Microsemi Sees Bright Results from LED Developments

LED development proceeds on schedule

Launches new LED driver -- Initial brightness results impressive

Irvine, CA. Microsemi Corp. today announced that it has made significant progress in the development of its blue LED products scheduled to release by the end of the calendar year. Simultaneously, the company released a new LED driver that complements its LED roadmap.

The company has a complete roadmap in development of blue, ultraviolet and white LEDs targeted at the mobile phone, PDA and solid state backlighting applications. Combined with its power management and driver expertise, the company is developing a comprehensive light engine portfolio.

Under separate alliances with Cree and Nitronex, Microsemi has developed two different approaches to blue and ultraviolet LEDs. Microsemi s approach to gallium nitride-based LEDs has been to eliminate the problems most designers face using LEDs in handheld battery operated and high-power applications. The major issues that designers must overcome are LED life, high operating voltage or VF, package degradation and the ability to drive the devices at higher power and higher brightness.

The first approach is to develop an LED package that can handle more power in the same size package as conventional surface mount packages. Recent results have shown that Microsemi s thermal resistance is 1/4 of competing products, allowing designers to drive LEDs at higher than the typical rated current of 30 mA.

Microsemi s patent pending Optomite LED package, based on its successful Powermite™ packaging technology, can handle up to 100 mA of continuous current without overheating or stressing the LED chip and reducing its lifetime. For these initial products Microsemi will be using Megabrite die from Cree that are comparable to the brightest blue on the market today.

We are quite pleased with our first results from our Optomite™-based LEDs, stated Steve Litchfield, director of business development for Microsemi. We are confident that these first products are the right combination of performance and cost, enabling us to position ourselves as a leading U.S. supplier of high brightness LEDs. Microsemi will begin sampling key customers next week.

The second approach is more aggressive in nature and is being developed in a joint alliance with Nitronex of North Carolina. The two companies have developed an approach to build blue and ultraviolet LEDs on a silicon substrate by taking advantage of Nitronex s Sigantic (gallium nitride on silicon) process and Microsemi s patented MMSM chip scale architecture to develop a package-less technology that aims to significantly increase brightness, reduce VF and eliminate problematic epoxy packaging, which tends to discolor in ultraviolet exposure.

The patented approach utilizes glass instead of epoxy and creates a platform for creating reliable, long life, high brightness ultraviolet LEDs which are the basis for a new generation of improved white LEDs.

Litchfield commented on the new design status: Our concept is coming together as planned. We have solved key technical issues and are now seeing bright blue light grown on 4-inch wafers, not seen anywhere else in the world. This product, while unique to the industry, provides a distinctive set of features that will help actualize LEDs as a viable solid state lighting solution.

Microsemi expects to sample key customers in December 2001.

LED Driver Announced Under a separate announcement, Microsemi released its first LED driver, the LX1992 for use in handheld battery powered applications.

About Microsemi Microsemi is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of analog, mixed-signal and discrete semiconductors. The company s semiconductors manage and regulate power, protect against transient voltage spikes and transmit, receive and amplify signals. Microsemi products include individual components as well as complete circuit solutions that enhance customer designs by providing battery optimization, reducing size or protecting circuits. Markets the company serves include mobile connectivity, computer/peripherals, telecommunications, medical, industrial/commercial, space/satellite and military.

More information may be obtained by contacting the company directly or by visiting its Web site at http://www.microsemi.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Any statements set forth in the news release that are not entirely historical and factual in nature are forward-looking statements. For instance, all statements of belief and expectations are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, such factors as the difficulties regarding the making of estimates and projections, hiring and retention of qualified technical personnel in a competitive labor market, acquiring and integrating new operations or assets, rapidly changing technology and product obsolescence, the ability to realize cost savings or productivity gains, the ability to improve capacity utilization, potential cost increases, the strength and competitive pricing environment of the marketplace, demand for and acceptance of the company s products, the results of planned development, marketing and promotional campaigns, changes in demand for products, difficulties of foreseeing future demand, effects of limited visibility of future sales, potential non-realization of expected orders or non-realization of backlog, business and economic conditions or adverse changes in current or expected industry conditions, customer order preferences, and fluctuations in market prices of the company s common stock, difficulties in implementing company strategies, environmental matters, litigation, difficulties protecting proprietary rights, and inventory obsolescence. In addition to these factors and any other factors mentioned elsewhere in this news release, the reader should refer as well to the factors, uncertainties and risks identified in the company s most recent Form 10-K filed on Dec. 21, 2000, and the final prospectus on Form S-3 filed on June 1, 2000, by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company does not undertake to supplement or correct any information in this release that is or becomes incorrect.

Contact: Microsemi Corp., Irvine David R. Sonksen (financial) Tel: 949 221-7101 or Cliff Silver (editorial) Tel: 949 221-7112