear regulators andpower rectifiers and is located in Riviera Beach, Florida. The aggregate purchase price for RF Products andPPC Products included $5,201,000 in cash and a $3,070,000 in notes payable.
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Microwave Monolithics North American Company Profiles
MICROWAVE MONOLITHICS, INC. (MMINC.)
Microwave Monolithics, Inc. (MMInc.)465 E. Easy Street
Microwave Monolithics, Incorporated was founded in 1982, to supply Gallium Arsenide custom microwavecomponents and integrated circuits. MMInc supplies components to the government and OEM community.
The company operates an in-house GaAs foundry to develop the technology and to supply the chips for the finalproducts.
North American Company Profiles Microwave Technology
MICROWAVE TECHNOLOGY
Microwave Technology4268 Solar Way
Fremont, CA 94538Don Apte, New Business Development
Telephone: (510) 651-6700Fax: (510) 651-2208
IC Manufacturer
Company Overview and Strategy
Microwave Technology is a vertically integrated supplier of GaAs and silicon components. The primary market isdefense electronics and commercial systems such as microwave links. Other markets include power modules forwireless applications.
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Mitel Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
*External sales only. Mitel Semiconductor also supplies ICs and hybrids to its parent Mitel Corporation.
Ownership: Publicly held. NASDAQ: MLT.
Company Overview and Strategy
Mitel Semiconductor is a designer, manufacturer and supplier of integrated circuits, optoelectronic and analog linecomponents. These products are used in telecommunications, data communications, video, aerospace,industrial, instrumentation, and medical applications. Mitel shares the knowledge they apply to their design andmanufacturing activities through a special Custom Wafer Fabrication service, Global Design Support team andCustomer Care Center.
In March 1996, Mitel Semiconductor acquired Swedish semiconductor manufacturer ABB Hafo.
North American Company Profiles Mitel Semiconductor
In February 1998, Mitel Semiconductor acquired Plessey Semiconductors. Headquartered in Swindon, UK,Plessey provides cost effective IC solutions for the communications, consumer and computer markets throughfive business units: ASICs, communications, media, PC systems and power/automotive. This acquisition givesMitel Semiconductor immediate access to leading edge technologies, design expertise, complementary productlines and three wafer fabrication facilities.
Management
John Millard President and Chief Executive Officer, Mitel CorporationFrancois Cordeau Vice President and General Manager, Semiconductor Division
Products and Processes
Mitel Semiconductor's product line of microelectronic devices include communications integrated circuits, analogline components, silicon foundry services, ASICs and optoelectronic devices.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Mitel Semiconductor is in the process of upgrading its Bromont fabrication facility to 150mm wafers. Additional100mm capacity is also being added to the Järfälla facility in Sweden.
GEC Plessey Semiconductors (GPS) was originally established as Plessey Semiconductors in 1966. Thecompany became a wholly owned subsidiary of The General Electric Company plc. of England and merged withMarconi in 1990.
North American Company Profiles Mitel Semiconductor
GPS designs, produces, and markets ASICs and ASSPs aimed at three high growth market segments —communications, computing, and consumer electronics. Applications within these markets include personal radiocommunications (including wireless LANs and global positioning), computer peripherals, networks, andtelevisions. Its technological strengths lie in a high market penetration of RF front ends, tuning, and frequencysynthesis for both radio and TV. This is backed by expertise in high speed, high complexity digital signalprocessing and RISC processing, and broad-based experience and capability in semicustom products. Thecompany is a leading supplier of the ARM RISC processor and of CMOS ASIC devices.
The company can be viewed as two operating divisions: Integrated Circuits and Power Semiconductors. As wellas marketing conventional high power discretes, the Power division has launched a new range of high powerIGBTs.
Product development within GPS’ core market areas are focused on mobile telecommunications, multimedia, andnetworks.
Management
GEC Plessey SemiconductorsTom Urwin Managing DirectorJohn Brothers Director, TechnologyAlan Capper Director, Lincoln Business UnitChris Moynihan Director, PersonnelIan Cooper Director, LegalBarry Dennington Director, ASIC System Business UnitTony Gallagher Director, FinanceRay Gleason Director, Media Business UnitPhil Pollok Director, Communications Business UnitErnie Pusey Director, Sales and MarketingJohn Read Director, PC Systems Business Unit
GEC Plessey Semiconductors Inc. (U.S.)T.B.A. President and General Manager
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Mitel Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Products and Processes
GEC Plessey Semiconductors offers a broad range of standard and semicustom ICs in linear, mixed-signal, anddigital CMOS, bipolar, and silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) technologies. In addition to these technologies, GPS hasextensive hybrid and microwave capabilities, plus power semiconductor products.
The company’s semicustom ICs include CMOS gate arrays, embedded arrays, and standard cells; bipolar standardcells; and gate arrays and standard cells based on SOS technology for radiation-hardened applications.
GPS’ standard semiconductor products include personal communications circuits, satellite/cable/television ICs,video/image processors, fiber optic link/LAN devices, global positioning products, radio circuits, digital signalprocessing ICs, data converters (ADCs and DACs), automotive/industrial/medical components, contentaddressable memories (CAMs), linear and logarithmic amplifiers, ARM 32-bit RISC processors andmicrocontrollers, and radiation-hardened (SOS) devices such as MPUs, peripherals, memories, bus products, andstandard logic chips. GPS also markets high power discretes and IGBTs.
MOS MEMORY ANALOG
DRAM ✔ Amplifier
SRAM ✔ Interface
Flash Memory ✔ Consumer/Automotive
EPROM Voltage Regulator/Reference
ROM ✔ Data Conversion
EEPROM Comparator✔ Other (Including Non-Volatile RAM) ✔ Other (Includes Telecom)
MOS LOGIC DIGITAL BIPOLAR✔ General Purpose Logic Bipolar Memory✔ Gate Array General Purpose Logic✔ Standard Cell ✔ Gate Array/Standard Cell
Field Programmable Logic Field Programmable Logic✔ Other Special Purpose Logic Other Special Purpose Logic
MPU/MCU/MPR
MOS MICROCOMPONENT✔ MPU OTHER✔ MCU ✔ Full Custom IC✔ MPR ✔ Discrete✔ DSP Optoelectronic
By the year 2000, the company expects to have 60 percent of its revenue come from the sales of CMOSproducts. Meanwhile, bipolar revenues are expected to decrease as a percent of total revenues to about 30percent by the year 2000. Power discretes and high power IGBTs will make up about 10 percent.
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North American Company Profiles Mitel Semiconductor
In 1997, GPS began prototyping its first 0.35µm CMOS ICs. A 1.8V, 0.18µm CMOS process is expected to beemployed by the end of the decade. For bipolar, the company has 0.5µm, 5V and 2.7V, triple-metal-layerprocesses in production. In addition, the company is developing a silicon germanium (SiGe) process.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
The company has secured foundry partners to supplement its own wafer manufacturing capacity. The company’spolicy is to draw 30-35 percent of its manufacturing capacity from foundries, in addition to retaining its own in-house manufacturing sources. To help move its production process capability to 0.25µm feature sizes, thecompany is considering further wafer fab partnerships.
• GPS is involved with the European cooperatives Esprit, Alvey, RACE, and JESSI.
• GPS is a licensed design product partner and manufacturer of the ARM RISC microprocessor.
• GPS licensed the PineDSPCore and related development tools from DSP Group Inc. in 1994. GPS is usingthe 16-bit, fixed-point DSP core in ASICs and ASSPs for multimedia PC and cellular phone applications.
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MMC Networks North American Company Profiles
MMC NETWORKS
MMC Networks, Inc.1134 E. Arques Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94086Telephone: (408) 731-1600
Fax: (408) 731-1660Web Site: www.mmcnet.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Financial History ($), Fiscal Year Ends December 31
Revenues for the first quarter of 1998 were $9.6 million, up 181 percent from $3.4 million in revenues reported inthe first quarter of 1997, and up 26 percent from the $7.6 million reported in the fourth quarter of 1997. Netincome for the first quarter of 1998 was $1.2 million versus net income of $186,000 for the first quarter of 1997,and net income of $639,000 for the fourth quarter of 1997. The company also stated it was on schedule to beginvolume shipments of the AnyFlow product family in the second half of 1998.
Company Overview and Strategy
Incorporated in September 1992, MMC Networks is a developer and fabless supplier of high-performance, open-architecture, software-programmable processors optimized for networking applications.
MMC’s products include the PS1000 and ATMS2000 families of network processors. These processors providethe core functionality of high-performance Fast Ethernet and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networkingequipment, respectively. The company believes that network equipment vendors are able to reduce design anddevelopment costs and accelerate product development cycles for high-performance routers and switches byusing its products. All of the company's products are based on its proprietary ViX architecture, which enablesnetwork equipment vendors to easily and cost-effectively implement high-performance, value-added features intheir switch and router products.
MMC expanded its product portfolio in 1997 by introducing Per-Flow Queuing technology in May, allowing serviceproviders to provide priority services for intranet and Internet users on a per-user basis. In September, MMCintroduced the AnyFlow 5000 product family of network processors, which allows network equipment vendors tooffer ATM-class Quality of Service on TCP/IP networks for individual user flow.
Key elements of MMC’s strategy include targeting high-growth markets, facilitating customer success, extendingits technology leadership and leveraging its fabless semiconductor model.
Customers include major networking and communications companies such as Cisco Systems, D-Link, Fujitsu,Hitachi, N-Base, NEC, Olicom, SNT, Sumitomo, and Toshiba. MMC’s customers employ the Company's networkprocessors to develop and market multi-gigabit, wire-speed switches and routers with advanced features such aslayer 3 switching, internetworking of LANs and WANs, security, class of service, quality of service and networkmanagement.
MMC has direct sales offices in Chelmsford, MA and Tokyo, Japan, as well as nine manufacturer representatives inthe U.S., four in Canada, and one each in the UK, Israel, Japan, and Taiwan.
Management
Prabhat K. Dubey President and Chief Executive OfficerAmos Wilnai Chairman of the Board and Executive Vice President, Bus DevelopmentUday Bellary Vice President, Finance, Chief Financial Officer and Assistant SecretarySena C. Reddy Executive Vice President, OperationsAlexander Joffe Vice President, EngineeringJohn A. Teegen Vice President, SalesBrent R. Bilger Vice President, Marketing
Products and Processes
MMC Networks’ products are based on several of its proprietary technologies, of which the ViX architecture is thefoundation. Other core technologies include its Per Flow Queuing (PFQ) technology, Direct Replication Enginetechnology, Virtual SAR technology and Programmable BitStream Processor technology.
The ViX architecture is a switch fabric architecture that uses a patented point-to-point connection matrix thatpermits the use of a wide, centralized, shared-memory structure, while separating control information from userdata. The ViX architecture's use of "point-to-point connections" is designed to enable network equipmentvendors to easily scale the number of ports in their switches and routers, unlike shared-bus architectures that runinto clock frequency, bus capacitance and pin count limitations. The use of a "wide, centralized shared-memorystructure" enables network equipment vendors to scale the bandwidth and amount of buffer memory, unlikecrossbar architectures which become increasingly expensive as bandwidth and buffer requirements increase. The"separation of control information from user data" enables network equipment vendors to more easily implementhigh-performance processing, queuing, replication and switching functions for networking applications, unlikeshared-bus and crossbar architectures, which may require complex processors to coordinate multiple functionsacross multiple ports and the replication of user data within their buffers. In addition, the ViX architecture isdesigned as an open architecture, providing external access to the appropriate timing and control signals, whichenables network equipment vendors to more easily implement differentiated features and functionality.
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MMC Networks North American Company Profiles
MMC’s proprietary Per Flow Queuing (PFQ) technology extends the ViX architecture to support class of serviceand quality of service for network switches. PFQ is designed to alleviate the limitations of FIFO queuing byassigning each piece of data to its own unique queue and then scheduling the sending of the data according tosoftware-programmable algorithms developed by the network equipment vendor, thus allowing the switch orrouter to implement class of service or quality of service functionality. Switches and routers incorporating PFQtechnology can be designed to support up to 500,000 queues, providing enough queues for large-scalenetworks.
MMC’s Direct Replication Engine Technology is designed to provide wire-speed multicast and broadcast capabilityby leveraging the separation of control information from user data enabled by the ViX architecture. This capabilityallows the switch or router to store a single copy of the data to be transmitted and replicate it to multiple ports in asingle instruction cycle.
MMC’s Virtual SAR technology provides the ability to convert frames to cells, and vice versa, in internetworking ofATM with Ethernet, frame relay and other packet-based protocols, thus eliminating the need for expensiveexternal SAR chips. Conventional switches and routers use more expensive segmentation and reassembly("SAR") chips to convert frames to cells and vice versa.
MMC Networks' Programmable BitStream Processor technology performs the processing of packet and cellheaders including such functions as real-time parsing, matching and table look-up, as well as bit streammanipulations such as adding, deleting, substituting, appending and pre-pending. This functionality enablesnetwork equipment vendors to build high-performance switches and routers with additional services that addressnetwork security, class of service and quality of service and improve management throughout the network.
In addition to MMC Networks’ ViX architecture patent, MMC has received notice that two additional patents willissue. Further, MMC has filed 24 other patent applications, 13 in the U.S. and 11 outside the United States,relating to other aspects of systems employing the ViX architecture. None of the Company's patent applicationsrelate to specific products of the Company, such as the ATMS2000 and PS1000 lines of network processors.
MMC’s PS1000 network processor family implements the core functionality of a high-performance Fast Ethernetswitch, provides extensions for layer 3 routing and is optimized for power workgroup, wiring closet and LANbackbone applications. The PS1000 family enables network equipment vendors to build low-cost, highly-integrated solutions supporting scalable port densities from eight to 128 10-Mbps Ethernet ports and up to 32100-Mbps Fast Ethernet ports with the option of one or two ATM uplinks.
The PS1000 family includes the PS1001 PSP, a packet switch processor which provides the central core of theswitching operation; the PS1002 FEIU, a Fast Ethernet interface unit comprised of four 10/100-Mbps full-duplexFast Ethernet MAC ports; the PS1003 EIU Ethernet interface unit comprised of six 10-Mbps MAC ports and two10/100-Mbps MAC ports; the PS1004 AIU ATM interface unit that provides an ATM uplink for Ethernet switches;the PS1005 ARL Address resolution logic device that provides full frame forwarding and filtering logic; thePS1007 NCB Network component interconnect ("NCI") bus to CPU bridge; and the PS1008 NPB NCI bus to PCIbus bridge.
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North American Company Profiles MMC Networks
MMC’s ATMS2000 network processor family provides the core functionality of a high-performance ATM switch,the capabilities for layer 3 routing and is optimized for feature-rich building or campus backbones, powerworkgroups and WAN access. The ATMS2000 family is targeted for 2.5- or 5-Gbps switches and routers with portdensities of up to 32 OC-3 ports or eight OC-12 ports. The ATMS2000 family includes the ATMS2001 Memoryaccess buffer; the ATMS2002 Port interface; the ATMS2003 Switch controller which manages data queues andprovides an SWC1 interface to the CPU; the ATMS2004 Switch controller which manages the reading and writingof data to SWC2 various external data structures and performs pipeline control; the ATMS2101 Optional featurechipset that monitors and polices cell traffic, Xchecker providing statistics, usage parameter control and/or packetdiscard; the ATMS2110 Optional feature chipset that offloads cell reception and Xport transmission from the CPU;and the ATMS2200 Co-processor that implements PFQ-based Xstream.
MMC Networks' AnyFlow 5000 network processor family implements the company's new Virtual SAR andProgrammable BitStream Processor technologies. The AnyFlow 5000 family employs a modular design whichenables a wide range of networking equipment, including both Ethernet and ATM switches and routers. TheAnyFlow 5000 network processors are designed to provide Layer 3 switching and routing with quality of serviceand packet/cell internetworking at a bandwidth of 20Gbps and with throughput of up to 20 million packets-per-second. AnyFlow network processors scale up to 128 Fast Ethernet or ATM OC-3 ports, 16 Gigabit Ethernetports or 32 ATM OC-12 ports. Samples of the AnyFlow 5000 products have been available since the fourthquarter of 1997.
MMC Networks’ fabrication suppliers use mainstream CMOS processes for the manufacturing of its productsinstead of depending on leading edge processes in order to help reduce technical risks and production capacityconstraints. MMC’s main products currently are fabricated in 0.35, 0.5 and 0.8 micron CMOS. MMC hascommenced migration of some unspecified products to smaller geometries in order to remain competitive in thoseproduct lines.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
MMC Networks is a fabless IC supplier. Fabrication is outsourced to Motorola in the U.S., Oki Semiconductor andNEC in Japan, and TSMC in Taiwan.
In 1995 and 1996, MMC Networks subcontracted its semiconductor manufacturing to Oki Semiconductor andNEC in Japan and Motorola, Inc. in the United States. In 1997, MMC added Taiwan Semiconductor ManufacturingCorporation (TSMC) to its fab partners. In 1998, MMC expects a growing percentage of its production will becontracted to TSMC and potentially other new suppliers as new products reach volume production. Only one ofMMC's products is currently manufactured by more than one supplier.
Because MMC has experienced only limited ability to react to fluctuations in product demand, the company plansto assume more of the product manufacturing responsibilities. This will include contracting for wafermanufacturing and subcontracting for assembly and test rather than purchasing finished product. To this end,MMC has begun investing in design tools, libraries and personnel with the expectation of assuming greatermanufacturing responsibilities by mid-1998.
MMC also began sourcing unknown products from Hitachi Computer Products (America), Inc. in April 1997.
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MMC Networks North American Company Profiles
Key Agreements
• In 1997, MMC licensed Packet Engines Inc.’s (Spokane, WA) Gigabit Ethernet Media Access Control (MAC)chip technology. The technology serves as both a complement and a hedge to MMC’s 3 layer switching-basedproducts.
• In June 1996, MMC joined the Gigabit Ethernet Alliance, a multi-vendor effort aimed at providing customerswith open, cost-effective and interoperable Gigabit Ethernet solutions. The Alliance supports the CSMA/CD(Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection) protocol of the original Ethernet standard.
• In February 1995, MMC joined the Flow Control Consortium, now called the Quantum Flow Control (QFC)Alliance, an organization formed to complete a flow control protocol that can comprehensively meet therequirements of ATM Available Bit Rate Service.
• In December 1994, MMC signed a Development, License and Purchase Agreement with Cisco Systems, Inc.This covered codevelopment of ViX technology and usage licenses for various MMC processors to beincorporated into Cisco products.
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North American Company Profiles Mosaic Semiconductor
MOSAIC SEMICONDUCTOR
Mosaic Semiconductor, Inc.7420 Carroll Road, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92121-9727Telephone: (619) 271-4565
Fax: (619) 271-6058Web Site: www.syntaq.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Employees: 25
Ownership: Privately held. Division of Syntaq. Inc.
Company Overview and Strategy
Founded in 1988, Mosaic Semiconductor is a supplier of high density memory components and systems formilitary, aerospace, industrial, and medical markets. Mosaic's customers are mainly in the U.S. and Canada.European customers are serviced by the England-based operation, HMP.
Management
David Armstrong President and Chief Executive OfficerAnthony Swaddle Executive Vice President and General ManagerJaime Conde Manager, North American Sales
Products and Processes
Mosaic’s memory products include EPROM, EEPROM, FLASH and SRAM in 8-, 16-, and 32-bit widths, and areavailable in both ceramic and hi-rel plastic packages. Screening levels available range from commercial to MIL-STD-883B screen.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Mosaic's ICs are currently manufactured by various North American and off-shore semiconductor manufacturers.The company maintains an assembly, test, and package design facility in San Diego.
MOSAID Technologies was founded in 1975, to provide MOS memory design and consulting services. Today,MOSAID is the leading independent memory chip design house and the leading supplier of engineering memorytest systems. The company operates from two separate but synergistic divisions: the Semiconductor Division,which designs advanced memory chips for both standard and application-specific memory (ASM) requirements,and the Systems Division, which designs, manufactures, markets and services memory test systems focusedprimarily on engineering test requirements.
North American Company Profiles MOSAID Technologies
Management
Richard C. Foss, Ph.D. ChairmanGeorge J.J. Cwynar President and Chief Executive OfficerRichard D. Broadway Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration, and Chief Financial OfficerRobert C. Albrow Vice President, Strategic and Technical DevelopmentG. Glen Evans Vice President and General Manager, Systems DivisionDan Mathers Vice President and General Manager, Semiconductor Division
Products and Processes
MOSAID has experience in nine generations of DRAM designs, from 4K to 256M. Some recent memory chipdesigns include: a 125MHz, DDR, 256M SDRAM, a 143MHz, four-bank, 64M SDRAM supporting x4, x8, and x16configurations, a high-performance 16M synchronous DRAM that supports data transfer rates of up to 200Mbps, alow-voltage 16M DRAM upgrading the capabilities of portable computers, a low-voltage wide-word 4M DRAM, anda low-power SRAM. MOSAID has extended this expertise to provide optimized, merged memory and logicsolutions for accelerating bandwidth limited applications in markets including telecommunication, datacommunication and security.
Macrocell designs intended for use as blocks within ASICs include high-speed pipelined SRAMs and DACs forRAMDAC function, high-performance embedded DRAM, and HDRAM™ (high-density DRAM) — MOSAID’sproprietary DRAM technology for single poly logic processes. A yield enhancement vehicle closely integratedwith MOSAID’s engineering testers is also available.
Mosaid is ISO 9001 registered.
Key Agreements
• MOSAID has been selected to design the next generation SLDRAM on behalf of the SLDRAM consortiumusing an advanced 0.25 micron DRAM process jointly developed by Siemens, IBM and Toshiba.
• MOSAID announced in February 1997, that its HDRAM embedded memory technology would be ported toTSMC’s 0.35µm logic process.
• MOSAID signed a distribution agreement with Synopsys Inc. in February 1997, for the integration of thecompany’s HDRAM technology into Synopsys’ cell-based array technology.
• MOSAID announced a cooperative development agreement with Oki Electric Company in July 1996, for thedevelopment of an advanced 16M SDRAM and a 64M Outer Data Inner Control SDRAM.
• In 1994, MOSAID teamed up with Symbionics Ltd., Standard Microsystems Corp., and three venture capitalfirms to form the joint venture company Accelerix, which has developed a single-chip graphics accelerator usingan advanced Blend IC merged DRAM/logic process from TSMC.
Japan MUSIC Semiconductors/Microtek – Tokyo, JapanTelephone: (81) (3) 5300-5525 • Fax: (81) (3) 5300-5520
Employees: 100
Ownership: Privately held.
Company Overview and Strategy
MUSIC Semiconductors, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets advanced semiconductor devices thataccelerate crucial functions within network switching and routing systems. MUSIC’s existing products are specialtyASSPs (application specific standard products) — address and header processor circuits based on MUSIC’sproprietary patented content-addressable memory (CAM) technology.
1997 annual sales are estimated to be in the $10 to $25M range.
MUSIC Semiconductors, Inc. North American Company Profiles
Products and Processes
MUSIC’s CAM technology targets the fundamental function of message routing within global networks. The CAMproduct family makes address and header processing more efficient at every network intersection, within everyrouter, bridge, hub, switch, and file server. Details on this product family are described below.
LANCAM 1st Family – consists of high density content-addressable memories (CAMs) in a variety of depths. Likethe other LANCAM series, the LANCAM 1st is ideal for time critical applications requiring intensive list processing.Applications include list processing where space and cost are important (i.e., high-performance desktop andworkgroup bridges and switches, and remote access servers).
List-XL – The MU9C364oL List-XL is a 256 word by 64-bit CAM, ideal for time critical applications requiringintensive list processing where space and cost are important. Applications include cost sensitive, high-performance desktop and workgroup bridges and switches; and remote access servers.
LANCAM A/L Family – consists of CAMs designed for address filtering applications in Local Area Network bridgesand routers. The architecture of the LANCAMs allow a network station list of any length to be searched in a singlememory transaction. The devices are also well suited for other high-speed data search applications such as virtualmemories, optical and magnetic disk Caches, database accelerators, data compressors and image processors.
ATMCAMs – are CAMs with a 32-bit wide data interface. The device is designed for use in ATM switches androuters to provide very high throughput VPI/VCI translation via lookup tables held in external RAM, VPI/VCI fieldsfrom the ATM cell header are compared against a list of current connections stored in the CAM array.
WidePort LANCAM Family – consists of CAMs featuring 32-bit wide interface. This interface doubles the availableI/O bandwidth in many applications while maintaining the same powerful architecture and instruction set of theLANCAMs. Applications include high-performance desktop, workgroup, edge and backbone switches androuters; up to 16 port, 100Mb Ethernet switches; remote access server; real-time compression/decompressionengines.
LANCAM MP Family – consists of CAMs 128-bits wide, featuring 32-bit wide interfaces. The interface doubles theavailable I/O bandwidth in many applications while maintaining the same powerful architecture and instruction setof the LANCAMs. Applications include 64-bit Ipv6 bridges, switches and routers.
MUAA CAM Family – consists of 80-bit wide CAMs available in depths of 2K-, 4K-, and 8K-bit words. The MUAACAM can perform normal CAM functions such as search, insert, and delete on single entries and can age multipleentries simultaneously. In addition, there is a learn instruction, particularly useful in networking applications.Applications include Ethernet edge and backbone switches and routers.
ASSPs – MUSIC ASSPs include Source Routing Transparent Interface for use in Token Ring LAN bridges androuters or use in FDDI LAN bridges and routers. Ethernet interface ASSPs are also available, which speed upbridging operations using Ethernet controller chips with serial NRZ data outputs.
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North American Company Profiles MUSIC Semiconductors, Inc.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
MUSIC relies on semiconductor foundries with sub-micron capabilities in Taiwan and Japan. The company utilizesassembly contractors in Taiwan and the Philippines, under the supervision of its own test and quality assurancedepartments.
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MX-COM, Inc. North American Company Profiles
MX-COM, INC.
MX-COM, Inc./Semiconductor Division4800 Bethania Station Rd.
Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27105Telephone: (336) 744-5050
Radio Data Technology • EnglandTelephone: (44) 1376-501255 • Fax: (44) 1376-501312
Company Overview and Strategy
The CML Microsystems Plc Group of companies consists of six trading subsidiaries in three technological
divisions, Semiconductor Products, Road Traffic Control Equipment and Data-Over-Radio Equipment. The majorGroup companies in these divisions are: Consumer Microcircuits Limited, CML Microcircuits (Singapore) Pte Ltd.,Integrated Micro Systems Limited, Microsense Systems Limited, MX-COM, Inc., and Radio Data Technology. Allbusiness units are fabless suppliers.
Founded in 1972, Consumer Microcircuits Limited has distributors in 38 countries on six continents.
CML Microcircuits (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. (CMLMS) was established in January 1995 to enhance the Group’s
presence in the Asia Pacific region. Main activities involve sales, distribution, customer service, technical supportand market development. The unit currently distributes and promotes Consumer Microcircuits Limited’s and MX-COM, Inc.’s products in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and other areas inSouth East Asia.
Operating since 1980, MX-COM, Inc. is a subsidiary of CML Microsystems Plc. The company is a fabless designer
and assembler of integrated circuits, modules, and systems for industrial, commercial and consumercommunication applications. The company emphasizes “strong customer participation to meet market needs.”
Microsense Systems , founded in 1981, manufactures microprocessor-based systems for intelligent highway-type
applications and public transport passenger information display applications. As such, it will not be profiled.
Radio Data Technology : manufactures wireless/radio modems, real-time video and audio transmission finished
products and data transmission finished products. As such, it will not be profiled.
Management
Integrated Micro Systems Ltd. (IMS)Graham Davies Technical Director
Products and Processes
Consumer Microcircuits Limited’s IC products fall into seven application lines (products): general purpose (7),
mobile radio (16), wireline telecommunications (20), radio/wireless modems (11), military communications (2),voice security/privacy (2), and cordless telephones (1).
Specific products include: Signal-to-Noise Enhancer, QTC Tone Processor, QTC Selective Call Tone Decoders,Voiceband Inverter, Digitally Controlled Amp Array, HSC Tone Decoder for Pagers, Digitally Controlled Quad AmpArrays, Frequency Sensitive Switch, Cordless Telephone Scrambler, C-NET (Netz-C) Audio Processor, PrivateSquelch Circuit, Unifil Universal Analogue Processor, Band III FSK and FFSK Modems, GMSK Modems, CallingLine Identifiers, Subscriber Private Metering (SPM) Detector, Universal Call Progress Decoder, 'Eurocom' DeltaCodec, a variety of other codecs and packet data modems, and TETRA Baseband Processors.
One of its newest products is the CMX602A, a low power CMOS IC for BT’s Calling Line Identification Service(CLIP), Bellcore’s Calling Identity Delivery system (CID), the Cable Communications Association’s Caller DisplayServices (CDS), and similar evolving services. It also meets the requirements of emerging Caller Identity with CallWaiting services (CIDCW). The 16-pin SOIC and DIL packaged device includes a ‘zero-power’ ring or line polarityreversal detector, a dual-tone (2,130Hz plus 2,750Hz) Tone Alert Signal detector and a 1200-baud FSKV23/Bell202 compatible asynchronous data demodulator with a data retiming circuit which removes the need for aUART in the associated microcontroller.
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MX-COM, Inc. North American Company Profiles
Another new product is the FX829, a low voltage (3.0 to 5.5 Volts; 2.7mA at 3.3V with graduated powersave)CMOS IC designed to provide baseband audio and system signal-processing functions for PAMR or PMR trunkedradio applications. The D2 - SOIC and D5 -SSOP IC meets ETS 300 086, MPT1327, PAA1382 and I-ETS 300230 specifications. It operates in half-duplex mode under serial-bus control of the host microcontroller. Includedis a dual-rate 1,200/2,400bps FFSK modem, with a software-flexible choice of synchronization codewords, datarun-length and CRC checking. The two-point modulation output has software programmable level-adjustment.The audio processing stages include PAMR/PMR transmit and receive filtering. The open design alsomodification for emerging standards and proprietary approaches.
CML’s FX629 is a low-power, 5 volt CMOS LSI circuit designed as a continuously variable slope delta codec for usein military communications applications including delta multiplexers, switches and phones. The device is availablein a 22-pin cerdip DIL package and meets MIL-STD-188-113. On-chip encoder input and decoder output filtersare featured.
CML Group’s Integrated Micro Systems (IMS) unit is a fabless ASIC supplier providing solutions encompassing all
aspects of standard cell custom and full custom ASIC design and manufacture. Founded in 1981, IMS wasacquired by CML Microsystems Plc. in 1994.
IMS’s devices are fabricated in CMOS, BiCMOS and Bipolar processes. The company has particular expertise in:RF (Radio front ends, LNA, PA, NMT900, GSM, PCN, Frequency Synthesis to 1.8GHz); Optical (Laser and LEDdrivers and Optical Receivers @ 50Mbs, 155Mbs, 622Mbs, 1.2Gbs, 2.4Gbs); Analogue/Mixed-Signal (ADC,DAC, Sigma-Delta converters VCO and VCXO, Filters [CT, SC, digital], PLLs, Op Amps, Comparators); EmbeddedMemory (SRAM, DRAM, CAM, FIFO, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM). IMS also provides design, consultancy andturnkey services.
IMS’s CMOS experience includes 1.2µm-0.35µm, 2-3 metals, 2.4-40 volt products, with a custom library fromwhich to choose. BiCMOS expertise ranges from 1.5µm-0.8µm, 2 - 3 metals, 2.7-40 volts and up to 17GHz fT.Bipolar expertise ranges from 2.0µm-0.8µm, 1-2 metals, 5-12 volts and at 7GHz fT. Though less often, IMS hasworked with 0.6µm GaAs in 1 and 2 metal, 5V, 12GHz applications. IMS has also completed limited SOSapplications.
MX-COM, Inc.’s products include the MX102 autocorrelator for pagers, MX109 CVSD voice codec, MX589 GMSKfilter/modem for Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) cellular telephones, MX602 Caller ID on Call Waiting telecomprocessor, MX818 baseband signal processor, MX839 digitally controlled analog I/O processor (with four-inputintelligent 8/10 bit A/D monitoring subsystem and three 8/10 bit DACs), MX919A wireless modem data pump, andMX980 digital radio 36kbps p /4 DQPSK baseband processor for portable radios and base stations.
MX-COM predominantly uses 1.2µm CMOS technology in combinations of mixed-signal, embedded DSP, andanalog design architectures.
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North American Company Profiles MX-COM, Inc.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Consumer Microcircuits Limited’s facilities are BS ISO-9001 certified.
The IMS unit is a fabless supplier. It works with AMS/Thesys, Newport Wafer-Fab, UMC, TSMC, SGS-Thomsonand Vitesse typically, but also with other fabs, where appropriate.
MX-COM occupies a 28,000 square foot purpose-built facility in Winston-Salem, NC, USA, where all functions,except wafer fabrication, are performed. MX-COM’s facilities were ISO-9002 certified in January 1995. Outsidefoundries are used for wafer fabrication.
MX-COM independently tests foundry processes for reliability performance in addition to reliability testing which isperformed by the foundry. Electrical test, at wafer level and finished assembly, is performed at the Winston-Salemfacility using proprietary, NIST-traceable hardware and software calibration standards.
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National Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR
National Semiconductor Corporation2900 Semiconductor Drive
P.O. Box 58090Santa Clara, California 95052-8090
Telephone: (408) 721-5000Fax: (408) 739-9803
Web Site: www.national.com
IC Manufacturer
Regional Headquarters/Representative Locations
Japan: National Semiconductor Ltd. • Tokyo, JapanTelephone: (81) (43) 299-2308 • Fax: (81) (43) 299-2408
National Semiconductor was established in Danbury, Connecticut, as a manufacturer of transistors in 1959. In1967, the company moved to Santa Clara, California, where it began producing proprietary ICs.
North American Company Profiles National Semiconductor
National has since remained a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products. The companyfocuses on four strategic markets: communications, personal systems, industrial, and consumer. Systemapplications within these four markets include computers and computer peripherals, cellular phones, faxmachines, local and wide area networks, telecommunications equipment, automotive electronics, industrialcontrols, and military and aerospace products. National is also a leader in power management solutions.
At the beginning of fiscal 1997, National reorganized into four operating divisions: the Analog Division, theCommunications and Consumer Division, the Personal Systems Division, and the Fairchild SemiconductorDivision. In March 1997, as part of its effort to focus on systems solutions, National divested itself of its FairchildSemiconductor business, which consisted of National’s family logic, non-volatile memory, and discretesemiconductor product lines. The high-volume, manufacturing intensive business model of Fairchild differssignificantly from National’s business of providing highly integrated system chip solutions for specific applications.
Management
Brian Halla President and Chief Executive OfficerKamal Aggarwal Executive Vice President, Central Technology and ManufacturingPatrick J. Brockett Executive Vice President, International Sales and MarketingDonald Macleod Executive Vice President, Finance, and Chief Financial OfficerMichael Bereziuk Senior Vice President and GM, Personal Systems DivisionJohn M. Clark III Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and SecretaryDouglas M. McBurnie Senior Vice President and GM, Communications and Consumer DivisionGobi Padmanabhan Senior Vice President, Process TechnologyEdgar R. Parker Senior Vice President, Quality and ReliabilityRobert M. Penn Senior Vice President and GM, Analog DivisionRichard L. Sanquini Senior Vice President, Strategic Business and TechnologyRoland Anderson Vice President, European DivisionMichael D. Burger Vice President and GM, Southeast Asia DivisionGordon C. Chilton Vice President, Asia Pacific OperationsDavid S. Dahmen Vice President and TreasurerRich Freeman Vice President, Worldwide Wafer Fab OperationsTatsuo Ishihara Vice President, Japan DivisionKeith M. Kolerus Vice President, Americas DivisionMark Levi Vice President, Corporate Marketing and CommunicationsRobert B. Mahoney Vice President and ControllerPrem Nath Vice President and President, Mediamatics Inc.Richard A. Wilson Vice President, Human Resources
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National Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Products and Processes
MOS MEMORY ANALOG
DRAM ✔ Amplifier
SRAM ✔ Interface
Flash Memory ✔ Consumer/Automotive
EPROM ✔ Voltage Regulator/Reference
ROM ✔ Data Conversion
EEPROM ✔ Comparator
Other (Including Non-Volatile RAM) ✔ Other (Includes Telecom)
MOS LOGIC DIGITAL BIPOLAR
General Purpose Logic Bipolar Memory
✔ Gate Array General Purpose Logic
✔ Standard Cell Gate Array/Standard Cell
Field Programmable Logic Field Programmable Logic
✔ Other Special Purpose Logic Other Special Purpose Logic
MPU/MCU/MPR
MOS MICROCOMPONENT
✔ MPU OTHER
✔ MCU ✔ Full Custom IC
✔ MPR Discrete
DSP Optoelectronic
Analog Products
Analog products and technology has been one of National’s core competencies since its inception. The companycontinues to be a leader in the analog IC industry. Its analog products include operational amplifiers and buffers,power management circuits, data acquisition circuits, voltage regulators and references, motor control ICs, audioICs, custom linear ASICs (CLASICs), and other general and special purpose linear devices.
Comlinear Corporation, acquired by National in 1995, operates as a separate business unit within the AnalogDivision. Fort Collins, Colorado-based Comlinear is a supplier of high-frequency amplifiers, current-feedbackdevices, analog-to-digital converters, and other analog signal processing circuits.
Communications Products
National is one of the world’s leading suppliers of LAN Ethernet and Fast Ethernet controller chipsets. Thecompany also offers FDDI circuits.
For telecommunications applications, National offers ATM, ISDN, and SONET/SDH families of networking devices,as well as single-chip Digital European Cordless Telephone (DECT) radio transceivers. In 1996, National’sComlinear business unit released a new family of serial digital video chipsets for transmitting high-speed videosignals through cable networks.
