Jazz Announces 0.25-micron BCD Process for Power Management and High Voltage Applications

12/7/2006

Jazz 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 enables reduction in power consumption, allows significant shrink in the size of power drivers (up to 50% compared with BCD05) and provides a low-cost solution for power applications.

"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."

Mobile TV Comes of Age

11/27/2006

For mobile broadcast TV, Mirics Semiconductor has developed a reconfigurable radio chip that can handle all the mobile TV formats in the world. The multi-standard TV tuner, MSI001 is initially aimed at consumer digital DAB + FM radio receivers and video on mobile phones. The BiCMOS chip is being made by Jazz Semiconductor in a 0.35-micron process.

Jazz and Mirics Partner to Deliver Poly-Band Tuner

11/16/2006

Mirics Semiconductor has partnered with Jazz Semiconductor to deliver its device, the MSI001 poly-band tuner for mobile digital broadcast reception, currently available. Mirics designed its product using Jazz Semiconductor's high-volume silicon germanium BiCMOS (SiGe BiCMOS) process to develop a high performance, low power consumption mobile broadcast receiver. Mirics technology enables OEMs to design a single platform for mobile TV and radio, independent of standards or regional differences.

A Poly-Band Tuner for Mobile Broadcast Reception

11/12/2006

Mirics Semiconductor and Jazz Semiconductor deliver the MSI001, a universal broadcast receiver that enables designers of mobile phones, portable media players, and PDAs to easily add mobile broadcast reception to support any global standard. Samples of the MSI001, manufactured in the first quarter of this year, were based on silicon from Jazz. By leveraging SBC35, Jazz Semiconductor's 0.35-micron SiGe BiCMOS process platform, and utilizing its sophisticated analog and RF design flow and modeling infrastructure, Mirics engineers were able to achieve results and achieve functional, first-pass silicon.

Jazz Announces PSP Support for RF Circuit Simulation

10/27/2006

Jazz Semiconductor announced full support for PSP, an advanced surface potential based MOSFET model, in its 0.18-micron RFCMOS and SiGe BiCMOS technologies. The PSP model was approved and released by the Compact Model Council in June 2006 as the next generation industry standard MOSFET model. The model provides several critical advances in MOSFET modeling such as improved RF noise modeling and high order derivative accuracy around the Vds=0 point, where many key RF circuits operate. The Jazz 0.18-micron PSP model library provides a complete solution including RF, noise, corner, mismatch and statistical models.

Old Buddies Reunite in Hopes of Taking Tech World by Storm... Again

10/17/2006

Gil Amelio (Chairman & CEO of Acquicor Technology Inc.) talked through his theory about how three major trends are driving technology. One is convergence of computing, communication and media; two is wireless; and three is consumer electronics moving to high-definition digital, particularly TV, he said.

"We wanted to buy a company that addressed these markets - that would go right to the epicenter of these trends," Amelio says. Jazz makes advanced chips and is known for building radio transmitters into superfast Silicon Germanium chips, which could go into tinier, more powerful cellphones and other wireless media products.

"We finally converged on Jazz Semiconductor," Amelio says, implying a long search. "Look at where its products go - right into the heart of the trend. We think it's a company in transition. It gives us a platform where we can apply our management skills and experience and create shareholder value."

Take the M&A Train

10/9/2006

Jazz Semicondcutor may yet hit that high note. The announcement last month that Acquicor Technology Inc. would purchase the Newport Beach, Calif., specialty wafer maker for $260 million marks the end of a long and winding road for Jazz and perhaps the beginning of another.

Jazz has progressed far since Conexant spun it out as a captive, one-customer chipmaking plant. In the past four years, it has attracted nearly 100 customers with its analog and mixed-signal manufacturing processes, a specialty that cannot be claimed by many of its larger Asian competitors.

Jazz Gears Up for Annual Technology Conference

10/9/2006

Jazz Semiconductor will host its Annual Technology Conference on Friday, November 3. Jazz will highlight its analog foundry model and its design kit and modeling features that enable advanced analog integration for next generation wireless, power management, high speed networking and data storage products. Jazz technology offerings include High Voltage CMOS, Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD), RFCMOS and SiGe BiCMOS processes for the manufacture of highly integrated analog systems-on-chip (SoCs), a concept often relegated to the digital realm, but now becoming more mainstream with the trends towards convergence in consumer and wireless products.

