24 August 2011

Cardiff, 24 August 2011: IQE plc, (AIM: IQE, “IQE” or the “Group”) the leading global supplier of advanced semiconductor wafer products and services to the semiconductor industry, has appointed Norio Hayafuji as Head of Sales and Marketing for the Asia Pacific region.

Norio has more than 27 years’ experience in manufacturing, business development, sales and marketing and general management within compound semiconductor technology companies including Mitsubishi Electric, Procomp and Century Epitech.

Norio will be based at the Group’s Singapore facility. He will coordinate sales and marketing activities and provide a technical focus for wireless, optoelectronic and photovoltaic products across the Group’s Asia Pacific customer base.

CEO and President, Dr Drew Nelson, said:
“We confidently expect China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan to become major global powers in emerging technologies over the next decade.
“We already have a considerable presence in the Far East with a solid customer base and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. The appointment of an acknowledged industry expert with extensive knowledge and experience of our industry in the region will help ensure that IQE is well positioned to exploit this growth potential.”

IQE’s comprehensive wireless portfolio includes III-V PHEMT, HBT, and BiFET epi-wafers grown by MBE and MOCVD at IQE’s manufacturing sites in the US, UK, and Singapore.


Contacts: TECHNICAL/SALES IQE Asia sales: Norio Hayafuji, Tel: +65 6571 0736, email: nhayafuji@iqep.com
PRESS / INVESTORS IQE Chris Meadows Drew Nelson Tel: +44 29 2083 9400 email: investors@iqep.com  
 

Note to Editors
ABOUT IQE (www.iqep.com) IQE is the leading global supplier of advanced semiconductor wafers with products that cover a diverse range of applications, supported by an innovative outsourced foundry services portfolio that allows the Group to provide a 'one stop shop' for the wafer needs of the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers.
IQE uses advanced crystal growth technology (epitaxy) to manufacture and supply bespoke semiconductor wafers ('epi-wafers') to the major chip manufacturing companies, who then use these wafers to make the chips which form the key components of virtually all high technology systems. IQE is unique in being able to supply wafers using all of the leading crystal growth technology platforms.
IQE's products are found in many leading-edge consumer, communication, computing and industrial applications, including a complete range of wafer products for the wireless industry, such as mobile handsets and wireless infrastructure, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, base stations, GPS, and satellite communications; optical communications, optical storage (CD, DVD), laser optical mouse, laser printers & photocopiers, thermal imagers, leading-edge medical products, barcode, ultra high brightness LEDs, a variety of advanced silicon based systems and high efficiency concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) solar cells.
The manufacturers of these chips are increasingly seeking to outsource wafer production to specialist foundries such as IQE in order to reduce overall wafer costs and accelerate time to market.
IQE also provides bespoke R&D services to deliver customised materials for specific applications and offers specialist technical staff to manufacture to specification either at its own facilities or on the customer's own sites. The Group is also able to leverage its global purchasing volumes to reduce the cost of raw materials. In this way IQE's outsourced services, provide compelling benefits in terms of flexibility and predictability of cost, thereby significantly reducing operating risk.
IQE comprises eight operating facilities located in Cardiff (two), Milton Keynes and Bath in the UK; in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Somerset, New Jersey and Spokane, Washington in the USA; and Singapore. The Group also has 11 sales offices located in major economic centres worldwide.