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North American Company Profiles National Semiconductor
For wireless communications applications, National offers its line of PLLatinum™ RF chips. In 1996, Nationalintroduced its Fast IR product family of wireless data communications chips using fast infrared technology.
Personal Systems Products
National’s personal systems products consist of peripheral function devices that work in tandem with the hostmicroprocessor in desktop and notebook computers. The recent merger with Cyrix adds high-performancemicroprocessors to the personal systems portfolio. Their peripheral products include Super I/O™ products thatconsolidate many dependent functions on the motherboard, high-performance disk drive ICs, bus interfacecircuits (including USB types), data transmission chips, display drivers, clocks and clock support circuits, DRAMmanagement ICs, and UARTs. National added low-power system logic ICs to its product portfolio in 1996 when itacquired PicoPower Technology from Cirrus Logic.
Consumer Products
National’s IC products for consumer applications include audio control circuits, audio noise reduction devices, andaudio amplifiers. The company’s Boomer™ series of single-chip CMOS audio amplifiers is used in wirelesstelephones and multimedia computers, as well as CD players, video players, and VCRs.
In March 1997, National acquired Mediamatics Inc., an MPEG audio/video decoder firm, for approximately $100million. Mediamatics is operating as a wholly owned subsidiary based in Fremont, California. The two companiesare working to incorporate National’s tuner, demodulator, A/D and D/A conversion, and other technologies withMediamatics’ software and hardware MPEG audio/video and Dolby AC-3 audio products to create new products, orcores, for the consumer electronics market.
Also in early 1997, National sold to ISD its CompactSpeech line of RISC-based speech processors for voiceapplications in products such as answering machines and cordless phones.
Embedded Technologies Products
This product line includes 4-bit, 8-bit (COP8 Family), and 16-bit microcontrollers and 16-bit and 32-bitmicroprocessors (including its NS486 embedded processor). National is also a licensee of the Advanced RISCMachines ARM 32-bit processor core.
Military and Aerospace Products
National is the second largest supplier of military/aerospace-related semiconductors. It is driving advances inavionics, telecommunications, cryptography, navigation systems, and displays.
National Semiconductor's primary process technology, M2CMOS, is built around a core double-level-metal CMOSprocess. To this core, modules are added to provide a third level of metallization for analog, EEPROM, andBiCMOS applications. Optimized for analog and mixed-signal applications, the M2CMOS process is used by themajority of the communications and computing group product lines. A wide range of design rules (down to0.55µm) are supported by the M2CMOS process. Plans are to further shrink the process to 0.35µm.
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National Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
In addition to its family of M2CMOS processes, National also utilizes a high-performance core VLSI bipolar processnamed ASPECT, which stands for Advanced Poly Emitter-Coupled Technology. ASPECT and its BiCMOSmodule, ABiC, are used for high-performance gate arrays, customer-owned designs, and wirelesscommunications. ASPECT has been scaled from 2.0µm to 0.8µm and will be replaced with BiCMOS at 0.5µm andbeyond. The current versions of ASPECT and ABiC offer up to four-layers of metallization in addition to a levelzero local interconnect.
A variety of analog processes are used to produce a broad line of linear products. Notable process technologiesare VIP, a high speed complementary bipolar process for operational amplifiers, LB, a medium voltage automotivemarket oriented process, LMDMOS, a high power mixed-signal process, and LFAST and LCMOS, which are usedfor CLASICs.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
National installed a 200mm wafer line at its fab in Maine for the fabrication of ICs with 0.35µm geometries. The new$830 million facility includes 40,000 square feet of Class 1 cleanroom. Commercial production started in the firstcalendar quarter of 1998.
National Semiconductor Corp. National Semiconductor Corp.2900 Semiconductor Drive 2900 Semiconductor DriveSanta Clara, California 95012 Santa Clara, California 95012Telephone: (408) 721-5000 Telephone: (408) 721-5000Cleanroom size: 20,000 square feet Cleanroom size: 20,000 square feetWafer size: 100mm Wafer size: 200mm Process: Bipolar Processes: CMOS, BiCMOSProducts: Linear ICs, ASICs, R&D Products: R&DFeature sizes: 0.55µm-0.8µm Feature sizes: 0.35µm, 0.5µm
Some of National’s IC products continue to be produced at the fabs now owned by Fairchild Semiconductor andvice versa.
National’s semiconductor assembly and test plants are located in Toa Payoh, Singapore, and Malacca, Malaysia.
Key Agreements
• In October 1998, National Semiconductor announced plans to consolidate its wafer manufacturing operationsin Greenlock, Scotland. National is currently seeking investors to spin out the remaining operations there as anindependent foundry operation.
The Greenlock facility near Glasgow currently has two manufacturing lines designated as Fab 1, whichprocesses 4-inch diameter wafers, and Fab 3, which processes 6-inch wafers. National will close Fab 1 andconsolidate all manufacturing at this site into Fab 3. Consolidation will reduce total employment there from1,000 to 400, starting in March 1999. The full transition to Fab 3 is expected to take another 12 months afterthat to reach completion.
• In September 1998, National Semiconductor reached an agreement with IBM Corporation for termination of theexisting wafer manufacturing and marketing agreement between National’s Cyrix subsidiary and IBM.
Under terms of the agreement IBM will cease the sale of Cyrix-designed processors before the end of calendar1998, and National’s Cyrix subsidiary will be relieved of its wafer purchase obligation to IBM. In addition, Cyrixwill transfer certain assets to IBM. As a result of the termination and transfers, National will take a one-timecharge of approximately $50 to $55 million in its second quarter of fiscal 1999, which ends November 29,1998.
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National Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
• In April 1998, National Semiconductor signed a definitive agreement to acquire ComCore Semiconductor, aprivately held company that designs and manufactures integrated circuits for computer networking andbroadband communications. The acquisition will add advanced design and technology capabilities toNational’s existing analog, mixed-signal and digital expertise.
• In February 1998, VIA hosted a seminar for Cyrix’s (a National Semiconductor company) announcement of itsnext generation MediaGX microprocessor, the MXi. VIA appears to be supplying Cyrix with key technology forthe MXi which is due in the Q4 1998 and is targeted at the sub-$1000 PC market. VIA has worked with Cyrix fora number of years to support their line of processors along with those of other Intel competitors.
• On November 17, 1997, National acquired Cyrix Corporation.
• National and Fairchild remain closely linked through a long-term agreement to make the transition as smooth aspossible. The two companies also share and swap fab capacity.
• In early 1996, National joined up with the Belgian research firm IMEC to develop process technology for the0.25µm and 0.18µm generations.
• National signed a three-year agreement in mid-1995 with Tower Semiconductor Ltd. under which Tower was toincrease its wafer production commitment to National. Tower’s fab in Israel was originally owned by National,which retains a 3.5 percent interest in the foundry.
• In November 1994, National formed a long-term alliance with Synaptics Inc. to jointly develop computer controlsbased on human senses (sight, touch, and sound).
• National formed an alliance with 8x8 Inc. in 1993. The partners are developing embedded processor, video,and data compression technologies.
• National entered a resale and joint-development agreement with NEC for Ethernet ICs in 1993.
• National entered a cooperative relationship with Matsushita, including joint development and manufacturing(1992).
• National signed a 10-year semiconductor patent cross-licensing agreement with Hitachi in 1991.
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North American Company Profiles NeoMagic
NEOMAGIC CORPORATION
NeoMagic Corporation3260 Jay Street
Santa Clara, CA 95054Telephone: (408) 988-7020
Fax: (408) 988-7032Web Site: www.neomagic.com
Fabless IC ManufacturerFounded: 1993
Financial History ($M) – Fiscal year ends January 31
1 9 9 7 1 9 9 8
Sales 41 125R&D Expense 9 16Net Income (loss) (1) 21
Ownership: Publicly held. NASDAQ: NMGC. The Company’s Initial Public Offering of common stock occurred on March 14, 1997.
Company Overview and Strategy
NeoMagic develops high-performance, low voltage silicon technology that integrates large DRAM memory andcomplex logic subsystems into a single chip. Major applications include notebook mobile computers where powerrequirements are critical. The Company focuses on bringing desktop performance to mobile computers throughunique semiconductor technology. NeoMagic’s MAGICWARE™ was the first high-performance, low voltagesilicon designs that integrated large DRAM memory and complex logic subsystems onto a single chip. Prior toMAGICWARE’s introduction, notebook PCs could not achieve desktop performance levels without sacrificingbattery life and portability.
In addition to being the first company to integrate complex logic subsystems with memory (MAGICWARE),NeoMagic is reportedly the first company to introduce a single-chip graphics subsystem, offer the highestbandwidth solution for mobile graphics, and offer the lowest mobile graphics power consumption IC on the market.
NeoMagic products are sold via Sales Representatives and Distributors throughout North America, Europe, Asiaand ROW.
Kamran Elahian Chairman of the BoardPrakash Agarwal President and Chief Executive OfficerClement Leung Vice President, EngineeringDeep Puar Vice President, TechnologyRon Jankov Vice President, SalesNiall Bartlett Vice President, MarketingAbe Korgav Vice President, ManufacturingMerle McClendon Vice President, Finance and Chief Executive OfficerKen Murray Vice President, Human Resources
Products and Processes
NeoMagic products include Accelerated Notebook Graphics Controllers, and Mobile Video Accelerators.
During the fourth quarter of 1997, NeoMagic announced its new MagicGraph128ZV+, which expanded themultimedia accelerator product line into entry-level and ultra-portable notebooks including the recently releasedPresario 1220 notebooks from Compaq Computer Corporation.
NeoMagic also offers drivers for Linux/Unitx/X-Windows, and Direct X (X2 and X3), available through computerOEMs.
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North American Company Profiles NVIDIA Corporation
NVIDIA CORPORATION
NVIDIA CORPORATION1226 Tiros Way
Sunnyvale, CA 94086Telephone: (408) 617-4000
Fax: (408) 617-4100Web Site: www.nvidia.com and www.riva128.com
Privately held, NVIDIA received pre-IPO funding from venture capitalists Sequoia Capital, Sutter Hill Ventures,Itochu Corporation, JAFCO Ventures, and Worldview Technology Partners. Venture capitalists as a group held50.6 percent of the stock of NVIDIA as of February 28, 1998.
Founded in 1993, NVIDIA is a fabless designer of 3D multimedia accelerator chips for PC graphics and computeranimation. The company targets the “performance mainstream computer market,” including business,entertainment and personal application segments. With a founding vision of 3D becoming the next wave incomputing, (a la Intel’s Visual Computing Initiative), NVIDIA's objective is to be the world leader in consumer 3Dtechnology. The company’s products support emerging applications such as DVD, Intercast and video-conferencing.
NVIDIA focuses on creating a 3D architecture that optimizes 2D graphics, and simultaneously delivers 3Dinteractive capabilities. By integrating 2D and 3D into one chip, NVIDIA increases performance and makes 3D moreaccessible to mass markets, as well as standardizing the platform for developers.
NVIDIA was honored by the Fabless Semiconductor Association in November 1997 as The Most RespectedPrivate Fabless Company. Similarly, the company’s customers have won over 40 industry awards based onNVIDIA’s RIVA 128 graphics processor. The processor is designed into products of five of the top ten PC OEMsin the U.S. (Compaq, Dell, Gateway 2000, Micron and Packard-Bell NEC), and into leading add-in boardmanufacturers such as Diamond and STB. NVIDIA shipped over one million units during the last four months of1997.
NVIDIA is a leading developer and manufacturer of 3D multimedia accelerator chips that enable standard PCs tocreate 2D and 3D graphics and computer animation. Their first multimedia accelerator was introduced in 1995.
In 1997, NVIDIA focused on delivering state-of-the-art 3D accelerator products with higher price-performanceratios than competing solutions, including multi-chip or multi-board 2D/3D graphics subsystems. The company’sexpertise is in advanced algorithms, software design, systems architecture, and VLSI.
The RIVA 128 delivers realistic 3D graphics (high levels of detail, smooth shading and high frame rates) using a100 megahertz, 128-bit graphics and memory interface. The RIVA 128 is architected to take advantage ofmainstream industry standards such as Microsoft's Direct3D API. Rather than relying on traditional simulation andvalidation technology, NVIDIA brought the RIVA 128 to market using emulation. Emulation allowed concurrentchip design verification, software testing and system integration prior to tape out and fabrication.
After having just announced the RIVA 128ZX on February 23, (for Q2 shipments), NVIDIA’s second generation ofthe RIVA 3D processor family, the RIVA TNT, was announced March 23, 1998, with shipping promised for Q3.TNT boasts an impressive 250 million pixels-per-second fill rate. TNT’s proprietary Twin Texel processing engineintegrates a dual-pixel 32-bit color pipeline, 24-bit Z-buffer, 8-bit stencil buffer and per-pixel precision to deliver thefirst single-chip 128-bit 3D processor that can process two pixels per clock cycle, thereby enabling true single-pass multi-texturing. TNT utilizes over 7 million transistors (double the RIVA 128), comparable to the Pentium II’scomplexity. It is optimized for Microsoft's PC '98 specification and Direct3D, including DirectX 6.0 initiatives, andsupports OpenGL ICD and AGP 2X. Additionally, the processor incorporates a 250MHz RAMDAC and can expandup to 16Mb of frame buffer memory, thereby reaching up to 1600x1200x32bpp at 85MHz.
Substantially all of NVIDIA's products currently are manufactured by SGS-Thomson (ST) in Crolles, France. ST isusing advanced 0.35u 5LM technology for the RIVA 128. The company temporarily (December 1997)experienced low manufacturing yields at ST, but has achieved a very strong and responsive relationship with SToverall. In addition to the NVIDIA’s use of ST for fabrication, the company licenses technology on a non-exclusivebasis from ST (see Key Agreements).
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North American Company Profiles NVIDIA Corporation
NVIDIA recently established a relationship with TSMC as a second semiconductor manufacturer.
Key Agreements
• NVIDIA is a partner in Intel’s Visual Computing Initiative.
• NVIDIA has granted ST a worldwide license to sell the RIVA 128 and RIVA 128ZX graphics processors. Royaltyrevenue from sales of the RIVA 128 graphics processor by ST represented six percent of the Company's totalrevenue in 1997. Under the ST Agreement, ST also has a worldwide license to incorporate the technologyunderlying the RIVA 128 and RIVA 128ZX graphics processors (including the source code and architecture).
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Oak Technology North American Company Profiles
OAK TECHNOLOGY
Oak Technology Inc.139 Kifer Court
Sunnyvale, California 94086Telephone: (408) 737-0888
Fax: (408) 737-3838Web Site: www.oaktech.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Regional Headquarters/Representative Locations
Japan: Oak Technology, K.K. • Musashino City, Tokyo, JapanTelephone: (81) (422) 56-3761
Oak technology designs high-performance semiconductors (and related software solutions) for the opticalstorage, consumer electronics and digital office equipment markets, targeting applications ranging form businessproductivity to home entertainment and office automation.
Founded in 1987, with headquarters in Sunnyvale, California, Oak Technology currently has over 500 employeesin its offices worldwide, including its subsidiaries in Massachusetts (Pixel Magic™, Inc.), Japan (Oak Technology,K.K.) and Taiwan (Oak Technology, Taiwan); a software design center in Boca Raton, Florida; and a mixed signaldesign center in Austin Texas. Acquired by Oak in 1995, Pixel Magic is an industry leader in digital imagingsolutions for the digital office equipment market.
Oak plans to continue designing and developing new CD-ROM controllers, while moving aggressively into newmarkets to diversify its business. Oak plans to continue development of optical storage technology to address theCD-R (Recordable), CD-RW (ReWritable), and DVD-ROM markets. Oak’s other product developments includeMPEG video decoders, such as the company’s MPEG-2/Dolby Digital decoder for DVD players.
Virtually all of Oak’s revenues in 1997 were from international sales, principally in Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan.
Management
David D. Tsang Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive OfficerRichard Black President and Member of the Board of DirectorsPaul H.F. Vroomen President, Consumer Products GroupRon Wilderink Vice President, Finance, Chief Financial Officer and SecretaryKenji Fujimoto Vice President, Oak Technology; General Manager, Oak Technology, K.K.Abel Lo Vice President, Oak Technology; General Manager, Oak Technology, TaiwanRichard Simone Vice President, Technology and Operations
Products and Processes
Oak offers multimedia semiconductors (and supporting software) solutions for the PC, consumer electronics anddigital office equipment market. Product offerings include storage controllers (for CD-ROM, CD-R/RW and DVD-ROM drives), VideoCD and DVD system solutions, and imaging compression processors for digital officeequipment.
Recent product announcements include the OTI-9150 UDMA-based controller supporting 40x+ speeds, the OTI-9800 DVD-ROM controller, the TroikaCSS™ DVD decoder, and the OTI-612 AC’97 audio/telephony codec.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Oak Technology is a fabless IC supplier. The company contracts with independent foundries to manufacture all ofits products. In June and November 1995, the company entered into agreements with TSMC and Chartered toobtain certain additional wafer capacity through the year 2001.
Key Agreements
• In August 1998, Oak Technology announced the acquisition of Xerographic Laser Images Corporation (XLICorporation). XLI will operate as a division of Pixel Magic, a wholly owned subsidiary of Oak, and a leadingprovider of advanced, programmable silicon and reference board designs for OEMs in the digital officeequipment (DOE) market.
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Oak Technology North American Company Profiles
• In July 1998, Oak Technology announced its acquisition of ViewPoint Technology, Inc., a Santa Clara, Calif.- based privately held company that focuses on developing solutions for the growing CD-RW drive market.
The acquisition enables Oak to obtain key intellectual property critical for its future CD-RW product roadmap. ViewPoint recently developed a controller that supports high encoding speeds for next generation CD-RWdrives.
• In April 1998, Oak Technology acquired certain key assets from ODEUM Microsystems Inc., a subsidiary ofHyundai Electronics America. The acquisition includes intellectual property related to ODEUM integratedcircuits and a core group of hardware and software engineers. The former ODEUM group has become theCable/Satellite Business Unit of Oak’s Consumer Group.
The two ODEUM products currently in volume production are the OTI-8211 (formerly ODM8211 SAVi), an integrated MPEG-2 audio/video decoder and transport demultiplexer, and the OTI-8511 (formerly ODM8511CWest), a DVB-S compliant QPSK demodulator.
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North American Company Profiles Omnirel Corporation
Omnirel Corporation manufactures multi-chip power semiconductors, power modules, and semiconductorcomponents. Omnirel, a subsidiary of Zing Technologies, Inc., focuses on applications that require small-circuitelectrical components. Target markets include defense, aerospace, medical device, and commercialtransportation industries.
Omnirel Corporation North American Company Profiles
Management
John Catrambone President and Chief Executive Officer
Products and Processes
Ominrel’s offers the following products.
• Power MOSFETs — 1A, 50V to 190A, 100V;• IGBTs — 5A, 500V to 25A, 1,000V;• Voltage Regulators;• Rectifiers and Schottky Diodes;• Op Amps;• Functional Power Modules; and• Surface Mount Devices.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Omnirel Corporation has a Class 10,000 cleanroom facility located in Leominster, Massachusetts.
Key Agreements
• In July 1996, Omnirel Corporation and Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector announced an agreement towork on a new series of MIL qualified GaAs rectifier devices together. Under the agreement, Motorola willsupply GaAs Schottky wafers to Omnirel who will assemble, test, qualify and market a full line of hermetic TO-257 and surface mount GaAs products.
• Omnirel Corporation and Motorola Commercial Plus Technologies Operation signed a sales agreement in May1995. Under the agreement, Omnirel acquired Motorola CPTO Biopolar Power Discrete Transistor business,which transfers manufacturing and test equipment and finished goods inventory to Omnirel.
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North American Company Profiles Optek Technology, Inc.
OPTEK TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Optek Technology, Inc.1215 West Crosby RoadCarrollton, Texas 75006
Telephone: (972) 323-2284Fax: (972) 323-7009
Web Site: www.optekinc.com
IC Manufacturer
Financial History ($M)
1 9 9 5 1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7
Sales $62.5 $67.4 $75.5
Ownership: Publicly held. NASDAQ: OPTT.
Company Overview and Strategy
Optek Technology, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of optoelectronic sensors, magnetic sensors, and fiber-optictransmitters and receivers. Optek produces virtually everything from its own chips to the plastic housings. TheCompany provides components worldwide for manufacturers of office equipment and computers, automobiles,industrial equipment, aerospace and defense applications, medical equipment and telecommunicationsequipment.
The majority of Optek’s growth and profitability is from the custom applications. Optek is committed to researchand development both in the expansion of present uses and in the creative application of new sensor technology.
Management
Thomas R. Files President and Chief Executive OfficerWilliam J. Collinsworth Vice President, Finance, and Chief Financial OfficerRobert J. Kosobuki Vice President, Sales and MarketingRichard G. Dahlberg Vice President, EngineeringThomas S. Garrett Vice President, Operations
Optek Technology, Inc. North American Company Profiles
Products and Processes
Optek Technology, Inc. manufactures sensor products which are based on either optoelectronic or magnetic fieldsensing technologies.
Optoelectronic Products
Optek specializes in customized optoelectronic solutions for its customers’ applications. Optek is verticallyintegrated and manufactures:
• Light emitting diode (LED) chip and light sensing semiconductor chips.• Discrete components incorporating LED or sensor chips in either plastic or metal package housings.• Assemblies, which combine the light emitting and light sensing discrete components in a single package.• Fiber optic LEDs and sensors.
Magnetic Sensor Products
Hall-Effect (magnetic field sensing) devices, which sense physical events by reacting to changes in magneticfields and is unaffected by the cleanliness of the environment.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Optek has fabrication facilities in Carrollton, Texas and Juarez, Mexico.
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North American Company Profiles Orbit Semiconductor
ORBIT SEMICONDUCTOR
Orbit Semiconductor, Inc.169 Java Drive
Sunnyvale, California 94089Telephone: (408) 744-1800
*Orbit operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of DII Group, semiconductor sales no longer segregated.
Company Overview and Strategy
Orbit Semiconductor specializes in semiconductor design, manufacturing, and engineering support services thatallow system designers to manage application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) development, production,scheduling, and inventory control. In August 1996, Orbit Semiconductor was acquired by DII Group, Inc., whoserves as a global network of companies that provide design, manufacturing, product development, and supportservices to the electronics industry. Orbit operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of DII Group.
Orbit's customers include companies that design various electronic systems and products for application in themedical, communications, consumer, aerospace and military, computers and peripherals, and other industries.
Orbit Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
*Orbit operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of DII Group, no longer segregated.
In October 1992, Orbit introduced its Encore! program that converts FPGAs and other IC designs into Orbit digitalgate arrays for more cost-effective solutions or accelerated delivery. Orbit also offers a mixed-signal (analog/digital)design service that provides rapid development of custom mixed-signal ASICs. A shared wafer-processingprogram, Foresight, is provided for cost-effective prototyping of mixed-signal ASICs. In addition, Orbit offerscontract manufacturing programs including hi-rel manufacturing, a low-cost prototyping service, and chargecoupled device (CCD) fabrication.
Management
DII GroupRonald R. Budacz Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerCarl R. Vertuca, Jr. Executive Vice President, Finance, Administration and Corporate Dev.C.Y. Cheong Vice President and Managing Director, Asia-Pacific
Orbit SemiconductorRonald R. Snyder President and Chief Operating Officer (Acting)Richard Kash Executive Vice President, Mixed-Signal DesignDuncan Robertson Vice President, FinanceGeorge W. Lewicki Vice President, EngineeringBetty Y. Newkirk Vice President, Foundry Business Unit and Customer ServiceFernando A. Bettencourt Vice President, Fab OperationsUzi Breier Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Products and Processes
Orbit's manufacturing services include several IC fabrication programs. The most popular program, Encore!, is aservice that converts netlists for gate arrays or FPGAs into Orbit gate arrays with 270 to 37,000 usable gates. Theresulting circuits are functionally equivalent, but lower in price. Another program, Foresight, supports multi-project, multi-technology runs and reduces NRE charges. Subscribers of Foresight's processes see lower costsbecause they share space on masks and wafers.
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North American Company Profiles Orbit Semiconductor
Both Encore! and Foresight users have access to all of Orbit's processes. They include: 1.0µm and 1.2µm N-welland P-well CMOS processes with various options such as a second poly layer for capacitors and gates, NPNbipolar transistors with high or low collector resistances, classical EEPROM, imaging buried channel CCDs with anoxide nitride gate insulator to maintain low leakage on large arrays, and conventional N-channel and P-channeltransistors to allow on-chip digital logic.
Orbit offers additional programs based on its independent manufacturing capabilities. Its low-volumemanufacturing programs include a "High Reliability Manufacturing Program" in support of medical companies andmilitary contractors and a low-cost prototyping service, typically used by fabless semiconductor companies.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
In late 1996, Orbit purchased Paradigm’s 0.6µm, 150mm wafer production facility for $20 million.
Orbit also maintains a relationship with Chartered Semiconductor to supplement its wafer production capabilities.
Orbit Semiconductor, Inc.71 Vista MontanaSan Jose, California 95134Cleanroom size: 18,000 square feetCapacity (wafer/week): 1,250Wafer size: 150mmProcess: CMOSProducts: ASICs, foundry servicesFeature sizes: 0.6µm, 0.8µm (0.5µm in future)(Purchased from Paradigm in 1996).
Key Agreements
• On January 30, 1998, Orbit announced an agreement with Sunnyvale-based Virtual IP Group, a leadingprovider of intellectual property for embedded solutions. This agreement enables Orbit to create an impressiveportfolio of synthesizable popular cores, while also enhancing its design and technical support capabilities.
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Oxford Micro Devices, Inc. North American Company Profiles
OXFORD MICRO DEVICES, INC.
Oxford Micro Devices, Inc.The Starpin Complex,
273 Canal Street, Suite 600Shelton, Connecticut 06484Telephone: (203) 881-0891
Oxford Micro Devices, Inc. designs, markets and sells video digital signal processor chips for use in videocompression, scanners, video production, medical imaging, safety, electronic commerce, transportation, accesscontrol, machine vision, and education. The Company, formerly Oxford Computer, Inc., specializes in video digitalprocessor chips that are specifically designed to communicate, capture, process and display images in real time.Oxford is currently developing board and miniature system level products and has plans to license these designs.
Oxford Micro Devices’ medical research activities include fabrication of the first life-size images of cytologyspecimens to improve the screening for cervical cancer. The Company is also developing prototypes for ultra highdensity and high capacity disk drives. Oxford Micro Devices was the first to design and fabricate the first ArtificialPap Smear, using its patented Ultra High Resolution Printing Process.
Annual sales for 1997 were under $1 million.
Management
Steven G. Morton President, Chief Executive Officer and Co-FounderMaureen White Personnel Director and Co-FounderBruce Froehlich Vice President, SalesPeter Holden, Ph.D. Director of Partnering and Licensing
Products and Processes
Oxford Micro Devices developed a new way of processing images through their leading product — the A236Video Digital Signal Processor Chip, an image processing system on a single chip that is user-programmable. Thissystem-on-chip architecture includes an analog video input, non-volatile memory and high-speed memory.
North American Company Profiles Oxford Micro Devices, Inc.
The Company was the first to develop a single-chip, Single-Instruction Multiple-Data (SIMD) processor chip, theA236 Parallel Video Digital Signal Processor Chip, and developed a simple Symbolic Parallel ProgrammingMethod to program the processor.
Other Oxford Micro Devices’ products include miniature fingerprint capture and verification systems, and videoconferencing network computers.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Oxford Micro Devices, Inc. has a foundry relationship with Samsung Electronics, Korea, to produce its A236 VideoDigital Signal Processor Chip.
Key Agreements
• Oxford Micro Devices, Inc. has teamed with Thomson-CSF of France to build and market products combiningThomson-CSF’s fingerprint sensor with Oxford Micro Devices’ A236 SIMD Processor Chip.
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Pacific Monolithics North American Company Profiles
PACIFIC MONOLITHICS
Pacific Monolithics, Inc.1308 Moffett Park DriveSunnyvale, CA 94089
Pacific Monolithics, founded in 1984, designs and manufactures surface mount Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) MESFETRadio Frequency integrated circuits. The primary application is the emerging wireless and communicationsmarkets.
International sales comprise more than half of the current total.
Management
Richard Gold PresidentAllen Podell Chief Technical OfficerJames Clark Vice President, SalesJohn Wachsman Vice President, MarketingDean Johnson Vice President, Business DevelopmentMichael Morganstern Vice President, EngineeringAndrew Hartland Director, Finance
Products and Processes
Pacific Monolithics (PM) also offers a complete line of low cost, plastic packaged RF integrated circuits for cellular,PCS, and ISM frequency bands. PM provides power amplifiers, switches, attenuators, converters and oscillatorscovering the frequency spectrum from 800 to 2,500MHz. PM’s power amplifiers are used in a range of telephonyapplications, from cellular to PCS. In wireless data, PM’s 10Mbps wireless LAN technology has been licensed by3COM, a major network equipment manufacturer.
* Data for fiscal year ended March 31. In 1994, the company changed its fiscal year ending date to the end ofDecember. For the period April 1 to December 31, 1994, Paradigm’s sales totaled $26 million and net incomewas $11 million.
Paradigm Technology North American Company Profiles
Company Overview and Strategy
Paradigm Technology designs, develops and markets high-speed, Fast SRAM semiconductor devices to meetthe needs of advanced telecommunications, networking, workstations, high-performance computers, advancedmodems and complex military/aerospace applications. The company focuses on high-performance, sub-10nsSRAMs where its technology and product design leadership can best be utilized. In 1996, these productsaccounted for approximately 36 percent of the company’s sales.
When established in 1987, Paradigm Technology initially focused on the development of high-speed 256K and1M SRAMs. In 1989, the company opened a wafer fabrication facility in San Jose, California. Costs associatedwith operating the fab and developing its technology, coupled with a less than optimal sales mix, drove thecompany to bankruptcy in 1994. The majority of Paradigm’s high-performance SRAM products were being soldinto lower margin commodity markets. As part of the restructuring in 1994, Paradigm’s new management teamadopted a strategy of focusing on emerging markets for higher performance asynchronous and synchronousSRAMs and specialty products. With the help of investments from Singapore-based AMCA Limited and NationalSemiconductor, the company emerged with record sales in the quarter ended September 1994. Unfortunately,the weakness in the SRAM market that began in late 1995 has had an adverse effect on Paradigm’s revenues.
In 2Q96, Paradigm made a move to expand its product line beyond SRAMs by acquiring startup NewLogicCorporation, a developer of logic designs with large memory arrays. However, in early 1997, the NewLogicoperation was closed down so that Paradigm could focus on its core SRAM products and markets. In November1996, Paradigm adopted a fabless supplier strategy by selling its fab to Orbit Semiconductor, thereby gaininggreater flexibility and lowering its fixed costs. Orbit purchased Paradigm’s fab, which was newly converted from125mm to 150mm wafers, for $20 million.
Approximately 25 percent of Paradigm’s sales in 1996 were attributable to sales outside the U.S., primarily in Asiaand Europe. Paradigm is an ISO 9001 certified supplier.
Management
Michael Gulett President and Chief Executive OfficerJames H. Boswell Vice President, Sales, EuropeDavid G. Campbell Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial OfficerRichard Morley Vice President, OperationsSureel Rajpal Vice President, Sales, U.S.Douglas McArthur Director, Advance Product Development
Products and Processes
Paradigm Technology’s products include high-performance 256K, 1M, and 4M asynchronous SRAMs, 100MHzFIFO buffer-memory chips, high-speed processor-specific synchronous burst SRAMs, pipelined burst SRAMs,and high-speed Cache RAM modules. Paradigm’s most recent product announcements include the PDM31532,a 3.3 – 9ns access time 64K x 16 asynchronous design SRAM for cellular phone, high-speedtelecommunications, network and portable applications; and the PDM4M4120S15M, a 1M x 32-bit, 72 – positionSIMM module for digital signal processing, robotics, and instrumentation applications.
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North American Company Profiles Paradigm Technology
The proprietary technology of Paradigm involves a 0.6µm dual-well CMOS process consisting of two polysiliconlayers and two metal layers, with three of the four layers fully configurable. The company has also developed a0.35µm process.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
In November 1996, Paradigm sold its wafer manufacturing facility to Orbit Semiconductor and therefore, nowoperates as a fabless IC supplier. Paradigm has established foundry agreements with Orbit and Atmel in the U.S.,NKK Corporation in Japan, and UMC in Taiwan.
Key Agreements
• In November 1996, Paradigm sold its wafer fab facility to Orbit Semiconductor for $20 million. After thepurchasing agreement was complete, the two companies entered into an agreement that calls for Paradigm toreceive a supply of wafers from Orbit over a specified time period.
• Paradigm and Atmel signed a five-year manufacturing, product, and technology agreement in May 1995.Terms of the agreement include guaranteed wafer supply from Atmel to Paradigm for a five year period.Moreover, Paradigm transferred its 0.6µm SRAM process to Atmel, and the two companies are jointlydeveloping 0.5µm and 0.4µm technologies. Atmel also purchased a significant equity interest in Paradigm.
• Paradigm has an extensive relationship with Japan's NKK Corporation. NKK holds a 10 percent stake inParadigm as well as a technology and product license for 256K and 1M SRAMs and FIFOs. The two companiesworked together to co-develop the latest 4M technology. Paradigm also has access to NKK's state-of-the-art200mm wafer fabrication facility in Japan.
• Paradigm has a strategic alliance with National Semiconductor that provides National exclusive marketing andsales rights to Paradigm’s products for military and aerospace applications. National also made an equityinvestment in Paradigm.
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Peregrine Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Founded in 1990, Peregrine Semiconductor develops and markets high-performance commercial integratedcircuits based on its patented UTSi® (ultra thin silicon) process. Initially, Peregrine focused on developing theUTSi® process and today, through joint research and product development, uses this proprietary technology todevelop high-performance products targeted at specific applications such as wireless and satellitecommunications.
Management
Ronald E. Reedy, Ph.D. Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerJames S. Cable Vice President, Technology and OperationsBill Peavey Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerDavid R. Staab Vice President, Engineering and DesignMilt Miller Director, SalesJon Siann Director, Marketing
Products and Processes
Peregrine Semiconductor’s ultimate product vision is the Microcommunicator family of products. In a step-by-stepprocess to reach that goal, the company is currently focusing its product offerings in two areas — wireless(including paging, cellular and PCs) and commercial satellite communications.
1-2GHz RF Wireless Device Market
Introduced in September of 1997, the PE3282A is a 1.1GHz/510MHz Dual Fractional-N PLL IC designed forfrequency synthesis, offering a unique combination of linearity, isolation and low power consumption andindustry-leading phase noise performance.
North American Company Profiles Peregrine Semiconductor
Introduced in February of 1998, the PE3292 is a 1.2GHz/550MHz dual fractional-N PLL IC featuring FlexiPower™technology. A feature of the UTSi process, FlexiPower gives the PE3292 the ability to operate with variablesupply voltages down to one volt, minimizing total power consumption to as little as 2.6mW (1.2mA) single, and3.9mW (1.9mA) dual.
Commercial Satellite Industry
Peregrine provides S-level screening of its commercial products, as well as developing semi-custom ASICsolutions that meet the needs of satellite manufacturers for low-power, highly-complex, inherently radiation-hardproducts.
Peregrine is currently in the second phase of its product rollout plan, integrating the discrete components in RFsystems, including mixers, LNAs, amplifiers and modulators. 1998 will see the introduction of a number ofproducts that embody the outstanding capabilities of UTSi, including FlexiPower™ low-power technology, andboth high integration and high linearity.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
The company's devices are currently produced by Asahi Kasei Microsystems in Japan.
Key Agreements
• In January 1996, Peregrine signed a six-year fab agreement with Asahi Kasei Microsystems Co. (AKM) ofJapan. AKM will provide wafer fabrication to Peregrine in exchange for process technologies. The twocompanies are also negotiating a joint development agreement for future products.
• In February 1998, Peregrine announced they will provide wireless semiconductor process technology toMotorola’s semiconductor business in the start of a collaborative relationship between the two companies.
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Performance Motion Devices North American Company Profiles
Performance Motion Devices (PMD) designs advanced motion control integrated circuits. The primary applicationis the control of servo and stepper motors in robotic and automated equipment. Other applications include:semiconductor equipment; medical equipment; general automation; camera pointing; and office equipment.
The company offers complete user design support with a developer’s kit and other tools and support dataincluding a chipset selector guide.
Performance Semiconductor is an independent, privately-held company formed in 1984. 1996 sales were in the$10 million to $25 million range. The company has five U.S. distributors with 11 offices in six states (AZ, CA, FL,NJ, NY, TX).
Company Overview and Strategy
Performance is a fabless manufacturer of high performance ICs including memory and microprocessors.
Products and Processes
Performance Semiconductor manufactures the following product lines.
RISC based microprocessors and processors which execute MIL-STD-1750A instruction Set, as well as RISCprocessors based on the R3000 family’s MIPS architecture.
Performance Semiconductor’s P1750A Processor product line includes devices built in CMOS for Avionics,Missile Guidance and Airborne applications. The P1750A family also includes devices built on Silicon-on-Sapphire(SOS) technology which are tolerant to Single Event Upsets (SEU) and Total Dose Radiation tolerance of greaterthan 100K Total Dose. The SOS devices are designed for Launch Vehicles and long term Satellite applications. AMemory Management Unit and Processor Interface Chip are also offered for general and space applications, andboth are offered combined with their Enhanced Processor for MIL-STD-1750A ISA to form a Multichip Module.
High speed and low power SRAMs with densities from 1K to 1 Meg and speeds as fast as 8ns. SRAMs are sold tocommercial, industrial and military markets.
The company uses CMOS technologies with capabilities including MIL-STD-883 Class B and Class C flows.
