News & Events
Intersil Wins Laser Diode Driver Design with Hitachi-LG for World's First Disk Drive Supporting All Recordable/Rewritable DVD and CD Formats

-- New Elantec LDD integrates write strategy waveform generator for all DVD and CD formats, including DVD-RAM

MILPITAS, CA, April 23, 2003 – Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), a world leader in the design and manufacture of high performance analog and wireless networking solutions, today announced that its programmable Elantec® laser diode driver is being used to help enable high-speed recording in Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.’s new GSA-4040B disk drive -- the world’s first drive to support the writing of all of the writable DVD and CD formats including DVD RAM. Intersil’s new Elantec EL6918 programmable laser diode driver (LDD) offers the flexible architecture needed to support different media, DVD or CD standards and read/write speeds required for Hitachi-LG’s GSA-4040B disk drive, expected to be available in June.

“Innovation of the type provided by the Intersil team and their new Elantec laser diode driver helped us to quickly develop this innovative, first-of-a-kind disk drive,” said Hiroaki Nakamura, Vice President & Chief Technical Officer of Hitachi-LG Data Storage. “Intersil’s application expertise combined with the flexibility and programmability of their write strategy generator LDD will enable Hitachi-LG to add to our leadership in optical storage with a product that supports all DVD and CD formats. We look forward to expanding our relationship with Intersil when we offer these innovative new disk drives in the coming months.”

“This latest design win with Hitachi-LG underscores our position as the world’s leading supplier of laser diode drivers for the optical storage market,” said Simon Prutton, Intersil’s director of marketing for the Elantec Product Group. “We’ve enjoyed a close working relationship with Hitachi and Hitachi-LG on the development of our family of write strategy laser drivers and are delighted to have been able to contribute to their breakthrough new optical disk drive.”

The Elantec EL6918 is the latest addition to Intersil’s growing family of laser diode drivers. The first laser diode driver with programmable write-strategy engine was developed in 2000 as the result of a joint development between Hitachi , Ltd., Japan and Elantec semiconductor, inc.. The EL6918 LDD with waveform generator simplifies the design of multi-standard writable optical drives by integrating all of the timing and power control algorithms required into the laser driver itself. Programming is accomplished through a serial interface port and the architecture allows reprogramming of the timing to support different media, DVD or CD standards, and different speeds. An integrated high frequency modulator (HFM) oscillator is programmable to 100 milliamps peak-to-peak from 200MHz to 600MHz. The device incorporates two laser outputs to support read/write DVD and CD combinations and offers 100-picosecond (psec) timer resolution.

EL6918 Key Features

• 350mA maximum drive current
• 100 psec timer resolution
• Dual outputs support read /write DVD and CD combinations
• 8 X 8 bit multiplying DAC output (provides 8 bit full scale adjustment and 8 bit resolution)
• Programmable waveform values support DVD-RAM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW and CD-R/RW
• Programmable High Frequency Modulator (HFM)
• Programmable HFM offset when HFM is off
• Two analog inputs support slope and read APC
• PLL allows reduced-frequency clock on flex cable
• Serial input works up to 25 MHz
• 32-pin leadless plastic package

Availability and Pricing
Intersil's Elantec EL6918C is available now in a 32-pin leadless plastic package for $3.80 each in 10,000-unit quantities. To learn more about Intersil’s optical storage devices and solutions, visit the Intersil web site at http://www.intersil.com/design/elantec/opticalStorage.asp

About Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc. is a joint venture of Hitachi, Ltd. and LG Electronics, Inc. established in November of 2000 for the development, design and marketing of optical disk drives such as CD and DVD drives, with operations in both Japan and Korea. The company combines Hitachi's strengths in the area of DVD-ROM/RAM with LG's world-class competitive capabilities in the area of manufacturing and marketing CD-ROM and CD-RW drives. About Intersil
Intersil Corporation is a global semiconductor leader in the design and manufacture of high performance analog and wireless networking solutions. Intersil’s product portfolios address four fast growing markets – flat panel displays, optical storage (CD and DVD recordable), power management and wireless networking. Intersil brings added customer value in providing complete silicon, software and reference design solutions to new products that enhance the computing experience for people wherever they live, work or travel. For more information about Intersil or to find out how to become a member of our winning team, visit the company's web site and career page at: www.intersil.com

This release may include "forward looking statements" that are subject to risks and uncertainties. For information identifying economic, political, climatic, currency, regulatory, technological, competitive and some other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward looking statements, see Intersil’s Safe Harbor Forward Looking Statement disclaimer found at http://www.intersil.com/legal.asp, as well as Intersil’s SEC filings as updated from time to time, found at http://www.sec.gov. Elantec is a registered of Intersil Corporation or one of its subsidiaries.