11 November 2020
Cardiff, UK
11 November 2020
IQE plc (AIM: IQE, "IQE" or the "Group"), the leading manufacturer of advanced semiconductor wafer products for the global semiconductor industry, is pleased to announce the successful development of its IQepiMo™ template technology for RF Filters and for any application requiring low resistance buried electrodes. Built on its cREO® technology platform, IQepiMo™ templates are available in diameters of up to 200 mm and trials are underway with potential customers and partners.
Low resistance contacts are essential for the efficient operation of almost all electronic circuits. As dimensions shrink, the limitations of existing technologies are exposed, resulting in compromised device performance. This is especially true of RF Filters, which are electronic components that allow or prevent the transmission of selected signals or frequencies.
As 5G technology rolls out worldwide, the requirements for RF devices are becoming significantly more demanding. For RF Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) filters, the higher frequencies of 5G translate into an electrical penalty for thinner electrodes that must be accommodated. IQepiMo™ eliminates this electrical penalty by providing bulk-like metal resistance for very thin layers (down to 50 nm). In addition, IQepiMo™ templates enable higher quality piezoelectric layers to be fabricated from customers' current processes, offering a clear path for improved quality AlN piezoelectric materials. As such, IQepiMo™ extends the capability of existing customer processes for next generation applications.
Dr Rodney Pelzel, Chief Technology Officer of IQE, commented:
"I am pleased to announce the successful development of IQepiMo™ templates based on IQE's patented cREO® technology. These templates will mean that customers, while using their existing processes, can fabricate higher quality, better performing BAW filters and eliminate the electrical penalty that had until now been inherent in the application of current technology to higher frequencies."
Contacts:
IQE plc
+44 (0) 29 2083 9400
Drew Nelson
Tim Pullen
Amy Barlow
Headland Consultancy (Financial PR)
+ 44 (0) 20 38054822
Andy Rivett-Carnac: +44 (0) 7968 997 365
Chloe Francklin: +44 (0)78 3497 4624
ABOUT IQE
IQE is the leading global supplier of advanced compound semiconductor wafers and materials solutions that enable a diverse range of applications across:
· handset devices
· global telecoms infrastructure
· connected devices
· 3D sensing
As a scaled global epitaxy wafer manufacturer, IQE is uniquely positioned in this market which has high barriers to entry. IQE supplies the whole market and is agnostic to the winners and losers at chip and OEM level. By leveraging the Group's intellectual property portfolio including know-how and patents, it produces epitaxy wafers of superior quality, yield and unit economics.
IQE is headquartered in Cardiff UK, with c. 650 employees across nine manufacturing locations in the UK, US, Taiwan and Singapore, and is listed on the AIM Stock Exchange in London.