Ownership: Publicly held as of November. NASDAQ: PSEM.
Company Overview and Strategy
Pericom Semiconductor, founded in 1990, designs and markets ultra fast digital and mixed-signal CMOS andBiCMOS ICs that provide solutions to bottlenecks in high-performance computing and communications systems.The company's first products were high-performance Cache SRAMs. However, its current product line includesCMOS 5V and 3V logic clock generators and drivers, networking ICs, and application-specific switching devices.Pericom's 3V, 5V, and 3V/5V products are applicable in computing, data communications, and networkingsystems.
Founded originally as Pioneer Semiconductor, the company changed its name to Pericom Semiconductor in1993 to avoid becoming confused with a number of other technology companies with "Pioneer" in their names.
Employing proprietary 0.8µm and 0.6µm CMOS and BiCMOS technologies, Pericom provides advanced logic,clock, and mixed-signal products.
• High-speed FCT bus interface logic chips with propagation delays as low as 3.2ns.• High-speed clock distribution series, including PLL implementation for high clock rates.• Fast switching, low impedance bus switches and true analog switches.• Wide architecture 16-bit FCT logic families.• Low voltage 3.3V, high-performance 8- and 16-bit FCT, LPT, LCX, and ALVCH logic families.• Frequency synthesizer ICs that provide several PLL generated output frequencies for PCs, modems, and laser
printers.• Networking products for Token Ring, 100VG, and Fast Ethernet.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Pericom has foundry relationships with Chartered Semiconductor, LG Semiconductor, and TSMC.
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PLX North American Company Profiles
PLX TECHNOLOGY INC.
PLX Technology Inc.390 Protrero Avenue
Sunnyvale, California 94086Telephone: (408) 774-9060
PLX Technology, Inc., a leading supplier of high performance interface chips since 1986, is the world leader in PCIto local bus bridge chips for the communications, networking, and industrial embedded markets. Over 500 OEMcustomers use PLC PCI chips in a wide variety of PCI applications including standard PC and workstation PCI add-in-boards, embedded PCI communication systems, such as routers and switches, and industry standard industrialPCI implementations such as Compact PCL, PMC, and Small PCI.
Focused on providing complete solutions for PCI implementations, PLX provides design assistance to customersin the form of Reference Design Kits and Software Development Kits. These kits, which include referenceboards, API libraries, software debug tools and sample device drivers with source, allow customers to quickly bringnew designs to production.
I2O™ Compatible PCI Bus Master I/O Accelerator Chip – The PLX PCI 9080 provides a compact, high performancePCI bus master interface with a programmable local bus. Integrating the latest in I/O technology, the PCI 9080contains an Intelligent I/O messaging unit in hardware that allows high performance and compatible softwareimplementations of the I2O bus protocol specification.
PCI 9050 Family – Low cost connectivity for PCI slave designs is provided by the PLX PCI 9050 family. It isspecifically targeted at easing the transition of existing ISA designs to the more feature rich and performanceoriented PCI bus. The 9050 provides direct slave PCI functions by interfacing the adapter’s I/O circuitry (control,address, and data lines) to a host computer’s microprocessor/memory architecture via the 32-bit PCI bus, whichtypically runs at 33MHz.
PCI 9060 Family – The PCI 9060 family was the first full featured PCI Interface Chip on the market and wasrecognized as the industry standard for PCI interface devices. Still widely used by many of the industries’ majorPCI adapter suppliers and embedded designers, the PCI 9060 family, including the 3A, ES, and SD contain all thenecessary features for the designs of an intelligent PCI adapter or embedded system. Depending onrequirements, one or two independent DMA controllers are provided, along with a highly configurable local bussupporting 8, 16, or 32-bit requirements, both multiplexed and non-multiplexed.
Low-skew clock distribution ICs – The PLX EQuality clock distribution family of chips, EQ 6600, generate near-zero propagation delay high fidelity clock outputs referenced to an input oscillator or crystal. These products areused in mid- to high-end server and workstation designs based on Pentium and PowerPC processors as well asdesigns requiring tight tolerance and high fan-out clocking. The EQ 6600 all-digital implementation allows equallow-skew clock output performance between any clock outputs across one or more EQuality clock chips. EQualityclock chips permit any variable frequency reference clock input to be distributed. In addition, the chip’s digitalalgorithm and design, as compared with analog designs, provide higher noise tolerance, and lower power.
Key Agreements
• In November 1997, PLX Technology, Inc., and Sebring Systems agreed to work together to achieve seamlessmigration of PCI bus applications to the higher-performance, higher-functionality domain afforded by theSebring Ring Connection chip, the SRC3266. The companies plan to cooperate on design and test strategiesto assure compatibility between Sebring’s technology and PLX’s industry-standard PCI technology, and helpcustomers quickly achieve scaleable PCI designs. The resulting level of performance and functionality is likelyto appeal to the makers of network servers, switches, routers, and data stream aggregators, in addition toembedded systems.
• In September 1997, PLX and Performance Technologies, Inc., announced an alliance whereby PLX’sPeripheral Component Interface (PCI) technology is designed along with a PowerPC® Power QUICCcommunications processor from Motorola Corporation, into high-bandwidth communications systems fromPerformance Technologies. The first product from this alliance, the PCI370PQ, is a PCI 2.1 compliant add-incard for network servers and personal computers that blends two key components – the PLX PCI 9080 I/OAccelerator chip and Motorola’s MPC860MH® Power QUICC processor – into a single, robust IntegratedServices Digital Network (ISDN) communications controller.
PMC-Sierra is focused on developing products that provide its customers with advanced communicationssemiconductor system solutions for the global information network. The company participates in the high growthcommunications market segments of wide area network infrastructure, local area networking and remote Internetaccess. PMC-Sierra provides advanced semiconductor solutions for high speed transmission and networkingsystems that provide the underlying networking pipelines for the global information infrastructure. The company isa leader in the area of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) communications, as well as an experienced developerof other high speed communications and LAN subsystem components for frame relay and remote Internet accessapplications over SONET/SDH, T1/E1, and T3/E3 transmissions lines. PMC-Sierra’s Ethernet Products Division isfocused on developing high integration, low cost solutions for the competitive Ethernet marketplace. Thecompany was founded in 1984 as Sierra Semiconductor and first offered its stock to the public in 1991. PMC-Sierra was established in 1992, and became a wholly-owned subsidiary in 1994. In 1997, the company changedits name to PMC-Sierra to reflect the corporate focus on internetworking semiconductor solutions. PMC-Sierrahas developed an excellent reputation for its technical abilities in high speed physical layer design.
Management
Bob Bailey President and Chief Executive OfficerGreg Aasen Chief Operating OfficerKevin Huscroft Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Technical OfficerSteve Perna Vice President, Marketing and Business DevelopmentHaresh Patel Vice President, SalesChris DeMonico Vice President, Ethernet Switching and General Manager, PortlandJohn Sullivan Chief Financial OfficerColin Harris Vice President, Integrated Circuit TechnologyMarcel Villeneuve Director, Production ControlGeraldine Jones Director, Administration and Human ResourcesKen Mitchell Controller
Products and Processes
PMC-Sierra is a leading provider of high speed internetworking component solutions emphasizing ATM,SONET/SDH, T1/E1 and Ethernet applications. The company’s quality system is registered with the QualityManagement Institute to the ISO 9001 standard. As co-founder of the SATURN Development Group, PMC-Sierraworks with over 30 other member companies to define and develop interoperable, standard compliant solutionsfor high speed networking applications.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
PMC-Sierra is a fabless semiconductor company. Its wafers are manufactured by Chartered Semiconductor andTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC).
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Power Integrations North American Company Profiles
POWER INTEGRATIONS
Power Integrations Inc.477 North Mathilda Avenue
Sunnyvale, California 94086Telephone: (408) 523-9200
Fax: (408) 523-9300
Fabless IC Supplier
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends December 31
1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7
Sales 24 46Net Income (1.3) 4.8R&D Expenditures 3.6 5.2
Employees 90 130
Regional Headquarters/Representative Locations
Japan: Power Integrations, Inc. • Kohoku-ku, Yokohama-shi, JapanTelephone: (81) (45) 471-1021 • Fax: (81) (45) 471-3717
Europe: Power Integrations Europe Ltd. • Windsor, Bershire, United KingdomTelephone: (44) (1753) 622-208 • Fax: (44) (1753) 622-209
Korea: Power Integrations International Holdings, Inc. • Seoul, KoreaTelephone: (82) (2) 568-7520 • Fax: (82) (2) 568-7474
Taiwan: Power Integrations International Holdings, Inc. • Taipei 105, TaiwanTelephone: (866) (2) 727-1221 • Fax: (866) (2) 727-1223
Company Overview and Strategy
Power Integrations, founded in 1988, is a public company (NASDAQ: POWI) focused on the power conversionmarket. The company designs, develops, and markets integrated circuits that combine low-voltage analog anddigital control capability with high-voltage power output devices in monolithic form. Their three primary marketsare: cell phone chargers, PC stand-by power supplies, and TV set-top boxes.
The company's technology is used to build innovative high-voltage products for the power supply, batterycharging, telecommunications, motor control, and lighting markets.
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North American Company Profiles Power Integrations
Management
Howard Earhart President and Chief Executive OfficerBalu Balakrishnan Vice President, Engineering and New Product DevelopmentVladimir Rumennik, Ph.D. Vice President, TechnologyDan Selleck Vice President, SalesRobert Staples Vice President, Finance and AdministrationEd Pausa Vice President, OperationsClifford Walker Vice President, Corporate DevelopmentShyam Dujari Director, Marketing
Products and Processes
Power Integrations utilizes a standard CMOS process and adds one implant to generate high voltage MOSFETsintegrated into power supply and interface products. The process is capable of combining 1,200V N-channelMOSFETs, 700V P-channel MOSFETs, and 400V L-IGBTs with 5-15V CMOS and bipolar logic devices.
TOPSwitch®-II is the newest family of products for power conversion applications. In addition to integrationbenefits of the high voltage process technology, this family also has patented circuit and system designinnovations.
The company's power supply IC product line is targeted at the needs of portable and small form-factor productssuch as portable computers, camcorders, cellular telephones, PBX line cards, and feature phones. The high-voltage outputs of Power Integrations' power supply circuits provide universal input voltage (85-256 VAC)capability. The high-frequency switching capability and low system component count enables low-cost, smallform-factor power supply/chargers to be realized. The power supply ICs cover universal input voltage applicationsfrom 1 watt to 90 watts (1 watt to 50 watts from 100 VAC). A one-watt buck converter for non-isolated ISDNapplications is also available.
Its interface IC products are designed for use in energy-efficient, variable-speed electric motors for appliancessuch as room air conditioners. The high-voltage capability of these products provides cost-effective level shiftingcapability and control for those 110/220 VAC applications. The latest product is the INT 100 half-bridge MOSFETdriver, providing 800-volt level shifting and control for electric motors in the 50W to 3kW power range.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Foundry relationships with Panasonic Semiconductor Group of Matsushita and Oki Electric have been establishedfor wafer fabrication utilizing Power Integrations' proprietary process.
Key Agreements
• Power Integrations granted Matsushita access to its technology and products for internal consumptionworldwide, and for non-exclusive distribution of the products in Japan and other selected geographical areas inreturn for providing foundry support.
PowerTech, formed in 1969, is a manufacturer of silicon power transistors. The primary market is formilitary/aerospace level products and industrial devices.
The current/voltage ranges of the products are:
Current: 10 to 2400 ampsVoltage: 60 to 600 volts
The company also performs custom packaging of its and other manufacturers’ chips to meet special requirements.
PPC is a discrete semiconductor manufacturer. PPC products are distributed via 105 sales offices consistingmainly of Avnet’s Allied Electronics sales offices throughout the U.S. and in Ontario, Canada. Other distributorsare Semi-Dice, Inc. (South Easton, MA), with sales offices in California and New York, as well as UniversalSemiconductor, Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, FL and Bohemia, NY.
Products and Processes
PPC manufactures NPN and PNP Silicon Planar Power Transistors and Fast Switching Silicon Rectifiers. Thecompany is a qualified source for JAN S Power Transistors and JAN, JANTX, and JANTXV devices. PPC claims tobe the leader in the production of Space Level Power Discretes, manufacturing 41 MIL-S-19500 qualified JAN Sproducts.
Planar Bi-Polar Transistors are available in voltages ranging to 1,000 volts and currents ranging from 100µA to 300Amps. Planar Silicon Rectifiers are produced in voltages to 1,000 volts and currents ranging to 30 Amps withswitching times as fast as 35 nanoseconds. PPC’s Power Darlington Transistors are available in monolithic andmulti-chip configurations with and without thick-film resistors. Special assemblies available from PPC include eightMOSFET products, Schottky and IGBT. Products are quality tested to MIL-1-45208A, MIL-Q-9858A and MIL-C-45662A standards.
Key Agreements
• In September 1997, Microsemi PPC, Inc. (PPC), formerly known as Micro PPC Acquisition Corporation, awholly owned subsidiary of Microsemi, purchased all of the assets an assumed certain liabilities of threeaffiliated companies: PPC Products Corporation, Technett Seals Inc., and Semiconductors, Inc. (collectivelyreferred to as PPC Products).
ProTek is a manufacturer of transient voltage suppression products. In 1992, ProTek Devices acquired theGeneral Semiconductor operation from the Square-D Company and has continued the basic product line.Products range from board level surface mount arrays to megawatt systems. Major customers are in the industrial,computer, telecommunications, and aerospace industries.
The specialized device products are fabricated in-house at the above address. Other products are outsourced tothree foundries.
Management
Rakesh Kansal PresidentRichard Von Barandy Vice President, Sales and MarketingFred Matteson Manager, OperationsJerry Gross Manager, Modular Operations
QLogic Corporation is a leading designer and supplier of semiconductor and board-level I/O (input/output)products. The company’s products provide a high performance connection between computer systems and theirattached data storage peripherals, such as hard disk and tape drives, CD-ROM drives and RAID subsystems.QLogic provides I/O technology solutions by designing and marketing single chip controller and adapter boardproducts for both sides of the computer/peripheral device interlink or “bus.” Historically, the company hastargeted the high performance sector of the I/O market, focusing primarily on the small computer system interface(SCSI) standard. The company is utilizing its I/O expertise to develop products for emerging I/O standards such asFibre Channel. Now experiencing initial industry acceptance, Fibre Channel is a higher performance solution thatmaintains signal integrity while allowing for increased connectivity among computer systems and data storageperipherals.
Gary E. Liebl ChairmanH.K. Desai President and Chief Executive OfficerThomas R. Anderson Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerMark Edwards Vice President, Sales and Corporate MarketingLarry Fortmuller Vice President and GM, Computer Systems GroupDavid Tovey Vice President and GM, Peripheral Products Group
Products and Processes
QLogic’s semiconductor product families include:
• The FAS (Fast Architecture SCSI) Family of fast and wide SCSI controller ICs for host and peripheralapplications.
• The TEC (Triple Embedded Disk Controller) Family of SCSI, Fibre Channel and ATA HDD controllers.
• The ISP (Intelligent SCSI Processor) Family of SCSI and Fibre Channel host adapter ICs for 32-bit and 64-bitinterfaces.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
The company utilizes outside vendors for the manufacturing of its semiconductor and circuit board products.
Key Agreements
• In August 1998, QLogic Corporation acquired the net assets of Silicon Design Resources, Incorporated (SDR), for a cash price of $2 million, plus up to an additional $8 million based upon achievement of certain performance criteria over the next four fiscal years. SDR, founded in 1995, designs and markets enclosure management controller chips for the mass storage subsystem and server markets. SDR, which recorded revenues of $686,700 in the quarter ended June, 1998, will be operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of QLogic Corporation, with its headquarters in Austin, Texas.
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North American Company Profiles QT Optoelectronics
QT OPTOELECTRONICS
QT Optoelectronics610 North Mary Ave.
Sunnyvale, California 94086Telephone: (408) 720-1440
Ownership: Privately-held. Parent company is Recovery Partners, Inc.
Company Overview and Strategy
QT Optoelectronics is a worldwide manufacturer of optoelectronic products, including LED lamps, LED displays,optocouplers, infrared components and custom optoelectronic components for the OEM marketplace.
QT’s optocouplers are used in modems as ring detectors and on-off hook switches, in power supplies forfeedback isolation, on circuit boards for logic-to-logic voltage isolation, and for input/output isolation on industrialprocess control equipment. The LED Lamps and Displays products are used in a wide range of consumer andindustrial applications, including automotive lighting, information display, gaming equipment, status indication, andbacklighting. QT’s infrared components, which include emitters, sensors and hybrid assemblies, are used formotion control and sensing, plus a variety of applications in consumer electronic products and new opportunitieswireless communication devices.
In 1969, QT was originally an operating unit of Monsanto, a pioneer in LED technology and later became a divisionof General Instrument. Since then, optoelectronics technology and business was acquired from varioussemiconductor companies (i.e., Fairchild Semiconductor, General Electric, Harris Semiconductor, and PhilipsSemiconductor).
QT Optoelectronics North American Company Profiles
QT’s 1997 annual sales were approximately $100M.
Management
Ralph Simon PresidentRobert M. Taber Jr. Vice President, Sales
Products and Processes
QT Optoelectronics produces over 750 different components in three product lines. Product details are asfollows.
Optocouplers
QT developed the OPTIOPLANAR structure for optocouplers. These devices are available in 4-, 6-, and 8-pinconfigurations. 4-Pin Optocouplers —Phototransistor Output with GaAs InputHermetic Phototransistor Output with GaAs InputPhotodarlington Output with GaAs InputPhototransistor Output with GaAs AC Input
6-Pin Optocouplers —Phototransistor Output with GaAs InputPhototransistor Output with AgGaAs InputPhototransistor Output with GaAs InputHigh Voltage Phototransistor Output with GaAs Input with integral base-emitter resistorPhototransistor Output with GaAs AC Input10Mbit/s High-Speed Logic-to-Logic (Optologic®) AlGaAs InputPhoto SCR Output with GaAs InputBilateral Analog FET Output with GaAs InputSchmitt Trigger Output with GaAs InputSchmitt Trigger Output with AlGaAs InputNon-Zero Crossing TRIAC Output with GaAs
8-Pin Optocouplers —High Gain Split Photodarlington Output with GaAsP Output1 Mbit/s High-Speed Transistor Output with GaAsP InputDual Channel Phototransistor Output with GaAs InputDual Channel 1Mbit/s High-Speed Transistor Output with GaAsP InputDual Channel Split Darlington Output with GaAsP InputDual Channel 10Mbit/s High-Speed Logic Gate Output with GaAsP Input10Mbits High-Speed Logic Gate Output with GaAsP OutputLogic Output with GaAs AC input
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North American Company Profiles QT Optoelectronics
LED Lamps and Displays
Low Current LampsResistor LED LampsSurface Mount LED LampsPCB Mount LED IndicatorsLight Bars and Bargraph/Panel IndicatorsDisplays – 10-pin, 14-pin, and 18-pin.Dot Matrix Displays
In addition, QT Optoelectronics’ Visible Product Group offers design and manufacturing of LED based assembliesfor customer’s application specific requirements.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
QT Optoelectronics has a wafer fab facility located in Singapore, and their primary engineering and manufacturingoperations are located near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Quality Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
QUALITY SEMICONDUCTOR
Quality Semiconductor, Inc.851 Martin Avenue
Santa Clara, California 95050-2903Telephone: (408) 450-8000
Fax: (408) 496-0773Web Site: www.qualitysemi.com
IC Manufacturer
Regional Headquarters/Representative Locations
Europe: Quality Semiconductor, Inc. • Hampshire, United KingdomTelephone: (44) (1420) 563333 • Fax: (44) (1420) 561142
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends September 30
Established in 1989, Quality Semiconductor, Inc. (QSI) is a provider of high-performance logic devices andnetworking and logic-intensive memory semiconductor products. Quality's strategy is to go after existing areaswith higher performance parts, then create new niches that can be developed. The company targets systemsmanufacturers principally in the networking, personal computer and workstation, and communications industries,but also sells devices for military and high-reliability applications.
In early 1996, Quality Semiconductor purchased AWA MicroElectronics, Pty. Ltd. (now Quality SemiconductorAustralia) from AWA Limited, acquiring AWA’s fab facility, foundry business, and design center in Australia. During1996, QSI upgraded the facility from 1.5µm to 0.8µm process technologies. The new subsidiary continues toprovide foundry services to AWA and its existing foundry customers. AWA Limited retains some ownership in thenew subsidiary and is jointly developing new products and technologies with Quality Semiconductor.
North American Company Profiles Quality Semiconductor
Management
Quality Semiconductor Inc.Chun P. Chiu Chairman and Chief Technical OfficerR. Paul Gupta President and Chief Executive OfficerDavid Sear Executive Vice President, Chief Operating OfficerEdward J. Bradley, Jr. Vice President, ManufacturingAlbert R. Enamait Vice President, Sales and MarketingGilbert C. Jones Vice President, Marketing OperationsDavid T. Zimmer Vice President, Human Resources
Quality Semiconductor AustraliaAndy Brawley Manager, Operations; Director, Fab and AdministrationClive Potter Director, Engineering and DesignSteve Liu Vice President, Wafer Fab
Products and Processes
Quality Semiconductor produces high-performance 5V and 3.3V CMOS FCT logic devices, high-speed digitallogic switches, clock management circuits, fast FIFOs, analog devices, JTAG devices, and advanced networkingproducts. Sales of interface logic devices account for a significant majority of the company’s net productrevenues.
Networking Products — QSI offers advanced CMOS Fast Ethernet transceivers for access equipment and LANapplications, as well as a 4:1 ATM multiplexer/demultiplexer with on-chip FIFO buffering for ATM switch fabricand transmission applications.
Specialty Memory Products — QSI’s memory products consist of a family of Content-Addressable Memory (CAM)products.
Logic Products — QSI offers a variety of standard 5V FCT logic devices in 8-, 16-, and 32-bit configurations, as wellas a new line of 3.3V LCX logic devices for mixed-voltage applications.
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Quality Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Clock Management Devices — These products include high-performance 3.3V and 5V devices with low skew, lowjitter, and low EMI-noise characteristics, and a new family of advanced programmable skew PLL clock devices(TurboClock™).
QuickSwitch® Products — The QuickSwitch product line was invented to meet the requirement for zeropropagation delay multiplexing and switching functions in high-performance computing and networkingsystems.
QuickScan™ Products — These are derived from QSI’s QuickSwitch product line and add JTAG boundary scancapabilities.
Analog Switch Devices — This is a new family of devices designed for advanced high-performance video, audio,and networking applications.
All of QSI’s products are manufactured using advanced CMOS process technologies with geometries rangingfrom 0.8µm to 1.5µm. A 0.6µm CMOS process is under development.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
In addition to using its newly acquired fabrication facility in Australia, QSI has foundry partners from which itreceives fabricated wafers. Its current foundry partners include Seiko Instruments, Ricoh, Yamaha, and TSMC. In1997, approximately 50 percent of QSI’s wafers were manufactured by Seiko and Ricoh.
QuickLogic was founded in 1988 by the inventors of the programmable array logic (PAL) device. Today, theprivately-held company designs and sells high density CMOS field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) featuringhigh speeds and low power consumption, along with high productivity design software.
QuickLogic’s FPGAs compete with conventional high density programmable local devices and gate arrays inapplications such as graphics processing, high-speed memory control, video and image processing, DSP supportlogic, and data acquisition.
Currently, international sales represent about 40 percent of QuickLogic’s total sales, and the company is workingto increase that number.
Irwin B. Federman ChairmanE. Thomas Hart President and Chief Executive OfficerJohn Birkner Vice President, CAEAndrew Chan Vice President, Product DevelopmentH.T. Chua Vice President, Technology DevelopmentMichael Burger Vice President, Worldwide SalesReginal Simpson Vice President, OperationsRonald Zimmerman Vice President, Human RelationsScott Ward Vice President, EngineeringChuck Tralka Director, Product MarketingMichael Samvelian Director, Marketing
Products and Processes
QuickLogic's programmable ASIC (pASIC) devices are implemented in a submicron CMOS process and deliverhigh speeds and low power consumption. All of the company's existing devices are offered in both 5V and 3.3Vpower supply versions. They are based on QuickLogic's proprietary metal layer, amorphous silicon ViaLink®antifuse programming element technology that offers high speeds and high densities (up to 20,000 usablegates). QuickLogic also supplies a comprehensive set of CAE development tools, operating on PCs and popularworkstation platforms. An open architecture approach allows popular third-party tools to interface to thecompany's development environment.
pASIC 1 FPGA Family — Consists of four parts in densities ranging from 1,000 usable gates to 8,000 usable gates(96 to 768 logic cells) and I/O pin counts ranging from 64 pins to 180 pins. The pASIC 1 devices are based onhigh-speed, low-power, two-layer-metal 0.65µm CMOS process technology.
pASIC 2 FPGA Family — Consists of seven parts in densities ranging from 3,000 usable gates to 20,000 usablegates (192 to 1,440 logic cells) and I/O pin counts ranging from 120 pins to 336 pins. The pASIC 2 devices arebased on high-speed, low-power, three-layer-metal 0.65µm CMOS process technology.
pASIC 3 FPGA Family — consists of five high-performance devices in densities ranging from 12,000 usable gateswith a maximum speed capability of 275MHz. The devices are based on an ultra high speed, low-power, four-layer-metal 0.25µm CMOS process.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
QuickLogic does not fabricate its own ICs, it has a manufacturing and technology agreement with CypressSemiconductor. However, QuickLogic does perform all FPGA product testing for both companies. Tosupplement the capacity it receives from Cypress, QuickLogic established a foundry agreement with TSMC in1996.
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North American Company Profiles QuickLogic
Key Agreements
• In July 1997, the company entered into a manufacturing agreement with TSMC enabling the co-developmentof a 0.35µm four-layer metal CMOS process for 8-inch wafers using the company’s ViaLink antifuse technology.The agreement is effective for three years and is renewable annually as a rolling three-year agreement. Theagreement guaranteed certain capacity availability and requires that a minimum percentage of the total numberof wafers required by the company in any one year are purchased from TSMC (excluding wafers purchasedfrom Cypress and certain other wafer requirements), and requires “take or pay” volume commitments.
• In March 1997, QuickLogic and Cypress terminated the Existing Agreement, and replaced it with a newarrangement whereby the company’s FPGA products will no longer be second sourced by Cypress. Inexchange for the termination of the Existing Agreement and the reversion of the rights to the intellectualproperty developed thereunder to the company, the company paid $4.5 million in cash and agreed to issue2,603,817 shares of common stock to Cypress, resulting in a charge of approximately $23 million in the firstquarter of 1997. The 2,603,817 shares of common stock to be issued to Cypress are issuable upon theconsummation of an initial public offering by the company or by April 1, 1998, whichever is first. In addition, thecompany granted Cypress certain contractual rights as to the shares of the company’s stock held by Cypress,including the right to sell shares in this offering.
• QuickLogic and Cypress also entered into a new foundry agreement effective through the year 2001. Thisagreement guarantees weekly wafer starts at established prices and yields for the company’s pASIC 1 andpASIC 2 product families, which are fabricated using a 0.65µm three-layer metal CMOS process on 6-inchwafers. These products will continue to be manufactured at Cypress’ Round Rock, Texas facility, and willcontinue to utilize QuickLogic’s proprietary ViaLink amorphous silicon antifuse technology.
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Ramtron North American Company Profiles
RAMTRON
Ramtron International Corporation1850 Ramtron Drive
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921Telephone: (719) 481-7000
Ramtron was established in 1984 to produce non-volatile memory products by combining the uniquecharacteristics of ferroelectric materials with conventional integrated circuitry. The company was the first tomanufacture ferroelectric memory devices. It holds 89 U.S. and international patents covering its proprietarytechnologies and products and more than 90 are pending.
Ramtron's principal business focus is directed toward the development of the commercial manufacture offerroelectric RAMs (FRAMs). The company sites benefits of FRAMs as having fast write times, high writeendurance, non-volatile retention, small form factors, and minimal power consumption. Applications for FRAMdevices include consumer electronics, business machines, communications equipment, test instruments,industrial controls, and medical equipment.
Besides ferroelectric RAMs, Ramtron is also involved in the development and sale of very high speed DRAMs thecompany calls enhanced-DRAMs (EDRAMs), that are based on standard volatile DRAM technology. In 1995,Ramtron spun-off its EDRAM business into a wholly owned subsidiary called Enhanced Memory Systems, Inc.(EMS) which has the sole responsibility of developing EDRAMs.
EDRAMs have been demonstrated to provide SRAM performance with DRAM density in a product thatapproaches DRAM pricing. A large portion of the company’s EDRAM business is targeted at replacement of fast(≤15ns) SRAMs in high-performance systems. As such, EDRAMs applications include a wide variety of thehighest performing systems such as personal computer motherboards, accelerator boards, multiprocessorsystems, disk controllers, embedded computer modules, digital signal processing systems, and video graphicsystems.
Ramtron's business strategy is to manufacture its own products, to license its products on a contract basis to othercompanies, and to license its proprietary technologies to a limited number of IC manufacturers in exchange forroyalties and access to advanced manufacturing capabilities. The company has forged alliances with IBMMicroelectronics, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Rohm, Toshiba, Nippon Steel Semiconductor, Samsung, SGS-Thomson, andAsahi Chemical.
Management
L. David Sikes Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerGreg B. Jones President and Chief Operating OfficerRichard L. Mohr Executive Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerElliot M. Philofsky, Ph.D. Senior Vice President and Chief Technical OfficerDonald G. Carrigan Vice President, Sales and MarketingCraig Rhodine Vice President and General Manager, Enhanced Memory Systems, Inc.
Products and Processes
Ramtron first demonstrated a working 256bit FRAM prototype in 1987, and in 1993, began commercial sales of 4KFRAMs. Commercial 16K and prototype 64K devices were introduced in 1994. Ramtron is pursuing thedevelopment, through its strategic alliance partners, of new high-density (1M and above) FRAM products.Ramtron's FRAM products are pin compatible with many serial and parallel EEPROMs on the market.
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Ramtron North American Company Profiles
The nonvolatile storage element in Ramtron's FRAMs is a capacitor constructed from two metal electrodes with athin-film ferroelectric material between the transistor and metallization layers of an industry standard CMOSmanufacturing process.
In addition to nonvolatile memories, Ramtron has identified other products in which ferroelectric technology maybe integrated, including microcontrollers, programmable logic devices (PLDs), and radio frequency identificationdevices (RFIDs). Ramtron's joint venture affiliate, Racom Systems, Inc., is engaged in the development offerroelectric RFID chips and systems.
Enhanced Memory Systems' enhanced-DRAM (EDRAM) products were developed in cooperation with UnitedMemories Inc. (UMI) and Nippon Steel Semiconductor (then NMB Semiconductor). Colorado Springs-based UMIwas formed by Ramtron and NMB in 1990 (see Key Agreements). IBM is currently the primary manufacturer ofEDRAMs. The company is pursuing additional foundry arrangements.
During 1996, EMS began development of a 133MHz, 16M enhanced synchronous DRAM (ESDRAM) based onthe company’s EDRAM technology. Sample shipments of the device are expected to begin in mid-1998. In early1997, EMS introduced the Enhanced 10ns family of EDRAMs that features upgraded performance speeds up to10ns. The 10ns family is manufactured by IBM using 0.6µm process technology.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Ramtron International Corporation1850 Ramtron DriveColorado Springs, Colorado 80921Cleanroom size: 11,500 square feetCapacity (wafers/week): 1,625Wafer size: 150mmProcesses: Ferroelectric CMOS and standard CMOSProducts: Specialty memory ICsFeature size: 1.0µm
Ramtron's wafers are also manufactured by Rohm, Nippon Steel Semiconductor, IBM Microelectronics, and Hitachi(see Key Agreements).
Key Agreements
• In December 1997, Ramtron established a relationship with Asahi Chemical. The companies are currentlyworking to develop a prototype FRAM-based RF/ID chip.
• In February 1997, Ramtron established a relationship with SGS-Thomson that will cover FRAM production. Theagreement calls for SGS-Thomson to provide CMOS wafers to Ramtron, who will return the wafers to ST asfinished 64K FRAMs. The two companies may extend this relationship in the future to include joint foundry ortechnology licensing agreements.
• Ramtron signed a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Samsung. Under the agreement, Ramtron licensedits FRAM technology to Samsung in exchange for certain licensing and royalty considerations.
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North American Company Profiles Ramtron
• Ramtron signed a manufacturing agreement with IBM Microelectronics in May 1995 for EDRAM production.Under the agreement, IBM is serving as a foundry for the production of Enhanced Memory Systems' EDRAMs,and IBM has a non-exclusive license to sell the devices. The first products manufactured by IBM becameavailable in October 1996. IBM will also build the company’s 16Mbit ESDRAM.
• Ramtron added Fujitsu to the list of companies with which it maintains joint design and licensing deals forferroelectric memories. The two firms are developing a 1M FRAM device, and in June 1996, Fujitsu completeda feasibility study for 16M FRAMs. In August 1996, the agreement was amended allowing Fujitsu to use FRAMtechnology in the development and manufacture of embedded memory FRAM products.
• In late 1994, Ramtron signed a cross-licensing deal with ferroelectric memory competitor, Symetrix, also locatedin Colorado Springs. Both companies are jointly developing a 3-volt 16K FRAM based on Symetrix's Y-1ferroelectric material technology. In addition, Ramtron's ferroelectric technology is now licensable by Symetrixto its strategic partners, which include Motorola and Matsushita, and Ramtron may license Symetrix'stechnology to its partners. The deal also called for Ramtron to purchase half of Symetrix for about $6 million.
• Ramtron and Rohm signed a joint manufacturing, development, and marketing deal in 1993 giving Rohmaccess to Ramtron's line of FRAM products. Under the agreement, Rohm is supplying Ramtron with wafers andis selling completed devices in Japan under both logos. In addition, joint development of new ferroelectric-based circuits, including microcontrollers and custom products will take place. Volume production of FRAMmemories by Rohm is expected to begin in the first quarter of 1998.
• A joint program to integrate Ramtron's ferroelectric technology with Hitachi's DRAM manufacturing process wasestablished in 1992. In early 1994, Hitachi indicated it was satisfied with its pilot program of testing andpackaging midrange density FRAMs. As a result, Hitachi is working with Ramtron to design and develop 256K,1M, and 4M FRAMs. Volume production of the 256K FRAM is expected to begin during 1998. Ramtron alsoagreed to license all its non-standard and standard FRAM products to Hitachi. Ramtron will rely on Hitachi as afoundry for the devices since its own fab is not capable of the feature sizes required for the larger memories.
• Toshiba agreed to jointly develop and second-source Ramtron’s FRAMs in densities of 256K and above.
• In 1988, Ramtron and NMB Semiconductor (now Nippon Steel Semiconductor) entered into a productdevelopment and license agreement for conventional 1M and 4M DRAMs. Then, in 1990, the two companiesestablished United Memories, Inc. (UMI) to design and develop advanced memory devices (not involvingRamtron's ferroelectric technology) for both companies. In 1995, Ramtron sold all its remaining interest in UMIto Nippon Steel.
“FRAM” is a registered trademark of Ramtron International Corporation.
Founded in 1922, as the American Appliance Company, the company adopted the Raytheon name in 1925. Earlyexpertise was in the field of radio tubes and missile guidance. In 1964, Raytheon launched a diversificationprogram to broaden its business base by adding commercial operations.
Today, Raytheon is focused on three core business segments: defense and commercial electronics, businessaviation and special mission aircraft, and engineering and construction.
In electronics, Raytheon’s principal business is the design, manufacture, and servicing of advanced electronicdevices, equipment, and systems for governmental and commercial markets. The company has greatly enhancedits defense electronics business through the acquisition of the Defense Systems and Electronic business ofTexas Instruments and a subsequent merger with the Hughes Aircraft business of Hughes Electronics. Both ofthe transactions were completed in 1997. Raytheon estimates that combined 1997 revenues would be on theorder of $20.5 billion, more than $15 billion of which will be in defense and commercial electronics.
Raytheon’s commercial electronics business consists of Raytheon Marine Company, a supplier of marine-relatedelectronics and systems; Raytheon Microelectronics, which produces GaAs ICs and T/R Modules for military radar,wireless communications, and satellite applications; and Seiscor Technologies, Inc., a supplier of telephonetransmission equipment. In 1997, Raytheon sold its Semiconductor unit to Fairchild Semiconductor Corporationand its Switchcraft unit to a company formed by Cortec Group and Switchcraft management.
Management
Raytheon CompanyDennis J. Picard Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerPeter R. D’Angelo Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
MicroelectronicsPhilip W. Cheney Vice President and Group Executive, Raytheon ElectronicsJames V. DiLorenzo General Manager, Raytheon MicroelectronicsDennis Moraros ControllerJames Oakes Manager, MMIC ProductsJack Schuss Manager, T/R Modules and Wireless SystemsJohn Langley Manager, Wireless Solutions – Raylink™
Products and Processes
GaAs IC
Raytheon Microelectronics manufactures a wide range of RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave GaAs ICs includingcellular/PCS circuits, digital broadcast satellite (DBS) devices, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) componentsand wideband circuits. Raytheon Microelectronics also offers custom MMIC solutions and integrated T/R Modulesfor ground and space-based applications. To date, Raytheon Microelectronics is producing over 500,000 GaAsMMICs per week from a variety of GaAs processes. These processes include 0.5µm MESFET, 0.5µm E/DMESFET, 0.5µm D/MMIC, 0.125 and 0.5µm PHEMT. Additionally, an HBT process is in transition from its 3-inchwafer R&D line into their 4-inch wafer production line.
