AmberWave Partners with IQE plc for World's First High-Volume Production of 200 mm Strained Silicon Epiwafers.Business/Technology Editors SALEM, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2002 Strategic Partnership Enables Cost Effective Advancements in Digital, Wireless and Photonic Applications Based on Strained Silicon A technique that deposits silicon (Si) on top of silicon germanium (SiGe) for making transistors on a chip. In so doing, the silicon atoms are stretched ("strained") to line up with the silicon germanium atoms, which are wider apart. Epiwafers AmberWave Systems Corporation, the global leader in advanced semiconductor intellectual property (IP), today announced it has partnered with IQE IQE Internal Quantum Efficiency IQE Institute of Quantum Electronics IQE International Quantum Epitaxy IQE Indefinite-Quadratic Estimation IQE Incoming Quality Evaluation IQE Initial Qualification Evaluation (US Air Force) Silicon Compounds Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary Wholly Owned Subsidiary A subsidiary whose parent company owns 100% of its common stock. Notes: In other words, the parent company owns the company outright and there are no minority owners. of IQE plc (LSE LSE - Language Sensitive Editor : IQE.L),the world's largest outsource manufacturer of epitaxial wafers and services, for the high-volume production of epiwafers based on AmberWave's proprietary (epsilon)MOS (1) (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) See MOSFET. (2) (Mean Opinion Score) The quality of a digitized voice line. It is a subjective measurement that is derived entirely by people listening to the calls and scoring the results from (TM) strained silicon technology. Under the terms of the agreement, AmberWave has licensed its Generation 1 strained silicon technology to IQE's Silicon Compounds division for the production of 200 mm wafers. AmberWave's worldwide licensee base will have immediate access to these wafers for use in next-generation digital, wireless and optoelectronic applications. This partnership addresses the semiconductor industry's key challenge of minimizing capital expenditure while simultaneously increasing speed and reducing power in commercial integrated circuits Integrated circuits Miniature electronic circuits produced within and upon a single semiconductor crystal, usually silicon. Integrated circuits range in complexity from simple logic circuits and amplifiers, about 1/20 in. (1. (ICs). Historically, as foundries, IDMs and fabless organizations become limited by the constraints of silicon technology, the industry is forced to build new fabs at the next-generation process node (gate length). According to Pathfinder Research, this endeavor cost in excess of $62 billion in 2000. AmberWave's strained silicon technology uses the cost-effective silicon infrastructure already in place throughout the industry, so no additional capital investment is necessary. Working together, AmberWave and IQE plc offer the semiconductor industry immediate and cost-effective access to epiwafers that will increase speed and reduce power in conventional CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) Pronounced "c-moss." The most widely used integrated circuit design. It is found in almost every electronic product from handheld devices to mainframes. , enabling tremendous advancements in digital, wireless and optoelectronic applications. Dr. Drew Nelson, President and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of IQE plc, commented, "We are excited to be working with AmberWave to roll out commercial product based on AmberWave's strained silicon platform. As the strained silicon pioneer, AmberWave has developed and patented a new roadmap for the industry that enhances CMOS performance without changing the existing silicon infrastructure. This is the solution the industry has been searching for, and we're thrilled to work with AmberWave to deliver it." IQE plc will utilize AmberWave's technology to produce high volumes of strained silicon wafers that are suitable for high volume, highly integrated applications, such as today's microprocessors and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Growing the kinds of silicon germanium (SiGe) graded layers required to produce strained silicon typically poses a crosshatching cross·hatch tr.v. cross·hatched, cross·hatch·ing, cross·hatch·es To mark or shade with two or more sets of intersecting parallel lines. n. 1. A pattern made by such lines. 