September 26, 2006 -- Acquicor Technology Inc., a company formed by Apple Computer Inc. veterans, agreed to acquire closely held Jazz Semiconductor Inc. in a transaction valued at $260 million. Acquicor, whose backers include former Apple CEO Gil Amelio and co-founder Steve Wozniak, was recently formed with the goal of acquiring technology companies. It raised more than $170 million earlier this year in an initial public offering.

Following the transaction, Jazz will become a subsidiary of Acquicor. Shu Li, the chief executive of Jazz since 2002, will continue in that role. Mr. Amelio will remain Chairman and CEO of the parent company.

Acquicor Technology Inc. said it agreed to acquire Jazz Semiconductor for $260 million. The Newport Beach, Calif., acquisition company expects to complete the merger in the first quarter, and will merge Jazz with an Acquicor unit.

Jazz, a privately held specialty wafer manufacturer will no longer pursue an initial public offering and will withdraw its registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Shu Li will continue as chief executive officer of Jazz and will be supported by the Jazz management team.
Jazz was formed in 2002 as a joint venture between Conexant Systems Inc. and private equity firm Carlyle Group.




Acquicor Technology, an investment firm created by former Apple Computer executives, is spending $260 million to buy Jazz Semiconductor, a contract chip maker with specialized manufacturing technologies. Jazz Semiconductor's specialty is to make semiconductors that require less common materials and technologies-those chips are analog or mixed-signal chips in cell phones, wireless networking equipment, and consumer electronics such as game consoles.

The majority of the chips made in the world today, including the microprocessors that power computers and servers, are digital and use CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor). Many chip designers strive to develop chips that can be made in CMOS because the material, silicon, and the manufacturing cost are cheaper. But Acquicor executives told analysts during a conference call Wednesday that the explosion of gadgets and wireless networks and home and office use will fuel more designs for chips that require Jazz's foundry expertise. Jazz's technologies include the use of silicon germanium.

Paradoxically, RF integration may be SiGe's best friend

9/18/06
by Ron Wilson, Executive Editor

Several recent trends have some process developers and chip designers arguing that SiGe is not a legacy technology but an increasingly attractive option. Marco Racanelli, VP of technology at Jazz points out that in effect, heavily strain-engineered bulk CMOS processes have become as complex as SiGe processes. "But they are only getting the advantage of increased strain on the active region to improve mobility," Racanelli observes. "With a full SiGe process, you get this benefit, but you also get the important bandgap difference from Germanium, and you get bipolar transistors."

In addition, SiGe can deliver its higher power-carrying potential, better linearity, and better noise characteristics in a legacy process (as well as) system cost and risk/time-to-market advantages over a fully silicon CMOS solution.

Cadence Overhauls Custom IC Design Platform

9/11/06

Jazz collaborated with Cadence to deliver a process design kit (PDK) for the new Virtuoso platform for its latest 0.13-micron process which, together with Jazz silicon-accurate models, are expected to allow common customers to use the new capabilities needed to realize full design potential and quick time to market.

Jazz First Semiconductor to Achieve Information Security Standard

9/6/06

Jazz announced that it is the first semiconductor company in the U.S. to achieve certification to ISO/IEC 27001:2005, the new global information security standard. Attainment of ISO 27001 certification is only awarded to companies that can demonstrate high levels of competency in information security management. Jazz achieved ISO 27001 certification in five months. To date, there are only eleven other organizations nationwide that have achieved the new standard and Jazz is the only U.S. semiconductor company.

Mentor, Jazz Semi release design kits

9/5/06

Jazz and Mentor Graphics announced the availability of a series of technology design kits supporting Jazz's SiGe and CMOS process technologies. The first set of kits, available immediately, support Jazz's 0.35-micron silicon BiCMOS process, its 0.18-micron silicon BiCMOS process and its 0.18-micron CMOS process. The kits enable IC design companies to set up their design environments using Mentor's analog/mixed-signal SoC design flow.

True Poly-Band Tuner Resolves Fragmentation Problem with Mobile Broadcast Standards

7/20/06
by Ashok Bindra

To overcome the fragmentation of the mobile broadcast receiver market, Mirics Semiconductor has readied a poly-band tuner for mobile digital broadcast reception. It enables designers of mobile phones, portable media players and PDAs to easily add mobile broadcast reception to support any global standard. Labeled MSI001, it offers low power consumption and high performance at a low cost.

