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NANORADIO SELECTS JAZZ SEMICONDUCTOR'S 0.35-MICRON SiGe BiCMOS
PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF ULTRA LOW POWER RF TRANSCEIVER
Nanoradio Targets Mobile Phone Market for WLAN, Providing Larger
Bandwidth and Lower Power Consumption than Current Short Range Communication
Methods
STOCKHOLM, Sweden and NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., July 12, 2007
- Nanoradio AB, a semiconductor supplier targeting the cellular
handset and multimedia consumer electronics market and Jazz Semiconductor®,
a leading RF and Analog foundry wholly owned by Jazz Technologies,
Inc. today announced that Nanoradio has selected Jazz Semiconductor's
0.35-micron SiGe BiCMOS process (SBC35) to manufacture its NRX511
radio IC, a fully integrated RF transceiver optimized on the 2,4
- 2,5GHz ISM band. Nanoradio's chip is targeted for use in portable
devices such as mobile phones and multimedia players where power
consumption is critical for optimal user experience. The design
uses differential RF-input and output to optimize the RF performance.
Channel filtering is provided on-chip and no extra SAW filters are
required. The NRX511 provides an on-chip high efficient RF power
amplifier to minimize bill of materials and solution cost.
As the Fixed-Mobile Convergence Alliance (FMCA) points out, the
trend in the telecom industry is convergence of fixed and mobile
networks, turning the mobile phone into a single multimedia device.
WLAN enables wireless bridges connecting the fixed and mobile networks,
providing mobile broadband anywhere, any time. Global operators
are catching this trend and have joined forces in the FMCA which
represents over 850 million customers who stand to benefit from
the development of convergence products and services. Nanoradio's
unique WiFi solutions fully support the exploding demand for VoIP,
music down loads and IP TV in the converging networks. Nanoradio's
key offering features include ultra-low power consumption in all
WiFi modes, a highly integrated solution which enables low cost
for customers, and an impressive small footprint. Nanoradio offers
the WiFi chipset solution in a complete System in Package (SiP)
or in Chip Scale Package (CSP) together with MAC host software and
reference designs.
Nanoradio chose Jazz Semiconductor's 0.35-micron SiGe BiCMOS (SBC35)
to provide a low-power, high performance and cost-effective solution
for development of its NRX511 high frequency WLAN RF transceiver.
SBC35 is targeted for networking and wireless applications, providing
designers with the flexibility of using any combination of three
SiGe bipolar (NPN) transistors, each of which provides a different
optimization for power and speed. The speed transistor has an Ft
of 62GHz and is used for high-performance blocks while the high
power transistor can be used to integrate power amplifiers or high-speed
drivers on the same chip. In addition to the three NPN transistors,
SBC35 comes standard with 3.3 volt CMOS, deep trench isolation,
lateral PNP transistors, MIM and MIS capacitors, high-performance
varactors, poly and Nwell resistors, and high-Q inductors. SBC35
options include 5V CMOS, a vertical PNP transistor, triple-well
isolation, and a thick top-metal.
"We selected Jazz as the manufacturer of our RF transceivers
because we are convinced that Jazz's SiGe process provides superior
RF performance at mainstream silicon cost. In addition, the modeling
of the proven SiGe BiCMOS process and Jazz's RF expertise in manufacturing
high quality RF devices have been key parameters," said Pär
Bergsten, CEO of Nanoradio AB.
"We are excited by the breakthrough products innovative customers
like Nanoradio are able to create with SBC35, our mature, 0.35-micron
SiGe process," said Marco Racanelli, vice president of technology
and engineering, Jazz Semiconductor. "SBC35 is now part of
a suite of three generations of SiGe BiCMOS at Jazz that also includes
a high performance 0.18-micron process (SBC18) and a low-power,
streamlined 0.13-micron process (SBL13) offering customers the right
cost, performance, and level of integration for advanced wireless
and high-speed networking products."
About Nanoradio
Nanoradio AB, founded in March 2004 and based in Stockholm Sweden,
is a fabless semiconductor company providing wireless solutions
for the cellular handset and consumer electronics market. Nanoradio
has developed a state of the art technology for integrated circuits
with focus on the critical success factors for handheld products,
namely, power consumption, physical size and total cost for customer.
Nanoradio has a team of 70 people with extensive experience from
the cellular and wireless industry as well as semiconductor industry
and start-ups. Nanoradio has a global sales and support structure
since 2005 with offices in Korea, USA and Japan. Nanoradio's unique
low power WLAN chipset makes high speed wireless access possible
in portable electronics. For more information please visit: www.nanoradio.com.
About Jazz Semiconductor
Jazz Semiconductor®, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jazz Technologies,
Inc. (AMEX: JAZ), 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. Jazz Semiconductor also has engineering, manufacturing,
and sales support in Shanghai, China. The company has expanded its
wafer capacity in China through manufacturing alliances with Advanced
Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation and Hua Hong NEC Electronics
Co., Ltd. For more information, please visit www.jazzsemi.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or
phrases such as "trend," "potential," "opportunity,"
"collaboration," "pipeline," "believe,"
"expect," "anticipate," "intention,"
"undertaking," "estimate," "position,"
"assume," "outlook," "continue," "to
deliver," "remain," "maintain," "sustain,"
"seek," "achieve," and similar expressions,
or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would,"
"should," "could," "may" and similar
expressions. Forward-looking statements are based largely on expectations
and projections about future events and future trends and are subject
to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over
time. Actual results and consequences, including any expected benefits,
could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking
statements and you should not place any undue reliance on such forward
looking statements. Factors that could cause actual performance
to differ from these forward-looking statements include the risks
and uncertainties disclosed in Jazz Technologies' filings with the
SEC. Jazz Technologies' filings with the SEC are accessible on the
SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements
speak only as of the date they are made. Jazz Technologies assumes
no obligation to update forward-looking statements.
Company and product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective owners. Information provided in this
press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject
to change without advance notice.
Nanoradio Company Contact
Carl-F. Elgh
+46 733 94 14 00
carl.elgh@nanoradio.com
Nanoradio Media Contact
Annika Engelhart
+46 733 25 80 33
annika.engelhart@nanoradio.com
Jazz Company Contact
Melinda Jarrell
949/435-8181
melinda.jarrell@jazzsemi.com
Jazz Media Contact
Lauri Julian
949/715-3049
lauri.julian@jazzsemi.com
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