2. The symbol (#). problem that results in surface defects on the wafer. AmberWave has overcome this problem by incorporating a chemical mechanical polishing step (CMP CMP (cytidine monophosphate): see cytosine. (1) (CMP Media LLC, Manhasset, NY, www.cmp.com) Part of United Business Media, CMP is a leading integrated media company that offers a wide variety of publications and services in the information ) in the middle of the epitaxial growth process. The patented technique makes possible grading of the epitaxial layer from 100 percent silicon to 100 percent germanium germanium (jərmā`nēəm) [from Germany], semimetallic chemical element; symbol Ge; at. no. 32; at. wt. 72.59; m.p. 937.4°C;; b.p. 2,830°C;; sp. gr. 5.323 at 25°C;; valence +2 or +4. , a process exclusive to AmberWave that will ultimately enable speed and power improvements previously thought impossible based on the silicon infrastructure. "IQE's Silicon Compounds division is Europe's first fully flexible, dedicated outsource service for silicon based epitaxial structures, and is an ideal partner for us because it takes our intellectual property position and moves it into global high-volume production," said Mark Wolf, President and CEO of AmberWave Systems. "Working together, we are committed to providing the global semiconductor industry with a new silicon roadmap that will speed past the constraints of current silicon technology." AmberWave (epsilon)MOS(TM) AmberWave's (epsilon)MOS(TM) strained silicon technology leverages many years of advanced materials development at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology, at Cambridge; coeducational; chartered 1861, opened 1865 in Boston, moved 1916. It has long been recognized as an outstanding technological institute and its Sloan School of Management has notable programs in business, as well as the process, device and circuit experience of AmberWave's brilliant technical team. With five issued patents and roughly 100 patent applications pending, AmberWave's (epsilon)MOS(TM) technology eliminates the surface quality and defect problems that plague other strained silicon technologies. A silicon layer is grown on top of a graded silicon germanium layer, which is itself grown on top of a normal silicon substrate. This thin, top layer of silicon will modify its lattice structure to conform to the top-most silicon germanium layer, becoming stretched--or strained--and increasing the mobility of electrons and holes in the material. (epsilon)MOS(TM) devices have already exhibited electron and hole mobility enhancement factors of between 1.5 and 2.2 over conventional silicon. About IQE IQE Silicon Compounds Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of IQE plc (LSE: IQE.L, NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on EUROPE: IQEP), the leading global outsource supplier of advanced epiwafers to the Semiconductor Industry with manufacturing operations in the UK and USA. The Silicon Compounds division was established in November 2000 at a brownfield site in Cardiff, UK to offer Europe's first fully flexible, dedicated outsource services for silicon based epitaxial structures. In addition to the range of state of the art ASM (1) (Association for Systems Management) An international membership organization based in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1947 and disbanded in 1996, it sponsored conferences in all phases of administrative systems and management. CVD CVD Cardiovascular disease, see there epitaxial structure deposition reactors, the facility in Cardiff includes a class 1 cleanroom equipped with the very latest in wafer preparation and characterization tools. The Silicon Compounds business unit focuses on providing provide a high quality, sub-contract epitaxial deposition service, specializing in high technology inter-layer epitaxial films, principally for Silicon Germanium (SiGe) and high-end Bi-CMOS semiconductor processes About AmberWave Systems Corporation Based in Salem, NH, AmberWave Systems Corporation is a privately held, venture-financed company that is redefining the silicon roadmap. Launching from its strained silicon (epsilon)MOS(TM) platform, AmberWave propels its partners beyond the constraints of current silicon technology to leverage its innovative roadmap for both today and tomorrow. Led by a team of engineers and executives combining more than 95 man years of expertise developing silicon germanium (SiGe) technology with strategic business know-how, AmberWave is well-positioned to redefine the silicon roadmap and open the door for future generations of wireless, electronic and optical applications. With strong financial support from Adams Capital, Arch Venture Partners, TeleSoft Partners, Dow Chemical and The Hillman Hillman was a famous British automobile marque, manufactured by the Rootes Group. It was based in Ryton-on-Dunsmore, near Coventry, England, from 1907 to 1976. Before 1907 the company had built bicycles. Company, AmberWave has received almost $50 million in funding. More information on the company and its technology can be found at www.amberwave.com. |
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