LFoundry, the mixed signal foundry in Landshut, Bavaria, is opening a technical support centre in the UK & Ireland, and offering a prize for mixed signal design.
LFoundry uses the fab built by Hitachi at Landshut and is led by former Hitachi/Renesas management.
It offers mixed signal CMOS processing down to 0.15 micron in its 9,000 wafer a month 200mm fab. Processes include BiCMOS, MEMS, HV and SOI.
"The LFoundry business model with its emphasis on technical collaboration has been instrumental in LFoundry winning a number of key high production volume customers", says Michael Lehnert CEO of LFoundry, " I now intend to deploy a similar strategy in the UK and Ireland and consequently I have now opened an office here, focused on providing our customers with the type world class mixed signal analogue design and technology support required to ensure their market potentials are realised. "
The LFoundry technical support centre will be based in the Dublin area although it is envisaged that key customer support will be provided at the customers' sites throughout the territory to ensure maximum customer benefit.
Lehnert said that he plans to begin a series of technical workshops throughout the UK and Ireland aimed at providing engineers and technical managers a opportunity to experience LFoundry technologies and advanced mixed signal design techniques. The first of these workshops will be focused on LDMOS and High Voltage circuit design techniques and is scheduled for October 2009.
Q4 will also see the launch of a special "Mixed Signal and Analogue Design Challenge" aimed at promoting the art of mixed signal design in Europe. The winner will be awarded a prestigious prize that will enable a design to be taken from conception to pre production release using LFoundry technology and resources all free of charge.
LFoundry says it supports a large portfolio of process-proven libraries, IP, design tools and reference flows, also for low volumes, with a flexible approach to the customer requirements.
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