T/R Modules
In 1992, Raytheon Microelectronics began developing MMICs and T/R Modules for the U.S. Army’s Ground BasedRadar (GBR) program — to date, over 68,000 units were built for this system. Since then RaytheonMicroelectronics has designed and produced over 35,000 T/R modules for the antennas of the IRIDIUM® andGlobalstar™ communications systems.
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Raytheon North American Company Profiles
Raylink™
In 1997, Raytheon Microelectronics launched its own Wireless Local Area Network PC Card based on devicesmade in its fab and sold previously to other PC Card Manufacturers.
• In October 1997, Raytheon Company announced that the Department of Justice had approved the merger ofHughes Electronics’ defense operations and Raytheon.
Raytheon announced in January 1997 that it had entered into a definitive agreement with General Motors’Hughes Electronics Corporation to bring about the merger of the Hughes defense operations (HughesAircraft) and Raytheon. The merger, once completed will create a combined company of more than 120,000employees, with approximately $20 billion in sales, on a 1996 pro-forma basis, of which over $13 billion was indefense electronics.
• Raytheon has recently agreed to supply high volumes of cellular/PCS upconverters and power amplifiers toseveral large mobile phone manufacturers.
• The Andover, MA facility recently announced a “2X” wafer fabrication plan to double its 4-inch GaAs capacityfrom 500,000 to 1,000,000 ICs per week and is finalizing plans for a new 6-inch GaAs wafer fab to becompleted in late 1999 and operational in the year 2000.
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North American Company Profiles Real 3D
REAL 3D
Real 3D 12506 Lake Underhill Road
Orlando, Florida 32825 Telephone: (407) 306-7302
Fax: (407) 306-3358 Web Site: www.real3d.com Email: [email protected]
IC Manufacturer Founded: 1996
Employees: 180 Ownership: Jointly owned by Lockheed Martin (80 percent) and Intel (20 percent). Company Overview and Strategy Real 3D is a leading provider of advanced computer graphics technology, focused on providing graphicstechnology solutions to the portable, desktop, workstation, arcade and high-end professional markets. TheCompany designs and manufactures custom 3D graphics chips and boards, arcade graphics chips and boards forSega, high-end image generation systems, and other 3D solutions. The Company was formed in January 1996, by Lockheed Martin, with a mission of bringing proven 3D graphicstechnology to the commercial marketplace. In December 1997, Intel purchased a 20 percent minority stake in Real3D with Lockheed Martin maintaining majority ownership. Real 3D technology foundation comes from more than30 years experience developing advanced 3D combat simulators and astronaut training systems. Real 3D has an ongoing technology assistance and license agreement in place with Sega Enterprises Ltd. for thedevelopment of arcade graphics chips and boards. Real 3D has been working with Sega since 1992, and their ICshave been part of more than 200,000 arcade games chipped by Sega. Management Gerald W. Stanley President Joe Mazzarella Vice President, Sales and Marketing Stephen Teicher Vice President, Engineering Ralph Nichols Vice President, Products
Products and Processes Real 3D’s product line includes graphics boards, high-end image generators, and a 3D laser scanning systemcalled RealScan 3D™. The company also selectively licenses its 3D graphics technology on a royalty-bearingbasis to strategic technology partners. Real 3D offers a broad range of products, including:
• Arcade graphics chips / boards for Sega• Graphics chips and boards• PRO-1000 Professional Series image generators• RealScan3D
Key Agreements • In August 1997, Real 3D and MetaCreations announced an agreement for Real 3D to become a licensee of
MetaCreations’ Real Time Geometry technology for the manufacture and distribution of a real-time, three-dimensional scanning device called RealScan 3D™. The scanning hardware and software technology,originally developed by MetaCreations’ Real Time Geometry labs, significantly reduces the cost while speedingup the process of capturing texture mapped models of complex objects such as the human face.
• In April 1997, Real 3D and Sense8® Corporation announced an agreement to provide WorldToolKit supportfor Real 3D’s PRO-1000 series of graphics engines. WorldToolKit, the industry’s most widely used visualsimulation/virtual reality software toolkit, will significantly expand the capability for PRO-1000 users to quicklyand efficiently build custom real-time applications. Sense8 Corporation is the world’s leading provider ofcommercially viable real-time interactive 3D/virtual reality solutions.
• In March 1997, Real 3D and MetaTools, Inc., announced an agreement to develop and license MetaTools’ RealTime Geometry technology into a broad range of Real 3D’s products. Joint development team initiatives willbegin immediately with co-located engineering teams working in MetaTools’ Real Time Geometry lab facility inPrinceton, NJ, and Real 3D’s Orlando, Florida, development labs. Initial funding for the joint developmenteffort will be provided by Real 3D. MetalTools, is a company that designs develops, publishes, markets andsupports software products for the creation, editing and manipulation of computer graphic images, digital artand Internet/on-line content for both professionals and consumer applications.
• In February 1998, Real 3D and Synopsys, Inc., announced an agreement to collaborate together on thedevelopment of ASIC design verification tools scheduled for release by Synopsys. As part of the agreement,Real 3D may participate in Alpha/Beta testing of the new tools, providing Synopsys with extensive PowerUserfeedback on key features and product performance.
• In May 1996, Real 3D and Intel announced they had formed a technology agreement under which the twocompanies would co-develop a 2D/3D/video graphics chip using Intel’s Accelerated Graphics Port interfacespecification. The new chip and AGP interface, which Real 3D also helped design, brings a new level ofgraphics performance to the PC platform. The new chip, called the Intel740 debuted in February 1998.
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North American Company Profiles Real 3D
• Real 3D is co-developing with Chips & Technologies, Inc. a 2D/3D/video graphics chip for portable PCs. Chips
and Technologies now a division of Intel, is the world’s leading supplier of graphics controllers and acceleratorsto the portable computer marketplace. The new chip will bring a new level of graphics performance to theportable PC platform. The new chip is set to debut in 1998.
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Rendition, Inc. North American Company Profiles
RENDITION, INC.
Rendition, Inc.999 East Arques Avenue
Sunnyvale, California 94086Telephone: (408) 822-0100
Rendition Inc. is a leading developer of integrated 2D/3D graphics accelerators for the personal computer market.The company’s products enable PC-based entertainment and multimedia users to enjoy the next generation of3D graphics.
Verite V1000 is a single chip with 2D/3D graphics engine, GUI accelerator, digital video accelerator and VGAengine. This product has an embedded RISC core with a hard-wired pixel pipeline with a 64-bit EDO DRAMmemory interface. The Verite™ is used in the personal computer market for add-in graphics cards and OEMmotherboard implementation.
The Rendition Verite V2200, based on the Verite architecture of V1000, integrates a color palette, three DACs,dual PLLs, and a hardware cursor on-chip. It is fabricated in a 0.35 micron 3-metal CMOS process. Verite V2200sRISC processor has a number of new graphics instructions to convert floating point to arbitrary radix integer in asingle clock cycle that improves direct 3D performance. Two new features is the triangle engine that is used forrendering triangles asynchronously to the setup and pixel rendering process and fill engine for fast 2D memoryproducts.
The Verite V2100 function is identical to the V2200, but it runs at a slower speed internally, and supports only a4Mb configuration. The V2100 supports the same 3D features, and is 100 percent software compatible with theV2200.
Based on shipment sales, RFMD has become a leading commercial supplier of GaAs HBT RF integrated circuits.RFMD currently derives a majority of its revenues from the sale of custom-designed products. However, theCompany's strategy is to maintain a balanced product mix between standard and custom-designed products so asto reduce the Company's reliance on individual customers and product orders. TRW owns approximately 30percent of RFMD’s stock.
RFMD has made a substantial turnaround so far in fiscal 1998. Revenues rose 66 percent over fiscal 1997 to$32.7M for the nine months ended 12/27/97, and net income rose 293 percent to $3.1M. Results wereattributed to increased shipments of RFMD's small signal devices used in CDMA handsets and GaAs HBT poweramplifiers for cellular and PCS handsets.
Company Overview and Strategy
RF Micro Devices was founded in 1990, to develop IC solutions for the wireless communications industry. Thecompany is a spin-off from electronics leader and signal processing pioneer, Analog Devices, Inc.
RFMD currently designs, develops and markets proprietary radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) for wirelesscommunications applications such as cellular and PCS, cordless telephony, wireless LANs, wireless local loop,industrial radios, wireless security and remote meter reading. The company offers a broad array of products,including amplifiers, mixers and modulators/demodulators, that represent a substantial majority of the RFICsrequired in wireless subscriber equipment.
RFMD’s GaAs HBT power amplifiers and small signal devices have been designed into advanced subscriberequipment manufactured by leading OEMs such as QUALCOMM, Nokia, Hyundai, Samsung, Motorola and LG.
RFMD’s objective is to be the leading worldwide supplier of RFICs for a broad range of both standard and custom-designed RFICs for commercial wireless applications. RFMD’s strategy consists of the following key elements:focus on wireless markets; offer a wide range of RF products in order to position itself as a "one-stop" solution forits customers' RFIC needs; leverage its GaAs HBT capabilities; expand production capacity; and maintain abalanced product mix. However, RFMD shifted its strategy in late 1997, to a diversified technology base away fromjust GaAs, as evidenced by the IBM agreement in March 1998, noted below under Key Agreements. RFMDexpects GaAs sales to be equaled by silicon sales in the future. The shift in strategy was moreover a break fromRFMD’s technology-driven approach to a market-driven approach.
Management
William J. Pratt Chairman of the Board and Chief Technical OfficerDavid A. Norbury President, Chief Executive Officer and DirectorPowell T. Seymour Vice President, Operations and SecretaryJerry D. Neal Vice President, Sales and MarketingWilliam A. Priddy, Jr. Vice President, Finance and TreasurerArthur E. Geissberger Vice President, Wafer Fabrication Operations
Products and Processes
RFMD’s products include digital quadrature modulators, quadrature demodulators, power amplifiers, LNA/mixers,and attenuators.
Following is a sampling of RFMD’s products.
Product category: Power amplifiersNo. of products: 11Fabrication technology: Silicon, GaAs MESFET, GaAs HBTEnd user devices: Cellular and PCS handsets, cordless phones, industrial radios, CATV line amplifiers.
Product category: Quadrature modulators/demodulatorsNo. of products: 15Fabrication technology: Silicon, GaAs MESFET, GaAs HBTEnd user devices: Cellular and PCS handsets, cellular and PCS base stations, cordless phones,
wireless LAN cards.
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RF Micro Devices North American Company Profiles
Product category: Low noise amplifiers/mixersNo. of products: 10Fabrication technology: Silicon, GaAs MESFET, GaAs HBTEnd user devices: Cellular and PCS handsets, cordless phones, wireless security systems.
Product category: IF componentsNo. of products: 10Fabrication technology: SiliconEnd user devices: Cellular and PCS handsets, cordless phones, industrial radios.
Product category: Gain blocksNo. of Products: 10Fabrication technology: Silicon, GaAs MESFET, GaAs HBTEnd user devices: Cellular and PCS handsets, cordless phones, instruments.
Product category: TransceiversNo. of products: 4Fabrication technology: SiliconEnd user devices: Wireless meter reading, cordless phones.
Product category: AttenuatorsNo. of products: 3Fabrication technology: GaAs MESFETEnd user devices: Cellular and PCS handsets, cellular and PCS base stations, instruments.
RFMD offers products fabricated under three distinct process technologies: GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor(HBT), GaAs MESFET and silicon bipolar transistor. (See deal with IBM under Key Agreements below for furtherdetails on RFMD’s silicon processes). The Company believes that for certain applications, GaAs HBT devices offeradvantages in terms of linearity, efficiency, reduced system complexity and size. RFMD offers SOICs in 14-, 16-,and 20-pin configurations, with other packaging options available. The company offers comprehensivesimulation, including PSPICE, HSPICE, Touchstone and Harmonica proprietary modeling. IC layout and designrules checking (DRC) are accomplished using ICED. A proprietary layout versus schematic (LVS) providesparametric feedback and 100 percent circuit checking. RFMD also uses auxiliary programs to include filter design,matching section, microstrip design, and thermal analysis.
RF Micro Devices integrated circuits can operate from a single "digital" type power supply and provide digitalinterfaces for digitally controlled functions.
The RF mixed-signal approach allows RFMD to design ICs that integrate with DSP technology to enable a widerange of wireless products that had previously been impractical because of performance, size, or cost limitations.
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North American Company Profiles RF Micro Devices
RF Micro Devices serves multiple market segments for radio frequency wireless product application. Thesemarkets range from cellular telephony (both analog and digital) to wireless security devices including:
• Cellular (digital American and European)• Personal Communication Services (PCS)
– Portable Phones (shirt pocket phones)• Digital Cordless Telephony (900MHz)
• Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN)• Wireless Security Systems• Wireless Computing
Other applications served by RF Micro Devices include private mobile radio (PMR), VSAT, wireless data terminals,wireless locks, global positioning system (GPS), and wide area networks (WAN).
RFMD experienced a major set-back in its development of a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) chipset forQUALCOMM, its largest customer prior to May 1997, after low manufacturing, assembly and test yields resulted inhigh material scrap. RFMD’s inability to meet requested delivery times and quantity requirements, madeQUALCOMM decide to internally produce its components and to look to other sources to replace all productspurchased from RFMD.
RFMD offers GaAs MESFET and silicon components through a delivery strategy called Optimum TechnologyMatching (OTM) to complement its GaAs HBT products. OTM allows RFMD to offer RFIC solutions, on acomponent by component basis, that best fulfill each OEM's performance, cost and time-to-market requirements.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
To meet demand for the RFMD's GaAs HBT products, TRW is expanding its GaAs manufacturing facility and RFMDis constructing an approximately 50,000 square foot facility to fabricate four-inch GaAs HBT wafers. RFMDbelieves that operating its own GaAs HBT wafer fabrication facility will improve its ability to respond to customerdemand for GaAs HBT products and will provide it with greater opportunities to enhance product and processquality and reliability. RFMD expects the full transfer of process know-how and production setup from TRW willtake about two years.
RFMD faces particular risks since TRW fabricates three-inch MBE wafer starting material and three-inch GaAs HBTwafers at its facility, while RFMD plans to fabricate four-inch wafers at its facility. Hence, in addition to replicatingTRW's complex proprietary manufacturing processes, RFMD must be able to adapt such processes from three-inch wafers to four-inch wafers, which involves a number of technical hurdles including the development of newback-side wafer thinning processes for the larger wafers. RFMD has not yet developed these processes.Nevertheless, RFMD plans to be operating its new facility at commercial levels (i.e., capable of producingapproximately 2,500 wafers per year) in the second half of 1998.
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RF Micro Devices North American Company Profiles
Key Agreements
• In June 1998, RF Micro Devices, Inc. opened its Gallium Arsenide Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (GaAsHBT) fabrication facility. The opening completes the transfer of TRW’s proprietary GaAs HBT process,exclusively licensed to RFMD for commercial wireless applications below 10 GHz. The TRW and RFMDprocesses are the same with the exception of the wafer size, with TRW’s being three-inch and RFMD’s beingfour-inch. Commercial production has already begun, with the new fab having produced more than one millionRFMD components.
TRW and RFMD have recently agreed to a long-term commitment wherein TRW will continue to supply RFMDfully processed three-inch GaAs HBT wafers and four-inch Molecular Beam Epitaxial (MBE) starting materialwafers to augment RFMD’s internal capability.
• TRW is currently manufacturing all of RFMD's GaAs HBT products using TRW's proprietary technologies andhas granted RFMD a license to use its GaAs HBT process to design products for commercial wirelessapplications. TRW is required to deliver certain minimum quantities of GaAs HBT wafers to RFMD untilDecember 31, 2000. Although TRW allocated a substantial portion of its commercial GaAs HBT waferproduction, RFMD nevertheless has experienced significant difficulty obtaining sufficient production capacityto meet demand for some its GaAs HBT products. Although RFMD plans to begin fabricating its own GaAs HBTwafers in commercial quantities in the second half of 1998, using technologies licensed from TRW, they expectto remain dependent upon TRW to satisfy GaAs HBT production requirements in the future.
• RFMD has a joint agreement with TRW and Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd. to cooperate to develop and supplyNokia with RFICs that are manufactured using TRW's GaAs HBT processes. The arrangement contemplatesthat RFMD and Nokia will negotiate separate agreements to address the development and supply of eachproduct. RFMD has also agreed to provide Nokia with access to certain RFIC technologies and to their GaAsHBT foundry and Nokia has agreed to provide RFMD with rights to bid for and supply Nokia's requirements forcertain RFICs
• In March 1998, RFMD signed a multi-year Master Purchase Agreement with IBM’s Microelectronics Division thatprovides for RFMD's expanded development, manufacture and sale of custom RF ICs using IBM's advancedBlue Logic silicon process technology. RFMD has developed more than 40 RFICs using IBM's silicontechnology. These products cover three major application groups: CDMA telephones (both 800MHz and PCSapplications), transceivers for ISM bands up to 2.5GHz, and general purpose amplifiers. Most of thesecomponents operate on 3.0 volts making them compatible with the latest wireless applications. RFMD's siliconchips are typically very small, ranging from 0.5-1.5 square millimeters. The small size of the chip processed onIBM's 8 inch silicon process results in maximum cost efficiency.
• In August 1998, RF Micro Devices expanded their multi-year Master Purchase Agreement with IBM (outlinedabove). The expansion enables RFMD to develop and manufacture for sale both custom and standard RFICsusing IBM’S advanced BI CMOS 5S process.
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North American Company Profiles Rochester Electronics
Rochester Electronics is a source manufacturer and distributor of discontinued semiconductors. As of 1997,Rochester’s list of authorizations include AMD, Allegro, Altera, Analog Devices, Harris Semiconductor, Intel,International Rectifier, Microchip, National Semiconductor, SMC, Texas Instruments, and Xilinx. The Companyoffers entire discontinued lines, both commercial and military, from manufacturers that reduce support for old partsto rationalize scarce manufacturing and service resources.
Management
Curt Gerrish President
Products and Processes
Rochester’s production device list includes over 4,000 part types which are manufactured from the originalsuppliers’ die and tooling. Its product lines include SRAMs, DRAMs, VRAMs, PROMs, logic chips, and lineardevices. The company also stocks unfinished wafers and original mask sets.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Rochester uses more than 30 foundries to manufacture its product lines. In 1997, the company completed theconstruction of a 3,600 square foot test and burn-in facility in Newburyport, Massachusetts.
*Restated to reflect continuing operations. Rockwell sold its Graphics Systems and Aerospace and DefenseBusinesses in 1996. Rockwell also spun-off their automotive business in 1997.
North American Company Profiles Rockwell Semiconductor Systems
Company Overview and Strategy
Rockwell International Corporation was incorporated in 1928 and is engaged in the research, development, andmanufacture of diversified products, including industrial automation equipment and systems, avionics productsand systems and related communications technologies primarily for commercial and military aircraft and defenseelectronics systems, system-level semiconductor chipsets for personal communication electronics markets, andautomotive components and systems.
Management
Rockwell International CorporationDwight Decker PresidentMoiz Beguwala Vice President and General Manager, Personal Computing DivisionAnthony C. D’Augustine Vice President and General Manager, Digital Infotainment DivisionRaouf Halim Vice President and General Manager, Network Access DivisionIan Olsen Vice President and General Manager, Personal Imaging DivisionVijay Parikh Vice President and General Manager, Wireless Communications DivisionJohn Algeo Vice President, OperationsLewis Brewster Vice President, Worldwide SalesTony Kalas Vice President, FinanceJames Spoto Vice President, Platform TechnologiesBill Tipton Vice President, Human ResourcesKrish Dharma Executive Director, Supply Chain ManagementAshwin Rangan Executive Director, Business Process Re-Engineering
and Information TechnologyJeffrey Cox Director, Communications Programs
Rockwell Semiconductor SystemsDon Davis Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerDon Beall Chairman of the Executive CommitteeMike Barnes Senior Vice President, Finance and Planning and Chief Financial OfficerBill Calise Senior Vice President, General Counsel and SecretaryBill Fletcher Senior Vice President, Technology and Business DevelopmentEarl Washington Senior Vice President, Corporate Marketing and CommunicationsDenny Popovec Vice President and TreasurerMike Bless Vice President, Corporate Development and PlanningLee Shull Vice President, Investor Relations
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Rockwell Semiconductor Systems North American Company Profiles
Products and Processes
Rockwell Semiconductor Systems focuses on system-level semiconductor solutions primarily in the developmentand application of mixed-signal computing technologies. Rockwell built its first modem in 1995.
Today, Rockwell is a leading worldwide manufacturer of advanced voice, fax and data communications technology,and purportedly has the world’s largest installed base of data modems at more than 200 million. Rockwell’s shareof this market has represented an important beachhead for the company during its rapid and continuing expansioninto a number of key personal communications electronics markets.
Personal Computing Division Products
Focus: The PC platform, including products for desktops, notebooks and PDAs.
Through its Personal Computing Division, Rockwell serves the PC market. Modem and speakerphone are seenas key functions of the evolving multimedia PC. Modem functionality continues to converge with videocapture/display functionality as modem applications expand into telephony, LAN connectivity, conferencing andaudio. Over the last 40 years, Rockwell has shipped more than 200 million modems worldwide.
Rockwell opened the final chapter in its roll-out of 56Kbps modem technology with the InternationalTelecommunications Union’s (ITU’s) February 1998 release of a final set of specifications, V.90, that are expectedto be ratified as a worldwide standard later in the year.
An overwhelming majority of the key components contained in the ITU’s V.90 specifications use technologies thatwere either invented by Rockwell or supported by the company and other backers of Rockwell’s K56flex modemtechnology. This has simplified Rockwell’s transition to the new specifications, allowing Rockwell to immediatelybegin shipping to its customers a family of chipsets that include both V.90 and the company’s popular K56flextechnology.
Network Access Division Products
Focus: Central site modems, hubs/routers/switches, analog/digital access multiplexors.
Rockwell formed its Network Access Division in April 1997, to focus on tying together all of the company’s otherstrategic product platforms. Network access systems are used to connect cellphones, facsimile machines, PCsand networks to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), to the Internet, to Intranets and other high-speed corporate networks, to cellular networks, and to cable networks.
Rockwell’s acquisition of Brooktree Corporation in 1996 immediately established a broad family of high-speeddigital data communications products spanning the company’s existing central site modems and Brooktree’s HighBit Rate Digital Subscriber Line (HDSL) and other T1/E1 products, and packet-switched products forAsynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and Switched Multi-Megabit Data Services (SMDS).
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North American Company Profiles Rockwell Semiconductor Systems
Personal Imaging Division Products
Focus: Products for facsimiles, printers, multifunction devices and digital imaging systems.
Personal imaging systems represent one of the fastest growing market segments in the personal communicationselectronics arena. These systems include fax modems and fax machines, which perhaps rank only behind thetelephone as the world’s most popular communication device. Rockwell’s low-power chipsets for fax modemsfrequently are chosen by Japanese and other Pacific Rim manufacturers of fax machines.
Rockwell formed the Personal Imaging Division in October 1997. The division is chartered with strengtheningRockwell’s position in the fax modem chipset marketplace and using it as a springboard for adding new productsthat integrate Rockwell technology into high-performance multifunctional peripheral solutions for the home andoffice.
Wireless Communications Division Products
Focus: Complete chipset and component solutions for 900MHz digital spread spectrum cordless telephones, Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, and PCS and cellular handsets.
Rockwell’s Wireless Communications Division focuses on a market for wireless communications devices that isexperiencing unprecedented growth. At the beginning of 1997, there were more than 140 million subscribers towireless systems throughout the world, increasing by 3.5 million per month. There is a growing demand forwireless consumer products that include cordless phones, cellular/PCS handsets and other wirelesscommunications devices, including GPS receivers.
Rockwell’s goal is to provide complete antenna-to-microphone chipsets for a wide variety of standards and userapplications. The Wireless Communications Division currently offers a broad range of full-system semiconductorsolutions. They start with a complete product line delivering advanced features for 900Mhz-digital spreadspectrum cordless telephones, a complete system solution for GSM, and continue with a PHS chipset whichmaintains the best-in-class talk and standby times. Rockwell also offers GPS receiver chipsets and modules, andhigh efficiency power amplifier products for digital cellular and PCS applications. Future offerings will include radiomodules and complete chipset solutions for a wide variety of digital cellular and PCS applications, such as theDigital European Cordless Telephones (DECT), and CDMA standards.
Digital Infotainment Division Products
Focus: Digital set-top boxes/games, digital VCR/DVD-HDTV peripherals; Internet terminals.
Rockwell formed its Digital Infotainment Division in April 1997. Digital Infotainment, or the delivery of digital videofrom a storage device or via satellite or cable transmission, represents a major platform opportunity for Rockwell.The market for digital interactive information and entertainment products, digital TV receiver products and otherdigital media products is expected to grow rapidly during the balance of this decade and beyond. These productswill require a variety of silicon-based functions: MPEG-related circuitry, POTS or xDSL modem technology,broadband wireless and cable demodulation products, tuners and other MCU and video/graphics processingtechnology, and DVD channel and servo components. This silicon content — excluding RAM and x86 processors— is expected to reach upwards of $50 per system.
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Rockwell Semiconductor Systems North American Company Profiles
Rockwell established its first toehold in the digital infotainment market with a family of video encoder and decoderproducts and core multimedia processing technology that the company acquired along with BrooktreeCorporation in September 1996.
The acquisition of ComStream’s Hi Media Division expanded Rockwell’s product portfolio to include broadbandwireless and cable demodulation products and tuners. The Hi Media division has a pioneering record inbroadband satellite and cable transmission technologies, and at the time of the acquisition had shipped more thanthree million demodulation ICs to leading set-top box manufacturers.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Between 1994 and 1996, Rockwell invested more than $400 million in its Newport Beach fabrication facility tomore than double monthly wafer starts. The expansion added approximately 40,000 square feet of cleanroomspace and increased capacity to 25,000 eight-inch 0.5 micron wafers per month. The facility handles eight-inchwafers (200mm) using 0.5 micron process technology, and process flow goes from polished silicon wafersthrough wafer probe test in Newport Beach, to Mexicali package assembly and test of multi-die packages.
On February 8, 1996, Rockwell began work in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on the first phase of a $1.3 billionproject to expand a wafer fabrication facility that the company purchased from United TechnologiesMicroelectronics. This facility will ultimately comprise two silicon wafer fabrication modules as part of a planned450,000 square foot MegaFab capable of handling 30,000 wafers per month using 0.25 micron processtechnology. The exterior shell is expected to be completed in 1998. Rockwell has delayed the schedule forlaunching full-volume production here until late 1999.
Rockwell uses a combination of internal manufacturing resources and external foundry resources depending oncost and availability factors. In early 1994, Rockwell executed an agreement to acquire additional 200mm wafercapacity through a minority equity investment in Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, Pte. Ltd. of Singapore.Under the agreement, Rockwell is guaranteed capacity in Chartered’s new $1.3 billion Fab 2 facility in Singapore.The new plant began operations in late 1995.
In early 1996, Rockwell and SubMicron Technology announced a long-term technology transfer and wafer supplyagreement. Rockwell has transferred its 0.5 micron and 0.35 micron CMOS wafer processes and SubMicron hasguaranteed wafer capacity at its new $1.3 billion, 200mm facility near Bangkok, Thailand.
Rockwell Semiconductor Systems Rockwell Semiconductor SystemsDigital Communications Division Digital Communications Division4311 Jamboree Road 4311 Jamboree RoadNewport Beach, California 92660 Newport Beach, California 92660Fab 4 Fabs 5 and 6Cleanroom size: 15,000 square feet Cleanroom size: 40,000 square feetCapacity (wafers/week): 3,750 Capacity (wafers/week): 6,250Wafer size: 125mm Wafer size: 200mmProcess: CMOS Process: CMOSProducts: MPRs, MPUs, DSPs, ASICs, Products: MPRs, DSPs,
memory ICs, linear ICs. Feature sizes: 0.35µm-0.65µmFeature sizes: 0.8µm-2.0µm
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North American Company Profiles Rockwell Semiconductor Systems
Rockwell Semiconductor Systems Rockwell Semiconductor Systems1575 Garden of the Gods Road 1575 Garden of the Gods RoadColorado Springs, Colorado 80907-3486 Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907-3486Fab 7 Fab 8Cleanroom size: 25,000 square feet Cleanroom size: 65,000 square feet (Class 1)Capacity (wafers/month): 750 Capacity (wafers/month): 3,750Wafer size: 125mm Wafer size: 200mmProcess: CMOS Process: CMOSProducts: Linear ICs, ASICs, MPRs, MPUs Products: MPRs, MPUs, DSPs, ASICsFeature sizes: 0.8µm, 1.0µm Feature size: 0.35µm (future: 0.25µm and 0.18µm)(Purchased from UTMC in 1995). (Operations to start in late 1999).
Rockwell Semiconductor SystemsMicroelectronic Technology Center2427 West Hillcrest DriveNewbury Park, California 91320Telephone: (805) 375-1256Capacity (wafers/week): 400Wafer size: 100mmProcesses: HBT, MESFET GaAsProducts: ASICs, receivers, power amps,
high-speed digital circuits.Feature sizes: 0.5µm-2.0µm
Key Agreements
• In March 1998, Rockwell and PairGain Technologies, Inc. announced an agreement whereby Rockwell willlicense PairGain’s DMT ADSL (Discrete Multi-Tone Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) Falcon chip, theindustry’s first 8Mbps single-chip DMT ADSL processor. The companies will also jointly develop a family ofADSL and G.lite devices.
Terms of the agreement call for Rockwell to compensate PairGain via licensing and royalty fees for exclusiverights to its DMT ADSL technology over a two year period. The agreement also calls for an intellectual propertyexchange between the two companies and a close collaboration on the development of future, highlyintegrated ADSL and G.lite devices.
• In early 1997, Rockwell licensed the ARM810 and the ARM7TDMI “Thumb” 32-bit RISC microprocessor coretechnologies of Advanced RISC Machines Ltd., as well as a core to be developed in the future. Rockwell willintegrate the cores into a variety of communications products.
• In 4Q96, Rockwell and Lucent Technologies jointly announced plans to make the two companies’ 56Kbpsmodem products interoperable.
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Rockwell Semiconductor Systems North American Company Profiles
• In July 1995, Rockwell signed a five-year foundry agreement with IMP, Inc. for the wafer fabrication of CMOSmixed-signal ICs.
• Rockwell is teamed with McCaw Cellular Communications to develop and provide a Cellular Digital Packet Data(CDPD) chipset that enables portable PCs to send digital data over cellular phone networks.
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North American Company Profiles Ross Technology
ROSS TECHNOLOGY
Ross Technology5316 Highway 290 West
Austin, Texas 78735Telephone: (512) 349-3108
Fax: (512) 349-3101Web Site: www.ross.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Regional Headquarters/Representative Locations
Europe: Ross Europe • La Hulpe, BelgiumTelephone: (32) (2) 652-1014 • Fax: (32) (2) 652-1062
Ross Technology is a majority owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Ltd., which acquired the firm from CypressSemiconductor in mid-1993 for about $22 million. In November 1995, Ross completed its initial public offering,reducing Fujitsu’s share to 60 percent. A minority position in Ross is also held by Sun Microsystems (five percent).
Originally established in 1988, Ross is involved in the design, development, and marketing of advanced RISCmicroprocessors based on the SPARC architecture pioneered by Sun Microsystems. Besides SPARCmicroprocessors, Ross also offers a complete line of high-end motherboards and systems. Ross Technology is asupplier of SPARC™ microprocessors and SPARC system products to both the OEM and end-user markets. Itsstated objective is to drive SPARC, the industry’s highest-volume reduced instruction set computing architecture,to increased performance leadership and market share.
Jack W. Simpson, Sr. President and Chief Executive OfficerFred T. May ChairmanFrank A Baffi Vice President, Sales and MarketingCarter Godwin Chief Accounting Officer and ControllerFrancis A. “Kit” Webster Chief Financial Officer
Products and Processes
Ross Technology's current family of RISC microprocessors include the 32-bit Colorado™ 2, 3, and 4hyperSPARC™ lines. The superscaler, superpipelined hyperSPARC processors are based on a 0.4µm triple-level-metal CMOS process and deliver performance of up to 200MHz. The company continues to develop itsnext-generation Viper microprocessor technology.
To support its hyperSPARC microprocessors, Ross also offers core logic chipsets.
A full line of system building blocks, including hyperSPARC™ microprocessors and SPARC Version 8-compliantmotherboards and ASIC chipsets, for OEM system suppliers and for end-user upgrades. The upgrade productssignificantly increase performance while maintaining compatibility and preserving previous end-user investmentsin hardware and software.
The new Quad 200 MHz hyperSPARC multiprocessing microprocessor upgrades from Ross fulfill the need forimproved performance and multiprocessing by end-users, are compatible with both SunOS® and the Solaris®operating systems, and maintain full Sun/SPARC compatibility.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
The company's devices are manufactured by Fujitsu.
Noteworthy News
• In June 1998, Ross Technology announced the orderly shutdown of its operations and served notice on its employees.
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North American Company Profiles S-MOS Systems
S-MOS SYSTEMS
S-MOS Systems, Inc.150 River Oaks Parkway
San Jose, California 95134Telephone: (408) 922-0200
Fax: (408) 922-0238Web Site: www.smos.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Regional Headquarters/Representative Locations
Central America: S-MOS Systems, Inc. • Chicago, IllinoisTelephone: (847) 517-7667 • Fax: (847) 517-7601
Northeast America: S-MOS Systems Inc. • Wakefield, MassachusettsTelephone: (617) 246-3600 • Fax: (617) 246-5443
Southeast America: S-MOS Systems, Inc. • Raleigh, North CarolinaTelephone: (919) 781-7667 • Fax: (919) 781-6778
Financial History ($M)
1 9 9 2 1 9 9 3 1 9 9 4 1 9 9 5 1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7
Sales 152 137 135 190 210 152
Employees 210 210 220 210 215 *117
*R&D Group split off.
Ownership: Privately held.
Company Overview and Strategy
S-MOS Systems Inc., established in 1983, designs, develops, and markets a full line of very-low-power and low-voltage (2V) advanced CMOS integrated circuits for a variety of market applications including desktop, notebook,and palmtop computers, handheld instrumentation, data and telecommunications, and mobile and portablecommunications devices. The company is divided into five key business units: Semiconductor Manufacturing,Graphics and other ASSP, MCUs, ASICs, and Card Products. The company provides silicon foundry servicesthrough its Japanese affiliate, Seiko-Epson Corporation.
Gate Arrays— SLA40000 Series: 0.45µm CMOS process with two or three layers of metal, 13K to
288K raw gates, and 128 to 400 available I/Os.— SLA30000 Series: 0.6µm CMOS process with two or three layers of metal, 18K to
216K raw gates, and 128 to 376 available I/Os.— SLA20000 Series: 0.65µm CMOS process with two and three layers of metal, 12K to
200K raw gates, and 64 to 368 available I/Os.— SLA9000F Series: 0.6µm CMOS process, 3K to 44K raw gates, and 80 to 256 I/Os.— SLA9000 Series: 1.0µm CMOS process with two layers of metal, 4K to
36K raw gates, and 82 to 240 available I/Os.— SLA100X Series: 2.0µm CMOS process with two layers of metal, 1K to
8K raw gates, and 78 to 178 available I/Os.
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North American Company Profiles S-MOS Systems
Standard Cells— SSC5000 Series: 0.8µm CMOS process, 7K to 107K raw gates, and 112 to 432
available I/Os.— SCC2500 Series: 1.6µm CMOS process, 300 to 16K raw gates, and 44 to 256 I/Os.— SCC2000 Series: 2.0µm CMOS process, 250 to 11K raw gates, and 40 to 192 I/Os.
Embedded Arrays— SSL20000-1: RAM-DAC embedded array for PC video and graphics applications.— SSL20000-2: LAN/Ethernet embedded array for LAN controller applications.— SSL20000-3: RAM/ROM embedded array for pager, cellular phone, and PDA applications.
Card Products Business Unit
Subsystem design and assembly.CARD-586 – the newest and smallest PC motherboard with AMD’s 5x86 133MHz CPU. The CARD-586 is33 percent faster than the CARD-486D4, 100MHz version introduced in 1996.
Contract Manufacturing Services
Foundry, test, and packaging services through Japanese affiliate Seiko-Epson.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Design, engineering, and marketing of S-MOS' products are handled at its San Jose headquarters. Manufacturingis done at Seiko-Epson's fabrication facility in Fujimi, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
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S3 North American Company Profiles
S3
S3 Incorporated2801 Mission College Boulevard
Santa Clara, California 95052-8058Telephone: (408) 588-8000
Fax: (408) 980-5444Web Site: www.s3.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Regional Headquarters/Representative Locations
Japan: S3 Japan K.K. • Tokyo, JapanTelephone: (81) (3) 3345-7630 • Fax: (81) (3) 3345-7390
S3® Incorporated, founded in 1989, pioneered graphics acceleration in 1991 when it introduced the world’s firstsingle-chip graphics accelerator, significantly improving the performance of the personal computer (PC).
Since then, S3 has delivered several generations of firsts — from the first 32-bit and 64-bit graphics acceleratorfamilies to the first integrated 2D, 3D and video accelerator to the first full-featured audio accelerator designed forthe mainstream PC market. Consistently meeting the needs of the rapidly evolving PC market, S3 combines high-performance hardware acceleration with optimized software drivers and content development programs to delivercomplete multimedia solutions. S3 also partitions its solutions to work with existing PC hardware to furthermaximize cost.
Walter Amaral Senior Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerRick Bergman Vice President and General Manager, Mobile ProductsJohn Brothers Vice President, Architecture and SoftwarePaul Franklin Senior Vice President, OperationsCecilia Hayes Vice President, Human ResourcesTerry Holdt Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the BoardDaniel Karr Vice President, Worldwide SalesAnoop Khurana Vice President, Engineering and Desktop ProductsMichael Nell Vice President, Marketing and Desktop ProductsWerner Stahel Vice President, Central Engineering
Products and Processes
S3 offers a variety of 64-bit and 128-bit graphics and multimedia accelerator ICs, as well as supporting softwaredrivers. In 1996 and 1997, the company significantly expanded its product offerings from 2D graphicsacceleration to audio processing, 3D acceleration, and mobile multimedia acceleration. S3’s IC products are listedbelow.
