Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation (Peregrine), a leading provider of high-performance radio-frequency (RF) integrated circuits (ICs) today announced that the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has launched an investigation into whether RF Micro Devices, Inc. (RFMD) products infringe certain Peregrine patents relating to RF ICs and switch technology. The action and investigation further include Motorola Mobility, Inc. and HTC Corporation (HTC), whose products incorporate the alleged infringing RF ICs.
The investigation is based on complaints filed by Peregrine with the ITC on February 14, 2012 and May 11, 2012 alleging that certain RFMD semiconductor devices infringe Peregrine patents related to silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology for RF ICs. The investigation involves five Peregrine patents and 38 separate patent claims. In the ITC action, Peregrine is seeking, among other remedies, an exclusion order preventing the importation and sale of infringing products in the United States.
"We are very pleased that the ITC has taken this matter seriously and will investigate our complaints," said Jim Cable, president and chief executive officer. "The employees of Peregrine have spent 20 years of intensive research and development activity to bring our proprietary UltraCMOS® process and design innovations to the RF marketplace. We are steadfast in our position to protect that investment on behalf of all the stakeholders of Peregrine."
Peregrine has been awarded numerous U.S. and foreign patents based on its work in developing and manufacturing high-performance products for the RF Front-End, which can be produced using standard CMOS-based semiconductor manufacturing processes. These patented innovations allow RF solutions to be produced with a combination of high levels of monolithic integration and performance, small size and low power consumption.
About Peregrine Semiconductor
Peregrine Semiconductor is a fabless provider of high-performance radio-frequency integrated circuits, or RFICs. The Company's solutions leverage proprietary UltraCMOS technology, which enables the design, manufacture, and integration of multiple RF, mixed-signal, and digital functions on a single chip. The Company's products deliver what we believe is an industry leading combination of performance and monolithic integration, and target a broad range of applications in the aerospace and defense, broadband, industrial, mobile wireless device, test and measurement equipment, and wireless infrastructure markets. UltraCMOS technology combines the ability to achieve the high levels of performance of traditional specialty processes, with the fundamental benefits of standard CMOS, the most widely used semiconductor process technology. UltraCMOS technology utilizes a synthetic sapphire substrate, a near-perfect electrical insulator, providing low parasitic capacitance and enabling high signal isolation and excellent broadband linearity. These attributes result in RF devices with excellent high-frequency performance and power handling performance, reduced crosstalk between frequencies, and enhanced network efficiency. Peregrine Semiconductor has engineered design advancements, including the patented HaRP™ technology which significantly improves harmonic and linearity performance, and the patent-pending DuNE™ technology, a circuit design technique used to develop advanced digitally tunable capacitor (DTC) products. The Company offers a broad portfolio of high-performance RFICs including switches, digitally tunable capacitors (DTCs), digital attenuators, frequency synthesizers, mixers and prescalers, and is developing power amplifiers (PAs) and DC-DC converters. Peregrine products are sold worldwide through direct sales and field applications engineering staff and a network of independent sales representatives and distribution partners. Additional information is available on the Company's website at www.psemi.com.
The Peregrine Semiconductor name, logo and UltraCMOS are registered trademarks and HaRP and DuNE are trademarks of Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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Peregrine Semiconductor
EditorialContact:
Rodd
Novak, 858-731-9464
Chief Marketing Officer
or
Investor
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Jay Biskupski, 858-795-0110
ir@psemi.com
