AMI Semiconductor Medical Business Unit Implements Sarnoff Europe's TakeCharge® ESD Protection Solution


Gistel, Belgium and Pocatello, Idaho - October 22, 2007 - Sarnoff Europe (sarnoffeurope.com) and AMI Semiconductor, Inc. (www.amis.com) today announced the successful implementation of Sarnoff Europe's TakeCharge on-chip ESD protection solution in AMI Semiconductor's DSP-based systems for hearing and audio solutions.

AMI Semiconductor, a leading designer and manufacturer of state-of-the-art mixed-signal and digital products for the automotive, medical, industrial and military/aerospace sectors, engaged with Sarnoff Europe for TakeCharge Design Solutions (TDS) services. Both companies combined their core expertise to protect ICs from electrostatic discharge, which can destroy devices during testing, packaging, assembly or handling.

"Sarnoff Europe provides specialized ESD design solutions within a very short turn-around time, and has truly demonstrated first-time-right delivery capabilities. With Sarnoff's easy-to-use, easy-to-integrate TakeCharge ESD protection solution, AMI Semiconductor can consistently focus on bringing our cutting-edge industry standard products to customers quickly and cost effectively," said Michel De Mey, Senior Director of Hearing and Audio Solutions at AMIS. "The TakeCharge Design Solution service is delivered for each product individually and enables full flexibility in our designs in terms of specifications and area efficiency."

Sarnoff Europe's ESD Design Solution service allows engineers to access the most advanced on-chip extreme low capacity and area efficient ESD solutions while meeting 2000V HBM (Human Body Model) and 200V MM (Machine Model) industry standard specifications. Additionally, the ability of the ESD protection solution to easily integrate into existing IC design flows helps companies avoid costly re-spins. Prior to tape-out, the Sarnoff design team performs an additional review of the full product for ESD issues.

"We're excited that the Medical Business Unit at AMI Semiconductor selected Sarnoff Europe's TakeCharge as its ESD solution of choice," said Koen Verhaege, Executive Director of Sarnoff Europe. "Our TDS service allows design teams focusing on breakthrough product lines to implement state-of-the-art ESD protection, and attain first time right, first to market results in each product IC design."

TakeCharge technology is silicon proven in advanced processes down to 65nm CMOS, with 45nm ESD design solutions already in full development, and is widely used by leading IC producers worldwide, including AMI Semiconductor, Toshiba, Sony, Fujitsu, Renesas, Matsushita, Epson-Seiko, OKI, NJR, Ricoh, Infineon, ST-Microelectronics, Tower Semiconductor, Altera, PMC-Sierra, ON-Semiconductor, Nanotech Semiconductor, Redmere Technology, Gennum Corporation and more.

About Sarnoff Corporation

Sarnoff Corporation (www.sarnoff.com) produces innovations in electronic, video and vision technologies that generate successful new products and services for our government and commercial clients worldwide. Founded in 1942 as RCA Laboratories, Sarnoff makes continuous breakthroughs in ICs, lasers, imaging and sensing devices; biomedical diagnostics; digital TV and video for security, surveillance and entertainment; high-performance networking; and wireless communications. Sarnoff is a subsidiary of SRI International.

About Sarnoff Europe

Sarnoff Europe (sarnoffeurope.com) headquartered in Gistel, Belgium, is a subsidiary company of Sarnoff Corporation. Sarnoff Europe assumes worldwide responsibility for the development and commercialization of Sarnoff's TakeCharge on-chip ESD protection IP.

About AMI Semiconductor

AMI Semiconductor (AMIS) is a leader in the design and manufacture of silicon solutions for the real world. As a widely recognized innovator in state-of-the-art mixed-signal and digital products, AMIS is committed to providing customers in the automotive, medical, industrial, mil/aero and communication markets with the optimal value, quickest time-to-market semiconductor solutions. AMI Semiconductor operates globally with headquarters in Pocatello, Idaho, European corporate offices in Oudenaarde, Belgium, and a network of sales and design centers located in the key markets of the North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region.

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