ams’ foundry know-how and IP help Sarda Technologies to implement gate driver IC for ultra-efficient server power stage

Premstaetten/Austria, Durham/North Carolina (5 April, 2016) -- The Full Service Foundry division of ams AG (SIX: AMS), a leading provider of high performance analog ICs and sensors and Sarda Technologies, a disruptive power management component supplier, today announced at the CDNLive event in Santa Clara/CA, that ams is manufacturing Sarda’s advanced high-voltage CMOS drivers which play a key role in their Heterogeneous Integrated Power Stage (HIPS). Designed to address the rapidly escalating power consumption in data centers, Sarda’s HIPS technology enables the development of voltage regulators that offer fast response, small size and high efficiency for granular power delivery. Sarda’s custom driver is currently being fabricated in ams’ 0.35µm high-voltage CMOS specialty process, which allows the efficient integration of voltage domains ranging from 3V to 120V on a single monolithic IC.

“This relationship proves, that there are strong foundry partners for start-ups to leverage the extensive capabilities of foundries”, said Bob Conner, CEO and co-founder of Sarda. “ams is an excellent manufacturing partner. Their Full Service Foundry allowed us to develop a disruptive power management solution in a capital-efficient fashion, and their extensive value-added services allow small design teams to focus on developing differentiated IP.”

As part of its comprehensive Full Service Foundry offering, ams supplied its industry benchmark PDK (hitkit) with its fully characterized analog and digital cell libraries and ESD compliant I/0 libraries for multiple voltage domains. Additionally, ams supported ESD/Latch up design reviews, packaging services, and failure analysis.

“Sarda’s approach of integrating silicon ICs and Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) demonstrates how product developers can use ‘More-than-Moore Scaling’ to significantly improve data center power management, performance and energy efficiency”, said Markus Wuchse, General Manager of ams Full Service Foundry division. “At ams, we are constantly engaging with innovative fabless start-ups to enable product releases in shortest times. Sarda is a perfect example for this cooperation model.”

About the Full Service Foundry division of ams
The Full Service Foundry division of ams has successfully positioned itself in the analog/mixed-signal foundry market. Its process technology portfolio includes 0.18µm and 0.35µm specialty technologies based on ams’ analog, mixed-signal, High-Voltage and RF processes. With its ‘More than Silicon’ initiative, ams offers a comprehensive service and technology package that goes beyond industry-standard foundry services. It includes leading-edge technology extensions such as 3D integration using Through Silicon Vias, optical filters, back end process customization, 3D-WLCSP and many more. Superior support during the design phase, high-end tools and experienced engineers, silicon-proven high-performance analog IP blocks, assembly and test services for turnkey solutions complete the Full Service Foundry package.

About ams

ams is a global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced sensor solutions and analog ICs. Our mission is to shape the world with sensor solutions by providing a seamless interface between humans and technology. ams’ high-performance analog products drive applications requiring extreme precision, dynamic range, sensitivity, and ultra-low power consumption. Products include sensors, sensor interfaces, power management and wireless ICs for consumer, communications, industrial, medical, and automotive markets.

With headquarters in Austria, ams employs over 2,100 people globally and serves more than 8,000 customers worldwide. ams is listed on the SIX Swiss stock exchange (ticker symbol: AMS).

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About Sarda Technologies

Sarda Technologies provides disruptive power management components to reduce data center cost-per-workload by reducing power consumption through granular power delivery. The venture-backed company is located in Durham, NC.