MagnaChip Semiconductor Corp. ("MagnaChip Semiconductor"), a Korea-based designer and manufacturer of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products, and Peregrine Semiconductor Corp., a fabless provider of high-performance radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), today announced that MagnaChip has expanded production of Peregrine Semiconductor's STeP5 UltraCMOS® technology-based RFIC product line, including the most recent DuNE™ Digitally Tunable Capacitors (DTCs) for RF impedance tuning. Peregrine Semiconductor and MagnaChip announced the final qualification and high-volume production ramp of the "STeP5" UltraCMOS process in the third calendar quarter 2011. Due to the continued increase in orders for the STeP5 products, MagnaChip fulfilled the fastest manufacturing ramp in Peregrine Semiconductor's history.
Current generations of UltraCMOS, an advanced form of Silicon-on-Insulator technology, utilize a sapphire substrate, which enables high levels of monolithic integration, and results in smaller die, higher yields, and fewer external components than other competing compound semiconductor processes. Distinctive generations of the UltraCMOS process are released in "STePs." The STeP5 products are produced at MagnaChip's Cheongju, South Korea facility, where MagnaChip also manufactures Peregrine's legacy "STeP3" and "STeP4" UltraCMOS devices in high volume.
"It is important for MagnaChip to engage with partners who are solving the RF-design challenges associated with the latest 4G LTE networks, and Peregrine Semiconductor is one of those partners," said Namkyu Park, vice president of marketing for MagnaChip's foundry division. "We are pleased with the successful ramp and rapid expansion of the STeP5 UltraCMOS product line, including the DuNE DTCs for RF impedance matching. MagnaChip's manufacturing expertise, combined with our customers' design capabilities, will allow us to continue to provide robust and cost-competitive manufacturing solutions to our customers."
"MagnaChip has provided excellent support and flexibility in ramping to meet the large demand for our STeP5 UltraCMOS products," said Ian Warbrick, vice president of operations for Peregrine Semiconductor. "They added capacity very quickly, and processed a large volume of wafers with expedited cycle times, enabling us to meet our customers' expectations."