Financial Releases
TriQuint Copper Flip Technology Powers World'S Most Popular Devices
HILLSBORO, OREGON (USA)- January 29, 2010 - TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TQNT), a leading RF front-end product manufacturer and foundry services provider, highlighted the success of CuFlip™, its patented flip chip interconnect technology, noting shipments of 100 million units. CuFlip (pronounced Copper Flip) enables superior RF performance and design flexibility, and speeds manufacturing and assembly. TriQuint's highest volume CuFlip™ product, the TQM7M5012, a HADRON II PA Module™, utilizes this technology to power a variety of the world's most popular consumer devices.
Evidence of the TQM7M5012 design flexibility can be seen in the vast array of products it supports. More than 30 customers have chosen it for everything from data cards, netbooks and e-readers, to Machine-to-Machine devices and many of the industry's most popular 3G smartphones. Specifically, the TQM7M5012 is used by:
- Four of the top five mobile phone OEMs
- Three of the world's top data card suppliers
- Three of the top five smartphone manufacturers
- The world's most popular wireless reading device
The TQM7M5012 is a 5x5mm HADRON II Polar EDGE PAM, which is 50 percent smaller than previous generations. This highly integrated module includes a power amplifier designed for GSM/EDGE wireless handsets and data devices in GSM 850 / 900 / 1800/ 1900 bands. It supports both class 12 GPRS mode and E2 open loop polar EDGE mode, while delivering best-in-class current consumption and noise performance in the critical GMSK mode. This significantly improves handset battery life and thermal efficiencies.
The TQM7M5012 design flexibility is enabled in part by CuFlip™, TriQuint's unique interconnect technique. CuFlip employs uniform copper bumps to enhance product performance, reliability, and manufacturing scalability. Unlike wire bonds, copper bumps enhance the thermal and electrical conductivity, allowing a more direct signal and better thermal path to the device without traveling through the epoxy and back-side gold-plated vias. Additionally, CuFlip can enable very low z height, offering a smaller overall footprint and lower height than competitive offerings to support ultra slim device designs.
CuFlip's innate ability to mimic the streamlined assembly process of a standard surface-mount technology (SMT) component helps reduce cycle time and increase assembly line throughput. The uniformity of the copper pillars ensures precise manufacturing tolerance essential for higher parametric yields and optimal capacity utilization.
Stuart Laval, Product Marketing Manager for TriQuint Semiconductor, said "CuFlip technology is a strategic differentiator for TriQuint. CuFlip enables superior RF performance and design flexibility. The CuFlip technique speeds manufacturing and assembly of the products, enabling cost savings we are able to pass on to our customers."
TriQuint utilizes CuFlip in several forthcoming product lines including the QUANTUM Tx Module™ family for Dual-Band and Quad-Band, GSM/GPRS (2G) and GSM/GPRS/EDGE (2.5G) applications and the TRITON PA Module™ family for WCDMA/HSUPA applications. Both families of products are aligned with industry leading transceiver chipset vendors.
To learn more about TriQuint's CuFlip technology, visit our website at http://www.triquint.com/company/innovation/index.cfm. To learn more about TriQuint's Polar EDGE PAM products, visit our website at http://www.triquint.com/prodserv/markets/handset/index.cfm
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:
This TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TQNT) press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. The cautionary statements made in this press release should be read as being applicable to all related statements wherever they appear. Statements containing such words as 'design flexibility', 'speeds manufacturing and assembly', 'world's most popular', 'best in class', 'precise manufacturing tolerance', 'superior RF performance', or similar terms are considered to contain uncertainty and are forward-looking statements. A number of factors affect TriQuint's operating results and could cause its actual future results to differ materially from any results indicated in this press release or in any other forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, TriQuint including, but not limited to: those associated with the unpredictability and volatility of customer acceptance of and demand for our products and technologies, the ability of our production facilities and those of our vendors to meet demand, the ability of our production facilities and those of our vendors to produce products with yields sufficient to maintain profitability, as well as the other 'Risk Factors' set forth in TriQuint's most recent 10-Q report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This and other reports can be found on the SEC web site, www.sec.gov. A reader of this release should understand that these and other risks could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations expressed / implied in forward-looking statements.
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 supplies products in the top five mobile phone 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, 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.
¹Announced February 2009 and May 2009, respectively.
Shane Smith
Director of Marketing, Mobile Devices
TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc.
Tel: +1.503.615.9473
Mobile: +1.407.489.5291
E-mail: ssmith@tqs.com
Stuart Laval
Product Marketing Manager
TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc.
Tel: +1.407.884.3350
Mobile: +1.407.463.8681
E-mail: slaval@tqs.com
Media Contact: Shannon Rudd
Strategic MarCom Manager
TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc.
Tel: +1.503.615.9407
E-mail: Shannon.Rudd@tqs.com