IHP and AWR Collaborate on HF Wireless IC Design

Innovations for High Performance Microelectronics (IHP), Frankfurt, Germany, has announced the availability of its high performance specialty SiGe process for Applied Wave Research's Analog Office 2006 design suite. The delivery of the first AWR-based IHP process design kit (PDK) is part of a long-term partnership between the two companies to deliver complete RFIC design solutions for high frequency applications.

Analog Office design software, which is used to design next-generation analog and RFIC wireless and wirelined communications products, helps design engineers significantly shorten IC development cycles, accelerate tape-out to IHP's process and speed wireless products to market. IHP multi-project wafer (MPW) and prototyping services provide research and innovation for the European technological community.

Also, the IHP SG25H1 0.25 µm BiCMOS process offers high performance technology with N-p-N HBTs up to fT/fmax = 180/220 GHz. The technology is suited to applications in the higher GHz bands, making it especially useful for the designers of next-generation wireless, broadband and radar products. The process includes integrated HBTs with cut-off frequencies of up to 220 GHz and LDMOS devices with breakdown voltages of up to 26 V, including complementary devices. The process also includes a complete set of passive devices, such as resistors, capacitors and inductors. The Analog Office-based IHP PDK includes a complete set of schematic symbols, simulation models and fully parameterized layout cells that are characterized to match the IHP process performance. The simulation models are validated with the Synopsys HSPICE simulator and the AWR harmonic balance simulator.