AIPEI, TAIWAN, Nov. 24, 2003 -- TNO-FEL and WIN Semiconductors announce their co-operation in design services towards third party customers.

In a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding both companies set forth their intentions to co-operate in providing design services to third party customers products using WIN’s processes.

“We have already designed several circuits in WIN’s technology. The agreement between simulation and measurement is really impressive.“ said Mr. F.L.M. van den Bogaart, Head of the Integrated Front-end Solutions Group of TNO-FEL. “The state of the art GaAs technologies, the fast turn around time and the ability to produce in very high volumes is what our industrial customers need to keep ahead of the competition. Together with WIN we can offer this to our clients”, he continued.

“Continuing our successful relationship in the past, WIN is very pleased to extend our cooperation with TNO-FEL. Coupling WIN’s state-of-the-art leading-edge process technologies with TNO-FEL’s expertise in MMIC designs will create un-precedent opportunities for their customers in designing advanced products and systems.” said Mr. Simon Yu, General Manager and Associate Vice President of Worldwide Sales at WIN. “Through this co-operation, both companies are enabling many levels of customers (IDM, fabless, module and system) to turn around their products within a short period of time. We are together to make designers’ dream come true”, continued Simon Yu.

About TNO FEL

TNO is the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO). TNO Physics and Electronics Laboratory (TNO-FEL) with over 500 highly qualified employees, provides research, development, engineering and consultancy services to government and industry, to assist in solving complex and challenging technical problems and technical innovation.

TNO-FEL has extensive experience in integrated front-end technology, firmly rooted in traditions that date back to the 1930’s. The Integrated Front End Solutions department (approx. 30 persons) has a core knowledge in the design of miniaturized microwave and RF front-ends, MMICs and (phased array) antennas. All development activities are covered, from system specification to product engineering, from test design to evaluation. The work is performed in accordance to the (military or civil) quality standard requested by the customer.

Experience in the field of MMIC design has been obtained over the last 15 years. From the beginning of GaAs MMIC design, the department has been involved in the design of numerous MMICs, such as LNAs, vector modulators, power amplifiers and core chips. To that end TNO-FEL is equipped with linear and non-linear design software, parameter extraction software and 2.5 and 3D electromagnetic analysis software.