Intrinsic buys Swedish SiC device business
Wide-bandgap materials supplier Intrinsic Semiconductor has entered the SiC device market.
The small US company, which acquired Bandgap Technologies in August (see related story), has continued its expansion with a buy-out of the Swedish company Advanced Micro Device Solutions (AMDS) in a part-cash, part-stock deal.
AMDS, which already has a portfolio of SiC MESFET devices and is currently sampling to customers at the design-in stage, will now be known as Intrinsic Semiconductor AB. It has a current workforce of under ten employees.
"The acquisition allows Intrinsic to have an organic presence in Europe - a key market for the future growth of our business," said Intrinsic CEO Cengiz Balkas.
Intrinsic s move gives the device-making operation access to internal SiC substrates and epitaxy services. The company has access to a qualified SiC foundry and is said to have a "significant" patent portfolio.
The Swedish operation presented details of MESFET power amplifiers that it has been developing at the recent European Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials in Bologna, Italy.
It suggested that power transistors based on the technology offer impressive output powers and efficiencies over a very large bandwidth.
Other SiC devices in development include sensors for both commercial and military applications.
