Keysight Technologies announces strategic collaboration with San’an-IC to release process design kits for HBT, pHEMT processes

Keysight Technologies, Inc. announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Xiamen San’an Integrated Circuit Co. Ltd. (San’an-IC) to collaborate on an advanced process design kits (PDKs) for its HBT and pHEMT processes based on Keysight Technologies’ Advanced Design System (ADS) software. 

San’an-IC, an industry leading GaAs and GaN wafer foundry with highly reliable processes, works to provide customers state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies for microwave devices and integrated circuits. The new San’an-IC PDKs will provide RF and microwave design engineers a comprehensive suite of design and simulation tools they can use to develop GaAs HBT and pHEMT devices. Moreover, the combination of strong EDA tool support from Keysight and outstanding foundry service from San’an-IC, ensures these designers gain the benefit of substantially shortened time-to-market.

As part of the collaboration, San’an-IC will adopt Keysight EEsof EDA’s Integrated Circuit Characterization and Analysis Program (IC-CAP) and ADS software, as well as its services, for use in developing the PDKs. Keysight will be responsible for performing device measurement, model extraction for GaAs devices, and transferring its corresponding measurement knowledge to San’an-IC. Keysight will also work with San’an-IC to develop the PDKs, which will be used with both ADS 2015 and ADS 2016.

“Adopting Keysight’s modeling and characterization tools and services has significantly improved and extended our ability to extract, verify and fine-tune foundry models,” said Benjamin Li, senior director from San’an-IC’s Device Engineering Division.  

“The new PDKs will enable RF design engineers to access our pHEMT and HBT foundry capabilities through Keysight’s 2015 and 2016 releases of ADS—an industry-leading electronic design automation tool,” said Honda Huang, Design Support & Marketing Office director at San’an-IC. “This integrated front-to-back design system provides highly accurate scalable nonlinear models, parametric layout cells, design rule checking, Device Recognition LVS checking, electromagnetic analysis, thermal analysis and a streamlined design cycle to help accelerate time-to-market for our customers.” 

“It is our great pleasure to collaborate with San’an-IC,” said Todd Cutler, vice president and general manager of Keysight EDA. “With the new PDKs, our mutual customers now have access to San’an-IC’s proven HBT and pHEMT process technology, along with Keysight’s ADS and IC-CAP software. These software solutions are uniquely suited to producing reliable, leading edge, high-power pHEMT and HBT devices for today’s most challenging applications.” 

As a result of this collaboration, San’an-IC has named Keysight a strategic partner on III-V foundry projects. Additionally, it will consider Keysight solutions first on any future III-V projects.  

“We are very pleased that San’an-IC is the latest company to become our III-V foundry partner,” said Tim Wu, Asia Pacific sales manager at Keysight EDA. “We look forward to using our expertise and resources worldwide as we further collaborate with the company on advanced technologies.”