TriQuint Semiconductor Introduces 10 Gb/s Electro-Optic Driver ICs That Break $100 Price Barrier

Source: TRIQUINT SEMICONDUCTOR

Newest Addition to the Series of High Performance 2.5Gb/s to 44Gb/s Standard Products for Fiber Optic Applications

July 9, 2001

Baltimore, MD. At today s National Fiber Optics Engineers Conference (NFOEC), TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. announced the introduction of its new low cost, high performance TQ8318 and TQ8319 Electro-Optic (EO) drivers for High-Speed Optical Networking applications (technical specifications below). These new high output, high fidelity drivers are ideal for the performance-driven, cost-sensitive market in Metro and Long Haul Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) applications. They are available in high volume, low cost packages, a first for this level of performance, and in die form for integration into fiber optic modules.

Lee Johnson, Vice President and General Manager of the Telecommunications Division said, "The low cost and high volume manufacturing experience we have gained in our cell phone business allows us to provide our customers with a series of low cost, high performance components for Metro DWDM and Ethernet market segments. This enables our performance oriented Long Haul customers to improve their price/performance position to enable innovative, new products."

Andy Turudic, Director of Strategic Marketing, Telecommunications Division, said, "As the speeds of CMOS and SiGe technologies increase, transistor breakdowns are reduced to where the voltage that can be produced across an output load is limited. The advanced process used in our drivers allows a combination of high speed and high breakdown to enable these emerging technologies. As a result, we ve incorporated innovative, proprietary circuit techniques that reduce overshoot and undershoot while improving rise and fall times through the device. We have also optimized our devices for Electro-Absorptive Modulator [EAM] and Electro-absorptive Modulated Laser [EML] applications with an integrated monolithic bias control and load invariant output driver, while providing sufficient swing for differential Mach-Zehnder modulator applications."

These EO drivers provide clear performance advantages in the converging Telecom and Datacom fiber optic market segments that use Ethernet, Fibre Channel or Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) or Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) standards.

The TQ8318 can be seen in operation in TriQuint s Booth (#5327) at this week s NFOEC and the TQ8318 and TQ8319 are expected to begin generating revenue in the fourth quarter of 2001. These new devices are part of a series of TriQuint standard product introductions specifically targeting the need for high-performance, integrated devices to support telecom and datacom applications. TriQuint is introducing mixed signal functions in this market space that address performance-critical high-speed signal requirements and that compensate for the limitations of emerging technologies.

APPLICATIONS & FEATURES: · SONET/SDH DWDM OC-192/STM-64 including FEC rates · 10G Ethernet 10.3125Gb/s · EAM s and EML s - eliminates bias tee and allows direct-coupled interface · Dual arm (differential) Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulators · Direct Modulated Lasers (DML s) - direct-coupled interface · Low additive jitter · Improves rise/fall time from input to output TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: · Data rates up to 10.8Gb/s · Guaranteed rise/fall times of 32ps (28 typ) at 35ps input rate · Single-ended modulation voltage of 1.0V to 3.0V · Differential output of 2.0V to 6.0V peak to peak · Integrated 0V to -1V offset adjustment · Back-terminated, 15mA to 60mA of modulation current into 50 Ohm loads (TQ8318) · 30mA to 120mA of modulation current into 25 Ohm loads (TQ8319) · Waveform symmetry adjustment · +3.3V/-7.5V operation with differential CML input (+3.3V/-5V versions available soon)

The TQ8318/TQ8319 combined data sheet is available on TriQuint s website at http://www.tqs.com/Digital/Products/Datasheets/TQ8318.pdf.

In 10,000 piece quantities, the TQ8318 and TQ8319 are priced at $99.00 in a 28-pin TSSOP package with samples and evaluation boards available immediately. Die pricing is available upon request.

3.125 Gb/s ELECTRO-OPTIC DRIVER ICs

TriQuint also announced new 3.125 Gb/s Electro-Optic (EO) drivers as NFOEC. The company s new TQ8218 and TQ8219 Electro-Optic (EO) drivers for High-Speed Optical Networking applications (technical specifications below). These new, high output, high fidelity drivers are ideal for the performance-driven, cost-sensitive market in Metro and Long Haul Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) applications. They are available in high volume, low cost packages, a first for this level of performance, and in die form for integration into fiber optic modules.

Andy Turudic, Director of Strategic Marketing, Telecommunications Division, said, "Historically, we have monolithically integrated our drivers into our multiplexers for the most demanding telecom applications. This has resulted in jitter performance levels from our OC-48 products that nearly meet the more stringent OC-192 requirements. Now we are offering the benefits of that performance in stand-alone drivers. The TQ8218 and TQ8219 have extremely fast rise and fall times producing nearly ideal transmission eye patterns. These new switched current E/O drivers enable designers to interface between low breakdown voltage CMOS and higher voltage, or higher current, electro-optic devices while contributing minimal signal degradation to the optical eye."

These EO drivers provide clear performance advantages in the converging Telecom and Datacom fiber optic market segments using Ethernet, Fibre Channel, 10-gigabit Attachment Units Interface (XAUI), Infiniband, or Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) or Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) standards.

TriQuint is introducing a series of mixed signal standard products in this market space that address performance-critical high-speed signal requirements and that compensate for the limitations of emerging technologies.

The TriQuint TQ8218/8219 are being evaluated by leading OEM s and are expected to begin generating revenue in the third quarter of 2001.

APPLICATIONS & FEATURES · SONET/SDH DWDM OC-48/STM-16 including FEC rates · Ethernet · XAUI · Infiniband · Fiber Channel · Digital video · EAM and EML driver · Differential (dual arm) Mach-Zehnder driver · Uncooled and cooled laser driver, including DFB, FP, DBR, high optical power lasers · ATE pin electronics and test equipment driver

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: · Data rates up to 3.125Gb/s · Single ended output of 750mV to 3.75V · Differential output of 1.5V to 7.5V peak to peak · Waveform symmetry adjustment · Backterminated, 15mA to 75mA of modulation current into 50 Ohm loads (TQ8218) · 30mA to 150mA of modulation current into 25 Ohm loads (TQ8219) · Differential LVPECL input · Low additive jitter and low undershoot/overshoot

The TQ8218/TQ8219 combined data sheet is available on TriQuint s website at http://www.tqs.com/Digital/Products/Datasheets/TQ8218.pdf.

In 10,000 piece quantities, the TQ8218 and TQ8219 are priced at $25.00 in a 28-pin TSSOP package with samples and evaluation boards available immediately. Die pricing is available upon request.

ABOUT TRIQUINT: TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TQNT) is a leading worldwide supplier of a broad range of high performance communications integrated circuits. TriQuint s products span the RF and millimeter wave frequency ranges and employ analog and mixed signal circuit designs. They are used in fiber optics, telecommunications, data communications, wireless communications, and aerospace systems. TriQuint offers both standard and customer specific products as well as gallium arsenide (GaAs) foundry services. TriQuint s operations in Oregon and Texas are both certified to the ISO 9001 international quality standard.

TriQuint is headquartered at 2300 NE Brookwood Parkway, Hillsboro, OR 97124 and can be reached at 503 615 9000 (fax 503 615 8900). Visit the TriQuint website at http://www.triquint.com.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release contains both historical information and forward-looking information. The Company s business is subject to important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results indicated in this press release or in any other forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, the Company, and there can be no assurance that future results will meet expectations. Additional considerations and important risk factors are described in the Company s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies available on request from the Company.

Contact:
George Sanders Director of Marketing Telecommunications Division
Tel: (503) 615-9115
Fax: (503) 615-8905
Email: gsanders@tqs.com