According to Mirics, the 0.35µm SiGe BiCMOS-based MSI001 chip (manufactured by Jazz Semiconductor) is capable of receiving all broadcast standards announced to date, including DVB-H, T-DMB, ISDB-T, DAB-IP, MediaFlo, DAB, DRM and even AM/FM. Mirics also designed the MSI001 to be configured for the reception of other standards, or unknown future standards, without any cost or performance penalty.

Jazz Semiconductor to Produce MEMS Resonators for SiTime

7/11/06

SiTime and Jazz have partnered to bring SiTime's MEMS First™ silicon mechanical oscillator products to market at Jazz's 200mm wafer foundry. The MEMS First™ products are designed to replace traditional quartz oscillators and can be fabricated using manufacturing techniques and equipment that exist in the silicon semiconductor industry today. This capability will allow industrial scaling of MEMS in a foundry environment.

"Jazz is well-suited to be our manufacturing partner as it is an established specialty foundry that offers the technology and customer focus that can help us realize our vision of beginning to transform the timing industry through MEMS solutions," said Kurt Petersen, CEO and co-founder of SiTime. "In addition, their impressive technical expertise in production silicon processes helps assure that SiTime will have the tools to create innovative products."

Mated to 0.13µm CMOS, Foundry's SiGe NPNs Match RFCMOS for Less Cost

7/6/06

How does an analog foundry reduce power consumption in an RF mixed-signal process while accommodating for the differences in scalability between logic and analog circuit elements? Jazz plans to do it with a 0.13µm silicon-germanium (SiGe) BiCMOS technology that combines 90-GHz SiGe transistors with the company's existing 1.2-V, 0.13µm digital CMOS platform.

A 2.8µm-thick top metal layer boosts inductor performance. Also part of the new SBL13 process geometry is a stacked 5.6-fF/µm2 metal-insulator-metal capacitor that lets designers aggressively scale the capacitance area. Late last month, Jazz began offering process design kits for SBL13.

Jazz Introduces 0.13 Micron SiGe BiCMOS Process for RF Design

6/20/06

Jazz continues to expand its specialty process offerings that promote high voltage and high levels of integration. The latest addition is the SBL13 platform, created to address the growing need for a RF process that incorporates bipolar devices for better noise and frequency performance. The SBL13 SiGe bipolar device is a silicon germanium transistor added to an aluminum-based 0.13µm CMOS process with minimal additional masks. The combination results in a process that is comparable in mask count to an industry standard 0.13µm RFCMOS process which typically also requires a more costly copper metallization scheme. In addition to the bipolar, the process includes a stacked MIM capacitor for scaling of capacitance area and a thick top metal for inductor performance.

Jazz Introduces 0.13 Micron SiGe BiCMOS Process for RF Design

6/15/06

"We continue to build out our SiGe roadmap by listening to our customers, understanding end applications, and using our modular infrastructure to develop the right combination of process features to address the demands of those applications," said Marco Racanelli, vice president of technology and engineering, Jazz Semiconductor.

"Our SBL13 offering is designed to provide the low-power and high-performance attributes of the 0.13 micron node without the high cost typically associated with it by incorporating an aluminum back-end as well as a very streamlined architecture for the bipolar device. The process can thus be used not only to provide power, noise and performance advantages but can also be adopted in more cost sensitive segments of the market."

Foundry offers 0.13 micron SiGe BiCMOS process for high performance RF design

6/14/06

Jazz announced the availability of process design kits for its SBL13 process, a 0.13µm silicon germanium (SiGe) BiCMOS technology combining high performance, low cost SiGe transistors with its low-power (1.2 V), 0.13µm digital CMOS platform, CA13. The process also includes a suite of high-density passive elements for more aggressive scaling of analog device area in complex analog system-on-a-chip (Analog SoC). The Jazz SBL13 process technology enables the design of cost-effective and highly integrated circuits for most wireless applications that require the combination of dense digital logic with high performance RF and analog functionality. Examples of products that can take advantage of the SBL13 process include mobile TV tuners, cellular transceivers and WLAN transceivers.

Foundry offers modeling tool for analog, RF customers

6/2/06
by Dylan McGrath

Jazz Semiconductor has made available a Process Control Model Tool (PCMT) to customers through the company's eBizz Web interface. The PCMT allows designers to close the loop between simulated results from silicon models and actual results for product designs at the lot, wafer, or die level. The PCMT allows designers to correlate wafer measurements to simulations, serving as a tool for design optimization and cycle time reduction.

