Peregrine Semiconductor Ships 500 Millionth UltraCMOS RFIC

Peregrine’s UltraCMOS technology is a patented variation of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) process that combines industry-standard silicon CMOS circuitry with a highly insulating sapphire substrate, delivering the industry’s highest RF performance in areas such as linearity, isolation, ESD tolerance, speed and switch settling time. More importantly, UltraCMOS-based RFICs offer an environmentally friendly option to arsenic-based GaAs ICs which have historically been widely used in RF and wireless systems. With the global move toward ‘green engineering’ and reduction of hazardous substances (RoHS), UltraCMOS SOS devices are poised to offer engineers and manufacturers alike a simple, responsible solution for the next-generation designs demanded by the environmentally conscious consumer.

For years, engineers designing for personal communications devices such as cellular phones and mobile digital assistants sought primarily to increase system performance while reducing size and power consumption. Today, however, electronics component designers must also take into account emerging standards and regulations regarding waste, hazardous substances and recycling. This is especially the case with handheld electronics, where extremely high global volumes are creating significant disposal issues in the earth’s landfills. The green technology movement has generated resolutions around the world aimed at banning or limiting hazardous substances found in consumer electronics. In particular, gallium arsenide (GaAs) has been classified in the U.S., EU and Japan as a toxic compound and dangerous for the environment.

“With current worldwide sales of approximately 1.3 billion units per year, cellular handsets have become not only technology, business and lifestyle drivers but also a leading contributor to eWaste,” stated Jim Cable, president and CEO of Peregrine Semiconductor Corp. “We believe that by providing a performance advantage with our UltraCMOS technology and by offering systems designers an alternative to arsenic-based RFICs, we are doing our part to help our customers and the environment,” he added. Peregrine, which has offices and a sales support network around the world, is also actively developing corporate programs toward the awareness of eWaste and electronics recycling.