Foundry service provider Jazz Semiconductor has unveiled the availability of a 17 GHz vertical pnp (VPNP) module on its 0.18 µm RFCMOS platform. According to Jazz Semiconductor, the addition of this VPNP module to its RFCMOS platform will enable the design of analog ICs that require high voltage, complementary drive or amplification beyond the capability of standard CMOS.

The new module enables greater levels of integration than are currently available with existing CMOS, RFCMOS and BiCMOS products, Jazz Semiconductor said. Designed on the company's RFCMOS platform that supports advanced silicon germanium (SiGe) npn transistor modules, it was developed to address market requirements for advanced integrated analog and RFICs. It joins various existing module options available to customers on its 0.18µm platform, including high-density capacitors, resistors, inductors, varactors and various CMOS transistor options (1.8, 3.3, 5 and 8 V) to enhance the company's pure-play foundry offerings of specialty CMOS process technologies.

"The Vertical PNP module is another example of our commitment to quickly respond to the needs of our customers in their relentless pursuit of analog integration for new wireless and consumer products where reducing analog/RF subsystem cost and size are critical to product success," said Paul Kempf, Jazz Semiconductor CTO and CMO. "This new process module and its associated device model and advanced simulation capability have been developed based on specifications determined by customers who are leaders in their market segments."

The VPNP can be paired with either an SiGe npn, for a complementary SiGe BiCMOS process, or an nFET device to achieve high-current complementary push-pull functions needed in circuit designs that require balanced performance, such as disk drive pre-amplifiers or laser drivers. The use of this complementary pair can also enable higher speeds over a wider operating range, a requirement for many analog circuits today. The VPNP achieves an Ft of 17 GHz with a peak beta of 50 and includes a deep n-well for better device isolation and improved performance. Jazz processes are built on the concept of modularity, which is realized by the addition of advanced modules, such as the VPNP, to industry-standard CMOS technology, enabling circuit designers to reduce their bill of materials, or die cost, by increasing the number of functions contained on a single die. Hence, when paired with other available features in the Jazz 0.18 µm RFCMOS and SiGe BiCMOS platforms, the VPNP module allows for more integration of functions typically relegated to discrete devices scattered on a system board.

"Our goal is to expand the reach of Jazz Semiconductor's advanced process offerings by adding critical modules to address functions that could otherwise not be integrated," said Kempf. "Analog integration requires more than standard CMOS to meet all of the analog sub-system requirements."

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