1．  Jazz Semiconductor got the tenth spot of all wafer foundries in 2005, and is also a leading mixed-signal processes semiconductor wafer foundry, according to Gartner Dataquest. It is credible that the demand of mixed-signal processes will remain strong in the next few years, so which application domains does this demand come from, according to Jazz Semiconductor’s market experience?

Thanks for your kind words and encouragements. Indeed, we have been widely recognized as a leading semiconductor foundry focused on specialty process technologies for the manufacture of analog and mixed‑signal semiconductor devices, with the number one ranking of specialty pure-play silicon foundry in the world (Electronic Business, August 2005). We also received 2005 SiGe Process Foundry of the Year Award from Frost & Sullivan. However, the awards we treasure the most are the 300 plus design wins from our 100 plus customers, ranging from the well known IDMs such as TI and Freescale, to the leading fables companies such as Marvell and RFMD, and to the innovative start-up companies such Xceive and Airoha (絡達科技).

As you know, most other independent semiconductor foundries primarily provide standard process technologies, such as digital CMOS processes, for the manufacture of digital semiconductors, with, according to Gartner Dataquest, more than 95% of global foundry revenues being derived from these standard process technologies. In contrast, our primary focus is on specialty process technologies, such as advanced analog, radio frequency, high voltage, bipolar and silicon germanium bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor (SiGe BiCMOS) processes, for the manufacture of analog and mixed‑signal semiconductors. Specialty process technologies can enable semiconductor designers to achieve specific design objectives, such as integrating more analog functionality on a single chip or designing more analog content into a mixed-signal semiconductor device.  By enabling greater analog content, specialty process technologies can reduce die size, increasing the number of die that can be manufactured on a wafer and reducing final die cost.  In addition, specialty process technologies can increase performance, provide superior noise reduction and improve power efficiency of analog and mixed‑signal semiconductors compared to those manufactured using traditional standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor processes. 

In many applications within the wireless, high-speed wireline communications, consumer electronics, automotive and industrial end markets, the performance characteristics of specialty process technologies can lead customers to select them over digital CMOS. As semiconductor performance needs continue to increase in these applications, we believe the demand for specialty process technologies will also increase. For example, Semico Research, a semiconductor marketing and consulting research company, estimates that SiGe BiCMOS usage in wireless, wireline and consumer electronic products will grow at compound annual growth rates of 22%, 13% and 16%, respectively, from 2005 to 2010.

Specifically, the high growth applications enabled by our specialty processes include the highly integrated RF transceivers for 3G (WCDMA, CDMA, and TDS-CDMA) handsets, wireless connectivity such as WLAN, WiMax, UWB, Bluetooth, and Zigbee for wireless broadband and VoIP, tuners for cable, satellite, terrestrial, and mobile videos, power management ICs such as DC-DC converters, LDOs, regulators, and controllers, high performance analog ICs such as ADC and DAC, driver and detector ICs for DVD and blue laser HD-DVD.   Our customers’ analog and mixed‑signal semiconductor devices are designed for use in products such as cellular phones, digital TVs, set‑top boxes, gaming devices, wireless local area networking devices, digital cameras, switches, routers and broadband modems.

2．  BCD technology, which integrates CMOS and DMOS, is suitable for portable devices. So in practical applications, what benefit has BCD technology brought to customers?And what problem does it solve for customers?

BCD (bipolar CMOS DMOS) processes incorporate, into a single foundry process flow, what are typically three different process types: bipolar, for analog control; CMOS, for digital control; and DMOS, for handling the high currents required for managing on-chip or system power. The combined process is ideally suited to address the emerging power requirements of both consumer and handheld electronics. However, to date, these processes have been predominantly the exclusive domain of IDMs.

The BCD process technology being offered by Jazz has been in fabrication for over ten years, making Jazz one of the leading foundries to bring this technology into the mainstream for fabless power and analog IC companies looking to differentiate their products through the incorporation of analog, digital and complex power functions. BCD processes provide features that enable higher levels of integration, smaller size, and better power efficiency than general foundry offerings. A significant number of analog-centric fabless and fab-lite companies have already designed into the BCD processes which are used for wireless and consumer electronics such as cell phones, personal computers, DVD players and recorders, hard disk drives, portable audio players and gaming devices.

"With their core expertise in SiGe BiCMOS and RFCMOS coupled with the launch of 20/40V capability in 0.18µm and now full BCD and complementary bipolar processes, Jazz has positioned itself as a leading foundry for the analog system-on-chip market for companies looking to combine complex RF circuitry with the on-chip power management," observed Morry Marshall at Semico Research. "The typical foundry is focused on capturing the digital opportunity, but the emergence of the analog fabless model and the growth in both RF and power management markets endorse Jazz Semiconductor's timely focus on the right market segment for future integration."

The Jazz BCD process is an industry proven 0.5 micron, 40V BCD process that features dual gate oxides (5.5V and 16V), complementary N- and P-channel MOSFETs with 5V, 7V, 16V, 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 0.5 micron CMOS with high-voltage drivers, enabling the fabrication of complex smart-power chips. This process is well-suited for applications such as power management and smart power, motor control, gate drivers and microprocessor supervisory circuits.

