NEC Compound Semiconductor Devices Introduces a New SiGe Transistor

- Offering the World's Top-Level High-Frequency Low-Noise Features for Mobile Handsets and Cordless Phones -

Silicon Germanium Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor "NESG3031M05" "NESG3031M14"

NEC Compound Semiconductor Devices, Ltd. and NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH today announced the launch of a new silicon germanium (SiGe) bipolar transistor, the NESG3031M05/ NESG3031M14.

The new transistor was developed by using the company's original next-generation Silicon Germanium Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (SiGeHBT^*1) semiconductor process technology (which is called UHS3 process) to produce the world's top-level high-frequency low-noise features. This silicon bipolar transistor features a frequency of 5.2 gigahertz (GHz) and noise factor of 0.95 decibels (dB). Compared with the previous generation devices for 5.2GHz wireless communication, noise factor has improved by 27 percent (%), making it ideally suited for the high-frequency low-noise amplifiers used in wireless devices such as wireless LAN, cordless telephones, and Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) units. The company's UHS3 SiGe self-alignment process^*2, which is used in the new transistor, optimizes selective epitaxial base growth^*3 and microfabrication technologies to enable mass production of a product with low-noise/high-frequency characteristics.

"The recent congestion of the 2.4 GHz band in the consumer wireless device market is prompting serious interest in 5 GHz frequency band. These devices have greater potential for use in 5GHz as picture transmission and other consumer applications require large volumes of data to be sent," said Masanori Matsuo, department manager, Microwave Devices Department, NEC Compound Semiconductor Devices. "In response to these new markets trends we have developed this NESG3031 transistor, which is ideally suited to employment in the low-noise amplifier circuits of wireless devices."

The new product, in addition, offers considerable cost advantages over typical gallium arsenide transistors (GaAs). Using SiGe, which allows easier control for stable production, the product has half the price of a GaAs product with the same performance.

The NESG3031 comes in two different mold packages: a 4-pin small/thin type package with a proven low parasitic resistance and capacitance^*4 (M05 package), and a 4-pin mold package that is the smallest of its kind in the world (M14 package, mold size: 1.2 mm x 0.8 mm). This excellent combination of small size and high performance enables NEC Compound Semiconductor Devices to offer devices that meet a wide range of market demands.

Availability
Sample shipment is scheduled to start from early August this year for the NESG3031M05, and early September for the NESG3031M14, at 35 yen each for both devices. Move to mass production is slated for October at an initial production capacity of one million units per month, rising to ten million per month by March 2004.

For Major Specifications of NESG3031 Series, please see the attached sheet.

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About NEC Compound Semiconductor Devices, Ltd.

NEC Compound Semiconductor Devices, Ltd. (NEC Compound Semiconductor Devices) is a leading provider of optical and microwave devices, committed to meeting the specialized needs of its customers in the broadband and mobile networking fields with its compound and silicon semiconductor technologies. NEC Compound Semiconductor Devices was divided from NEC Corporation and established in October 2001, and now a subsidiary of NEC Electronics Corporation. For further information, please visit the home page at: http://www.ncsd.necel.com/.

About NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH

NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH, headquartered in Duesseldorf, Germany, is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of semiconductor products in Europe. Committed to meeting customers' cost, performance and time-to-market requirements, the company offers solutions ranging from standard products to system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions, as well as customized products for next-generation designs. NEC Electronics also offers customers the benefit of state-of-the-art manufacturing locally in Europe, besides the global production of its parent company, NEC Electronics Corporation. Additionally, NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH is the exclusive European sales and marketing channel of LCD and PDP modules from NEC LCD Technologies Ltd. For more information visit http://www.ee.nec.de.