Desktop
The latest addition to its ViRGE® family of 2D, 3D and video accelerators, S3’s ViRGE/GX2 Home PC/TVaccelerator is a fully integrated multimedia acceleration solution providing support for TV-out, DuoView™ dual-display capability, Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) and high-quality Digital Video Disc (DVD).
S3’s Trio3D accelerator delivers the industry’s highest 2D graphics performance, advanced videoconferencing/video training capabilities and “business-ready” 3D graphics. Tailored to the needs of the corporateand SOHO PC markets, the Trio3D delivers OEMs with a cost-effective hardware/software compatible upgradepath for both ViRGE and Trio-based products.
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S3 North American Company Profiles
Mobile
Combining the same level of 2D, 3D and video capabilities found in S3’s desktop accelerators with advancedpower management and flat panel display support, S3’s second-generation mobile product — the ViRGE/MXaccelerator — enables the development of a new generation of productivity, entertainment and Internetapplications for the mobile PC market. Providing industry-first technologies such as fully integrated TV-out,DuoView dual display capability and AGP support, the ViRGE/MX accelerator exceeds the performance andfunctionality levels of core features available for the mobile PC platform.
S3’s third generation mobile accelerator — the ViRGE/MXi — is the industry’s first 3D graphics accelerator withIntegrated DRAM for mainstream notebook PCs. With two megabytes of S3-designed DRAM (known asS3RAM™), the ViRGE/MXi provides leading 2D/3D performance, improved power management and industry-firsttechnologies such as integrated Macrovision copy protection for DVD and DuoView dual display technology.
Audio
S3’s SonicVibes audio accelerator is the industry’s first, full-featured PCI-based audio solution for the mainstreamPC market. Integrating the capabilities of a sound card into a single chip, S3’s SonicVibes audio acceleratordelivers affordable sound quality previously found only in expensive, high-end studio systems.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
The majority of S3's silicon products are currently manufactured by TSMC and UMC. In 1995, S3 entered into apartnership with UMC and Alliance Semiconductor to establish a new jointly owned wafer foundry company inTaiwan called United Semiconductor Corporation (USC). S3 enjoys 16 percent ownership in USC, which beganprocessing 200mm wafers in 3Q96. S3 has the right to purchase up to about 31 percent of the USC fab’s output.See UMC’s profile for data on USC’s fab facility.
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North American Company Profiles Scenix Semiconductor
SCENIX SEMICONDUCTOR
Scenix Semiconductor, Inc.3140 De La Cruz Blvd., Suite 200
Santa Clara, California 95054Telephone: (408) 327-8888
Founded in January 1996, by Steve Leung, Scenix Semiconductor, Inc. designs and markets high-performancemicrocontrollers (MCUs) for embedded system applications. In November 1997, it received $3.85 million as theinitial part of its first round of venture capital funding; that round was completed in early 1998, with the receipt ofanother $3.85 million.
The company announced the SX Series of microcontrollers in August 1997, and shipped its first production unitsin December 1997. The MCUs are produced by world-class manufacturing partners, under contract to Scenix.The SX is positioned as “the world's fastest and most flexible 8-bit MCU platform.” Designed for high-volume digitalelectronic systems, including consumer, automotive and industrial products, the SX Series combines highperformance with features enabling affordable system costs.
Scenix has a domestic direct sales operation which is supplemented by a full-service distributor for North America,EBV Electronics (San Diego HQ), as well as a Manufacturers Representative channel composed of 14 domesticfirms with a total of 23 offices across 18 states. Scenix uses Parallax, Inc. (Rocklin, CA) for distribution intoGermany and the U.K., Comfile Technology (Seoul) for Korea, Sumisho Electronic Devices (Tokyo) for Japan, andCiponic Technology Co., Inc. for Hong Kong.
Management
Steve Leung President and Chief Executive OfficerStephan Thaler Vice President, Marketing
Products and Processes
The company's flagship product is the SX Series microcontroller family. Running at up to 50MHz and able toexecute most program instructions in a single clock cycle, the SX Series delivers up to 50 MIPS. The companyclaims this is 10 to 50 times greater performance than typical 8-bit MCUs. The fast processing speed and jitter-freeinterrupts, combined with on-chip programmable Flash memory (EEPROM), enable users to create ‘virtualperipherals’ running on the SX.
Scenix Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
The SX Series MCUs incorporate on-chip CPU, 2K X 12-bits of EEPROM, 136 bytes of SRAM, and commonlyused oscillators, timers, power-on and brown-out resets, and multi-input wakeups.
The SX architecture includes 33 instructions designed to be object-code compatible with the PIC16C5X® seriesof MCUs. The SX is optimized for performance, C-compiler support, and full UL1998 compliance.
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North American Company Profiles Seeq Technology
SEEQ TECHNOLOGY
Seeq Technology, Inc.47200 Bayside Parkway
Fremont, California 94538Telephone: (510) 226-7400
Fax: (510) 657-2837Web Site: www.seeq.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends September 30
Seeq Technology was established in 1981 to develop, produce, and market EEPROMs. Over the years thecompany has undergone a series of transitions that has created a company that is today much different than it wasfounded to be. Seeq began developing Ethernet products in 1982 and adopted a strategy to have its productsmanufactured by outside foundries in 1989. As a result of the foundry alliances that were established, the companyshut down its wafer fab facility in 1992 and thus became a fabless IC supplier. In early 1994, the companyabandoned the market it had itself created by selling its EEPROM business to competitor Atmel Corporation for $10million. Additionally, the company's Ethernet adapter board product line was discontinued in early 1994.
Seeq now focuses exclusively on local area network (LAN) communication devices and subsystems. Theseproducts are targeted at system manufacturers in the personal computer, workstation, printer, networking, hub,switch, router, NIC, and telecommunications markets. Fast Ethernet devices accounted for 66 percent of totalrevenues in 1997, up from 31 percent in 1996.
Alan V. Gregory ChairmanPhilip J. Salsbury, Ph.D. President and Chief Executive OfficerStephen Dreyer Director, EngineeringGary Fish Vice President, Finance, Chief Financial OfficerRobert C. Frostholm Vice President, Sales and MarketingJames Middleton Director, OperationsKent Andres Director, Quality and Reliability
Products and Processes
Seeq supplies Ethernet data communication controllers, encoder/decoders, coaxial and unshielded twisted paircable CMOS transceivers, and networking modules. The company also sells media signaling ICs for the high-speed ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) LAN market. Its products are designed using proprietary digital andmixed-signal CMOS processes, including submicron technologies (0.8µm, 0.6µm and 0.35µm).
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Seeq has established several agreements with wafer-based and ASIC-based foundry suppliers. Its volume waferprocessing partners are AMI, Samsung and TSMC. Ricoh and Samsung are used for turn-key manufacturingusing either a standard cell or a gate array approach.
Key Agreements
• Hualon Microelectronics holds a 10 percent stake in Seeq Technology and is providing foundry services for thesupplier. The two companies also agreed to jointly develop and market network ICs.
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North American Company Profiles Semicoa Semiconductor
SEMICOA SEMICONDUCTOR
Semicoa Semiconductor333 McCormick avenueCosta Mesa, CA 92626
Telephone: (714) 979-1900Fax: (714) 557-4541
Discrete Semiconductor Manufacturer
Ownership: Privately held.
Financial History ($M)
1 9 9 7
Sales 5-10 (est.)
Company Overview and Strategy
Semicoa, formed in 1968, manufactures small signal transistors, small signal RF transistors, power transistors andphotodiodes for the hi-rel military and space markets.
The company also manufactures a broad line of commercial transistors for the industrial markets. Many of thesedevices were acquired by the purchase of transistor product lines form General Semiconductor Industries andHarris Semiconductor. Typically, the products are packaged in hermetically sealed metal cans or ceramicpackages.
The company has automated manufacturing equipment, including wafer fabrication, pre-assembly, assembly,screening and final testing. All transistors are also available as chips for hybrid circuits.
Semicoa is ISO9001 certified.
Semicoa’s headquarters in Costa Mesa, houses all wafer fabrication, assembly, test, screening and supportoperations.
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Semtech North American Company Profiles
SEMTECH
Semtech Corporation652 Mitchell Road
Newbury Park, California 91320Telephone: (805) 498-2111
Fax: (805) 498-3804Web Site: www.semtech.com
IC Manufacturer
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends January 31
Semtech Corporation, founded in 1960, is a leading manufacturer of high quality analog and mixed signalproducts, dedicated to providing customers with cost effective, innovative solutions for power management,interface and protection.
In October 1997, Semtech acquired Edge Semiconductor located in San Diego, California. This acquisitionpositioned Semtech as a leading manufacturer of proprietary and commercial IC products for the automated testequipment market.
Semtech continues to focus on supplying high quality analog and mixed signal integrated circuits to end-marketapplications that include test and measurement, communications, computers and computer peripherals, videoand industrial equipment.
John D. Poe President and Chief Executive OfficerRaymond E. Bregar Executive Vice President, Corporate OperationsDavid I. Anderson Vice President, IC Design and DevelopmentDavid G. Franz, Jr. Vice President, Finance, and Chief Financial OfficerJean Claude Zambelli Vice President, Sales and MarketingWylie Plummer Vice President, ATE Division
Products and Processes
Semtech offers a wide range of analog and mixed signal integrated circuits, transient voltage suppression devicesand ATE components and custom analog circuits designed for solving today’s complex power management,protection and interface issues.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Semtech Corpus Cristi Semtech Santa Clara121 International Boulevard 1111 Comstock StreetCorpus Christi, Texas 78406 Santa Clara, California 95054Telephone: (512) 289-0403 Telephone: (408) 727-6562Wafer size: 4 inch Capacity (wafers/week): 2,000Process: Bipolar Wafer sizes: 4 inch, 5 inchProducts: IC design Processes: CMOS, bipolarFeature size: 3.0µm Products: ASICs, linear ICs, discretes, foundry
Feature sizes: 3.0µm, 4.0µm, 5.0µm
Semtech Corporation Semtech - ATE Division (formerly Edge Semiconductor)652 Mitchell Road 10021 Willow Creek RoadNewbury Park, California 91320 San Diego, California 92151Telephone: (805) 498-2111 Telephone: (619) 695-2633Products: Discretes
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Sensory North American Company Profiles
SENSORY
Sensory, Inc.521 East Weddell Drive
Sunnyvale, California 94089Telephone: (408) 744-9000
Fax: (408) 744-1299Web Site: www.sensoryinc.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Employees: 35
Ownership: Privately held.
Company Overview and Strategy
Sensory develops and markets technologies that enhance communications with products. Sensory offers theInteractive Speech™ product line — a complete offering of integrated circuits and software-only solutions forspeech recognition in consumer electronics and telephony handsets. Sensory’s low-cost ICs include the RSC-Series general-purpose microcontrollers featuring a comprehensive suite of speech input and outputtechnologies. Sensory’s software speech recognition technology runs on a range of microcontrollers and DSPs.
Management
Todd Mozer President and Chief Executive OfficerMark Frankel Vice President, SalesMike Kaskowitz Vice President, EngineeringKeith Kitami Vice President, Operations and Services
Products and Processes
Sensory is dedicated to providing the highest accuracy speech recognition solutions at the lowest system cost.Sensory employs a large R&D team working on neural networks, dynamic time warping, time domain speechcompression, plus advanced software and IC designs. Sensory’s software speech recognition lowers systemcosts by substantially reducing processing and memory requirements. Sensory’s IC-based solutions further lowercosts by integrating multiple technologies and features on a single chip. RAM, ROM, automatic gain control(AGC), output amplifier, and A/D and D/A converters are all integrated on-chip, reducing the need for externalcircuitry.
The Interactive Speech™ line of products includes both IC and software based speech recognition solutions.Sensory’s Interactive Speech products offer a full range of speech technologies featuring speaker-independentand speaker-dependent discrete word speech recognition, speech and music synthesis, voice record, DTMFgeneration and speaker verification. Sensory’s Interactive Speech ICs include the RSC series, general purposemicrocontrollers with speech I/O, plus a line of easy-to-implement chips which can be pin-configured or controlledby an external host microcontroller. Sensory’s software technologies run on a variety of microcontrollers andDSPs. Sensory’s software technologies include Car Command™ for automotive applications and other noiseenvironments.
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Sigma Designs, Inc. North American Company Profiles
SIGMA DESIGNS, INC.
Sigma Designs, Inc.46501 Landing Parkway
Fremont, California 94538Telephone: (510) 770-0100
Sigma Designs, Inc. makes multimedia chipsets and playback cards for use in PCs. The Company uses MovingPicture Experts Group (MPEG) technology for its REALmagic product line and markets its products to OEMs,VARs (Value Added Resellers), and retail customers throughout the world.
North American Company Profiles Sigma Designs, Inc.
Management
Thinh Q. Tran Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive OfficerSilvio Perich Senior Vice President, Worldwide SalesDan Chen Senior Vice President, TechnologyJacques Martinella Vice President, EngineeringPrem Talreja Vice President, MarketingKit Tsui Director, Finance, Chief Financial Officer, and SecretaryJames Pio Director, Operations
Products and Processes
Sigma Designs offers chipsets for high performance 2D and 3D graphics acceleration for PC manufacturers andadd-on card makers. The Company also offers complete MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 playback solutions for bothdesktop and notebook computers.
REALmagic add-on cards were the first low cost MPEG multimedia playback controllers for the PC to target thehome and corporate PC markets. Product details are as follows.
REALmagic Chipsets
• REALmagic PRO chipset features REAL Overlay technology and is capable of supporting video playback atup to 1600 x 1200 resolution in 24-bit colors.
• REALmagic PC-MPEG chipset incorporates all the features of the REALmagic PRO chipset, plus Sigma’s ownIntegrated MPEG video and audio recorder.
• REALmagic Explorer chipset provides the new Zoomed Video (ZV) Port technology for notebook computers.This technology gives notebook computers the ability to display full-screen, full-motion video by allowing directaccess to the video memory of the graphics controller via the PCMCIA slot.
• REALmagic 64/GX is a 2D graphics accelerator chip and incorporates advanced video filtering.
REALmagic Board Products
• REALmagic Maxima is a MPEG playback card designed for multimedia capable home PCs. Its REAL Overlaytechnology makes it compatible with virtually all VGA graphics cards available.
• REALmagic Ultra has all the features of REALmagic Maxima, plus Windows PCM sound (WAV files) playbackcapability and TV signal output for corporate computer-based training applications, kiosks, and multimediapresentations.
Key Agreements
• In mid-1997, Sigma Designs Inc., and the Haitai I & C, subsidiary of the Haitai Group of Companies, signed adistribution and joint product development agreement. Haitai distributed the REALmagic DVD/MPEG-2multimedia kit using the Sigma Designs DVD/MPEG-2 playback card to over 400 franchised stores in Korea.
• On May 3, 1996, Sigma Designs Inc. acquired Active Design Corporation, a multimedia developer, in a poolingof interests.
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Signal Processing Technologies North American Company Profiles
SIGNAL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES (SPT)
Signal Processing Technologies, Inc.4755 Forge Road
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907Telephone: (719) 528-2300
Fax: (719) 528-2370Web Site: www.spt.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Employees: 100
Company Overview and Strategy
Signal Processing Technologies (SPT) is a supplier of high-performance data conversion and signal conditioningintegrated circuits. It was formed in 1983 as a business unit of Honeywell's semiconductor group. SPT was thenacquired in 1989 by a group of private investors and an employee team and was established as a separatecorporation. In June 1990, the company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan's Toko, Inc., a worldwidesupplier of electronic components and integrated circuits.
Management
Ben Takada PresidentRichard Mintle Director, Sales and MarketingAlfi Moscovici Director, EngineeringMike Ruebenson Director, Finance and Administration
Products and Processes
SPT offers a portfolio of products that includes high-speed comparators and A/D and D/A converters. Thecompany's primary focus is on developing proprietary, high-performance signal conditioning and data conversionproducts. It has received funding from its parent to develop new analog products designed for a variety ofcommercial, industrial, and military applications.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Toko acts as the foundry for SPT. In late 1992, SPT purchased a former Digital Equipment Corp. R&D facility,which more than doubled the company's engineering and test area. The facility includes a 10,000 square-footspace that SPT may convert into a Class 10 or Class 1 fab in the future.
Silicon Composers is an ASIC and printed circuit board designer and manufacturer, as well as a software developer(operating systems, device drivers, algorithms). Additionally, the company offers manufacturing services tocompanies whose hardware has already been designed in-house. Silicon Composers was founded in 1985. Itsfirst product was the Delta Board. The company serves the independent manufacturer and OEM markets.
Products and Processes
Silicon Composers’ SC32 is a 32-bit high-speed, general purpose microprocessor optimized for subroutine callsand returns, single-cycle instruction execution and multitasking. The dual-stack architecture of the SC32 is similarto the that found in the Forth language. (The company claims its SC/Forth language, a Forth-83 Standard-basedversion, is the world's fastest 32-bit Forth language). Instruction fetches occur in parallel with the previousinstruction's execution resulting in one clock cycle instructions, providing speeds in the 60 MIPS range at 10MHz.The SC32 was developed at Johns Hopkins University.
The company claims the “SC32 combines the speed of DSP hardware with the ease of programming a general-purpose microprocessor in a high-level language to significantly reduce development time.” The SC32 is used fordedicated applications, general computing environments, embedded systems control, multi-tasking systems, dataacquisition, image and numerical processing and applications requiring large, non-segmented program, data ormemory-mapped I/O capability. Key features include: one clock cycle instruction execution; two clock cycle datamemory access; and two 32-bit, 16-deep stacks on chip with the first four registers of each stack (user registers,program counter, zero register and processor status word register) accessible from the instruction set.
Silicon Composers’ ASIC design and fabrication services use advanced standard cell design environments. Anextensive variety of functional cores is also maintained. The company has particular expertise in the followingareas:
• High performance mixed digital and analog system design;• Embedded real-time control applications;• Automotive;• Image processing;• Disk Drives;• Scanners• Printers;• Peripherals;• Scientific-aerospace (including Mil-Spec);• PALs, GALs; and• Gate arrays.
Since its founding, Silicon Composers has built over 100 types of PCBs. Boards produced have been betweentwo and eight layers and have included mixed-signal digital and analog, and mixed through-hole and surfacemount.
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North American Company Profiles Siliconix
SILICONIX
Siliconix Incorporated(Member of TEMIC Semiconductors)
2201 Laurelwood RoadSanta Clara, California 95056-0951
Telephone: (408) 988-8000Fax: (408) 970-3950
Web Site: www.siliconix.com
IC Manufacturer
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends December 31
Founded in 1962, Siliconix designs, manufactures, and markets ICs and discrete components for switching, motorcontrol, and power management in computers, automotive, instrumentation, and telecommunicationsapplications. AEG Capital Corporation became a majority shareholder of the company in December 1990,increasing its ownership from 38 percent to 80 percent of the company's outstanding stock. In July 1992,Siliconix was joined with Telefunken Semiconductors, Matra MHS, and Dialog Semiconductor to form thesemiconductor division of TEMIC, the microelectronics group of Daimler-Benz AG, a German automotive,electronics, and aerospace conglomerate.
In 1996, Siliconix restructured its business to better reach its target markets. Power MOS, Power IC, and SignalProcessing product units were created with profit and loss responsibilities for their respective product lines. ThePower MOS and Signal Processing units report jointly to Siliconix and the Discrete Components Division of TEMICSemiconductors. The Power IC unit reports jointly to Siliconix and the Integrated Circuits Division of TEMICSemiconductors.
Richard J. Kulle President and Chief Executive OfficerKing Owyang Executive Vice President, Technology and Silicon OperationsJürgen F. Biehn Senior Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerG. Thomas Simmons Vice President, Strategic Marketing and Business Development
Products and Processes
Siliconix's power transistors and integrated circuits are mainly used for power management and motion control incommunications, computers, and automotive systems. The company's analog switches, analog multiplexers, andlow-power transistors are used to sense, switch, and route signals in video, multimedia, instrumentation, and testequipment in consumer and industrial applications.
In 1997, sales of power MOSFETs, the company’s fastest growing product group, and power ICs accounted forabout 75 percent of total sales.
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North American Company Profiles Siliconix
Siliconix provides products and technologies that directly answer the market's demand for smaller, more efficient,and more cost-effective components. The company's Little Foot® discrete power transistors are the industry'smost compact solution for motion control in hard disk drives and for load management in portable computers.These miniaturized products can be mounted directly on the printed circuit board, and are the first such powerdevices small enough to fit in a PCMCIA card. The company's Little Foot® line has been designed into telecomsystems, automotive air bag triggers, and numerous other applications where space-savings and efficiency are at apremium. In early 1997, Siliconix announced a family of specialized power MOSFETs as part of its Little Foot®product line. The devices are designed to work with most low-voltage pulse width modulation (PWM) controllers.Each of the new devices is designed to handle a different power level, and thus each targets a differentapplication.
Siliconix's power integrated circuits include a family of high-frequency switchmode regulator and controller ICsdesigned for use with Lite Foot or Little Foot® discretes and offering the optimal level of integration for DC-to-DCconversion in battery-operated equipment, including laptop and notebook computers. For data storagecustomers the company offers highly integrated chips for voice coil and spindle motor control. Other IC productsinclude power interface devices for computers equipped with dual battery packs or PCMCIA slots, power ICs forbus control in automobiles, and analog switches and multiplexers for use in signal switching and routing inelectronic instruments and industrial equipment.
Siliconix utilizes CMOS, DMOS, BiCMOS, and BiC/DMOS (BCDMOS) technologies in the manufacture of its ICand discrete products. The company's power ICs are manufactured using its proprietary self-isolated BCDMOStechnologies, which include the BCD15 process for producing power ICs operating from 2.5V to 15V and theBCD60 process for producing power ICs operating up to 60V.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Siliconix Incorporated Siliconix Incorporated2201 Laurelwood Road 2201 Laurelwood RoadSanta Clara, California 95056 Santa Clara, California 95056Fab 2 Fab 3Capacity (wafers/week): 2,000 Capacity (wafers/week): 1,500Wafer size: 100mm Wafer size: 150mmProcesses: CMOS, DMOS, BiCMOS, BCDMOS Processes: CMOS, DMOS, BiCMOS, BCDMOSProducts: Linear and power ICs, discretes Products: Power ICs and discretesFeature size: 3.0µm Feature sizes: 0.8µm-1.5µm
Siliconix also uses a foundry in Taiwan for the production of some of its cost-sensitive analog switch and low-powerdiscrete product lines.
High-volume assembly and product testing is handled at the company's facilities in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, a jointventure in Shanghai, China, called Simconix, and at subcontractors in the Philippines, India, Taiwan, and China. Alimited amount of assembly and product test is performed in Santa Clara.
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North American Company Profiles Simtek
SIMTEK
Simtek Corporation1465 Kelly Johnson Boulevard
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80920Telephone: (719) 531-9444
Fax: (719) 531-9481Web Site: www.simtek.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends December 31
Simtek Corporation has designed, developed, and marketed non-volatile semiconductor memory products sinceit commenced business operations in 1987. Its concentration has been on the design and development of fastnvSRAMs (non-volatile SRAMs) and associated products and technologies.
Simtek's products are aimed at avionics subsystems, portable computers and instruments, medicalinstrumentation, navigation aids, robotics, telecommunications systems, and other high performance applications.
Richard L. Petritz ChairmanDouglas Mitchell President and Chief Executive OfficerChristian Herdt Vice President, EngineeringSheldon A. Taylor Director
Products and Processes
Simtek's nvSRAM product family includes 4K, 16K, 64K, and 256K devices with access speeds ranging from25ns to 45ns. The nvSRAMs utilize a unique patented memory cell technology called Novcel, which integratesfast SRAM and EEPROM elements in each cell. In late 1993, Simtek introduced its AutoStore™ nvSRAMs, whichautomatically detect power loss and transfer data from SRAM into EEPROM.
Simtek uses an advanced implementation of silicon-nitride-oxide-semiconductor (SNOS) technology in thedesign of its products. The company's Novcel technology is compatible with basic CMOS technology, allowingnvSRAM memory cells to be incorporated with other system level semiconductor products.
Simtek’s products are based on 1.2µm and 0.8µm process technologies. In 1997, products based on 1.2µmprocess technology represented 45 percent of sales, while products based on 0.8µm process technology madeup the remaining 55 percent.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Simtek has foundry agreements with Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing (CSM) of Singapore and ZentrumMikroelektronik Dresden of Germany for the manufacture of its wafers.
Key Agreements
• Simtek signed an agreement with Zentrum Mikroelektronik Dresden (ZMD) in mid-1994 to install its 1.2µmprocess in ZMD's fab in Germany and to jointly develop 0.8µm process technology. The agreement was latermodified to bypass the installation of 1.2µm technology and instead install 0.8µm technology. ZMD alsoreceived a license to sell Simtek's 64K and 256K nvSRAMs built in the 0.8µm process.
In 1995, the two companies expanded their relationship to include the joint development of additionalnvSRAMs using the 0.8µm process. ZMD agreed to finance the development in exchange for shares inSimtek. In the second quarter of 1996, ZMD began supplying Simtek with 64K finished units based on 0.8µmprocess technology. ZMD is the largest shareholder of Simtek, owning 30 percent.
• Simtek entered into a manufacturing and development agreement with Chartered SemiconductorManufacturing (CSM) in 1992 for 64K through 1M nvSRAMs. CSM will provide Simtek with wafers at leastthrough 3Q98.
• Simtek established an agreement in 1989 with GEC Plessey Semiconductors under which GEC Plessey hasthe right to incorporate Simtek's non-volatile memory technology into its ASICs. In 1990, the agreement wasextended to grant GEC Plessey a worldwide license to manufacture and market Simtek's nvSRAM devices.
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North American Company Profiles Single Chip Systems
SINGLE CHIP SYSTEMS
Single Chip Systems Corporation10905 Technology Place
San Diego, California 92127Telephone: (619) 485-9196
Fax: (619) 485-0561www.scs-corp.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Ownership: Privately held.
Company Overview and Strategy
SCS Corporation (Single Chip Systems) is a venture capital funded company that was founded in technology.Specifically, SCS develops and produces held programmable IC products for the radio frequency identification(RF/ID) market. The company also assembles its ICs into electronic ID tags. SCS announced product in May 1997,and is now the largest volume producer of RF/ID tags.
Management
Jacob S. Jacobsson President and Chief Executive OfficerBruce B. Roesner, Ph.D. Chairman and Chief Technology OfficerGregory A. Bohdan Chief Financial Officer
Products and Processes
The company's first product is i2 system, an electronic ID tag and scanner system that offers a significant increase inperformance and decrease in price compared to existing systems.
I2 and the I2 logo are trademarks of SCS Corporation.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
SCS's ICs are manufactured at independent foundries.
Sipex Corporation (NASDAQ: SIPX) is a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance, high valued-added analog integrated circuits. The company is focused on three market areas: data communications andtelecommunications; battery powered/portable products; and industrial controls/instrumentation. Sipex servesthese market sectors with three primary product lines: interface circuits, low power application-specific analogcircuits, and data converter products. The company pioneered the design, development, and manufacture ofelectroluminescent lamp (EL) driver circuits.
Sipex was established in 1965 under the name Hybrid Systems Inc. and until the late 1980’s focused on thedesign and manufacture of data conversion products utilizing hybrid technology, primarily for the military market.The company merged with DataLinear Corporation in 1986 and then with Dielectric Semiconductor Inc. in 1987, atwhich time the company name was changed to Sipex Corporation. Then in 1988, the company acquired BarvonBiCMOS Technology, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of custom and standard monolithic products forcommercial markets. The development of new standard hybrid products was discontinued in 1989, and while thecompany continues to support the military markets with existing hybrid products, its focus today is on commercialproducts.
International sales accounted for approximately 38 percent of the company’s net sales in 1997.
Management
James E. Donegan Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerFrank R. DiPietro Executive Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerRaymond W.B. Chow Senior Vice PresidentSanford Cohen Senior Vice President, TechnologyTim Dhuyvetter Senior Vice President
Products and Processes
Sipex offers both standard and custom products. The standard products include interface (line drivers/receivers),electroluminescent lamp driver circuits, data conversion products, and other linear products, while the customproducts include full-custom monolithic ICs and custom multichip products. The company also providesdielectrically isolated silicon substrates to a broad spectrum of semiconductor manufacturers.
For interface products, Sipex offers a full line of products, including low-power single interface productssupporting RS-232 and RS-485 standards and programmable multi-mode serial interface transceivers allowingsingle chips to communicate in up to eight different standards. These products are fabricated in a high-voltageBiCMOS process technology and specialize in low-power 5V-only operation.
The low-power application-specific products utilize a proprietary dielectrically isolated (DI) BiCMOS processtechnology that allows both very low voltages (1V) and very high voltages (100V) to be used simultaneously onthe same IC. The company’s EL driver circuits are based on this specialized process.
For data converter products, Sipex specializes in high-accuracy 12-bit A/D and D/A converters.
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Sipex North American Company Profiles
The broad base of semiconductor processes and technologies used by Sipex enable it to design productsoptimized for each application. Sipex focuses on leveraging its specialized dielectrically isolated BiCMOStechnology, which the company believes is particularly well suited to the low-power, low-voltage requirements ofbattery powered/portable products.
The company utilizes its own fabrication facility for producing 3.0µm to 5.0µm dielectrically isolated complementarybipolar and BiCMOS linear devices, and has strategic foundry relationships for producing 0.8µm to 4.0µmBiCMOS and CMOS linear devices.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
As already mentioned, the company’s own wafer fabrication facility produces products utilizing the company’s DIcomplementary bipolar and BiCMOS processes. The company’s BiCMOS and CMOS products are manufacturedusing fully processed wafers supplied primarily by UMC, Orbit Semiconductor, and Calogic Corporation.
Sipex Corporation491 Fairview WayMilpitas, California 95035Telephone: (408) 945-9080Fax: (408) 946-6191Capacity (wafers/week): 500Wafer size: 100mmProcesses: Bipolar, BiCMOSProducts: Linear ICsFeature sizes: 3.0µm-5.0µm
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North American Company Profiles Solitron Devices, Inc.
SOLITRON DEVICES, INC.
Solitron Devices, Inc.3301 Electronics Way
West Palm Beach, Florida 33407Telephone: (561) 868-4311
Solitron Devices, Inc. designs and manufactures more than 1500 standard semiconductor types includingDarlingtons, IGBTs, JETs, MOSFETs, Rectifiers, Voltage Rectifiers, Voltage Regulators, and Rad-Hardcomponents for various satellite and space exploration programs.
Solitron Devices, Inc. is well known for producing custom and standard power solid-state components for theaerospace, defense, industrial, medical, and commercial industries worldwide.
Solitron pioneered the combining of small signal circuitry with power semiconductors to create hybrid circuits forhigh-end industrial and military/aerospace applications. Solitron was one of the first companies to integrateMOSFETs and IGBTs into power hybrid circuits, and has the capability to incorporate Rad-Hard, Single Event GateRupture (SEGR) resistant MOSFETs into its products. In 1968, Solitron Devices, Inc. developed the first quadpower transistor module packaged in a copper package with ceramic eyelets, which were used to drive the wheelsof the Lunar Rover vehicle on the moon.
Solitron Devices, Inc. North American Company Profiles
Management
Shevach Saraf Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerTom Ruth Vice President, Finance, and Chief Financial OfficerDave Harrison Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Products and Processes
MOS MEMORY ANALOG
DRAM ✔ Amplifier
SRAM ✔ Interface
Flash Memory ✔ Consumer/Automotive
EPROM ✔ Voltage Regulator/Reference
ROM Data Conversion
EEPROM ✔ Comparator
Other (Including Non-Volatile RAM) ✔ Other (Includes Telecom)
MOS LOGIC DIGITAL BIPOLAR
General Purpose Logic Bipolar Memory
Gate Array General Purpose Logic
Standard Cell Gate Array/Standard Cell
Field Programmable Logic Field Programmable Logic
Other Special Purpose Logic Other Special Purpose Logic
MPU/MCU/MPR
MOS MICROCOMPONENT
MPU OTHER
MCU Full Custom IC
MPR ✔ Discrete
DSP Optoelectronic
Semiconductor Devices
• More than 1,500 standard transistor and rectifier part types.• Planar transistors with currents ranging form 1 to 200A and voltage ranging from 40 to 1600V.• Rad-Hard Semiconductors and Hybrids.
Power Transistors
• Power MOSFETs, N- and P- Channel.• IGBTs.• Power Bipolar, NPN and PNP including Darlingtons.
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North American Company Profiles Solitron Devices, Inc.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Solitron Devices, Inc.3301 Electronics WayWest Palm Beach, Florida 33407Telephone: (561) 868-4311Fax: (561) 863-5946Cleanroom size: 30,000 square feetProcesses: Bipolar, MOS
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Space Electronics North American Company Profiles
SPACE ELECTRONICS (SEI)
Space Electronics, Inc.4031 Sorrento Valley Boulevard
San Diego, California 92121Telephone: (619) 452-4167
Space Electronics, Inc. (SEI) was established in 1992 as a spin-off of Science Applications InternationalCorporation (SAIC) Microelectronics Technology Center. The focus of Space Electronics is to address the nichemarket of spacecraft microcircuits. The company’s proprietary Rad-Pak™, Rad-Coat™, and LPT™ technologiesenable off-the-shelf commercial microelectronic components to survive the typical radiation levels encountered inspace.
Space Electronics Inc. has grown to an internationally recognized supplier of microelectronics for spaceapplications. They sell to every major space contractor including NASA, Lockheed Martin, Orbital Sciences,Space Systems Loral, Boeing, TRW and Hughes. Their foreign customers include Mitsubishi, SAAB/EricssonSpace and the European Space Agency. Their microcircuits are currently in orbit aboard many spacecraftsincluding Mars Surveyor, Iridium, Globalstar, and Cassini.
In 1996, they purchased from Megatek Corp. their 2D graphics product line, inventory and capital assets. Thisbusiness unit is called Megatek Graphics™ and is currently manufacturing PMC, VME and SBus graphicsaccelerator boards for the industrial and military markets.
SEI’s third business unit is Hi-Rel Components and Services which encompasses high reliability components,upscreening services, and analytical services.
Robert Czajkowski Chief Executive OfficerDavid J. Strobel PresidentPaul Blevins Chief Financial Officer
Products and Processes
Key space IC product lines include memory chips (EEPROMs, SRAMs, DRAMs, FIFOs), Analog ICs (DACs, OpAmps, ADCs, voltage regulators), Logic (PLDs, CPUs, FPGAs, I/O-fiber channel, MCMs and hybrids and powerMOSFETs). Megatek Graphics’ line manufactures PMC, VME and SBus graphics accelerator boards.
Key Agreements
• In March 1998, Space Electronics Inc. announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding withActel Corporation to develop and market a new line of high-reliability, radiation-tolerant Field ProgrammableGate Array (FPGA) products. The agreement calls for the two companies to combine Space Electronics’patented RAD-PAK package shielding technology with Actel’s commercial FPGA products. The first productsare expected by the second quarter of 1998.
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SST North American Company Profiles
SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY (SST)
Silicon Storage Technology, Inc.1171 Sonora Court
Sunnyvale, California 94086Telephone: (408) 735-9110
Silicon Storage Technology (SST) designs, manufactures and markets flash memory components for thecomputer, communications, and consumer markets. The company currently offers medium density devicesranging from 512K to 4M, for a range of applications in the computer, communications, multimedia, and videogame markets.
Product development at SST is focused on developing new memory products featuring higher densities, such as16M and 32M flash memories, for use in digital cameras, memory cards, and digital cellular phones. For thecompany’s higher density products, the company is also developing advanced process technologies. SST’snear-term strategy is to focus on the flash memory market as it continues to replace traditional nonvolatilememories. SST’s longer term plans are to expand into the mass storage and flash embedded controller markets.
Management
Bing Yeh President and Chief Executive OfficerJeffrey L. Garon Vice President, Finance and Administration and Chief Financial OfficerIsao Nojima Vice President, Memory Design and Product EngineeringYaw Wen Hu Vice President, Technology Development and Wafer ManufacturingDavid Sweetman Vice President, Quality and Customer SupportJoel J. Camarda Vice President, OperationsDerek Best Vice President, Sales and MarketingMike Briner Vice President, Design Engineering
Page Erase, Byte Program Flash Memories4M SuperFlash Flash Memory — 2.7V-, 3V-, and 5V-only4M PCMCIA Interface Flash Memory — 3V- and 5V-only1M Many-Times-Programmable (MTP) Flash — 5.0V or 2.7V (2.7-3.6V)
The company’s products are designed and manufactured using the company proprietary SuperFlash™ CMOStechnology.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
SST is a fabless company, therefore, it uses independent foundry companies for the manufacturing of its devices.The company’s primary foundry partners are Sanyo and Winbond, but SST also has foundry and licensingagreements with TSMC and Seiko-Epson. Winbond’s foundry agreement expires in 2008.
Key Agreements
• In October of 1997, SST and Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) announced a licensing agreement to use SST’sSuperFlash™ technology in a variety of ADI products.
• In July of 1997, SST and Information Storage Devices (ISD), Inc. announced a licensing agreement to useSST’s SuperFlash™ technology in ISD’s new long duration record and playback voice circuits.
• In March of 1997, SST and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC) announced a licensingagreement to pursue embedded flash applications. The agreement covers 0.35 and 0.5 micron processes.