"Jazz strives to deliver modeling platforms that enable our customers to successfully design for manufacturability. With PCMT, we have augmented our statistical modeling platform with an automated and direct feedback mechanism for our customers, closing the loop between design to specification and silicon performance," said Dr. James Victory, RF Modeling and Characterization Manager at Jazz.

RF MEMS Integrates CMOS Controller

By partnering with an established semiconductor foundry, a developer of MEMS switches has found a practical path to integrating MEMS with CMOS devices.

June 2006
by Refugio L. Jones, Michael C. Hopkins

To realize a practical path to MEMS integration, WiSpry has partnered with Jazz to develop the first MEMS device with an integrated CMOS controller. The resulting active CMOS controller is a multifunction IC with the capability of converting 3 V or less to the high voltages needed to control WiSpry's electrostatic RF MEMS switch. The controller includes a charge pump, high-voltage switches to multiplex or steer the high voltages from the charge pump to the MEMS, and digital CMOS processor.

The active circuitry for the MEMS CMOS integrated controller resides beneath the MEMS switches. Jazz developed a process that allows this physical integration without noise and spurious coupling from the on-chip active circuitry. This " coupling immunity" allows for the construction of on-chip RF structures, which previously could not be integrated into a cellular telephone.

Jazz Semi Declares Nasdaq Float

4/24/06
by Alex Mayhew-Smith -- Electronics Weekly

Jazz Semiconductor (declares) float on the Nasdaq stock exchange, for a maximum of $105 million. The SiGe and BiCMOS specialty foundry was originally part of Conexant Systems.

Jazz recently begun shipping volume production of its CP05 technology targeted at the power control and power management markets. It marked the company's move into the growing power management sector with CP05 by combining a 0.5micron front-end with a 0.25micron back-end metallization to achieve very low on-resistance devices in a low cost power management platform. The platform is targeted to the wireless and consumer application markets.

Jazz Semi Relaunches IPO Effort

4/24/06
by Dr. Mike Cooke

Jazz Semiconductor has reinitiated initial public offering efforts of as much as $105 million in common stock. A preliminary filing for the new offering made with the SEC reports that Cowen & Co., Needham & Co. LLC and Wachovia Securities have been hired to underwrite the IPO. Majority stakes are currently held by a group consisting of private equity firm Carlyle Group, microchip maker RF Micro and communications and network chips maker Conexant Systems (itself spun out of Rockwell).

Jazz Semiconductor is a pure-play semiconductor wafer foundry providing RF and mixed-signal process technologies. In March, the company announced that it is shipping volume production of its CP05 (power CMOS process) technology targeted at power control and power management markets.

Jazz Semiconductor files for $105 million IPO

WASHINGTON, April 24 - Jazz Semiconductor Inc. on Monday said it is planning an initial public offering of as much as $105 million in common stock. The company hired Cowen & Co., Needham & Co. LLC and Wachovia Securities to underwrite the IPO, according to a preliminary offering filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is seeking a Nasdaq listing under the symbol "JAZZ."

March 2006 – What's Hot: High-Voltage BCD Process

Jazz Semiconductor announces its 0.5µm BCD process technology targeted at power-management ICs and high performance amplifiers and drivers required for consumer applications. The Jazz BCD process is a 40V BCD process that features dual-gate oxides (5.5 and 16V), complementary N- and P-channel MOSFETs with 5, 7, 16, and 30V capabilities, vertical NPN (VNPN) and lateral PNP (LPNP) bipolar transistors, a variety of passive elements and an NMOS device rated for 40V operation. This process provides a versatile platform for applications requiring BiCMOS or BCD-only process technologies and integrates 0.5µm CMOS with high-voltage drivers, enabling the fabrication of complex smart-power chips.

Jazz Rolls Power-Management Process

3/15/06
by Mark LaPedus

Jazz Semiconductor Inc. has begun shipping a CMOS-based foundry process for power control and management applications. Jazz is addressing the growing power management sector with the CP05 process. The technology combines a 0.5-micron front-end with a 0.25-micron back-end metallization to enable low, on-resistance devices in wireless and consumer applications.

The CP05 platform is a three-metal process, with 3-micron thick power metal technology. It offers 5V FETS with low on-resistance of 4.1 mohm-mm2 and 10.3 mohm-mm2 for n- and p-channel devices, respectively.

