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News Article

TRW Completes Facilities for World's First High-Volume Indium Phosphide Production Line

Source: TRW

Redondo Beach, CA. Indium Phosphide Semiconductor Material Represents a Disruptive Technology for Cell Phone, Fiber Optic and Broadband Wireless Systems Applications

TRW has completed facilities construction and is beginning to install manufacturing equipment for what will become the world s first high-volume production line for high-performance chips fabricated using indium phosphide (InP), an advanced semiconductor material.

The facility will produce TRW s advanced InP for rapidly growing telecommunications market applications, including fiber optic transmission systems, mobile wireless communications and broadband wireless services.

"TRW has made substantial investments for more than 10 years to bring InP technology to maturity," said Tim Hannemann, executive vice president and general manager of TRW s Space & Electronics Group. "Our broad portfolio of InP patents, combined with our extensive experience in the development and manufacturing of reliable, advanced compound semiconductors, gives TRW a substantial lead in the InP marketplace."

TRW presently operates an indium phosphide production line that produces chips on 3-inch wafers. This line has been used to manufacture InP integrated circuits for a variety of telecommunications applications. The new production line, processing state-of-the-art, 4-inch wafers, will produce volume quantities of InP chips beginning in the second half of 2001.

Key applications for TRW s InP technology include:

  • Electronics operating at 40 gigabits per second for OC-768 fiber optic transmission systems and 10 gigabits per second for OC-192 systems
  • Power amplifiers for cellular handsets providing substantial performance improvements over the gallium arsenide and silicon power amplifiers currently in use
  • High power, extremely efficient microwave circuits for broadband wireless communications
  • Advanced capabilities for satellite applications.

    TRW has successfully demonstrated reliable InP chips for each of these applications, according to Dwight Streit, TRW s vice president for Advanced Semiconductors. "We plan to begin limited production runs in the first half of next year," Streit said. "Our world-class semiconductor development and application design teams have achieved remarkable successes in bringing this disruptive technology to the production stage."

    "TRW is working with companies throughout the telecommunications industry to develop strong partner relationships to address each of these application areas," said Hannemann.

    "These partnership initiatives are designed to extend TRW s previously announced strategy of leveraging its advanced technologies into new markets by working with selected industry leaders. We are excited at the prospect of working with our selected partners to transform the future in these markets," Hannemann added. In the past two years, TRW s accomplishments in InP have included demonstration of chips with the highest reported operating frequency and demonstration of the world s fastest digital integrated circuit.

    TRW Space & Electronics Group is a leading supplier of high-performance integrated circuits and foundry services for commercial telecom markets and a recognized leader in gallium arsenide and InP technologies. It is an operating unit of TRW Inc., which provides advanced technology products and services for the global automotive, aerospace, telecommunications and information systems markets. TRW s Web site is at http://www.trw.com.

    Statements that are not historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause TRW s actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this release include the ability to commercialize this technology with strategic partners, the development of superior technologies, a substantial change in the telecommunications industry demand for compound semiconductors, and the availability of key raw materials and processing equipment. Additional factors can be found in Item 7, "Management s Discussion and Analysis -- Forward-Looking Statements," in the company s most recent Form 10-Q. TRW undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

    Contact: TRW Space & Electronics Group, Redondo Beach Jack Prichett Tel: 310/812-5227 jack.prichett@trw.com

     

    TRW Space & Electronics Group, Redondo Beach
    Jack Prichett
    Tel: 310/812-5227
    jack.prichett@trw.com
     
    E-mail: jack.prichett@trw.com
    Web site: http://www.trw.com
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