• In March of 1997, SST and Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd., announced plans to jointly develop 0.35 micronSuperFlash™ process in Sanyo’s first 8” wafer fab in Niigata, Japan. First production shipments are expected inthe second half of 1998. This foundry agreement provides wafer production capacity to SST through 2009.
• In February of 1997, SST and Seiko-Epson announced a licensing and supply agreement with Seiko-EpsonCorp. for flash memory products.
• In February 1997, SST signed an agreement with foundry partner TSMC for the production of its 2M products.As part of the agreement, SST licensed its SuperFlash™ technology to TSMC in exchange for manufacturedwafers.
• In 1996, SST licensed its SuperFlash™ technology to Seiko-Epson and established a foundry agreement forproduction capacity.
• SST licensed Rockwell the right to use its technology to produce and market 0.8µm embedded modem chips.The company has similar agreements with ISD and Analog Devices.
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North American Company Profiles Standard Microsystems
STANDARD MICROSYSTEMS (SMSC)
Standard Microsystems Corporation80 Arkay Drive
Hauppauge, New York 11788Telephone: (516) 435-6000
Standard Microsystems North American Company Profiles
Company Overview and Strategy
Standard Microsystems Corporation is a worldwide supplier of MOS/VLSI integrated circuits for the personalcomputer industry. SMSC has a leading position in input/output (I/O) circuits for PCs with over 80 million unitsshipped and, additionally, supplies circuits for local area networks and embedded control systems. The companyalso operates a wafer foundry that specializes in MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) devices. SMSC is aleading supplier of MEMS, with more than 20 million devices delivered to date.
Standard Microsystems is based in Hauppauge, New York and maintains offices worldwide, including locations inNorth America, Asia, Europe, and Japan. SMSC operates engineering design centers in San Jose, CA;Westborough, MA; Hauppauge, NY; and Austin TX.
Since its establishment in 1971, Standard Microsystems Corporation has had a long history of product andtechnology innovation. Some industry firsts include the UART, digital data separator, floppy disk controller withon-board digital data separator, CRT controller, and single-chip local area network (LAN) solutions.
In the early seventies, SMSC developed a patented semiconductor manufacturing technology, COPLAMOS®,that provided a better way to isolate active devices on a silicon substrate. This process was essential to thedevelopment of advanced metal-oxide-silicon (MOS) integrated circuits. Through the years, the company hasstrengthened its patent portfolio with additional patents in semiconductor, communications and computertechnologies.
SMSC has leveraged its patented technology by incorporating it into the company’s own products and bylicensing it to over two dozen companies, including other semiconductor manufacturers, such as TexasInstruments Incorporated, Intel Corporation, NEC Corporation, IBM Corporation, Hitachi, Ltd., and AT&TCorporation.
Management
Paul Richman Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerEric M. Nowling Chief Financial OfficerArthur Sidorsky PresidentGeorge W. Houseweart Senior Vice President, Law and Intellectual PropertyJohn E. Burgess Vice President, SalesDouglas L. Finke Vice President and GM, Wafer Foundry Business UnitLawrence H. Goldstein Vice President, EngineeringR. Hollingsworth Vice President, MarketingPeter Ju Vice President, Personal Computer Systems Logic Business UnitDi Ma Vice President, Operations
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North American Company Profiles Standard Microsystems
Products and Processes
SMSC's IC product and service offerings include the following.
• Personal computer I/O devices that perform many of the basic input/output functions required in every PC,including floppy disk control, IDE hard disk interface, parallel port control, and serial port control. Included is afamily of Super and Ultra I/O devices that integrate all of the above functions on a single IC. The Super and UltraI/O family includes other new features, such as power management and Fast IR communications.
• Highly integrated Fast Ethernet and single-chip Ethernet products such as an IC that incorporates anencoder/decoder, 10Base-T transceiver, AT bus interface, and memory management unit (MMU) on a singlechip.
• ARCNET LAN devices for use in PCs and in industrial networking environments.
• Foundry services for customers desiring wafer fabrication capacity for 1.6µm geometries and above or forspecialized semiconductor processing requirements that require unique thin-film expertise. In early 1997,SMSC announced plans to fully convert its fab to a foundry for the production of micro-electro-mechanicalsystems (MEMS), which are tiny systems such as sensors, motors, and valves used in a variety of applications.SMSC has been producing MEMS for several years.
SMSC is certified as an ISO 9002 supplier.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
SMSC utilizes a mix of internal and external wafer fabrication sources to manufacture its products. Its more matureproducts are produced at its fab in New York, while newer products, utilizing 0.6µm and 0.5µm and smallertechnologies are produced by external wafer foundries in Europe and Asia
In 1995, SMSC made a $16 million investment in Lucent Technologies’ Madrid fab and a $20 million investment inChartered Semiconductor to enhance its external wafer supply (see Key Agreements).
Standard Microsystems Corporation35 Marcus BoulevardHauppauge, New York 11788Capacity (wafers/week): 2,500Wafer size: 100mmProcesses: MEMS, 2µm CMOS, 3µm CMOS and NMOSProducts: Foundry servicesFeature sizes: 1.6µm-3.0µm(This fab is being fully converted toa dedicated MEMS foundry).
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Standard Microsystems North American Company Profiles
Key Agreements
• As of October 7, 1997, SMSC sold 80.1 percent of their former Systems Products Division to AcctonTechnology Corporation. SMSC’s continuing operations will now almost entirely consist of its ComponentProducts Division.
• SMSC and Intel agreed to work together to integrate new semiconductor I/O chips into selected Intel PCmotherboard designs through the end of 1997. SMSC will provide Intel with the I/O devices, which have beenspecifically designed to work with Intel’s newer microprocessors and core logic chipsets. Intel holds a 10percent equity interest in SMSC.
• In 1995, SMSC made a $20 million investment in Singapore-based foundry Chartered SemiconductorManufacturing (CSM) in return for guaranteed capacity from CSM's new 200mm wafer fab that came on-line in2H95.
• SMSC struck a foundry deal with Lucent Technologies in 1994 under which SMSC agreed to boost thecapacity of Lucent's fab facility in Madrid, Spain, in return for a guaranteed portion of the fab output over a five-year period. The new equipment has the capability to produce devices with 0.9µm to 0.45µm feature sizes.SMSC received its first wafers in 1996.
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North American Company Profiles Stanford Telecommunications
STANFORD TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC. (STI)
Stanford Telecommunications, Inc. (STI)1221 Crossman Ave.
Sunnyvale, CA 94089Telephone: (408) 745-0818
Fax: (408) 745-7756Web Site: www.stelhq.com and www.stel.com
Revenues for the Company's contract manufacturing business amounted to approximately 20 percent of totalrevenues for fiscal 1996 and 1997, an increase from approximately 10 percent of revenues for fiscal 1995.
Company Overview and Strategy
Founded in 1973, Stanford Telecom (STI) designs, assembles, and markets advanced digital communicationsproducts and systems to establish or enhance communications via satellites, terrestrial wireless and cable. STIalso provides communication systems networking solutions and Global Positioning System (GPS) navigationproducts. STI’s expertise encompasses all the technologies required for these systems, including radiofrequency (RF), digital, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), software, and system design. STI maintainsa low cost, high volume commercial assembly capability and offers cost effective engineering services.
STI’s principal base business areas and products include:
• Advanced Communications for Government Agencies;• Transportable Milstar Terminal;• Tri-band Terminals;• Communication Satellite Performance Monitoring;• Air Traffic Control Systems Modernization;• Satellite Based Air Traffic Control System;• Commercial Telecommunications Chip and Board Level Products;• Commercial Electronic Contract Manufacturing.
Stanford Telecommunications North American Company Profiles
After reviewing STI overall, this profile will focus on STI’s Commercial Telecommunications Chip and Board LevelProducts business below in the Products and Processes section.
STI has over 60 patents granted or applied for in communications technologies such as Code Division MultipleAccess (CDMA) and Orthogonal CDMA (OCDMA), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network management,Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), high speed adaptive equalizers, and error correction decoders, as well asASIC semiconductor chips to implement these technologies.
STI initiated efforts in 1994 to expand its business by exploiting its technology base and intellectual property inpursuit of high-growth potential commercial products. STI anticipated those market opportunities should begin toyield revenue and earnings for the company in the later part of fiscal year 1998. These markets include satellitepersonal communications, via STI’s key role in TRW’s $2.8 billion Odyssey satellite communication system.Odyssey is an intermediate circular orbit constellation for global personal mobile communication which uses STI’spatented OCDMA technology. STI expects this large program to begin during the first half of fiscal year 1998. STIalso has a development role for a future satellite system to provide Ka-band worldwide high-speed data service.
STI is developing subscriber and head-end equipment to support worldwide demand for Local MultipointDistribution System (LMDS) and Multichannel Multipoint Distribution System (MMDS). STI expects to participate ina significant number of field and market trials during fiscal year 1998.
As a result of 1994 strategic investments, STI has developed and is currently selling in high quantities, modulationand demodulation chip and board products to support two-way communications over cable networks fortelephony and high-speed Internet access. STI feels the development investments have progressed well and itanticipates business volume to increase during the second half of fiscal year 1998.
Management
Dr. James J. Spilker, Jr. Founder, Chairman and Principal ScientistDr. Val P. Peline President and Chief Executive OfficerGary S. Wolf Executive Vice PresidentJerome F. Klajbor Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerGeorge Hendry Vice President, Wireless Broadband Products OperationErnest L. Dickens, Jr. Vice President, Satcom Ground Systems OperationBronic C. Knarr Vice President, Manufacturing and Quality AssuranceHatch Graham Vice President, ASIC and Custom Products DivisionChuck Frank Vice President, Telecom Component Products Group
(a unit of ASIC and Custom Products Division)Leonard Schuchman Director, Comms. and Nav Systems OperationDr. John E. Ohlson Director, Satellite Personal Comms. OperationWayne Fuller Director of Network Management ProductsBruce Currivan Systems Energy Manager, ASIC and Custom Products DivisionBrian Davis Energy Manager, Digital Frequency Synthesizers
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North American Company Profiles Stanford Telecommunications
Products and Processes
STI’s Commercial Telecommunications Chip and Board Level Products business is composed largely of twoSunnyvale headquarters units, the ASIC & Custom Products Division and the Manufacturing and QualityAssurance Group. These units design, assemble and market a wide range of Application Specific IntegratedCircuits (ASIC) and board level assemblies for a variety of commercial telecommunication applications. Theseproducts provide the digital signal processing required to transmit and receive information. The units offerproducts for PSK (Phase Shift Key) modulation and demodulation, digital down conversion, the reception andtransmission of spread spectrum information, forward error correction, adaptive equalization and direct digitalfrequency synthesis.
Key market areas addressed by the Chip and Board Level Products units include cable/Internet communications,VSAT receiver assemblies, and a catalog of ASIC and digital communications-related board level products. TheASIC and Custom Products Division is organized into the Telecom Component Products Group and the CatalogProducts Group.
STI was among initial vendors offering modulation and demodulation devices cable applications. Its cable/Internetproducts include the STEL-1109, a single-chip complete BPSK/QPSK (QAM/Bi-Phase Shift Key/Quadra-PhaseShift Key) modulator ASIC, (including DAC and Reed-Solomon encoder/scrambler), specifically designed for thetransmission of data from the subscriber to the headend and the STEL-9257. The chip is compliant with all802.14, MCNS and Davic standards and is fabricated in 0.35 micron, 3-V CMOS technology. A Burst Demodulatorboard level assembly is also offered, providing demodulation of burst QPSK signals in the upstream environment.The STEL-1108 PQFP-only predecessor introduced in February 1996 was an 80-pin single-chip using SMTpackaging and 3.3V CMOS technology. An example of another ASIC is 22,000-gate adaptive equalizer.
STI’s VSAT digital demodulator receiver assemblies used for rural telephony, background music services andbusiness data transmissions. The STEL-9236 product family and the recently introduced STEL-9258 Variable BitRate product can provide signal timing recovery, demodulation, down conversion, carrier tracking and forwarderror correction functions. Since product introduction, STI has received orders for approximately 17,000 VSATreceiver assemblies.
STI’s catalog of ASIC and board level products are designed for various digital communications functions includingASICs for spread spectrum wireless data links, a family of ASICs for forward error correction in communication links,and a series of numerically controlled oscillators and direct digital synthesizers for precise signal generation andcontrol.
In fiscal 1993, STI launched its Commercial Electronic Contract Manufacturing business unit, the Manufacturingand Quality Assurance Group. In addition to producing its own products, the unit offers its contract manufacturingservices to commercial customers, principally producers of electronics and medical products, on either aninventory consignment or turnkey basis. STI’s Sunnyvale, California manufacturing facilities received ISO-9001certification during fiscal 1996. During fiscal 1997, approximately 16 percent of the unit’s activities wereassociated with STI’s own products.
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Stanford Telecommunications North American Company Profiles
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
The production of STI’s ASICs are fabricated by several suppliers including Zilog, American Microsystems Inc.,Lucent Technologies, and LSI. Some of the products are fabricated on a sole-source basis.
Key Agreements
• Zilog licensed STI’s DSSS baseband chip technology, but details of the agreement are unavailable.
• In July 1997, the Radiocommunications unit of Alcatel Alsthom’s (France) Alcatel Radio, Space and DefenseDivision, (a Telecom sector Division), agreed to jointly develop and market the Alcatel 9900 WW product family,a system which applies wideband technologies to radio access solutions, to operators of multi-service networksin densely-populated locations. The point-to-multipoint radio technology will be used in small and medium-sized enterprises networks and in mobile networks providing a more economical transmission means thanpoint-to-point connections in densely-populated areas. The system incorporates a central station and up toseveral hundred terminal stations: these in turn are connected to one or more networks — usually a voicenetwork and a broadband data network. In order to meet the ANSI standard in the U.S., as well as the ETSIstandard for the rest of the world, development is being carried out in Alcatel facilities in both Europe and theU.S. Information on STI chip/technology content was unavailable.
• In November 1996, STI signed an OEM agreement to use Gensym Corporation’s (Cambridge; NASDAQ:GNSM), flagship G2 software and other Gensym products to develop and deploy NetCoach, STI’s networkmanagement product for heterogeneous Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networks. STI used G2 to buildthe NetCoach inference engine and expert management capabilities. The new agreement enables STI tointegrate the intelligent fault and performance management capabilities of Gensym's new Fault Expert toaddress quality of service and large message traffic volumes issues inherent in ATM networks.
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North American Company Profiles Suni Imaging Microsystems
SUNI IMAGING MICROSYSTEMS
Suni Imaging Microsystems, Inc.185 E. Dana St.
Mountain View, CA 94041Telephone: (650) 237-1060
Fax: (650) 968-6721
Fabless IC Supplier
Ownership: Privately held.
Company Overview and Strategy
Suni Imaging Microsystems, founded in 1995, develops low cost digital imaging designs which utilize both CCDand CMOS technologies. The company has a proprietary CMOS-CCD process. Typical applications are for highspeed CD-ROMs and DVD pickups.
Management
Mr. Paul Suni President and Chief Executive Officer
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Supertex North American Company Profiles
SUPERTEX
Supertex, Inc.1235 Bordeaux Drive
Sunnyvale, California 94089Telephone: (408) 744-0100
Established in 1976, Supertex is a niche-oriented company that designs, develops, manufactures, and marketshigh voltage semiconductor products utilizing advanced DMOS and HVCMOS process technologies. Supertexmerged CMOS and DMOS processes creating its proprietary HVCMOS® technology. The company originallyconducted business as a foundry. However, starting in fiscal 1990, and through fiscal 1992, the company'sfoundry business was phased out as sales of proprietary products steadily increased.
Supertex's proprietary products are sold to electronic equipment manufacturers in the computer,telecommunications, instrumentation, defense, medical, and consumer products industries. More specifically,Supertex's products are targeted at applications in ultrasound imaging and medical electronics, flat panel displays,LCD backlighting, non-impact printers and plotters, telecommunications, and high-reliability military andcommercial aerospace systems.
Henry C. Pao, Ph.D. President and Chief Executive OfficerRichard E. Siegel Executive Vice PresidentBenedict C.K. Choy Senior Vice President, Technology Development and IC ProductsBill Numann Vice President, DMOS ProductsDennis Kramer Vice President, Materials
Products and Processes
Supertex has developed advanced technologies using CMOS and DMOS (Double-diffused MOS) processes. Itpioneered the merging of CMOS and DMOS processes into its proprietary HVCMOS® (high-voltage CMOS)technology. This process allows for the combination of the high speed and low power logic circuit of CMOS andthe high voltage output drive of DMOS on the same chip, thus creating the high voltage IC, or HVIC. Supertexintends to maintain a leadership position in the HVIC segment of the semiconductor industry.
• The DMOS product line includes depletion-mode and low-threshold enhancement-mode transistors andarrays.
• There are three distinct categories of HVIC products available, digital products, analog products, and BiCMOSmixed-signal products.
• The digital product family includes driver/interface ICs for flat panel displays and non-impact printers andplotters.
• The analog product family includes high voltage analog switches and multiplexers, which are used in themedical ultrasound imaging industry.
• The BiCMOS product family consists of DC/DC converters and power supply and backlighting inverter ICs.
• Supertex made an agreement with Texas Instruments in 1991 that provided TI the rights to use Supertex'sHVCMOS process technologies in return for license fees and royalties, as well as access to TI's foundry andassembly services.
• Supertex has received funding from the U.S. Government's ARPA agency to research and develop dielectric-isolation (DI) technology. The goal of the project is to further raise the voltage and operating speed of ICs.
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North American Company Profiles Symbios, Inc.
SYMBIOS, INC.
Symbios, Inc.2001 Danfield Court
Fort Collins, Colorado 80525-2998Telephone: (970) 226-9550
Symbios, Inc. was established in February 1995, when Hyundai completed the purchase of the NCRMicroelectronic Products Division from AT&T Global Information Solutions Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&TCorporation. Originally established in 1972, NCR Microelectronic Products Division was acquired as part of NCRCorporation in 1991 by AT&T Corporation (NCR Corporation was later named AT&T Global Information Solutions).Hyundai renamed the company Symbios Logic. Symbios being a derivative from the word symbiosis, meaning amutually beneficial relationship.
Symbios, Inc., now a wholly owned, independently operated subsidiary of Hyundai Electronics America,manufactures semicustom ICs including cell-based ASICs and a family of application-specific standard products(ASSPs). Its cell library includes extensive analog functions for cell-based mixed-signal ASICs and complexstandard function macrocells (cores) for embedded SCSI, Ethernet, disk drive electronics, and serialcommunications. Symbios is a leader in bus interface technology, offering high-performance application-specificSCSI (including an extensive family of PCI-SCSI I/O controllers), Ethernet cores, 1,394 devices and host adapters,USB host adapters, fibre channel devices, host adapters and RAID systems and controllers.
Several firsts claimed by the company include the first SCSI protocol chip, the first OEM RAID chipset, and the firstFibre Channel RAID controller board. The company believes it holds 33 percent of the worldwide SCSI chipmarket, and 10 percent of the worldwide market for disk and tape drive electronics. It is one of the three topsuppliers of OEM RAID products.
Management
Charles F. Christ President and Chief Executive OfficerJeff Dumas Vice President, General Counsel, and SecretaryDan Ellsworth Vice President, TechnologyTom Lagatta Vice President, Marketing and Business DevelopmentAl Lofthus Vice President, Strategic InitiativesTim McCarthy Vice President, Symbios Semiconductor DivisionDarrell Jones Vice President, ManufacturingLynn Turner Chief Financial OfficerTom Georgens Vice President, Storage Solutions Division
Products and Processes
Symbios is comprised of four business units: Client/Server, OEM RAID, MetaStor™, and ASIC and PeripheralSolutions. Listed below are the major products of each business group.
Client/Server Products• Client and server I/O products including SCSI devices.• Communications products including LAN communications devices.• SCSI host adapter boards.
OEM RAID• RAID storage systems and controller boards.
MetaStor™• Scalable enterprise level server and network-attached storage systems for the end-user market.
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North American Company Profiles Symbios, Inc.
ASIC and Peripheral Solutions• ASIC products include CMOS cell-based ASICs, both digital and mixed-signal, and complex core-related
products as well as disk, tape, and CD-ROM drive electronic products, including data controllers, servosubsystems, and peripheral interfaces. In November 1996, Symbios unveiled its 0.35µm, five-layer-metal,one-million-gate, cell-based ASIC family. The company’s cell and core libraries support a wide range of ASICapplications, including set-top boxes, cellular phones, PCs, workstations, telecommunications, LAN andwireless communications, and electronic data processing. Submicron mixed-signal CMOS ASICs account formore than one-third of Symbios’ cell-based ASIC sales.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
The plant in Fort Collins, Colorado will be phased out by the end of 1997.
Symbios has a manufacturing and library development agreement with Hyundai.
Key Agreements
• In February 1998, Adaptec, Inc. announced that it had signed an agreement to acquire Symbios, in a cashtransaction valued at $775 million, including assumed liabilities. Completion of the transaction is subject toregulatory approval under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.
• Symbios Inc. formed an alliance with Hyundai Electronics Industries (HEI) to develop a new deep sub-micron0.35µm five-layer metal CMOS technology. The program was successfully completed in early 1997. Thepartnership will be extended to the 0.25µm level.
• Symbios also has a manufacturing agreement with HEI.
• In 1995, Symbios licensed Advanced RISC Machines Ltd.’s “Thumb” 32-bit RISC processor core for use in I/Ochannel controllers and other intelligent peripheral products.
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Synergy Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
SYNERGY SEMICONDUCTOR
Synergy Semiconductor Corporation3450 Central Expressway
Santa Clara, California 95051Telephone: (408) 980-9191
Fax: (408) 567-7878Web Site: www.synergysemi.com
IC Manufacturer
Financial History ($M)
1 9 9 3 1 9 9 4 1 9 9 5 1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7
Sales 14 19 26 30 38
Employees — 110 175 180 211
Ownership: Privately held.
Company Overview and Strategy
Founded in 1987, Synergy Semiconductor Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and markets high-performance digital and mixed-signal integrated circuits using bipolar and BiCMOS processes. Synergy’sproducts include precision time-clock generators for computers and workstations, and communications circuits forlocal and wide area networks. Synergy’s products employ proprietary design and process technology, resulting inhigh-performance ICs. The company’s products are designed by an internal design team, and built in thecompany’s in-house wafer fabrication facility.
Management
Thomas D. Mino President and Chief Executive OfficerT. Olin Nichols Chief Financial OfficerGeorge W. Brown Vice President, German OperationsTom Lauer Vice President, SalesLarry J. Pollock Vice President, TechnologyLuke Smith Vice President, OperationsE. Marshall Wilder Vice President, Quality and AdministrationThomas S. Wong Vice President, EngineeringMike Economy Director, Marketing, Clocking, Logic and RAM ProductsDona Flamme Director, Marketing, Communications Products
North American Company Profiles Synergy Semiconductor
Products and Processes
Synergy supplies high-speed ICs to a range of systems vendors of public network equipment, such asmultiplexers and digital access cross-connect systems (DACS); LAN and WAN private network equipment, such asadapter cards and hubs; high-performance workstations and superservers; and automatic test equipment (ATE).
Synergy’s products encompass three families: the ECLinPS and Super300K family of ultra-high-speed ECL logicproducts, the ClockWorks family of clock generation and distribution devices, and the SuperCOM family of opticalfiber transceivers, copper wire transceivers, and clock recovery devices. Synergy recently introduced a family ofnetwork and communication products for Fast Ethernet, FDDI, ATM, SONET, and SDH applications utilizing itsproprietary bipolar ASSET™ (All Spacer Separated Element Transistor) technology.
clock control circuits, FIFOs, translators. Feature sizes: ≥1.2µm Feature sizes: 1.2µm, 1.5µm (bipolar); (Joint venture between Synergy and the German
1.0µm (BiCMOS); government. Synergy holds a 49 percent stake).submicron in development.
Wafer probing and packaged product test capabilities are performed in-house.
Key Agreements
• In April 1995, Synergy entered into a technology license agreement with Linear Technology Corporation.Under the agreement, Synergy gave LTC the right to use its bipolar ASSET technology to develop non-competitive products.
• In March of 1993, Synergy entered into an agreement with the German government to form SystemMicroelectronic Innovation (SMI). This is a joint venture which is currently 49 percent owned by Synergy and 51percent owned by the German government. As part of this agreement, Synergy transferred its ASSETtechnology to SMI, enabling it to produce Synergy's family of ECL SRAMs, logic ICs, clock control circuits,translators, and semicustom products and market them throughout Europe.
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Synergy Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
• Synergy entered into a comprehensive strategic alliance with Toshiba Corporation in November 1990. Thealliance covers foundry, joint R&D and manufacturing, technology licensing, and an equity investment inSynergy by Toshiba. Under terms of the manufacturing agreement, Toshiba is providing Synergy with the useof a high-volume (150mm, submicron) IC fabrication line, which is running Synergy's high-performance ASSETand BiCMOS technologies. This fab allows Synergy to produce its current SRAM and logic products, as well asfuture products.
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North American Company Profiles TelCom Semiconductor
TelCom Semiconductor, Inc. is a worldwide manufacturer of linear and mixed-signal products dedicated to solvingproblems over a broad spectrum of customer applications. TelCom’s product line includes data acquisition, powermanagement, interface, and thermal sensing devices. The company is headquartered in Mountain View,California, where it owns and operates a dedicated wafer manufacturing facility, producing proprietary products.Testing is performed at their Hong Kong facility, and products are sold through a network of worldwide salesoffices, sales representatives, and distributors.
TelCom Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Management
Philip M. Drayer President and Chief Executive OfficerEdward D. Mitchell Vice President, Engineering and Chief Technical OfficerR. Michael O'Malley Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial OfficerNaresh Barta Vice President, Strategic MarketingDan Riordan Vice President, Business Development and Worldwide SalesDon Herman Vice President, Human ResourcesAllan I. Resnick Vice President, Assembly and Test Operations
Products and Processes
TelCom's main products are divided into three areas of focus.
• Mixed-signal ICs: includes A/D converters, V/F and F/V converters, and voltage references.• Power management ICs: includes MOSFET power drivers, PWM controllers, DC/DC converters, switching
regulators, CMOS voltage detectors, microprocessor supervisor circuits, and charge pumps.• Smart sensors: includes solid-state thermal management and fan controllers.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
TelCom Semiconductor, Inc.1300 Terra Bella AvenueMountain View, California 94043Cleanroom size: 9,000 square feetCapacity (wafers/week): 1,000Wafer size: 125mmProcesses: Silicon- and metal-gate CMOS, BiCMOS,
CMOS/DMOS, DMOS, bipolar.Feature size: 3.0µm
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North American Company Profiles Teltone Corporation
TELTONE CORPORATION
Teltone Corporation22121 - 20th Avenue SE
Bothell, Washington 98021Telephone: (425) 487-1515
Fax: (425) 487-2288Web Site: www.teltone.com
Email: info@teltone
Fabless IC Supplier
Financial History (000s), Fiscal Year Ends June 30
1 9 9 3 1 9 9 4 1 9 9 5 1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7 1 9 9 8
Sales 9,679 7,600 9,176 9,471 10,053 9,049Engineering and
Development Expenses — — — 819 962 1,147Net (Loss) Income 932 907 405 377 (42) (155)Capital Equipment
Expenses — — — 62 130 —
Employees — — — — 62 58
Ownership: Publicly held. OTC BB: TTNC.
Fiscal 1997’s sales increase was driven in part by an 11 percent increase in the sale of integrated circuits, following1996’s decline over 1995. However, margins on ICs declined for a second consecutive year.
Sales in the first half of fiscal 1998 ending 31 December, 1997, were $4.362 million, down 13 percent from thesame period in fiscal 1996. The decrease was attributed partly to a 27 percent decrease in IC sales during theperiod compared to fiscal 1997.
Teltone noted that the most significant change in 1H fiscal 1998 versus 1H fiscal 1997 was an increase inengineering and development expenses by 87 percent to $748,000 for the period, reflecting increaseddevelopment and design work on the OfficeLink 2000 product and on newer lower cost IC chip families planned tobe introduced later in fiscal 1998.
Company Overview and Strategy
Founded in July 1968, Teltone sells specialized telecommunications software, equipment and components.Teltone's customers include business end-users, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), telephone callcenters, and utilities.
Teltone Corporation North American Company Profiles
Teltone's component business is fabless, but has been able to compete successfully in the marketplace becauseof the value added by the company's proprietary products, customer service and applications support for itscomponent products. The most significant competition for Teltone's components comes from integrated circuitmanufacturers, some of them Teltone's suppliers, that also sell to Teltone's customer base.
Teltone’s IC products are distributed by nine U.S. companies (with 83 total sales offices), two companies inCanada and 44 companies in more than 38 other countries.
Management
Richard W. Soshea President and Chief Executive OfficerRichard G. Johnson Vice President, OperationsRay Ma Vice President, EngineeringJeffrey B. deCillia Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial OfficerMark Blazek Vice President, Sales and MarketingPeter C. Spratt Secretary and General CounselDon Andresen Manager, QualityJay Zeman Manager, OEM Market Group
Products and Processes
Teltone’s IC product lines include MF Trunk Signaling ICs (for PBX systems, test equipment, trunk adapters,paging terminals, and traffic recorders); Call Progress Tone Receivers and Transmitters (for automatic dialers,dialing modems, traffic measurement equipment, callback security systems, test equipment, service evaluation and billing systems, central office, wireless, and PBX switches, test equipment); DTMF Receivers (forapplications in telephone switching, PBX and intercom systems, answering and recording devices, radiocommunication switching, remote control, monitoring and alarm devices, and data entry systems); DTMFTransceivers w/Call Progress Detection Industry-standard DTMF transceivers plus call progress (Motorola and Intelmicroprocessor-compatible); DC Signaling Components (line sensing relays and other products for central officeproducts, PBX and key systems, and rotary dial monitoring devices). Most of Teltone’s IC products are available inregionalized versions as necessitated by telephony regulatory requirements (i.e., CCITT R2 MF compliant versionfor single channel multifrequency trunk receivers outside of North America).
Teltone’s custom microcircuitry components are normally purchased from single sources but, because thecompany owns the tooling for these components, other electronics manufacturers could take over if an existingvendor ceased production. Teltone believes its expertise and value-adding processes involving digital signalprocessing make its ICs more competitive on a price-performance basis.
Teltone achieved ISO 9001 certification February 4, 1997.
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North American Company Profiles Teltone Corporation
Key Agreements
• In April 1996, Teltone announced that after expiring in March 1996, it had revitalized a 13 year strategicrelationship with Silicon Systems Inc. (SSi) of Tustin, CA. The agreement consisted of three parts:
– A long-term supply agreement whereby SSi agreed to continue to act as foundry for a number of DTMF (M-957) and Call Progress lines (M-981, M-982, M-984) that Teltone sells to telecom OEMs;
– A second-sourcing agreement whereby SSi agrees to second-source Teltone Call Progress products (M-980); and
– A joint development agreement by which SSi and Teltone will develop new products for telecom OEMs thatTeltone will define and market and SSi will design and manufacture.
Farmingdale, New York 11735Telephone: (516) 755-7005
Fax: (516) 755-7626Web Site: www.tlsi.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Company Overview and Strategy
TLSI designs and markets analog, digital, and mixed-signal ICs for the automotive, telecommunications, industrialprocess control, security, home appliance, and military/aerospace markets. TLSI was formed as a division ofTelephonics Corporation in 1977, to provide Telephonics with ICs needed for its military and commercial airlinecommunication systems. Today, TLSI remains a wholly owned subsidiary of Telephonics and provides ICs to thegeneral marketplace.
Management
Mort Pullman PresidentR. Hartig Vice President, Business ManagementJerry Powder Director, Sales and Marketing
Products and Processes
TLSI offers a wide range of solutions in the area of full custom MOS, cell-based, and gate array configurations. Broken down into categories, these alternatives include the following.
Full Custom:Includes transistor-level designs.
Standard Cell Library:Characterized functions with auto place-and-route using standard height and variable width cells.
Standard Cell Library with Custom Interconnect:Characterized functions with Calma operator place-and-route using standard height and variable width cells.
Minimum Area Cell Libraries with Custom Interconnect:Custom interconnect with minimum sized cells to reduce die area and development time/cost for higher-volume requirements where a full custom configuration may not be required.
Analog and Digital Functions Combined on the Same Chip:Maximizes system integration and minimizes printed circuit board area.
When TLSI designs its chips, it selects any of the following process technologies that best fits the customer’sspecific application: 0.6µm to 3µm CMOS, EEPROM, 1.5µm BiCMOS, or bipolar.
TranSwitch Corporation designs, develops, and markets highly integrated digital and mixed-signal semiconductorproducts for broadband telecommunications and data communications applications.
The company’s product line includes very large scale integration (VLSI) devices that serve three markets:worldwide public telephone networks, Internet, and wide area networks (WAN).
Management
Santanu Das, Ph.D. President and Chief Executive OfficerMichael F. Stauff Senior Vice President, Chief Financial OfficerMoshe Mazin Vice President, EngineeringWatson Coverdale Vice President, SalesMike McCoy Vice President, ControllerFrank Middleton Vice President, Strategic SalesRobert G. Pico Vice President, Business DevelopmentKandaswamy Thangamuthu Vice President, OperationsDaniel C. Upp Vice President, Technology DevelopmentJitender K. Vij Vice President, Systems EngineeringWilliam Bartholomay Vice President, Product Definition
TranSwitch’s IC devices include asynchronous (PDH), synchronous (SONET/SDH), and asynchronous transfermode (ATM) communications circuits. The asynchronous products include line interface,multiplexer/demultiplexer, framer, and data communications devices. The synchronous product line includes linetermination, overhead processor, mapper, and multiplexer/demultiplexer devices. The ATM products includephysical layer, ATM layer, and ATM adaptation layer devices that implement a variety of public and private switchingand multiplexing products.
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Trident Microsystems North American Company Profiles
TRIDENT MICROSYSTEMS
Trident Microsystems, Inc.189 North Bernardo Avenue
Mountain View, California 94043-5203Telephone: (650) 691-9211
Founded in 1987, Trident Microsystems designs, develops, and markets very large scale integrated circuitgraphical user interface (GUI) accelerators, graphics controllers, and multimedia video processors targeting themainstream PC desktop, notebook, and multimedia markets.
Trident’s initial product offerings began with SVGA controllers in 1989 and moved toward mixed-signal controllersin 1993. The year 1994 marked a year of transition for Trident that included its entrance into the GUI acceleratormarket. Although its revenues declined in 1994, the transition to the GUI accelerator market proved successful inthe following years. Another shift in Trident’s market strategy occurred during this time period. In 1994, 95percent of Trident’s sales came from non-OEMs. In a strategic move, Trident began targeting the OEM market andcurrently derives about 30 percent of its sales from OEMs such as IBM, Hewlett-Packard, NEC, and Philips.
North American Company Profiles Trident Microsystems
Trident’s product line includes a complete line of 32-bit and 64-bit integrated circuits, video accelerators, andmultimedia video processing chips that provide cost-effective easy-to-use graphics solutions based on advancedtechnology. Trident was among the first to deliver chips for the new Unified Memory Architecture (UMA), whichreduces system memory costs by efficiently using existing PC memory for the graphics frame buffer. Additionally,several of Trident’s GUI and video acceleration products include the company’s proprietary TrueVideo algorithm,the first technology to deliver horizontal/vertical interpolation and diagonal edge recovery for clearer, sharper full-motion images.
Future product development will focus on products in the high-end of the graphics market as well as the PCnotebook market. In early 1997, Trident began sampling its first 3D notebook device.
Management
Frank C. Lin Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerJung-Herng Chang Senior Vice President, Graphics EngineeringPeter Jen Senior Vice President, Asia OperationsW. Steven Rowe Vice President, Human Resources, Finance and Accounting, and Acting Chief
Financial OfficerAmir Mashkoori Senior Vice President, Operations and Business DevelopmentGerry Liu Senior Vice President, Product MarketingRichard Silverman Vice President, Advanced Graphics Product PlanningRichard F. Haas Director, Marketing Communications
Products and Processes
Trident designs its products using 1.0µm, 0.8µm, and 0.6µm CMOS process technologies. The company'sproduct line includes: 3D and MPEG ICs, advanced mixed-signal GUI accelerators, high-performance SVGAcontrollers, multimedia video processing devices, and LCD/CRT controllers.
In 1Q97, Trident introduced two 3D graphics controllers dubbed the 3DImage™ 975™ and 3DImage™ 975DVD™.Both devices are designed for 3D applications and feature 3D and 2D graphics acceleration, TV outputtechnology, VGA imaging, and high-quality video. The 3DImage 975DVD also provides DVD playback functionsfor use with MMX-enabled Pentium 166MHz and higher MPUs.
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Trident Microsystems North American Company Profiles
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Trident uses a fabless manufacturing strategy where it meets its manufacturing needs by using foundries. Prior to1996, Trident received the majority of its wafer capacity from TSMC. In 1996, in an effort to decrease itsdependence upon one foundry supplier, Trident secured additional capacity through foundry agreements withUMC and Winbond in Taiwan, and Samsung in Korea. In its agreement with UMC, Trident has purchased an equityinterest in UICC, a UMC joint venture fab facility located in Taiwan. The facility was expected to begin production inmid-1997.
Key Agreements
• In May 1996, Trident and Samsung announced a long-term partnership. Samsung will provide manufacturingcapacity to Trident in exchange for mixed-signal ASIC designs. In late 1996, the two companies announcedthe joint development of a next-generation notebook multimedia accelerator that will feature Samsung’sembedded SDRAM.
• In August 1995, Trident entered into a joint venture agreement with UMC. Under the agreement, Tridentagreed to invest $60 million for a 10 percent equity interest in a new 200mm fab facility, called United IntegratedCircuits Corporation (UICC). The 200mm wafer fab began production in mid-1997.