"The CP05 process meets the low Rdson per unit area requirement of many power applications and has already hit the market in volume production," said Marco Racanelli, vice president of technology and engineering at Jazz, in a statement.

Jazz Starts Volume Production of Power Process

3/15/06

Boutique foundry Jazz Semiconductor has begun shipping volume production of its CP05 technology targeted at the power control and power management markets. The milestone follows the company's move into the growing power management sector with CP05 by combining a 0.5-micron front-end with a 0.25-micron back-end metallization to achieve very low on-resistance devices in a low cost power management platform. The platform is targeted to the wireless and consumer application markets.

Growing Power Management Market Forces Designers to Find Foundry Processes Tailored for System Power Management and Power Control

3/15/06

Jazz is shipping volume production of its CP05 technology targeted at power control and power management markets. The CP05 platform is a three metal process, with a 3um thick power metal and 1 or 2fF MIM caps. It offers 5V FETS with low on-resistance of 4.1 mohm-mm2 and 10.3 mohm-mm2 for N- and P-channel devices respectively to achieve high power transistors occupying very small die sizes for use in low-dropout regulators, amplifiers, drivers and other power management functions.

In addition, by leveraging a cost-effective, mainstream CMOS back-end in 0.25um, designers can take advantage of more aggressive digital integration, digital content and more dense routing capability of the gates (more gates per unit area) than a standard 0.5um CMOS offering.

Jazz Semiconductor Announces Volume Production for Power CMOS Processes

3/15/06

"The Jazz CP05 (CMOS) process meets the low Rdson per unit area requirement of many power applications and has already hit the market in volume production," said Marco Racanelli, Jazz VP of Technology and Engineering. "The CP05 offering complements our 0.5-µm BCD, 0.35-µm BCD, and 0.18/0.25-µm HVCMOS process offerings which together provide a complete suite of analog power technology for our customers."

Analog SoCs: Digital's New Counterpart

2/27/06
by Paul Kempf

From the evolution of digital SoCs, one can infer the roadmap for analog SoCs. In the first stage of migration to digital SoCs, certain products became integrated functions (SRAM, bus interfaces, DSPs), many of which are now available as reusable IP blocks. As part of the analog SoC trend, we expect the same for standard analog functions including regulators, battery charges and interface ICs, as they become part of a single-chip analog subsystem.
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TechnoConcepts chooses Jazz for foundry service

1/26/06

TechnoConcepts has selected Jazz Semiconductor to fabricate its True Software Radio (TSR) chips. "Jazz currently offers successive generations of its SiGe BiCMOS process, which supports the features that will facilitate TechnoConcepts' innovative designs as we focus on capturing market share in our next-generation products," said Turgeon. "Specifically, we will see significant power savings using the Jazz process since 95% of the chip will be fabricated in low-power CMOS and only 5% will utilize the high-performance SiGe, both available on the Jazz SiGe BiCMOS platform process."

TechnoConcept Picks Jazz as Foundry Partner

1/26/06

"Jazz is pleased to partner with companies such as TechnoConcepts in introducing innovative products like True Software Radio," said Marco Racanelli, VP of technology and engineering, Jazz Semiconductor. "Our process platforms are customizable and can be optimized to leverage the power efficiencies of low power CMOS while enjoying the benefits of high speed, low noise SiGe in a single process technology. These features have been utilized by TechnoConcepts to improve the way wireless signals are transmitted, received and processed."

Phyworks, Jazz to Develop Advanced Physical Layer Products

1/17/06

Jazz Semiconductor and Phyworks have partnered to develop physical layer products for WAN, LAN, SAN and FTTH applications. Phyworks chose Jazz Semiconductor's 0.35 and 0.18 micron Silicon Germanium (SiGe) BiCMOS processes to design its networking portfolio of ICs, including transimpedance amps (TIAs) and integrated laser drivers and limiting amplifiers.

2005 Editors' Choice Awards; Embedded Control

Module optimizes analog circuit design; Vertical PNP Module by Jazz Semiconductor

1/1/06

Pushing beyond the capability of standard CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor)-based analog circuit design, Jazz Semiconductor has made available a 17 GHz Vertical PNP (VPNP) module on its 0.18-micron RFCMOS platform. The new module advances analog circuit design especially for high voltage, complementary drive, or amplification requirements. The VPNP module reportedly enables greater integration than currently available with existing CMOS, RFCMOS, and BiCMOS products.

SEE Archived "In the News" from 2005

SEE Archived "In the News" from 2003