Jazz Semiconductor Announces 0.25-Micron BiPOLAR CMOS DMOS (BCD) Process for Power Management and High Voltage Applications.

Jazz Process Enables Reduction in Power Consumption, Allows Significant Shrink in Size of Power Drivers, and Provides Low-Cost Solution for Power Applications

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- Jazz Semiconductor, an independent wafer foundry focused primarily on specialty CMOS process technologies, today announced the availability of its 0.25-micron Bipolar CMOS DMOS (BCD25) processes targeted for the emerging power management and high voltage markets. The Jazz 0.25-micron offering provides a migration path from its industry proven 0.5-micron, 40V BCD process. Jazz BCD25 can provide significant cost reductions by allowing designers of power devices to achieve a shrink of up to fifty-percent in device area size as compared to BCD05. BCD processes incorporate, into a single foundry process flow, what are typically three different device types: Bipolar, for analog control; CMOS, for digital control; and DMOS, for handling the high voltages required for managing on-chip or system power.

Jazz BCD25 processes offer advanced CMOS, a combination of bipolar NPN and PNP devices, as well as high voltage LDMOS FETs that take advantage of 0.25-micron rules to reduce on-resistance and size of power cells used in complex power management chips including driver ICs, battery and portable power management, power control for PC products, and Class-D audio amplifiers for both fixed and low-power mobile applications. The Jazz BCD25 process features 5V CMOS with a future option for dual gate 3.3/5V CMOS, a 1K ohm poly resistor, MIM capacitors, a broad voltage range of LDMOS transistors that is designed to operate at 12V, 20V and 40V with ultra low Rdson at all voltage levels, VIA stacking, thick top power metal (3um) for improved current-carrying capacity, ESD protection circuits, and triple well isolation. BCD25 reuses existing high performance and high density features from Jazz Semiconductor's existing, high volume 0.35-micron and 0.25-micron processes.

"The increase in power management at the system level has created a unique opportunity for foundries in the analog space to expand their specialty processes," said Joanne Itow, managing director, Semico Research. "Jazz Semiconductor's extension of its specialty offerings from SiGe and RFCMOS for RF, to BCD for power management, underscores their commitment to the specialty foundry model."

"Our 0.25-micron BCD process expands our technology roadmap for BCD smart-power, high voltage CMOS and complementary bipolar processes," said Marco Racanelli, vice president of technology and engineering, Jazz Semiconductor. "We have positioned our BCD25 offering as a natural, cost-effective path from BCD05. At the same time, we have carefully chosen proven Jazz modules to enable a quick transition to production."

Jazz Semiconductor offers a full design kit and modeling support for the BCD25 process including support for digital standard cells and analog models for all devices. The design kit also includes a novel scalable model for the LDMOS devices that allows designers to vary the voltage rating (and Rdson) of the high voltage LDMOS devices continuously from 20 to 40V rather than making use of fixed cells as typically done in the past. This provides IC designers an added tool in optimizing the tradeoff between die area and voltage handling performance to result in the lowest die cost for a wider variety of applications.

Access to these technologies can be requested through Jazz Semiconductor at [e-mail].

About Jazz Semiconductor

Jazz Semiconductor is an independent wafer foundry primarily focused on specialty CMOS process technologies, including High Voltage CMOS, SiGe BiCMOS and RFCMOS for the manufacture of highly integrated analog and mixed-signal semiconductor devices. The company's specialty process technologies are designed for customers who seek to produce analog and mixed-signal semiconductor devices that are smaller and more highly integrated, power-efficient, feature-rich and cost-effective than those produced using standard process technologies. Jazz customers target the wireless and high-speed wireline communications, consumer electronics, automotive, and industrial end markets. Jazz executive offices and its U.S. wafer fabrication facilities are located in Newport Beach, CA. On September 26, 2006, Jazz Semiconductor, Inc. and Acquicor Technology Inc. (AMEX:AQR) announced that they have entered into a merger agreement. The merger is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2007 subject to a number of closing conditions. For more information, please visit www.jazzsemi.com.