Raytheon forges foundry alliance with WIN Semiconductors
Raytheon’s transferred process will add to WIN’s existing HBT technology at the company’s “pure-play” foundry facility in Taoyuan, which includes the industry’s first 0.15 µm gate length PHEMT process to be produced on 6-inch wafers. This facility is currently undergoing an expansion that will bring its annual capacity to 100,000 wafers in 2005.
The agreement is also designed to cement cooperation on future process development and marks further consolidation in the GaAs industry. Recently, Alpha and Conexant pooled their wireless component resources and TriQuint acquired Infineon’s GaAs line.
Raytheon operates a 4-inch GaAs facility in Andover, MA, with 0.15 and 0.25 µm PHEMT, HBT, and MHEMT processes used in the manufacture of handset power amplifiers and base station components through to MMICs used in radar systems and military applications up to 100 GHz.
“[The combination of] expanding operations into Asia, continual technology development and access to WIN’s foundry strengthens our position as a key supplier to the wireless market,” said Steve Kaspar, president of Raytheon RF Components. “This alliance also allows RF Components to focus its internal manufacturing capabilities on lower volume commercial, and aerospace and defense products.”
“This partnership is a major accomplishment and strategically important to WIN Semiconductors,” said Dr. Chan Wu, WIN’s president and CEO. “As a company dedicated to maintaining a reputation for the highest quality fabrication in the industry, the addition of Raytheon RF Components as a customer and strategic partner gives us an opportunity to serve a larger customer base on a global scale with state-of-the-art technology.”