• In June 1995, Trident expanded its relationship with TSMC by signing a five-year foundry agreement. Underthe agreement, Trident will purchase a certain number of wafers each year from TSMC through 1999.
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North American Company Profiles TriQuint Semiconductor
TRIQUINT SEMICONDUCTOR
TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc.2300 NE Brookwood Parkway
TriQuint Semiconductor (NASDAQ: TQNT) designs, develops, manufactures, and markets a broad range of high-performance analog and mixed-signal gallium-arsenide (GaAs) ICs for the wireless communications,telecommunications, and computing markets. TriQuint's mission is to commercialize GaAs ICs for communicationsand computing. The company’s continued focus is on achieving new designs and introducing new products in allthree market areas.
TriQuint Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
TriQuint's origin can be traced back to 1978, when researchers at Tektronix Laboratories began investigatingGaAs IC technology. Established as a majority-owned subsidiary in 1985, TriQuint Semiconductor was chargedwith developing application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for high-performance microwave, linear, and digitalsystems.
TriQuint became independent from Tektronix in 1991 when it completed a successful merger with GigaBit Logicand Gazelle Microcircuits to form a new privately-held TriQuint. In 1993, TriQuint became a public company.
Management
Steven J. Sharp President and Chief Executive OfficerEdward C.V. Winn Executive Vice President, Finance and Administration,
Chief Financial Officer, and SecretaryBruce R. Fournier Vice President, SalesDonald Mohn Vice President and General Manager, Telecommunications and ComputingDavid Pye Vice President, Manufacturing OperationsRon Ruebusch Vice President and General Manager, Wireless Communications
Products and Processes
TriQuint Semiconductor's standard and customer-specific products are structured into three end-market groups:wireless communications, telecommunications, and computing.
Wireless Communications — Standard products for this market are used as building blocks for multipurposeapplications in radio frequency (RF) and microwave systems. These systems include personal communicationsnetworks, cellular telephones, satellite communications and navigation equipment, and wireless computernetworks. In 1996, TriQuint continued to add devices to its relatively new family of high-power RF amplifier ICs forthe voice and data wireless communications market.
Telecommunications — Most the company's telecommunications ICs are customer-specific, but its does offersome standard products, such as SONET and SDH multiplexers/demultiplexers and transceivers, ATM framers,and high-performance crosspoint switches.
Computing — Standard products for this market are concentrated on solving system timing and datacommunications performance bottlenecks in high-performance PCs, workstations, servers, and storage systems.
The company utilizes its proprietary GaAs technology for the production of its ICs. Its GaAs process features0.5µm to 0.7µm geometries, 4.0µm metal pitch, and a cutoff frequency of up to 21GHz.
TriQuint’s services include GaAs IC design, wafer fabrication, test engineering, package engineering, assembly,and testing.
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North American Company Profiles TriQuint Semiconductor
In early 1997, TriQuint moved into its new GaAs semiconductor manufacturing facility and office complex inHillsboro, Oregon. The 165,000 square-foot site houses all of the company’s manufacturing, engineering,marketing, and administrative functions that were located in Beaverton, Oregon, with 45,000 square-feet used forthe manufacturing facility.
Key Agreements
• In January 1998, TriQuint purchased Texas Instruments MMIC operations from Raytheon. This operationspecializes in high performance GaAs technologies such as HBTs, PHEMTs, and HFETs for applications above5GHz.
• In April 1996, TriQuint and Philips announced a wafer sourcing agreement. Under the pact, Philips will developGaAs ICs for TriQuint to produce according to Philips’ specifications. Assembly and test will be done by Philipsat a facility in Limeil, France.
• In August 1993, TriQuint and AT&T Microelectronics (now Lucent Technologies) announced a set ofagreements involving the development, manufacture, and marketing of GaAs ICs for high-performance wirelessand telecommunications systems. As part of the deal, Lucent discontinued its production of GaAs wafers andis instead relying on TriQuint for the manufacture of its GaAs wafers. Lucent also became a minority stockholderin TriQuint. Lucent increased its stake in TriQuint to 8.2 percent in early 1995.
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TRW North American Company Profiles
TRW – GAAS TELECOM PRODUCTS
TRW – GaAs Telecom Products DivisionOne Space Park
Redondo Beach, CA 90278Telephone: (310) 812-5749
Fax: (310) 812-7011Web Site: www.trw.com/mmic
IC ManufacturerFounded: 1991
Financial History ($M)
1 9 9 4 1 9 9 5 1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7
Corporate Sales 8,491 9,568 9,857 10,800 Net Income 333 446 480 499
Employees 64,175 66,518 65,218 71,480
Ownership Publicly held. TSE (Taiwan Stock Exchange) and TSM (New York Stock Exchange).
Company Overview and Strategy
TRW’s GaAs Telecom Products (GTP) Division is a leading supplier of commercial GaAs products, focused on highvolume telecommunications market segments such as Point-to-Point, Point-to-Multipoint, Digital Radio, and KaBand VSAT. This division, established in the early 90’s, has been chartered to bring GaAs products from Internalgovernment-based applications to the rapidly-expanding worldwide commercial telecommuncations market.
TRW’s mother company, founded in 1901, is based in Cleveland, Ohio. The corporation is a manufacturing andservice company focused on supplying advanced technology products and services to the automotive, space,defense and information systems markets. The GaAs Telecom Products Division is part of TRW’s Space &Electronics Group, based in Redondo Beach.
TRW’s GaAs products are sold through distributors throughout the U.S. and Canada. Asia-Pacific salesdistribution is planned for fourth quarter 1998.
Robert Van Buskirk Executive DirectorRober Pinato Marketing and Sales ManagerTom Joseph, Ph.D. Foundry and Production Services ManagerMichael Justis Finance and Business ManagerJim Nadeau MMW Module Products ManagerManny Quijije MMIC Product Development ManagerBrad Evans Director of Marketing
Products and Processes
TRW’s MMICs and modules product strategy is focused on the design, development and manufacture of GaAsproducts for standard and custom commercial telecommunication applications. As such, these products typicallyare inserted into a broad array of cellular, PCS, microwave and millimeter wave wireless and high rate fiber opticwired electronics systems. Product details are as follows.
TRW’s family of GaAs MMIC products to cover frequencies from 18-77GHz. Products include low noise amplifiers,medium power amplifiers, and high power amplifiers. Future products include multipliers, VCOs and mixers in bothHEMT and HBT technologies
The Module Product Family consists of MMIC-based modules and innovative packaging techniques that are cost-effective products in high-capacity wireless telecommunication systems. These modules create seamlessdesigns between MMICs and modules to ensure reliability and compatibility. MilliWave, a subsidiary of TRW, isresponsible for volume production of these products.
Foundry Product Services – Foundry services are offered for prototyping and volume manufacturing of HBT andHEMT technologies. The TRW facility has PHEMT capabilities using 0.2 micron and 0.15 micron processes forprototyping and production. GaAs HBT capabilities are also available using 2 micron technology for prototyping.
Indium Phosphide products are currently in development and are scheduled for introduction during the fourthquarter 1998. 1 micron HBT and 0.1 micron HEMT technologies are also in development.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
TRW GTP has a fully functional three inch GaAs wafer fabrication facility on-site as well as access to other facilitiesas consumer demand warrants.
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TRW North American Company Profiles
TRW - GTPOne Space ParkRedondo Beach, CaliforniaCleanroom size: 4,850 square feet - Class 10Cleanroom size: 9,890 square feet - Class 1,000Cleanroom size: 7,470 square feet - Class 10,000Capacity (wafers/week): 360Wafer size: 80mmProcess: HBT, HEMTProducts: GaAs / Foundry servicesFeature sizes: 2µm, 0.2µm, 0.15µm
Key Agreements
• In 1997, TRW and Multilink Technology Corporation formed an alliance to develop and manufacture on/offramp electronics for high rate data and telcom fiber optic transmission systems. Products developed from thisteaming arrangement include Clock-data recovery, Trans-impediance amplifiers, and laser drivers.
• In 1997, TRW acquired MilliWave Technologies Corporation, a manufacturer of multi-chip RF modules for highcapacity wireless communication systems. MilliWave products include point-to-point and point-to-multipointcommunication links to 77GHz for transmitters, receivers, and transceivers. This new subsidiary is now calledTRW MilliWave Inc.
• In 1996, TRW established a strategic alliance with RF Micro Devices to develop and market cellular and PCSchipsets using TRW HBT technology. The purpose of the agreement is to provide chipsets with a largeselection of CDMA MMICs at the lowest cost and highest performance of any available process. The devicesare manufactured at RF Micro Devices new four inch facility which has a throughput capability of 25K wafers peryear.
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North American Company Profiles Tundra Semiconductor
TUNDRA SEMICONDUCTOR
Tundra Semiconductor Corporation603 March Road
Ontario, Canada K2K 2M5Telephone: (613) 592-0714
Fax: (613) 592-1320Web Site: www.tundra.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Employees: 84
Company Overview and Strategy
Located in Canada, Tundra Semiconductor is a privately-held company that designs, develops, and markets PCIand VME bus-bridging components for embedded datacommunications and telecommunications applications.Tundra was established originally as Newbridge Microsystems; a division of Newbridge Networks Corporation, aleader in local and wide area networking and communications equipment, but became an independent companyin December 1995.
Tundra’s product strategy is to focus on the niche market of bus-bridging ICs, which control the flow of databetween different bus architectures used in computer systems. Tundra develops these products in conjunctionwith leading microprocessor and digital signal processor companies. It uses a lead customer model for furtherproduct definition. The company also designs and markets a broad line of industry standard encryptioncomponents for data security in communications networks. To address the office equipment, consumerelectronics, and automotive markets, Tundra offers a line of Intel-compatible 8-bit microperipheral (MPR) devices.
Management
Adam Chowenaniec President and Chief Executive OfficerJim Roche Executive Vice President and General ManagerMichael Krause Vice President, Research and DevelopmentNorm Paquette Vice President, FinanceEd Hacker Vice President, SalesDavid Lisk Vice President, OperationsRichard O’Connor Vice President, Marketing and Business Development
Tundra Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Products and Processes
Tundra offers a family of embedded PCI bus bridges, the leading family of VMEbus bridges, DES-basedencryption components, and standard 8-bit microperipheral ICs.
Universe II™ — VME-to-PCI bus bridge.SCV64™ — High-performance VME64-to-local bus bridge.Trooper™ II — Slave only VMEbus-to-local bus bridge.
Data Security Produc ts
Wide array of encryption chips based on the Data Encryption Standard (DES). These products are designed for abroad range of networking and communications systems such as cable modems, ATMs, fax machines, andsatellite base solutions.
8000 Microperipheral Series
Six industry standard 8-bit MPRs that support the Intel x86 microprocessor family.
Key Agreements
• Tundra has strategic technology partnerships with Motorola, Texas Instruments, and Cadence DesignSystems.
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North American Company Profiles Unitrode
UNITRODE
Unitrode Corporation7 Continental Boulevard
Merrimack, New Hampshire 03054-0399Telephone: (603) 424-2410
Unitrode Corporation was founded in 1960 as a manufacturer of electronic components and subsystems. By1994, the company had divested all its non-strategic businesses and focused on its linear/analog and mixed-signal IC business, which was established in 1981. The company's ICs are used in a variety of applications forpower management and as interface devices. For the most part, the chips are used to control switching powersupplies and small electronic motors, or as high-speed interface and communication circuits between variouspieces of electronic equipment.
Unitrode's customers are primarily in the EDP/computer and telecommunications markets, but also in the industrialcontrol and instrumentation, defense/aerospace, automotive, and consumer markets. The company plans tofocus its new product development efforts on the communications and industrial markets.
In fiscal 1998, about 65 percent of the company's integrated circuit sales were to international customers.
Management
Robert L. Gable Chairman of the BoardRobert J. Richardson President and Chief Executive OfficerCosmo S. Trapani Executive Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerAllan R. Campbell Senior Vice President and General CounselS. Kelley MacDonald Vice President, Corporate CommunicationsPatrick Moquin Vice President, Human ResourcesFrederick J. Myers Vice President, International Sales
Products and Processes
Unitrode's product offering is comprised of analog ICs for power supply control, motor control, lighting, powerdriving, power quality, and power factoring, as well as for high-speed and high-power interface applications. Mostof the products are based upon proprietary designs utilizing enhanced bipolar, BiCMOS, and BCDMOSsemiconductor technologies and are considered application-specific standard products (ASSPs).
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
In mid-1997, the company expected to complete the first phase of construction of a new 150mm BiCMOS waferfacility. The facility is expected to begin production in fiscal year 1999.
Unitrode has agreements with four foundries to supply additional wafers, as required. In January 1995, thecompany signed an agreement with GMT Microelectronics Corporation (former Commodore Semiconductor fab inNorristown, Pennsylvania) for additional wafer capacity. Under the agreement, Unitrode made a $2 million equityinvestment in GMT, in return for up to 30 percent of GMT's capacity. In February 1996, the company made anadditional $1.5 million investment in GMT which entitles the company to favorable pricing on certain products.During fiscal year 1998, Unitrode received about 50 percent of its output from outside foundries.
Key Agreements
• In March 1998, Unitrode announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to merge with BenchmarqMicroelectronics, Inc., a $45 million, Dallas-based manufacturer of battery management ICs and certain non-volatile products. On April 17, 1998 - Unitrode and Benchmarq jointly announced that on April 15, 1998, thewaiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act expired. The merger remains subjectto the approval of the shareholders of both companies and the satisfaction of other customary closingconditions.
• Unitrode entered into an alliance with Irvine Sensors. Under the agreement, Unitrode became a licensee andexclusive second-source for Irvine Sensors’ wireless infrared communication ICs.
• Unitrode entered into an agreement with GMT Microelectronics Corporation in early 1995 to supply wafers toUnitrode. As part of the agreement, Unitrode invested $2 million in GMT. The company made an additionalinvestment of $1.5 million in GMT which entitles the company to favorable pricing on certain products.
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Universal Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
UNIVERSAL SEMICONDUCTOR
Universal Semiconductor, Inc.1925 Zanker Road
San Jose, California 95112Telephone: (408) 436-1906
Fax: (408) 436-1125Web Site: www.unisemi.com
IC Manufacturer
Employees: 30
Ownership: Privately held.
Company Overview and Strategy
Universal Semiconductor was established in 1978 to serve as a CMOS foundry offering design and manufacturingof customers' custom/semicustom devices, gate arrays (digital and mixed-signal), dielectrically isolated (DI) high-voltage ICs, linear arrays, DMOS FETs, and thin-film RC/RCD networks.
Management
Vic Hejmadi President and Chief Executive OfficerTony Telesca Director, Marketing and Sales
Products and Processes
Universal Semiconductor uses CMOS processing for all devices and offers gate arrays with up to 2,400 gates,mixed-signal arrays (18V breakdown), and 300V and 500V dielectrically isolated high-voltage ICs, as well asradiation-hardened devices and bipolar process.
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907Telephone: (719) 594-8000
Fax: (719) 594-8032Web Site: www.utmc.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Financial History ($M)
1 9 9 2 1 9 9 3 1 9 9 4 1 9 9 5 1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7
Sales 20 27 30 30 38 76*
Employees 350 300 300 180 170 350
*Includes CCA revenue of $35M.
Company Overview and Strategy
UTMC Microelectronic Systems is a business unit of Hamilton Standard, part of the United Technologies family ofcompanies.
Established in 1980, UTMC is dedicated to aerospace and defense. It was originally established to assist otherUTC divisions with the integration of custom and semicustom microelectronics into their systems. In 1985, UTMCbegan supplying semicustom Standard VLSI circuits to external companies in the aerospace and defenseindustries. Today, the majority of UTMC’s business is with external companies. The company also engages ingovernment- and customer-funded R&D.
Up to about mid-1995, UTMC manufactured its IC products in its own fab in Colorado Springs. However, thecompany took on a fabless strategy with the sale of its fab to Rockwell Semiconductor.
In 1996, UTMC underwent another strategic change. UTMC combined its IC business with the former CommercialAircraft Electronics (CAE) division of Hamilton Standard, moved into a former Hamilton Standard facility, andchanged its name to UTMC Microelectronic Systems. The newly acquired 104,000 square-foot facility houses thecompany’s research and development, engineering, IC assembly, test, sales and marketing, as well as the newlyacquired circuit card assembly operation (CCA). The circuit card operation is a high-mix, low-volume operationfocusing on high reliability for the aerospace market.
UTMC Microelectronic Systems North American Company Profiles
Management
Charles "Nick" H. Ide PresidentMike Dansby Chief Financial OfficerChuck Gregory Director, Business Development and EngineeringDwight Deem Director, Marketing and SalesJames Hudspeth Director, Circuit Card Assembly Operations
Products and Processes
UTMC offers semicustom and military-standard products. Its semicustom products include CMOS gate arrays withdensities from 3,400 to 600,000 usable gates, and CMOS cell-based ASICs. The process used for the gate arraysand standard cells is a Jan-qualified low-temperature double- or triple-metal rad-hard process with 0.5µm, 0.6µm,and 0.8µm.
The company also offers a large selection of radiation-hardened monolithic, MIL-STD-1553 products. Theseinclude bus interface and control devices, bipolar bus transceivers, 16-bit RISC MPUs and 8-bit MCUs in both rad-hard and non-rad-hard versions, PROMs, dual-port RAMs, SRAMs and PLD and MSI logic devices.
Radiation-hardened products accounted for about 50 percent of UTMC’s IC sales in 1997.
From its newly acquired circuit card assembly and test division, UTMC offers circuit board assembly and testservices for low volume production runs of complex board requirements. Typical applications are commercial andmilitary aircraft and environmental controls.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
UTMC sold its fabrication facility to Rockwell Semiconductor in mid-1995. As part of the agreement, Rockwellsupplied UTMC with wafers through 1997, as it made its transition to a fabless operation. In March 1996, UTMCannounced a foundry agreement with Lockheed-Martin Federal Systems to obtain production capacity forstrategic rad-hard products from Lockheed-Martin’s fab in Manassas, Virginia. American MicrosystemsIncorporated (AMI) was added in 1997 to support new Commercial RadHard™ and standard products with 0.6µmand 0.5µm geometries (see Key Agreements).
Key Agreements
• UTMC established a five-year foundry supply agreement with American Microsystems Incorporated (AMI) in July1997. This agreement makes AMI the main source for Commercial RadHard™ foundry for commercial space(100K RAD) CMOS devices.
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North American Company Profiles Vadem
VADEM
Vadem1960 Zanker Road
San Jose, California 95112Telephone: (408) 467-2100
Fax: (408) 467-2199Web Site: www.vadem.com
Fabless IC ManufacturerFounded: 1983
Regional Offices/Representative Locations
North America: TSMC, USA • San Jose, CaliforniaTelephone: (408) 437-8762 • Fax: (408) 441-7713
Europe: TSMC, Europe • Amsterdam, The NetherlandsTelephone: (31) (20) 305-9900 • Fax: (31) (20) 305-9911
Employees: 85
Ownership: Publicly held. TSE (Taiwan Stock Exchange) and TSM (New York Stock Exchange).
Company Overview and Strategy
Vadem develops and markets semiconductors, boards and system level products for the portable informationappliance markets. The Company specializes in products and services where portability (long battery life, lightweight, and small form factor and connectivity (wired or wireless messaging) are critical to market acceptance (i.e.,internet capable appliances and turnkey portable systems).
Since its founding in 1983, Vadem has designed and developed technology to advance mobile computing. TheCompany began as an engineering consulting company specializing in intelligent portable devices. Vadem hasplayed a central part of every major turning point in this new industry, designing the world’s first production laptopand developing a broad line of integrated circuits optimized for mobile computing.
Vadem’s annual sales are in the $10M to $25M range. The Company’s products are primarily sold via salesrepresentatives and distributors throughout North America.
John Zhao Chief Executive Officer and PresidentHenry Fung Chief Technology OfficerLeslie Horton Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial OfficerAhmet Alpdemir Vice President, ForCEMichael Yam Vice President, Marketing and SalesJim Stair Vice President, EngineeringDan Epel Vice President, Business Development
Products and Processes
Vadem provides embedded products for mobile and internet capable information appliances, and turnkeyportable systems. In addition, Vadem is leveraging its expertise in Windows CE to offer a broad suite of productsand services related to Microsoft’s embedded operating system.
The majority of Vadem’s revenues are derived from the sales of its single-chip products to the embedded market.Vadem’s single-chip products comprise two product families: x86 compatible embedded processors and PCMCIAcontrollers.
The embedded controller product line consists of two platforms – the VG330 and the VG230. These highlyintegrated single-chip GUI platforms combine high functionality with minimal power consumption for cost-sensitivemobile applications.
The VG330, running at 3.3V, integrates NEC’s 8086-compatible V30MX CPU core with core logic, memorymanagement, a memory controller, extensive power management, a PCMCIA 2.1/ExCA/JEIDEA 4.2 controller, 34GPIO line, a VGA LCD controller and serial port with HP IR compatibility, an AT-style bus controller and a serialkeyboard interface or scanned keyboard matrix. For lower-cost mainstream hand-held applications Vadem’sVG230 combines a 16MHz Intel 8x86-compatible processor with highly integrated peripherals. It incorporates anLCD controller, a keyboard scanner, and a PCMCIA controller in addition to a CPU and core logic.
Vadem also supplies a broad family of PCMCIA host adapters that are compatible with Intel’s “B” step register setand software. Designed to offer OEMs a simple upgrade path for meeting evolving system requirements in mixed-voltage and plug-and-play systems, these products help users cope with evolving standards with minimaldifficulties. Typical applications are desktop docking systems for portables, conventional desktop, informationappliances sub-notebook computers, and portable peripherals.
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North American Company Profiles Vadem
Key Agreements
• In November 1996, Vadem entered into a strategic partnership with NEC’s semiconductor group. Vadem willdesign and market NEC’s RISC microprocessors with particular emphasis on Windows CE portable applications.Vadem’s systems expertise and knowledge of the handheld market will help establish NEC RISC CPUs as theengines of choice for Windows CE applications.
• Vadem is one of only four authorized Microsoft Windows CE global distributors. It is also a certified WindowsCE Developer and integrator. With this strategic relationship, Vadem will develop new targeted Windows CEapplication platforms. As a Windows CE distributor, Vadem will be exposed to a variety of applications and willfocus on major growth markets.
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Vantis North American Company Profiles
VANTIS
Vantis Corporation995 Stewart Drive
P.O. Box 3755Sunnyvale, California 94088Telephone: (408) 616-8000
Asia-Pacific: Advanced Micro Devices Far East Ltd. • Kowloon, Hong KongTelephone: (852) 2956-5322 • Fax: (852) 2956-0588
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends December 31
1 9 9 4 1 9 9 5 1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7
Sales 187 256 248 243
Employees — — 300 300
Company Overview and Strategy
Vantis Corporation was spun-off from AMD in 1997 to form a wholly-owned programmable logic subsidiary of AMD.The company’s roots in programmable logic devices (PLDs) date back to 1978 when Monolithic Memories, Inc.announced the development of the PAL® device. MMI merged with AMD in 1987. Today, Vantis is the dominantsupplier of simple PLDs and the world’s third largest supplier of all PLDs.
There are six basic areas addressed by Vantis’ PLDs: high-speed PAL devices, universal PAL devices, industry-standard PAL devices, low-power PAL devices, asynchronous PAL devices, and high-density PLDs. Vantis isnow a full range supplier with the latest announcement of its entrance into the FPGA market with its new VFI familyof FPGAs.
Vantis’ roadmap calls for CPLDs with up to 1,000 macrocells by 1998, and CPLDs with high-density macrocells andintegrated cores by 1999. The company will utilize AMD’s core library including its digital signal processing, PCI,and microprocessor cores. Vantis’ FPGA products will move into the 250,000-gate range by the year 2000. Alsoby 2000, Vantis wants to become an independent, publicly held company.
Management
Richard Previte ChairmanRichard H. Forte President and Chief Executive OfficerFrank Barone Vice President and Chief Operating OfficerOm Agrawal Vice President and Chief Technical OfficerAl F. Frugaletti Vice President, Worldwide DistributionAndy Robin Vice President, MarketingAndy Pease Vice President, North American Sales
Products and Processes
For high-performance applications in the networking, telecommunications, computing, and industrial markets,Vantis offers its MACH families of high-density EECMOS PLDs. There are five MACH families, each addressing aspecific market need and all include features such as guaranteed fixed timing, PCI compliancy, powermanagement, and 3.3V options. The MACH 5, MACH Superset, and MACH Performance Plus CPLDs come withJTAG in-system programming (ISP) support for no additional cost.
• MACH 1 and 2 Families — These families (including the MACH Performance Plus CPLD products) consistprimarily of synchronous devices for synchronous subsystem applications like memory controllers andperipheral controllers and an asynchronous device for applications having asynchronous inputs and forcollecting random glue logic. Characteristics include 900 to 3,600 PLD gates, 44 to 84 pins, and 32 to 128macrocells.
• MACH 3 and 4 Families — These MACH Superset CPLDs provide approximately three times the density (up to10,000 PLD gates), two times the number of macrocells (up to 256), and two times the amount of I/O (up to 208pins) of the original MACH 1 and 2 families.
• MACH 5 Family — This CPLD product family has speeds as fast as 7.5ns at 512 macrocells. The MACH 5devices feature a new hierarchical switch-matrix architecture that allows shorter design times. While a 0.35µm(effective gate length) CMOS process is currently used to manufacture the MACH 5 PLDs, a 0.25µm six-layer-metal process is under development and expected to be implemented by 2000.
• FPGAs — The VF1 family of FPGAs, introduced in January of 1998, is Vantis’ newest programmable logicfamily. First family members include the 25,000 gate devices available in production quantities in 2Q98. Basedon a variable grain architecture, the VF1 devices provide 250MHz pipeline performance providing an increasein system speed by 50 to 100 percent over competing solutions. VF1 will span up to 250,000 gates by mid-1998.
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Vantis North American Company Profiles
Vantis also offers one of the industry’s widest variety of PAL devices.
• High-Speed PALs — Electronically erasable (EE) CMOS and bipolar PALs with delay times as low as 5ns and4.5ns, respectively.
• Universal PALs — EECMOS PALs with user-programmable output logic macrocells.• Industry-Standard PALs — Bipolar TTL PALs in a variety of speed and power grades.• Low-Power PALs — Zero-power CMOS PALs for portable or battery-operated systems (stand-by current of
less than 15µA) and quarter-power CMOS PALs that can cut system power consumption 50 percent byreplacing equivalent CMOS PALs.
• Asynchronous PALs — CMOS PALs that are optimized for asynchronous and bus interface applications.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
All of the company’s products are manufactured in AMD’s wafer fabrication facilities in Austin, Texas, on processesdedicated to programmable logic. AMD’s Fab 25, where much of Vantis’ devices are manufactured, is a 200mmfab with 0.35µm line geometries.
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North American Company Profiles Vitesse Semiconductor
VITESSE SEMICONDUCTOR
Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation741 Calle Plano
Camarillo, California 93012Telephone: (805) 388-3700
Vitesse Semiconductor (NASDAQ: VTSS), founded in 1984, is a leader in the design, development,manufacturing, and marketing of digital gallium arsenide (GaAs) ICs suitable for commercial, industrial, and militarycustomers. The company's custom, semicustom, and standard products are used in a wide variety of industriesincluding telecommunications, data communications, computers, defense and aerospace systems, automatic testequipment (ATE), and instrumentation.
Vitesse's mission is to be the dominant supplier of the highest performance IC solutions for communications andATE applications. As the communications market shifts from wire to optical channels, and computers undergo ashift from large proprietary central processors to open distributed processors, Vitesse is positioning itself toprovide leading high-performance digital, analog, and mixed-signal IC solutions.
Vitesse Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
Management
James A. Cole ChairmanLouis R. Tomasetta President and Chief Executive OfficerIan Burrows Vice President, Fab OperationsRobert Cutter Vice President and General Manager, Colorado SpringsIra Deyhimy Vice President, Product DevelopmentChris F. Gardner Vice President and General Manager, ATE ProductsEugene F. Hovanec Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial OfficerJames Mikkelson Vice President, Technology Development and Chief Technical OfficerMichael Millhollan Vice President and General Manager, Standard ProductsRobert Nunn Vice President and General Manager, ASIC ProductsNeil Rappaport Vice President, SalesRam Venkataraman Vice President, QualityJeanne Johnson Vice President, Human Resources
Products and Processes
Vitesse's products are fabricated using its proprietary H-GaAs™ (high integration gallium arsenide) processtechnology. The current generation is the five-level metal, 0.5µm H-GaAs IV process, capable of integration levelsof over one million transistors. ASIC design and simulation is supported on industry standard tools from Mentor,Cadence, Viewlogic, Synopsys, and Teradyne.
Vitesse's standard products include telecommunications and data communications ICs. Its communicationsproducts address the high-speed data transmission marketplace. Most are designed to be compatible with theSONET (synchronous optical network), ATM, and Fibre Channel standards. The operating frequency of thesedevices is from 155MHz to 10GHz and they are aimed at providing physical layer solutions for copper or fiber opticscommunication lines.
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North American Company Profiles Vitesse Semiconductor
Vitesse's gate array product line consists of five families: GLX, FX, Viper, SCFX, and Fury™. Aimed at the com-munication, ATE/instrumental, and computer markets, GLX arrays are suited to switching networks, serial links, high-speed data bus transfers, DSP functions, and critical timing blocks. GLX utilizes a sea-of-gates architecture and canbe powered from either a single or dual power supply, depending on I/O requirements. These gate arrays canaccommodate virtually any digital application requiring up to 175,000 gates. The FX series provides solutions insuper minicomputers, high-end workstations, telecommunications systems, and high-performanceATE/instrumentation. The Viper family provides solutions in computer peripherals, medical instrumentation, andcommunications. The SCFX family is targeted at telecommunications and data communications applications, offeringmaximum operating frequencies beyond 3GHz. The Fury series addresses the conventional silicon ECL user.
In early 1997, Vitesse introduced its first family of GaAs standard cell arrays targeting telecommunications andhigh-speed switching applications. Dubbed the SLX line, the family consists of five devices with gate densitiesranging from 10K to 220K gates while operating from a single 3.3V power supply. The SLX family is based on a0.4µm four-layer metal HGaAs-IV process and utilizes a standard cell architecture.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
In late 1996, Vitesse began construction of what it claims will be the first 150mm GaAs VLSI fabrication facility in theindustry. The 100,000 square-foot facility will support manufacturing and test, as well as a design center forresearch and development. Initial production is expected to begin in mid-1998.
Vitesse Semiconductor Vitesse Semiconductor741 Calle Plano 4323 ArrowsWest DriveCamarillo, California 93012 Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907Cleanroom size: 5,500 square feet (Class 10) Cleanroom size: 10,000 square feet (Class 1)
Vivid Semiconductor North American Company Profiles
VIVID SEMICONDUCTOR
Vivid Semiconductor, Inc.7400 West Detroit Street
Suite 100Chandler, Arizona 85226
Telephone: (602) 961-3200Fax: (602) 961-1135
Web Site: www.vividsemi.com
Fabless IC SupplierFounded: 1993
Employees: 70
Ownership: Privately held.
Regional Headquarters/Representative Locations
Asia-Pacific: Vivid Semiconductor Korea Inc. • Seoul, KoreaTelephone: (82) (2) 522-3175 • Fax: (82) (2) 552-3177
Vivid Semiconductor KK • Tokyo 105 JapanTelephone: (03) 3432-1581
Company Overview and Strategy
Vivid Semiconductor was formed in 1993 to design and market mixed-signal and analog integrated circuits forapplications requiring high voltage operation at a low cost. Currently, the company is focused on providing driveelectronics to manufacturers of flat panel displays (FPDs).
Using patented extended voltage-range CMOS technology, Vivid has developed technology that allowsdesigners to build enhanced performance flat panel displays with 24-bit color and full-motion video. The key tothis technology is that it can be fabricated on standard CMOS processes. Vivid’s process technology can beapplied not only to FPDs but also to a broad range of other markets, from automotive to telecommunications,where extended voltage-range CMOS can make a difference in product capability, power consumption, cost, andreliability.
North American Company Profiles Vivid Semiconductor
Management
Alex Erhart President and Chief Executive OfficerDan Clarke Vice President, Marketing and SalesGerry Harder Vice President, Research and DevelopmentTim Vatuone Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerJames Hanshew Vice President, OperationsEd Fullman Director, Marketing
Products and Processes
Vivid Semiconductor offers three families of direct drive flat panel display column drivers — CRT replacementproducts, low power notebook TFT display products, and MLS/AA STN display products. Vivid’s direct drive LCDcolumn drivers are available for a wide range of panel resolutions from VGA to UXGA.
Vivid’s column drivers are based on its patented "Dual Range" design architecture, which allows high-voltagedevices to be achieved on standard, low-voltage CMOS processes. For example, 10V operation on a 0.8µmprocess and 7V operation on a 0.5µm process can be easily achieved, and higher voltages are possible.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Unlike leading edge microprocessors and memories, Vivid’s silicon requirements can be fabricated in plants thatare three process generations old. Vivid’s wafer processing, packaging, and testing functions are contracted towell-established manufacturers.
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VLSI Technology North American Company Profiles
VLSI TECHNOLOGY
VLSI Technology, Inc.1109 McKay Drive
San Jose, California 95131Telephone: (408) 434-3100
Fax: (408) 263-2511Web Site: www.vlsi.com
IC ManufacturerFounded: 1979
Regional Offices/Representative Locations
Japan: VLSI Technology, Inc. • Tokyo, JapanTelephone: (81) (3) 5454-3800 • Fax: (81) (3) 5454-3801
VLSI Technology, Inc. designs and manufactures System-Level Silicon integrated circuits based on its FSB ,functional systems blocks library. Targeting its offerings toward the wireless communications, networking,consumer digital entertainment and computing markets, the company offers its customers advanced system-levelintegration capabilities. VLSI Technology is a leader in the design, manufacture, and sale of complex high-performance ASICs and ASSPs.
Founded in 1979, the company has been a pioneer in the cell-based ASIC business. VLSI targets high-growthmarkets namely communications, computing and consumer digital entertainment markets. It has built expertise inthese areas and can use its library of proprietary cells and FSB library to assist customers in designing productsand bringing them to market rapidly.
VLSI’s integrated circuit business is organized in three main groups — Computing Products, CommunicationsProducts, and Consumer Digital Entertainment Products.
The Computing Product group offers devices for the computer market, including high-end computing applicationssuch as graphics workstations and high-end storage systems. Sales from this product group declined fromrepresenting 46 percent of total revenues in 1995 to fifteen percent in 1996 due to Intel’s strengtheneddominance in the core logic business and a decrease in sales for Apple Computer architecture systems. TheComputing Products group is shifting its focus away from standard core logic chipsets and toward customproducts for high-end applications.
The Communications Products group offers devices for wireless and network communications applications.Within the communications area, the company continues to develop technologies supporting GSM, PHS, andDECT standards. VLSI is also developing products targeting CDMA digital cellular applications. In 1Q96, VLSIcreated a European subsidiary called Creative Systems Solutions. Based in Munich, Germany, Creative SystemsSolutions will focus on the wireless data communications marketplace.
The Consumer Digital Entertainment Products group supplies devices for secure communications and homeentertainment applications such as interactive television, satellite and cable technology, and electronic videogame systems. Data encryption is one key area of focus due to increased security concerns as products becomemore advanced.
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VLSI Technology North American Company Profiles
Future product development will include a focus on the wireless, networking, set-top box, and advancedcomputing markets.
Management
Alfred J. Stein Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerRichard M. Beyer President and Chief Operating OfficerThierry Laurent Senior Vice President and GM, Communications Product GroupDouglas M. McBurnie Senior Vice President, Computer and Consumer Products GroupBalakrishnan S. Iyer Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial OfficerTed Malanczuk Senior Vice President, OperationsJohn Hodgson Senior Vice President, SalesSunil Mehta Vice President and TreasurerNobuo Sugawara President, VLSI Technology KK, Japanese Subsidiary
Products and Processes
Using advanced design capabilities, a vast cell library of predefined cells, and advanced manufacturing processes,VLSI Technology offers highly customized, highly integrated standard cell, embedded array (FlexArray), and gatearray ASICs and ASSPs for applications such as computers, wireless communications equipment, electronicgames, and digital set-top boxes.
The VLSI Cell Library provides an extensive and growing variety of pre-designed and characterized cells,macrocells, and large functional system blocks. The company’s specialized system blocks include: UART, parallelport, SCC, SCSI, PCMCIA, PCI, SSA, Fibre Channel, and graphics functions for computing applications; T1/E1,SONET/SDH, and ATM functions for network communications applications; GSM/DCS, DECT, CT2, PHS, CDPD,and Ruby II functions for wireless communications applications; and digital demodulation, forward error correction(FEC), MPEG-2 video and MPEG audio, microcontroller, and transport for digital entertainment applications.VLSI’s cell library also includes general-purpose system blocks such as 32-bit ARM RISC processor cores, dataencryption devices, and programmable DSP cores.
In a second attempt to penetrate the data security market, VLSI has developed the GhostRider security chip forPCI-based computers, modems, web-browsers, and set-top boxes. The device is designed to protect theelectronic transfer of intellectual property by integrating an on-chip RISC processor with encryption/decryptionengine-functional system blocks.
In April 1997, VLSI introduced a gigabit MAC controller device, the VNS67500. The device is available as astandard product, operating at 3.3V, or may be embedded in a submicron CMOS ASIC. The device is designedfor high-speed networking applications.
Two new processes were announced in April 1997, for mixed signal devices – VSC9 SRAM, and VSC10 SRAM,0.25 micron and 0.20 micron processes, respectively. A five layer metal interconnect process is planned forintroduction in 1998.
