High-Voltage Module Will Augment RF CMOS Technology

A development agreement for an advanced high-voltage (HV) CMOS process technology will enhance IBM’s 180-nm RF CMOS process with austriamicrosystems’ proprietary high-voltage module. The HV module is currently in volume production as part of austriamicrosystems’ 350-nm HV CMOS process technology. Due to the strict modularity with the base process, customers designing on the 180-nm CMOS process may use their existing design IP, ensuring a fast time-to-market. Foundry customers for this process will have access to process design kits from IBM as well as austriamicrosystems (HIT-Kit), which are targeted for limited availability at the beginning of next year.

The newly developed, high-performance process can enable cost-effective designs for a wide range of applications, including intelligent power-management ICs for mobile devices like cellphones, PDAs and notebooks, and low-cost integrated controllers for automotive, industrial, and medical applications. In mobile devices, these power-management chips are designed specifically to manage and regulate a range of power requirements. The resulting improvement in battery consumption enables these products to run longer with better performance and at a lower cost.