Contract Win

IQE PLC
17 March 2008


17 March 2008.


IQE plc


IQE wins major order for Gallium Nitride based wafer products.

IQE plc (AIM: IQE, 'the Group' ) the leading manufacturer of advanced
semiconductor wafers to the global semiconductor industry, has won a major order
from leading US semiconductor manufacturer TriQuint Semiconductor (Nasdaq: TQNT)
for IQE's Gallium Nitride (GaN) wafer products.  This is the Group's largest
commercial order for GaN products to date. The wafers will be manufactured at
its New Jersey operation and the order is scheduled for delivery throughout
2008.

TriQuint Semiconductor will use IQE's GaN based HEMT (high electron mobility
transistor) wafers to support its development of smaller, more durable and
highly efficient power amplifiers for new commercial and military communications
products. The wafers will be used in both on-going research and development
efforts and the roll-out of TriQuint's new products this year.

Gallium Nitride power amplifiers offer much higher power capability, efficiency
and greater protection against breakdown than existing solid-state amplifier
technologies commonly used today, providing significant benefits in terms of
both performance and lower overall system costs.

Tony Balistreri, Research and Development Manager at TriQuint Semiconductor
commented:

'IQE's established track record in providing TriQuint with reliable,
high-quality products was a key factor in selecting them for producing and
delivering a range of advanced GaN epitaxial materials. We've developed a close
working relationship with IQE throughout the development phase of our GaN
program and this latest order is based on their solid support of us throughout
that relationship.'

Mr Alex Ceruzzi, VP and General Manager of IQE's New Jersey facility commented:

'This is a key order for us particularly as our broad product portfolio, which
ranges from high volume HEMTs, HBTs and BiFETs to emerging technologies such as
gallium nitride epitaxial wafers, provides our customers with a one-stop shop
for all their advanced materials needs. We appreciate the trust TriQuint has
placed in us to meet their needs.'

IQE RF are the leading GaN HEMT foundry for DARPA's Microsystems Technology
(MTO) programs.


For further information contact

 IQE plc :
 Chris Meadows                                              [phone]

 College Hill
 Adrian Duffield/Ben Way                                    [phone]


NOTE TO EDITORS


ABOUT IQE www.iqep.com

IQE plc is the leading global supplier of advanced semiconductor wafers with
products that cover a diverse range of applications. It is able to provide a
'one stop shop' for the wafer needs of the world's leading compound
semiconductor manufacturers, who in turn use these wafers to make the chips
which form the key components of virtually every high technology system.

IQE has particular focus on the growing global wireless sector for applications
including; mobile handsets, wireless infrastructure, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, base
stations, GPS and satellite communications; as well as for the optical
communication sector including; optical storage (CD, DVD), laser optical mice,
laser printers & photocopiers, thermal imagers, leading-edge medical products,
bar-coding, high efficiency LEDs and advanced solar cells.

The manufacturers of these chips are increasingly seeking to outsource wafer
production to specialist foundries such as IQE in order to reduce overall wafer
costs and accelerate time to market. IQE is unique in being able to supply
wafers using all of the leading crystal growth technology platforms including
Metal Organic Vapour Phase Epitaxy (MOVPE) and Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) and
the Group is able to leverage its global purchasing volumes to reduce the cost
of raw materials.

IQE also provides bespoke R&D services to deliver customized materials for
specific applications and offers specialist technical staff to manufacture to
specification either at its own facilities or on the customer's own sites. This
is backed by a strategy of duplicating each key product processes over multiple
sites to assure customers of security of supply as well as provide compelling
customer benefits in terms of flexibility and predictability of cost, thereby
significantly reducing operating risk.

IQE operates six manufacturing facilities; two in Cardiff and one in Milton
Keynes in the UK; two more in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Somerset, New Jersey
in the USA; and its most recent acquisition in Singapore. The Group also has 11
sales offices located in major economic centres worldwide.

ABOUT TRIQUINT www.triquint.com

Founded in 1985, we 'Connect the Digital World to the Global Network'(TM)  by
supplying high-performance RF modules, components and foundry services to the
world's leading communications companies. Specifically, TriQuint supplies
products to four out of the top five cellular handset manufacturers, and is a
leading gallium arsenide (GaAs) supplier to major defense and space contractors.
  TriQuint creates standard and custom products using advanced processes that
include gallium arsenide, surface acoustic wave (SAW) and bulk acoustic wave
(BAW) technologies to serve diverse markets including wireless handsets, base
stations, broadband communications and military. TriQuint is also lead
researcher in a 3-year DARPA program to develop advanced gallium nitride (GaN)
amplifiers. TriQuint, as named by Strategy Analytics in August 2007, is the
number-three worldwide leader in GaAs devices and the world's largest commercial
GaAs foundry.  TriQuint has ISO9001 certified manufacturing facilities in
Oregon, Texas, and Florida and a production plant in Costa Rica; design centers
are located in North America and Germany. Visit TriQuint at www.triquint.com/rf
to register for our newsletters.


ABOUT Gallium Nitride Power Amplifiers

Commercial interest in gallium nitride amplifier technology is based on its key
benefits including the ability to operate more efficiently and with
substantially greater power density (more wattage per square millimeter of
surface area) compared to other commonly used solid-state amplifier
technologies. These factors enable the development of more efficient, smaller
amplifiers capable of operating at higher system voltages with superior
resistance to breakdown (failure occurring due to spikes in current). These
benefits lead to better performance and lower overall system costs for the
customer.


DARPA is the US Government Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange