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IHP and Europractice collaborate to give access to high-speed SiGe:C BiCMOS processes

8th November 2006

ES Admin

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Users of Tanner EDA tools are to get economical access to an analogue and mixed-signal, 0.25 micron Silicon Germanium Carbon (SiGe:C) BiCMOS process through a new collaboration with IHP’s pilot line in Frankfurt (Oder). Europractice has developed design kits for Tanner EDA’s L-Edit family of integrated circuit layout tools to ensure compatibility of designs with their process.

Using the IHP pilot line, Europractice IC Services will provide low-cost prototyping through its multi-project wafer service whereby multiple chip designs from different companies share a common mask set and wafer to greatly reduce the cost of producing small quantities of die. IHP will offer MPW runs through Europractice every 12 weeks.

The processes support NPN transistors with maximum oscillation frequencies up to 220 GHz. They are aimed at mixed-signal and analogue IC designs for wireless, broadband and optical communications, high-speed sensing and measurement, and radar applications up to 100 GHz. Collision avoidance systems for the automotive industry is one growing application area requiring devices with the performance offered by SiGe:C. Aerospace and life sciences equipment are amongst the others.

Tanner EDA’s exclusive agent for Europe is EDA Solutions. The Tanner Design Kit for IHP’s technologies SG25H1 and SG25H3 will be provided by Europractice.