Murata to acquire Peregrine Semiconductor
Peregrine, which has roots in Australia, pioneered use of CMOS silicon-on-insulator techniques for RF front-end functions, particular under its Ultra|CMOS brand. The company has created a number of product categories around its ability to fabricate low-loss, high-isolation RF switches, with very high linearity, in CMOS; for example, antenna switches, multi-step attenuators, digitally tuned capacitors and filters. Its products have admitted CMOS to several functions that previously were only achievable using III-V semiconductors. Most recently, it has combined several strands of its product line – switches, filters, and CMOS amplifiers – to product Global 1, a fully-CMOS, silicon-on-insulator, integrated front-end for mobile handsets, spanning all worldwide bands. And, its MPAC product has offered a path to increasing the usability of the dual-path Doherty amplifier topology.
Murata sells a number of technologies into the mobile handset and infrastructure sector, notably RF modules and filters, including an established SAW filter capacity. This acquisition expands Murata’s RF front-end capabilities, in both active and passive devices, and adds advanced silicon-on-insulator and silicon-on-sapphire capabilities to its portfolio. “This acquisition will combine Murata’s world-leading mobile RF module capabilities with Peregrine’s best-in-class RF front-end products. Peregrine has a team of talented RF engineers,” said Norio Nakajima, Executive Vice President, Director of Communication Business Unit of Murata. “Peregrine invented RF SOI, has led its development for 20 years, and accomplished a large number of industry firsts. We have worked closely with them for many years. Their innovation, including the Global 1 all-silicon integrated RF front-end, is a key strategic area for the mobile industry.
Jim Cable, PhD, Chairman and CEO of Peregrine Semiconductor commented, “Murata is the world’s leading RF module and filter provider, and we have benefited from our many years of partnership with them. The combination of Murata’s leading products with Peregrine’s leading-edge SOI products will position us to … speed the industry’s transition to an integrated, all-CMOS RF front-end.”
As well as offering technologies for the mobile-devices sector, Peregrine supplies other wireless markets, including test & measurement, automotive, public safety radio and wireless Infrastructure. Murata also gains Peregrine’s portfolio of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) covering the entire RF SOI front-end.
Peregrine will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Murata and will, “continue with its current business model of solving the world’s toughest RF challenges.” The acquisition will be completed in late 2014 or early 2015.
Peregrine Semiconductor; www.psemi.com
Murata; www.murata.com
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