Jazz plans to continue expanding its roadmap for BCD smart-power, high voltage CMOS and complementary bipolar processes into its core 0.25µm and 0.18µm platforms which already enable highly integrated transceiver and power amplifier devices. Target end-markets include integrated power management and power control functions in cellular handsets, digital multiphase power control, power over ethernet, on-chip voltage regulation, and Class D audio amplifiers.

3．  Confronted with the trend of IDM and DFM, how does Jazz Semiconductor change its strategy to solve the customers’ trouble and provide more service for them?

Jazz is the only pure-play foundry with the IDM level capabilities in analog/mixed-signal/RF technologies, thanks to its heritage of Rockwell Semiconductor and Conexant Systems. We combine the benefits of independence with a dedicated focus on specialty process technologies. Key elements of our solution for our customers are as follows:

• We offer a broad range of specialty process technologies.  Our specialty process technology portfolio includes advanced analog CMOS, RF CMOS, high voltage CMOS, BCD, BiCMOS and SiGe BiCMOS processes, ranging 0.5um down to 0.13um. The breadth of our portfolio allows us to offer our customers a wide range of solutions to address their high‑performance, high‑density, low‑power and low‑noise requirements for analog and mixed‑signal semiconductors.

• We offer a specialized design platform for analog and mixed‑signal semiconductors. Our design engineering support team assists our customers with their advanced designs by leveraging our application knowledge and experience to help guide their technology selection and design implementation. Our sophisticated design tools and services are specifically tailored to meet analog and mixed‑signal design needs, and include specialized device modeling and characterization features that allow simulation of a variety of real world situations, including different temperatures, power levels and speeds. Jazz currently offers Monte Carlo, mismatch and statistical models for its processes as well as fully scalable models for up front design optimization. We have also recently introduced an innovative Process Control Model Tool (PCMT), which allows designers to close the loop between simulated results from their silicon models and actual results for their product designs at the lot, wafer, or die level. The PCMT efficiently allows designers to correlate wafer measurements to simulations, serving as an effective tool for design optimization and cycle time reduction. This front-end modeling infrastructure used during the design phase, coupled with the PCMT, allows circuit designers to bridge the gap between circuit and silicon. We believe our customers’ use of these tools prior to manufacturing their semiconductors increases their first-time manufacturing success rates (over 90%), reduces the need for costly circuit redesign prior to volume production and results in faster time to market.

Our customers enjoy tremendous benefits provided by Jazz. Michael Lu, president of Airoha, has recently made the following comments on Jazz’s PCMT. 

“The Jazz PCMT is a significant enhancement to an already impressive modeling and design platform. The PCMT allowed Airoha to take our own PCM data from actual silicon that ran in the Jazz fab, and build it back into our designs real time. This allowed us to simulate design performance based on real measured data, which allowed us to shorten the debug time and ultimately achieve quicker time to market."

• We offer scalable, cost‑effective manufacturing capacity in the United States and China. We provide cost‑effective manufacturing capacity to our customers from our fab located in Newport Beach, California. Additionally, our manufacturing supply agreements with Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, or ASMC, and Shanghai Hua Hong NEC Electronics Co., Ltd. or HHNEC, two of China’s leading semiconductor foundries, are designed to provide us with low-cost, scalable production capacity and multiple location sourcing for our customers.

4．  Has the mixed-signal/RF model checklist, published by FSA in 2005, already met the demands of mixed-signal/RF design engineers in IC design companies?

Consequently, does Jazz Semiconductor achieve better communication and cooperation with customers, based on this model?

The FSA Mixed-Signal/RF SPICE Model Checklist, which provides fabless mixed-signal (MS)/RF designers using foundry SPICE models with consistent data to make foundry process and IC design decisions, has largely met their demands. The Checklist helps designers obtain a better understanding of the source data, measured devices, completeness and quality of a model before using it to design ICs.

By chairing the FSA MS/RF Foundry Subcommittee and serving as an active member of the FSA MS/RF Model Working Group which maintains and continuously updating the Checklist, Jazz is not only helping the MS/RF semiconductor industry in general, we have also benefited from the improved communications and cooperation from our own customers.

5．  What is Jazz Semiconductor’s strategy for technological development in the long run?

And does Jazz Semiconductor have a plan to do other foundry manufacturing besides analog and mixed-signal products, for example, the cell for solar cells?

Jazz shall remain true to its analog and mixed-signal core competency. There are just so much new innovation potentials in this exciting field for us to explore and develop. The analog SoC platform we are developing with our key customers is revolutionizing the analog integration similar to what has occurred in the digital realm. For example, our customer Airoha Technology Corp. integrates PA, VCO, LNA, Balun and most of the RF devices into their WLAN RF transceiver. The other enabling modules we are currently developing for the SoC platform include silicon-on-insulator (SOI) based switches, through-wafer-via (TWV) for high power integration, and radio frequency micro-electro-mechanical systems (RF-MEMS) for reconfigurable VCO/filters and, eventually, for reconfigurable entire radio.

Digital SoCs have commoditized the digital market, forcing technology to a common roadmap where there is little room left to differentiate products besides time to market and product cost. Analog SoCs reopen the value proposition, enabling IC companies to leverage partnerships, differentiated technology and levels of functional integration to capture market share. Partnered with its digital counterpart, analog SoC will secure its place as a prominent part of the semiconductor landscape.