IQE awarded contract with TriQuint Semiconducto...

IQE plc


30 Oct 2009

IQE plc (AIM: IQE, "the Group") the leading manufacturer of advanced
semiconductor wafers to the global semiconductor industry, announces
that it has been contracted by a leading US RF products and foundry
service provider TriQuint Semiconductor (Nasdaq: TQNT) to provide its
Gallium Nitride (GaN) wafer products for the creation of complex,
high dynamic range circuits for future defence and aerospace
applications.

IQE's New Jersey operation sub-contract Gallium Nitride (GaN) wafer
products to TriQuint as part of an $16.2 million Defence Advanced
Research Projects Agency (DARPA) multi-year Gallium Nitride (GaN) R&D
contract. The programme aims to advance GaN research and develop new
generations of compound semiconductor circuits through the Nitride
Electronic NeXt-Generation Technology (NEXT) program.

"GaN is already recognized for its ability to handle more power per
square millimeter than other semiconductor technologies like gallium
arsenide, and much more so than silicon. Yet even with the advances
TriQuint has pioneered, today's analogue GaN technology has frequency
and power limits.

"NEXT circuits will be `game-changing` technology that could
radically improve performance in defence and aerospace applications
like phased array radar and communications. NEXT calls for complex
digital GaN circuits that also have very high breakdown
voltages-something that silicon can't do, and that is also beyond the
scope of today's other semiconductor processes," said TriQuint's
Principal Investigator, Senior Fellow Dr. Paul Saunier.

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

"IQE and TriQuint have enjoyed a close relationship over many years
and our role in this programme clearly demonstrates IQE's ability to
provide world class materials across a broad RF product portfolio.

"The four and half  year NEXT programme lead by TriQuint will utilise
IQE's GaN wafer product expertise with the ultimate aim of developing
and producing advanced semiconductor chips with operating frequencies
up to 500GHz."

IQE's New Jersey facility is the leading GaN HEMT epi foundry, and
provides a complete portfolio of RF products, ranging from high
volume HEMTs, HBTs and BiFETs to advanced GaN based products. The
Group's Gallium Nitride production capability was recently increased
through the acquisition of UK-based NanoGan Limited announced earlier
in October 2009.

(see also


http://www.triquint.com/contacts/press/dspPressRelease.cfm?pressid=422).



Contacts:

Sales/Technical: IQE RF ([phone])
Ivan Eliashevich
Shiping Guo

Press: IQE plc ([phone])
Chris Meadows


Note to Editors

FACTS ABOUT IQE
IQE is the leading global supplier of advanced semiconductor wafers
with products that cover a diverse range of applications, supported
by an innovative outsourced foundry services portfolio that allows
the Group to provide a 'one stop shop' for the wafer needs of the
world's leading semiconductor manufacturers.

IQE uses advanced crystal growth technology (epitaxy) to manufacture
and supply bespoke semiconductor wafers ('epi-wafers') to the major
chip manufacturing companies, who then use these wafers to make the
chips which form the key components of virtually all high technology
systems. IQE is unique in being able to supply wafers using all of
the leading crystal growth technology platforms.

IQE's products are found in many leading-edge consumer,
communication, computing and industrial applications, including a
complete range of wafer products for the wireless industry, such as
mobile handsets and wireless infrastructure, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, base
stations, GPS, and satellite communications; optical communications,
optical storage (CD, DVD), laser optical mouse, laser printers &
photocopiers, thermal imagers, leading-edge medical products,
barcode, ultra high brightness LEDs, a variety of advanced silicon
based systems and high efficiency concentrator photovoltaic (CPV)
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 also provides bespoke R&D services to deliver customised
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. The Group is also able to leverage its
global purchasing volumes to reduce the cost of raw materials. In
this way IQE's outsourced services, provide compelling benefits in
terms of flexibility and predictability of cost, thereby
significantly reducing operating risk.

IQE operates seven facilities located in Cardiff (two), Milton Keynes
and Bath in the UK; in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Somerset, New
Jersey in the USA; and Singapore. The Group also has 11 sales offices
located in major economic centres worldwide.


FACTS ABOUT TRIQUINT
Founded in 1985, we "Connect the Digital World to the Global
Network"® by supplying high-performance RF modules, components and
foundry services to the world's leading communications companies.
Specifically, TriQuint is a supplier in the top five mobile phone
manufacturers' products, 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, gallium nitride (GaN), surface acoustic wave (SAW)
and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) technologies to serve diverse markets
including wireless handsets, laptops, GPS/PND, base stations,
broadband communications and military. TriQuint is also the lead
researcher in a multi-year DARPA program to develop advanced GaN
amplifiers. TriQuint, as named by Strategy Analytics1, 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 receive new product
information and to register for our newsletters.

1 Announced February 2009 and May 2009, respectively.


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