ams offers More Than Silicon in optoelectronics

Unterpremstaetten, Austria (12 August, 2015) -- The Full Service Foundry division of ams AG (SIX: AMS), a leading provider of high performance analog ICs and sensors, today announced it is extending its 0.35µm CMOS optoelectronics IC foundry platform to offer chip designers greater sensitivity and precision and more light filtering capabilities.

This platform is an add-on to the company’s ”More Than Silicon” portfolio, under which ams provides a package of technology modules, intellectual property, cell libraries, engineering consultancy and services to help customers successfully develop advanced analog and mixed-signal circuit designs based on its specialty technologies.

ams’ dedicated optoelectronics foundry platform is based on an advanced 0.35µm CMOS opto process. It includes technology enhancements and developments in the front end (at device level), in the back end (post-processing steps after wafer manufacturing) and at the package and assembly level. 
At device level, ams now provides foundry customers with access to PN diodes that offer optimized responsivity at custom specific wavelengths (from blue to near infra-red) and minimized dark current rates, as well as a PIN diode combining very low capacitance with high quantum efficiencies.

In the back end of the wafer manufacturing process, the performance of optoelectronic devices can be further improved by applying various coatings on top of the CMOS wafer. ams has introduced anti-reflective coatings (ARCs) as well as interference filters: these are applied in the form of a stack of multiple, highly transparent oxides, allowing the realization of highly accurate edge- and bandpass filters (e.g. for IR and UV blocking), mirrors with precise reflectance, or beam splitters. Filter characteristics such as wavelength and slew rate can be specified over a wide range by the customer. In addition, applying adhesive color layers (red, green, blue) optimized for certain wave-lengths supports performance optimization of light-sensitive devices.

Cost-effective, transparent plastic packages (substrate-based or lead frame-based) are available for low pin count ICs. Advanced 3D-WLCSP using ams’ proprietary Through Silicon Via (TSV) technology enabling optimization towards transmissivity, moisture level, temperature range and high pin counts, complete the package-level enhancements to ams’ opto platform.

ams’ broad portfolio of optoelectronic device types and back end processes enable analog/mixed-signal designers to optimize their integrated circuits in important parameters such as wavelength, quantum efficiency, responsivity, dark current and device response time.

“All diodes including layout generators (Pcells), highly accurate simulation models, design rules and process parameters are available in our hitkit, the ams benchmark Process Design Kit. ams’ foundry team is looking forward to teaming up with product developers who are creating advanced optoelectronic systems”, said Markus Wuchse, general manager of ams’ Full Service Foundry division. “Our best-in-class design environment as well as our expert consultancy services enable our partners to minimize their development risk and effort, allowing them to launch high-performance optoelectronic solutions and to get to market quickly.”

Learn more about the comprehensive service and technology portfolio of Full Service Foundry at https://ams.com/full-service-foundry.