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North American Company Profiles VLSI Technology
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
VLSI has a three level manufacturing strategy – one level of support comes from their partner, Wafer TechnologyMalaysia (WTM) located in San Jose, where R&D prototyping for advance technologies takes place. The secondlevel is from their production fab in San Antonio, where the 0.25 and 0.20 micron processes are utilized. Finally,the third tier of support will be coming from their new fab, joint ventured with WTM, located in Penang, planned forcompletion by the year 2000.
In previous years, VLSI Technology enhanced its manufacturing capacity through wafer manufacturingrelationships, primarily with Chartered Semiconductor. However, by the end of 1996, VLSI shifted substantially allits wafer manufacturing to its own facilities.
During 1996, VLSI completed the majority of its expansion plans of its San Antonio fab, including the conversionto 0.6µm and smaller processes. In late 1996, VLSI announced plans to close its San Jose facility, citing itstechnology limitations as a contributing factor in the decision.
VLSI subcontracts all of its IC packaging and approximately half of its final test needs. Its in-house final testfunctions are performed at its factories in California and Tempe, Arizona.
Key Agreements
• In October 1997, VLSI signed an agreement to invest in a new state-of-the-art, deep submicronsemiconductor manufacturing plant with Wafer Technology (Malaysia) Sendiran Berhad (WTM), a consortiumof Malaysian and foreign investors organized under the sponsorship of Malaysian government agencies. Inaddition, as part of the agreement, WTM will take ownership, manage and upgrade VLSI’s current San Josefabrication facility, operating as a semiconductor process development and prototyping line. This will provideWTM with an immediate base of operations in the Silicon Valley. The fab will employ about 65 staff.
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VLSI Technology North American Company Profiles
• In October 1997, VLSI and The Athena Group, Inc., announced a strategic partnership to develop advanceddigital signal processing (DSP) technologies under terms of an award announced by the U.S. Department ofCommerce National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Advanced Technology Program (ATP). Forthe project, The Athena Group will work with VLSI to develop integrated circuit elements and support softwareimplementing advanced DSP techniques that could result in cost/performance gains up to ten times overthose of current generation DSP chips.
• In July 1997, VLSI announced the signing of a definitive agreement to sell its COMPASS Design Automationsubsidiary to Avant! Corporation. COMPASS provides electronic design automation (EDA) tools and librariesfor deep submicron application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and application-specific standard products(ASSPs). Under the agreement, Avant! purchased all of the outstanding equity in COMPASS for acombination of cash and common stock totaling approximately $44 million.
The agreement allows VLSI to put its full focus on expanding their semiconductor business, targeted atcommunications, consumer digital entertainment and advanced computer workstations. The acquisition wascompleted in September of 1997.
• In November 1996, VLSI signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Malaysia. Thememo covers the construction of a 200mm wafer fabrication facility in Malaysia. To date, the company has notannounced any decision or timeframe for the facility.
• In 1996, VLSI entered into an agreement with Digital Semiconductor that covers the design and manufactureof system logic devices. The devices are for use in future Alpha-based systems.
• VLSI and Hitachi renewed and expanded their 1988 standard cell and process technology exchangeagreement. The new pact added gate array technology, and the two companies will develop compatible gatearray families. In July 1996, Hitachi licensed its SuperH-3 RISC MPU core to VLSI, who plans to offer it as aCPU core in ASICs and ASSPs for applications such as handheld computing devices, navigation systems,digital entertainment, and multimedia peripherals.
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North American Company Profiles Voltage Multipliers, Inc.
VOLTAGE MULTIPLIERS, INC. (VMI)
Voltage Multipliers, Inc.8711 West Roosevelt Avenue
Visalia, California 43291Telephone: (209) 651-1402
Voltage Multipliers Inc. was incorporated in December 1980 to design, manufacture and market high voltagesemiconductor products. VMI has also developed some of the world’s fastest switching rectifiers for both high andlow voltage applications.
VMI currently sells to more than 1,000 customers in a variety of industries. The majority of the customers aremanufacturers of high voltage power supplies or users of high voltage power supplies in their products. With morethan 50 years of combined experience in High Voltage electronics, approximately 20 percent of VMI’s business isfor military use and the balance is for industrial, medical, aircraft or other high reliability applications.
Management
Dennis J. Kemp President and Chief Executive OfficerJohn Yakura Vice President, Director of Research and DevelopmentKenneth Haag Vice President of Marketing
Products and Processes
Discrete Diodes
Diodes are available in a wide variety of voltage ranges and are available in axial-leaded, SMD TAB, and some typesas glass-passivated chips.
Transient Voltage Suppressers
TVS are currently in development as catalog items and are available in limited voltage ranges. Current emphasis ison higher voltage TVS.
Voltage Multipliers, Inc. North American Company Profiles
High Voltage Power Supplies
These products consist of VMI diodes along with other components (transformers, resistors, capacitors, etc.)assembled in a variety of configurations to provide power conversion from low voltage DC or AC to high voltageDC. These devices are custom designed and are high quality, high reliability devices.
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North American Company Profiles VSIS, Inc.
VSIS, INC.
VSIS, Inc.1050 East Arques Ave.Sunnyvale, CA 94086
Telephone: (408) 730-5900Fax: (408) 732-8037
Web Site: www.vsisinc.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Company Overview and Strategy
VSIS, Inc., founded in 1996, (as a semiconductor systems design spin-off of Mitsubishi Electric) is a designcompany which was formed to address the emerging systems-level applications requirements of North Americancustomers. The company handles leading-edge “system-on-a-chip” designs, using Mitsubishi fabricationfacilities.
Products and Processes
Current products:
• Advanced 3D graphics;• Java solutions in silicon;• System-on-a-chip (SOC); and• Network computing.
Mitsubishi Electronics America provided 100 percent of the venture capital funding for the company. VSIS is anautonomous entrepreneurial company.
Management
Dr. Osamu Tomisawa President and Chief Executive OfficerStephen Hester Executive Vice PresidentKenji Baba Vice President, EngineeringJoe Eschbach Assistant Vice President, New Computing Markets
Japan: VTC Japan • Tokyo, JapanTelephone: (81) (3) 3389-6016
Europe: VTC Deutschland • GermanyTelephone: (49) (8071) 95304
Financial History ($M)
1 9 9 2 1 9 9 3 1 9 9 4 1 9 9 5 1 9 9 6
Sales 50 75 108 166 178
Employees 300 375 480 540 600
Company Overview and Strategy
VTC was founded in 1984 to design and manufacture VHSIC products for government markets. Within the firstyear, VTC acquired Control Data Corporation's microcircuits division (a captive chip manufacturing operation forCDC's disk drive business that had operated since 1969). VTC was privately held, but Control Data was a majorinvestor.
Control Data purchased all of VTC in 1987, making it a wholly-owned subsidiary. In 1988, the two original foundersleft CDC and the company was put up for sale. In October 1990, CDC sold the bipolar portion to a managementbuyout led by VTC's current CEO, Larry Jodsaas. Before the end of the year, CDC also sold the CMOS fab toCypress.
Today, VTC's strategy is to offer quality, high-performance ICs to the data storage (disk and optical drive) industry.The company's revenues come from bipolar read/write preamplifiers and channel electronics found in disk drivesworldwide.
Larry Jodsaas President and Chief Executive OfficerCliff Boler Vice President, EngineeringJohn Doyle Vice President, QualityDan Griffith Vice President, Sales and MarketingGreg Peterson Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerRobert Rousseau Vice President, Human ResourcesEd Schnable Vice President, Manufacturing
Products and Processes
VTC offers a broad line of read/write preamplifier standard products and channel ASICs for use in rigid disk drives.Processes used by the company are complementary bipolar (CBP), ECL, and BiCMOS (called PolarMOS).
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
VTC Inc.2800 East Old Shakopee RoadBloomington, Minnesota 55425-1350Cleanroom size: 32,000 square feetCapacity (wafers/week): 5,000Wafer size: 150mmProcesses: Bipolar, complementary bipolar, BiCMOSProducts: Standard and ASIC read/write preamplifiers, servo preamplifiers, and channel electronicsFeature sizes: 1.2µm, 2.0µm, 3.0µm
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Western Design Center North American Company Profiles
WESTERN DESIGN CENTER
Western Design Center, Inc. (THE)2166 East Brown RoadMesa, Arizona 85213
Telephone: (602) 962-4545Fax: (602) 835-6442
Web Site: www.wdesignc.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends December 31
1 9 9 7
Sales 1-2.5 (est.)
Employees 7
Company Overview and Strategy
A privately-held company founded in 1978, Western Design Center (WDC) designs, assembles and sellsmicroprocessor Intellectual Property (IP) to the electronics industry worldwide. WDC licenses its IP portfolio(65C02 microprocessor and microcontroller cores and a modules library) to end-user companies and foundries,provides design services, and assembles ASIC and ASSP cores for low-volume-production applications. WDC isthe original source and remains the IP owner of the patented CMOS 65C02 8-bit and 65C816 16-bitmicroprocessors. In mid-1994, WDC introduced the Mensch Computer, a developer and educational system fordata capture, communications and control applications.
The founder, William D. Mensch, Jr., was one of the inventors of the Motorola 6800 microprocessors and hehelped invent and develop the 6502 chip used in Apple, Commodore, Atari and other computers.
WDC customers include Franklin Electronic Publishers, ITT Semiconductors, Sanyo and General Instruments.
WDC also resells third party software development tools from six vendors and hardware development tools fromanother eleven vendors. Most vendors are U.S., but a few are from the UK. Additionally, WDC has a network ofField Representatives; three in the U.S. and one each in Israel and Taiwan.
Management
William D. Mensch, Jr. Founder, Chairman, PresidentMike Grennan Chief Financial OfficerNick Dazio Vice President, Business DevelopmentMichael Thompson QA/QC Manager
North American Company Profiles Western Design Center
Products and Processes
WDC offers five microprocessors. The W65C02S is a single-chip, 8-bit microcontroller ASIC which runs up to20MHz, has a single-phase clock and is available in 40 DIP, 44 PLCC and 44 QFP packages. Applications for this0.8µm chip include video games, set-top converters, pagers, and medical equipment.
WDC’s W65C816S is a fully static CMOS 16-bit microprocessor with backward software compatibility to itspredecessor series. Addressing is extended to a full 16Mb and the chip is software-switchable to 8-bit emulationmode or native 16-bit mode. The 0.8µm chip also features abort and interrupt capability.
WDC’s W65C134S 8-bit microcontroller is a fully static 8-bit system-on-a-chip fabricated in 0.8µm CMOS formicrocomputer and low power (2.8V @ 3mA/MHz and 5.5V @ 6mA/MHz) applications including hi-rel. The chip isalso available as a monitor ROM ASSP. It is packaged in either 68 PLCC or 80 QFP and has 56 I/O ports. Lowpower modes are WAI, STP, and fast oscillating start and stop. WDC also offers the W65C265S 16-bit versionspecifically designed for low power hi-rel applications. It is also 0.8µm and features 64 I/O ports and is packaged in84 PLCC or 100 QFP.
WDC’s 265C22S Versatile Interface Adapter (VIA) is a program-controlled 8-bit serial bi-directional peripheral I/Odevice used with the 265C series microprocessors. The device is fabricated in a 1.2µm process using proprietary“foundry-independent design rules.” Key features include NMOS 6522 device compatibility, two 16-bitprogrammable interval timers/counters and an enhanced handshake feature. Several control registers alsoprovide application flexibility.
WDC offers four developer boards for embedded systems development, WDC chip-based system developmentand system or chip development using WDC’s IP. The W65C02S is an 8-bit MPU with a Versatile Interface Adapter(VIA) peripheral chip and a memory map decoder PLD. The board also features an ASIC header, ten I/O lines, alow-power detector, easy crystal changing, a 32K SRAM, a 32K EPROM, and access to all control lines. The gluechip is an AMD MACH211. The W65C816S MPU is a 16-bit version with twenty I/O lines and its bank address anddata buses extracted and placed on the header for easier use. It uses AMD’s MACH210 glue chip.
WDC’s W65C265S is an 8-bit MCU with four serial ports, full networking capability, a monitor program, twenty I/Olines, the VIA peripheral chips, and Flash and battery-backed SRAM PCMCIA cards. The W65C134SPCBdeveloper board is a 0.8µm, 4MHz, 8-bit MCU. It has one serial port, full networking capability, a monitor program,twenty I/O lines, 32K SRAM, 32K EPROM, and includes the VIA peripheral chip.
WDC made a wise, bold move in its 1994 launch of the Mensch Computer; a move the company positions as a“peripheralization” and “embedded system use” of its W265C265S developer board. Base peripherals includethe keyboard and display and options include a modem, printer, and game controller. This product is targeted as a“trainer” for college engineering laboratories. The Mensch Computer enables students to learn assemblylanguage and C programming and learn about libraries and all the system and peripheral hardware. WDC notes theASIC header allows teaching of HDL FPGA applications and soft cores. WDC has a University Relations programfrom which the product appears to have its genesis and is sure to benefit from student interactions which includefellowships at WDC.
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Western Design Center North American Company Profiles
WDC licenses two 8-bit and two 16-bit chip level cores, the VIA core, a static RAM module and a mask ROMmodule.
WDC states its IP has been licensed into the full spectrum of applications including commercial, industrial, hi-rel,medical, MIL-SPEC and rad-hard. WDC IP has been used in 0.6µm through 1.5µm processing geometries.WDC’s licensing approach is to charge a low-cost, one-time initial fee with low quarterly maintenance fees.
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North American Company Profiles WSI
WSI
WSI, Inc.47280 Kato Road
Fremont, California 94538Telephone: (510) 656-5400
Fax: (510) 657-5916Web site: www.wsipsd.com
Fabless IC SupplierFounded: 1983
Financial History ($M)
1 9 9 2 1 9 9 3 1 9 9 4 1 9 9 5 1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7
Sales 28 27 28 38 44 43
Employees 137 125 125 125 100 146
Ownership: Privately held.
Company Overview and Strategy
WSI, Inc. (formerly WaferScale Integration, Inc.) was founded in 1983, as a supplier of high-performanceprogrammable ICs. It serves embedded system designers who need to achieve higher system performance,reduce system size and power consumption, shorten product development cycles to achieve faster market entry,and reduce manufacturing costs. It offers field-programmable microcontroller peripherals as well as high-performance non-volatile EPROM products.
Management
Michael Callahan Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerYoram Cedar Vice President, New Business DevelopmentHoward Gopen Vice President, OperationsRobert Hoard Vice President, Worldwide SalesReza Kazerounian Vice President, Research and DevelopmentCarl Mills Vice President, FinanceDavid Raun Vice President, PSD and Memory Products
WSI supplies several families of programmable microcontroller peripherals as well as a broad line of highperformance non-volatile PROM and EPROM devices. These products are based on the company's patentedself-aligned split-gate CMOS EPROM technology. WSI's fast Flash, EEPROM, and EPROMs are available indensities ranging from 16K to 1M. The programmable peripherals integrate EPROM, SRAM, PLD, and user-configurable logic.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
WSI does not have its own fabrication facility. It has foundry agreements with Sharp, National Semiconductor, AMI,SGS-Thomson, and Tower Semiconductor.
Key Agreements
• In December 1997, WSI announced an agreement to jointly develop Flash memory versions of its PSDperipherals for MCUs using SGS-Thomson’s FLASH+™ technology. Under the agreement, ST will provide WSIwith full access to its NVM design rules and wafer fab capacity to meet projected demand for Flash PSDs. WSI islicensing ST for manufacturing and marketing Flash PSDs as well as use of WSI’s advanced NVM technologies.ST also acquired a fifteen percent equity stake in WSI as part of the transaction.
• In January 1997, WSI signed a long-term technology exchange and foundry agreement with TowerSemiconductor. Under the agreement, the two companies will jointly develop manufacturing processtechnologies such as WSI’s AMG EPROM architecture using Tower’s 0.6µm technology. The agreement alsoguarantees WSI access to Tower’s wafer capacity.
• National took a 10 percent stake in WSI as part of a five-year foundry and technology exchange agreement.
• WSI formed an alliance with American Microsystems to jointly develop mask-programmable versions of WSI'sline of microcontroller peripherals. AMI is manufacturing the parts and the companies are marketing themseparately.
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North American Company Profiles White Microelectronics
Financial History ($K), Fiscal Year Ends September 27
1 9 9 7 1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7
CorporateSales 18,067 18,840 22,189Net Income 522 1,290 3,903
Microelectronics DivisionNet Income 1,344 1,272 4,110
Ownership: Publicly held. AMEX: BOM
Company Overview and Strategy
White Microelectronics, a division of Bowmar Instrument Corporation, designs and manufactures custom andstandard multichip modules and microcircuits for commercial, industrial and military applications worldwide. TheCompany is a world leader in the production of memory products. White’s products include a wide range of SRAM,Flash, EEPROM, and SRAM memory products. High-density memories are available in PLCC, SIMM, ZIP and BGAfor commercial applications. There is also a diverse selection of processor-based products for militaryenvironments.
White Microelectronics North American Company Profiles
The Board of Directors of Bowmar Instrument Corporation has realigned the Company to be a puremicroelectronics company to position it for the greatest possibility of long-term success. The Company’sTechnologies division based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Company’s non-semiconductor division, theTechnologies division, designs and manufactures a variety of electromechanical components, electromechanicaldisplay devices and keyboard assemblies for military and commercial applications. As an added measure to reduceoverhead expense, the Company's corporate headquarter’s facility in Phoenix, Arizona, was closed in January1998. Bowmar corporate functions will now operate out of the new microelectronics facility, a modern 53,000square foot facility, located in Phoenix.
Bowmar’s Microelectronics division has continued to grow and the division’s sales for fiscal 1997 were almost 18%over sales for fiscal 1996. The percentage of sales in gross margin increased from 37.6% (1996) to 38.5% (1997).Pre-tax income at this division in 1997 was $2,608,000, an increase of over $400,00 from 1996.
Management
Hamid Shokrogozar President and Chief Executive OfficerDan Tarantine Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Products and Processes
White Microelectronics has four divisions of product lines: commercial memory products, Plastic Plus memoryproducts, Atlas peripheral-processor, and memory and microprocessor products. Product details are as follows:
Commercial Memory Products• SRAM, Flash, and DRAM PLCCs, SIMMs (Single In-line Memory Modules), ZIPs, and BGAs.• White Microelectronics is the first to introduce on the market the 16Mbyte SRAM SIMM.• Flash SIMMs from 2Mbytes to 64Mbytes.• SRAM SIMMs in 16, 32, 36, 36, and 64Mbit.• 4Mbit SRAM MCMs with 3.3V, and 16Mbit SRAM MCMs with 3.3V.• 16Mbit SRAM.• High-density DRAM Mega DIMMs (Dual In-Line Memory Modules).
Plastic Plus Memory Products• SRAM, Flash, and DRAM memory products in a variety of monolithic plastic packages.
Memory and Microprocessor Products • 8Mbyte and 16Mbyte Flash. • 3.3V SRAM. • Military-grade monolithic processors. • 4Mbit monolithic SRAM. • 8Mbyte Multichip Flash Modules and 16Mbyte Multichip Flash Modules. • 256Kx16CMOS EEPROM Module. • Military Grade 128Kx8CMOS monolithic EEPROM. • SRAM, Flash, EEPROM, and Mixed memory in ceramic, hermetic monolithic and multichip module packages. • Monolithic processors and processor MCMs. • 16Mbit monolithic DRAM.• 5V Flash 16Mbit monolithic, 5V Flash 32Mbit module, and 5V Flash 64Mbit module.
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North American Company Profiles White Microelectronics
Memory and Processors (continued)
• Military version of 603e Microprocessor: 32-bit of the PowerPC RISC architecture. • SRAM/EEPROM Mixed Modules. • SRAM/Flash Mixed Modules. • Modular X multi-chip module (MCM) incorporate peripheral functions and memory with the processor core. • SRAM/EEPROM Mixed Modules.
Atlas Peripheral Processors
• Contains the functions of 16 individual components in one chip: a processor interface and memory decorder,five UARTs, a watchdog timer, an interrupt controller, 32 programmable I/Os, both reset and configuration logic,and four 48-bit timers.
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Xicor North American Company Profiles
XICOR
Xicor, Inc.1511 Buckeye Drive
Milpitas, California 95035-7493Telephone: (408) 432-8888
Fax: (408) 432-0640Web Site: www.xicor.com
IC ManufacturerFounded: 1978
Regional Headquarters/Representative Locations
Japan: Xicor Japan K.K. • Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, JapanTelephone: (81) (3) 3225-2004 • Fax: (81) (3) 3225-2319
Xicor, Inc. (NASDAQ: XICO), founded in 1978, designs and manufactures a broad line of non-volatile in-the-system programmable semiconductor ICs. In-the-system programmability enables telecommunications,consumer, computer, industrial, automotive, and military products to adapt to changing software and operatingenvironments, and to be personalized by the user. Many of Xicor’s products consume little power and operatewell from a battery powered source, making them well suited for hand-held and portable applications.
Xicor emphasizes the development of proprietary products that incorporate its programmable technology,enabling customers to rapidly bring to market products with improved features, efficiency and maintainability. In1995, Xicor introduced its first SerialFlash™ memory product family, which operates from low voltage powersources. Xicor is a leading supplier of EEPROM memory products and EEPOT® digitally controlledpotentiometers.
Management
Raphael Klein Chairman, President, and Chief Executive OfficerJoseph Drori Vice President, Products Design, Engineering, Quality, and ReliabilityBruce Gray Vice President, Wafer OperationsGeraldine N. Hench Vice President and Corporate ControllerKlaus G. Hendig Vice President, Finance and AdministrationTimothy D. Kanemoto Vice President, Product OperationsDennis E. Krueger Vice President, North America SalesMadga M. Madriz Vice President, Human ResourcesMichael Levis Vice President, MarketingWilliam H. Owen III Vice President, Technology Development and Intellectual Properties
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Xicor North American Company Profiles
Products and Processes
Xicor offers serial EEPROMs in 128-bit to 128K densities, parallel EEPROMs in 16K to 1M densities, Serial Flashmemories in 8K to 128K densities, Secure SerialFlash devices for data security applications, NOVRAMs(nonvolatile SRAMs), NOVRAMs with Autostore™ power-loss data protection, EEPOT® digitally controlledpotentiometers, EEPROMs that interface directly with microcontrollers or microprocessor bus-based systems, andmemory subsystems.
Xicor is also a licensee of the Pine 16-bit fixed-point DSP core and related development tools from DSP Group.The firm is developing products that integrate the Pine DSP core with its EEPROM technology.
Xicor is ISO 9001 and QS 9000 quality standard certified.
• In early 1997, Yamaha teamed up with Xicor in the EEPROM business. The partnership calls for Yamaha toproduce Xicor’s EEPROMs and supply them to cellular phone makers under the Xicor name beginning in May1998. The two companies also agreed to jointly develop process technology.
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North American Company Profiles Xilinx
XILINX
Xilinx, Inc.2100 Logic Drive
San Jose, California 95124-3400Telephone: (408) 559-7778
Fax: (408) 559-7114Web Site: www.xilinx.com
Fabless IC Supplier
Regional Headquarters/Representative Locations
In February 1998, Xilinx broke ground for a new $31 million, 180,000 square foot corporate headquarters in SanJose. The new building will accommodate about 600 new employees and is scheduled for completion this fall.
Japan: Xilinx K.K. • Tokyo, JapanTelephone: (81) (3) 3297-9191
Europe: Xilinx Ltd. • Surrey, United KingdomTelephone: (44) (1932) 349401
Founded in 1984, Xilinx (NASDAQ: XLNX) is the leading innovator of complete programmable logic solutions.Xilinx develops, manufactures and markets a broad line of advanced integrated circuits, including fieldprogrammable gate arrays (FPGAs) and complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs). Xilinx is currently theworld’s largest supplier of FPGAs.
The company also offers software design tools, predefined system-level functions delivered as cores, andmasked programmed HardWire™ devices that are functionally equivalent and pin compatible with programmedFPGAs. Markets for Xilinx products include data processing, telecommunications, networking, industrial control,instrumentation, consumer, military and aerospace.
In February 1997, Xilinx unveiled its five year product roadmap that called for an aggressive adoption of the mostadvanced semiconductor manufacturing processes. By mid-1997, Xilinx began shipping the industry’s first family0.35 micron 3.3 volt FPGAs — the 10-member XC4000XL family — offering densities ranging from 5,000 to180,000 system gates. Later the same year, Xilinx began sampling the XC40125XV, first 0.25 micron 2.5 voltFPGA with 250,000 system gates of logic. The XC4000XV family consists of four devices offering up to 500,000system gates of logic.
Also in 1997, Xilinx announced the architecture of its new Virtex series of FPGAs, which will offer up to 1 milliongates of system logic and begin sampling in the second half of 1998. Virtex, with a 2.5 volt supply of voltage,features the SelectI/O that can simultaneously support low-voltage standards such as LVTTL, LVCMOS, GTL+,and SSTL3. Virtex also offers a hierarchy of RAM — on chip distributed and block memory and high speed accessto off-chip RAM. Virtex will begin sampling in 2H98.
In January 1998, Xilinx introduced the Spartan Series of FPGAs. These devices are targeted as gate arrayreplacements for low-cost designs under 40,000 system gates which require on-chip RAM and can benefit frompre-defined software cores.
Management
Bernard V. Vonderschmitt ChairmanWillem P. Roelandts President and Chief Executive OfficerR. Scott Brown Senior Vice President, Worldwide SalesGordon M. Steel Senior Vice President, Finance, and Chief Financial OfficerRichard W. Sevcik Senior Vice President, SoftwareWilliam S. Carter Vice President and Chief Technical OfficerCharles A. Fox Vice President and GM, HardWire Business UnitSteve Haynes Vice President, North American SalesRobert C. Hinckley Vice President, Strategic Plans and Programs, and Secretary
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North American Company Profiles Xilinx
Randy Ong Vice President, OperationsDennis L. Segers Vice President, FPGA Product DevelopmentSandra L. Sully Vice President and Chief Information OfficerChristine C. Taylor Vice President, Human ResourcesRoland Triffaux Vice President, European Sales and MarketingSandeep Vij Vice President, MarketingEvert A. Wolsheimer Vice President and GM, CPLD Business UnitRoman Iwanczuk Director, Cores Solutions GroupScott Lewis Director, CPLD Marketing
Products and Processes
Xilinx’s product line consists of FPGAs, HardWire Array products, EPROMs for external storage of FPGAconfiguration programs, CPLDs, design and implementation software tools and cores. Its FPGA products aremanufactured using CMOS technology, with the most advanced chips utilizing 0.35µm and 0.25µm processes.
FPGA Products
XC2000 family — Being discontinued.XC3000 family — General-purpose architecture with usable gate densities ranging from 1,500 to 7,500 gates.
The older XC3000-70 and XC3000A products are being discontinued.XC4000 family — The company’s most successful FPGA architecture. The family consists of 15 SRAM-based
members ranging in density from 3,000 to 500,000 logic gates. The older XC4000A andXC4000H sub-families are being discontinued. At the high end, Xilinx offers the XC4000EX,XC4000XL sub-families and XC4000XV. Introduced in early 1997, the XC4000XL seriesfeatures high-performance 3.3V operation through the use of a 0.35µm CMOS process. TheXC4000XV, offering up to 500,000 logic gates, began sampling in late 1997.
XC5200 family — With a process-optimized architecture, the XC5200 parts are the first FPGAs specificallydeveloped as a cost effective, high volume production alternative to gate arrays.
Spartan family — Low-cost FPGAs featuring on-chip RAM and support for a wide variety of cores. Versionsoperating at 5 volts began shipping in volume in January 1998; 3.3 versions go into productionin 3Q98.
HardWire Array Products
The company’s HardWire process converts a Xilinx FPGA into a HardWire mask-programmed array offering quicktime-to-market and a reduction in cost. For every Xilinx FPGA family, there is a corresponding HardWire family. In1997, Xilinx expanded its HardWire product offerings with the addition of a PCI+ conversion device featuring fullPCI compliance and up to 10,000 gates of customer specific logic.
CPLD Products
XC9500 family — Volume production of these flash memory-based CPLDs began in January 1997. The XC9500devices features in-system programmability with more than 10,000 program/erase cycles, 36 to288 macrocells with 800 to 12,800 usable gates, and pin-to-pin delays as low as 5ns. Xilinxexpects to migrate the family from a 5V 0.6µm process to a 3.3V 0.5µm process in 3Q98.
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Xilinx North American Company Profiles
New Software
In 1997, Xilinx introduced new versions of its two lines of design and implementation software. Alliance Seriesintegrated with leading third-party front end EDA tools from vendors such as Cadence, Exemplar, MentorGraphics, Model Technology, Synopsys and Synplicity. Foundation Series is a family of a fully integrated, ready-to-use Windows NT and Window 95 PC tools with built-in synthesis support that support FPGAs and CPLDs.Available at low price points and targeted at entry-level users, Foundation Series products leverage industrystandard hardware description languages.
Xilinx also offers more than 75 different predefined cores to implement system-level functions — DSP algorithms,bus interfaces, processors and peripheral interfaces — directly in Xilinx devices. These cores, available from Xilinxand third-party partners, allow designers to cut design time and reduce risk while having access to the bestperforming and lowest cost components available. In March 1998, Xilinx announced the CORE Generator, aneasy to use tool that delivers parameter-based cores and features an interface third-party system level DSP designtool.
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Xilinx does not fabricate its own ICs, but has foundry agreements with Seiko Epson, Yamaha, and UMC.
Key Agreements
• In June 1997, Xilinx and Synopsys established an exclusive partnership enabling Xilinx to incorporateSynopsys’ FPGA Express technology into the Xilinx Foundation Series.
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North American Company Profiles Zilog
ZILOG
Zilog, Inc.210 East Hacienda Avenue
Campbell, California 95008-6600Telephone: (408) 370-8000
Fax: (408) 370-8056Web Site: www.zilog.com
IC Manufacturer
Regional Headquarters/Representative Locations
Japan: Zilog, Inc. • Tokyo, JapanTelephone: (81) (3) 5272-0230
Europe: Zilog, Inc. • Maidenhead, United KingdomTelephone: (44) (1628) 392-00
Asia-Pacific: Zilog, Inc. • Taipei, TaiwanTelephone: (886) (2) 741-3125
Financial History ($M), Fiscal Year Ends December 31
Zilog was founded in 1974 and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Exxon by 1981. In 1985, the companyrechartered its course to focus on application-specific market segments. In 1989, Zilog's management,employees, and a venture capitalist purchased the company from Exxon. Zilog became a public company inFebruary 1991. In 1998, the company was purchased by Texas Pacific Group and taken private.
Zilog is a leader in the development, design, and manufacture of application specific standard products (ASSPs)for the consumer electronics, data communications, and computer peripheral markets. The company utilizes itsSuperintegration™ design methodology to combine cores and cells from its extensive library of microprocessorsand controllers, DSPs, and memory and logic circuits.
Zilog maintains its strategy of addressing the needs of specific applications by utilizing its proprietary core and celldesigns, which are optimized for particular applications, to design and develop new products within its targetmarkets. During 1997, Zilog introduced 36 new products.
Management
Curtis J. Crawford President and Chief Executive OfficerMichael J. Bradshaw Senior Vice President, Worldwide OperationsThomas C. Carson Senior Vice President, Worldwide SalesRichard L. Moore Senior Vice President, TechnologySally M. Baumwell Vice President, Human ResourcesRobert E. Collins Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerJames J. Magill Vice President and General Manager, Data CommunicationsRichard R. Pickard Vice President, General CounselAlan Secor Vice President, Consumer/Peripherals
Products and Processes
Zilog's core library includes 8-bit microcontrollers, 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit microprocessors, 16-bit digital signalprocessors, serial communications controllers, and peripheral circuits. These cores are available as stand-alonedevices or may be combined in Superintegration products. The company’s cell library consists of logic andmemory circuits that are generally combined in Superintegration products.
The Superintegration library and diverse product portfolio of over 700 items serve three distinct markets: datacommunications, consumer electronics, and computer peripheral products.
• For data communications applications, Zilog offers ASSPs based on its Z80 microprocessor family andserial communications controllers. These ASSPs are optimized for Ethernet routers, bridges, dataswitches, modems, terminals, printers, workstations, local area networks, and wide area networks. Thecompany holds a leadership position in general purpose, multiprotocol controllers for the LAN and WANmarkets.
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North American Company Profiles Zilog
• Based on the Z8® 8-bit microcontroller, Zilog offers a family of controllers for use in consumer electronicsproducts such as cellular phones, audiovisual equipment, automobiles, telephone answering machines,household appliances, battery chargers, garage door openers, security systems, set-top boxes, interactiveTVs, and infrared remote controls.
• Zilog is an innovator in the addition of intelligence to computer peripheral chips using its line of Z80® 8-bit,Z180® 16-bit, and Z380® 32-bit microprocessors, and peripheral circuits. Adding intelligence to computerperipherals frees the central processor from micro-management tasks and upgrades the performance ofthe system. Common peripherals are printers, keyboards, monitors, pointing devices, hard disk and floppydisk controllers, modems, and PCMCIA bus interface products.
Zoran Corporation (NASDAQ: ZRAN), first incorporated in 1981, and reincorporated in 1986, develops andmarkets integrated circuits and software for digital video and audio compression and decompression applications.The company’s ICs are used in a wide variety of products, such as professional and consumer video editingsystems, PC-based and stand-alone video CD systems, DVD players, digital audio systems, filmless digitalcameras, and printers/scanners.
Prior to 1991, Zoran derived the substantial majority of its revenues from digital filter processors (DFPs) and vectorsignal processors (VSPs), which are DSP-based ICs used for image enhancement and processing, principally inmilitary, industrial, and medical applications. In 1989, the company repositioned its business to utilize its expertisein DSP technology to develop and market video and audio compression circuits. In mid-1994, Zoran discontinuedDFP and VSP product lines.
Zoran has a strong core expertise in DSP technology, including digital filtering and frequency domain processing.Its strategy centers on building partnerships with innovative marketing and manufacturing companies andtargeting high-volume, high-performance applications, such as multimedia computing and consumer video andaudio systems.
In October 1996, Zoran entered the software compression market through its acquisition of CompCoreMultimedia, Inc., a leading provider of digital audio and video MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 decoding technologies andproducts. The acquisition has broadened Zoran’s product offering to include MPEG cores and softwarecompression products particularly for the PC-based DVD market.
Management
Uzia Galill ChairmanLevy Gerzberg, Ph.D. President and Chief Executive Officer, and
Zoran’s IC products include JPEG codecs, MPEG video decoders, Dolby AC-3 and MPEG audio decoders, andPCI multimedia controllers. The company is the leading supplier of JPEG ICs and support devices for theconsumer and PC markets.
Additionally, Zoran is the leading supplier of Dolby Digital (AC-3) devices. Its third-generation Dolby AC-3/MPEG-2digital audio processor was introduced in late 1996. The ZR38600 processor uses only 75 percent of theprocessor’s power for audio decoding, leaving the remaining 25 percent available for product differentiation. Thedevice is targeted at home theater, DVD, and consumer multimedia applications. In 1998, Zoran announced theindustry’s first virtual 3-D Audio Reference design using their ZR38600 digital audio processor.
Most of Zoran’s devices are fabricated using 0.6µm and 0.8µm CMOS technologies.
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Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
For the fabrication of its wafers, Zoran has foundry agreements with Fujifilm Microdevices, Motorola, TSMC, andTower Semiconductor.
Key Agreements
• In February 1998, Zoran Corporation announced licensing agreements with ten industry-leading graphicaccelerator companies to deliver high-performance DVD software decoding for the multimedia PC. The tencompanies have licensed the motion compensation VLSI core from Zoran and are in the process of integratingit into their future graphics accelerator products. In addition, Zoran is collaborating with several VGA chipmanufacturers to adapt SoftDVD to the VGA companies’ independently-developed motion compensationdesigns. (Some participants of the agreement are: IX Micro, NVIDIA, Silicon Motion, ATI Technologies, Fujitsu,Rendition, and S3).
• In February 1998, Zoran Corporation announced a new daughter card reference design. The newVaddis4VMI™ daughter card reference design adds Plug-in DVD capabilities to Intel’s new Intel740 graphicschip.
• In January 1998, Zoran Corporation and Altec Lansing Technologies, Inc. announced a strategic alliancecombining their resources to develop audio products incorporating the Zoran ZR38600 Digital Audio SignalProcessor. Altec Lansing will apply this technology in the development of a new family of products featuringaffordable Dolby® Digital AC3 surround sound audio reproduction systems.
• In December 1997, Zoran announced that its Vaddis, DVD decoder IC was shipping to Sharp Corporation for itsnew line of compact DVD players.
• In November 1997, Zoran announced an alliance with Iomega Corporation to deliver revolutionary, low-cost,portable digital photography solutions.
• IBM Corporation chose Zoran’s Soft DVD Navigator to be included in their “Extreme Performance” ThinkPad770 notebook computers.
• In late 1996, Zoran announced an agreement with Toshiba which stated that Toshiba would use Zoran’s Dolbydigital two-channel AC-3/MPEG audio processor in a DVD chipset.
• In 1995, Zoran signed a four-year agreement with Tower Semiconductor under which Tower will supplyspecified quantities of wafers to Zoran.
• Siemens and Zoran announced in 1995 they would collaborate on the development and marketing ofmultimedia ICs for PC and consumer electronics applications.
• Dolby Laboratories formed a long-term joint technology partnership with Zoran in August 1992. Thepartnership involves the development of low-cost ICs for multi-channel digital audio for motion-picturesoundtracks and consumer media.
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• Zoran has the marketing rights to JPEG chips produced by the company’s Japanese partner, Fujifilm.
• Zoran and Intel Corporation announced, in October 1997, a licensing agreement which includes softwarewhich Intel has optimized for MMX technology.
