GHz Technology Debuts LDMOS Transistors at MTT-S Symposium; Launch Signals GHz' Commitment to Wireless Infrastructure Market.

Business/High Tech Editors

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2001

GHz Technology Inc., a leading supplier of power transistors for radio frequency (RF) and microwave applications, debuted its first two designs in a series of lateral diffusion metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) transistors developed for the wireless infrastructure marketplace.

Designs were shown during the MTT-S Symposium now under way in Phoenix, AZ.

GHz Technology unveiled two LDMOS transistors: a 30-watt (1920LD30) and a 85-watt (1920LD85). Both transistors initially target the 1.9-Ghz personal communications band and offer gold metalization for enhanced reliability and ESD protection integrated on the transistor chip. The 30-watt and 85-watt transistors offer 11 dB and 10 dB of gain respectively.

The initial products target the PCS frequency band in the U.S. They give GHz Technology a foundation to build upon to support designs implementing CDMA, UMTS, EDGE and GSM at cellular or higher frequencies. All standard transistors in the series will be available in impedance matching configurations.

GHz Technology's first LDMOS products follow the agreement late last year with Agere Systems, formerly Lucent Technologies (NYSE:LU) Microelectronics Group, the world leader in communications semiconductors. Under that agreement, Agere is implementing a wafer fabrication process from GHz Technology for its LDMOS intellectual property and will license certain GHz product designs. GHz Technology also has a foundry agreement with Agere to manufacture mass production level quantities for GHz Technology.

Historically GHz Technology has sold bipolar transistors in the wireless marketplace, but the company's emergence as an LDMOS supplier also offers it new leadership opportunities in the growing wireless market.

Already a leader in high-power transistors in the pulsed bipolar market, GHz is moving in the same direction in the continuous wave (CW) wireless arena. It has laid out a product roadmap that will lead to development of the highest-power output devices in the LDMOS market, delivering transistors that will enable OEMs in wireless infrastructure to meet the challenges posed by third-generation wireless services.

"Customers turn to GHz for our application-specific designs and ability to deliver transistors that meet the design criteria of their circuits," said Frank Schneider, GHz president and CEO. "Our first LDMOS transistors give us a foundation to create a family of devices for wireless applications."

GHz plans to support customer orders through its fabrication facility in Santa Clara, as well as through its foundry agreement with Agere Systems.

LDMOS technology provides excellent linearity, thereby supporting new modulation schemes that have higher bit rates for a given spectrum allocation. The technology offers advantages for power amplifiers designed to handle multiple carrier frequencies. Multi-carrier amplifiers increase the number of subscribers per base station, thus making base stations more cost effective.

Founded in 1990, GHz Technology Inc. is the premier supplier of RF and microwave power transistors for both pulsed and continuous wave applications. An ISO 9001 certified company, GHz Technology is headquartered in Santa Clara, California and has support staff throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. For more information, call 408/986-8031 or visit the company's web site at www.ghz.com.

CDMA -- code division multiple access

UMTS -- Universal Mobile Telecommunications System 

EDGE -- Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution

GSM -- Global System for Mobile Communications