Axiom Microdevices’ AX502 proves that mainstream CMOS is a reliable alternative to proprietary GaAs

IRVINE, Calif., June 26, 2007 — Axiom Microdevices Inc., provider of the world’s first and only fully integrated complementary metal oxide semiconductor power amplifiers (CMOS PA) for mobile handsets, announced today that it has shipped its one millionth power amplifier.

The AX502 CMOS PA integrates full quad-band GSM/GPRS PA function on a single integrated circuit (IC), using mainstream silicon CMOS process technology. Multiple handsets containing
Axiom Microdevices’ CMOS PA are shipping into both Europe and Asia.

“Shipping a million CMOS PAs marks Axiom Microdevices’ transition to a fully operational enterprise but more importantly underscores the benefits of CMOS to the handset industry,” said Brett Butler, chief executive officer, Axiom Microdevices. “Axiom Microdevices’ unique CMOS PA technology not only brings handset manufacturers the obvious advantages of mainstream CMOS, it also brings better long-term solutions by removing the need for specialty process technologies in the last ‘non-CMOS’ circuit block of the phone, thereby enabling more natural, more optimized integration options.“

Earlier this year, Axiom Microdevices announced that its AX502 GSM/GPRS CMOS PA had successfully completed full-type approval certification testing. The product’s reliability has been proven through thousands of hours of life testing, at accelerated operating conditions, including greater-than-recommended operating temperature, extended duty cycle, load mismatches of greater than VSWR 10:1 at worst case phase angles, and elevated supply voltages.

“With over a million units in the market, Axiom Microdevices has demonstrated the viability of CMOS PAs as an alternative to gallium arsenide,” said Chris Taylor, director, RF & wireless components, Strategy Analytics. “CMOS has the potential to lower the production costs for handset PAs, but the real significance is in the possibility of higher levels of integration than currently available using GaAs.”

Axiom Microdevices’ patented technology, deployed in the AX502 CMOS PA, allows the use of 0.13um silicon CMOS process technology to integrate all of the functions between transmitter output and transmit/receive switch. The power gain stages, small signal control circuitry and 50- ohm matching are all realized on a single die. Axiom Microdevices has achieved in a single CMOS die, what previously was available only with integrated circuits manufactured in proprietary gallium-arsenide process technology, and assembled in complex multichip module packaging.