News & Events
Near Chip-Scale Packaging To Further Reduce Size and Cost of Intersil’s PRISM II WLAN Chip Set

— Intersil to utilize Amkor’s MicroLeadFrame™ packaging

PALM BAY, FL, January 26, 2000 – Intersil Corporation, the world’s leading provider of silicon technology for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), announced today it is incorporating an ultra-thin, small footprint packaging breakthrough by Amkor Technology to further optimize its PRISM II WLAN chipset for high speed, low cost and smaller sized wireless networking devices.

Utilizing flush leads, Amkor’s MicroLeadFrame (MLF) packaging has a 50 percent smaller footprint and roughly half the parasitic lead inductance of conventional 4.4 mm. TSSOP packages. Reduced electrical parasitics is particularly critical in high frequency RF applications; Intersil expects that MLF packaging can be effectively utilized in WLAN chip sets targeting applications as high as 8GHz. Due to its size, manufacturing cost and RF characteristics, MLF packaging is becoming the package of choice among wireless manufacturers.

"By combining Amkor’s advanced MLF packaging capabilities with Intersil’s silicon integration expertise, the ability to further reduce the size of WLAN card form factors is significantly improved," said Larry Ciaccia, vice president and general manager of PRISM Wireless Products at Intersil. "This effort is driven by the market’s need for smallest size, lowest cost WLAN form factors and easiest-to-build solutions for cutting-edge wireless products. Intersil is poised to meet this demand through a very aggressive chip set integration roadmap resulting in continuous performance improvements and higher levels of integration – and advanced packaging solutions are a key component to this process."

"The combination of excellent RF performance and low cost in Amkor's Micro LeadFrame packaging complements Intersil's advanced silicon germanium (SiGe) process technology," said Terry Davis, Amkor's MLF product manager. "The package is the interface between the chip and the system board, and to make a product such as PRISM II successful, it must be engineered so that it does not compromise the performance of the IC, while at the same time provide a rugged, reliable, and cost-effective interconnect."

In addition to a substantially smaller footprint, MLF packaging significantly reduces package profile height (< OR = 1 mm.), enabling WLAN products to be incorporated into emerging thin profile modules. Thinner-profile packages are particularly useful in the design of wireless PCMCIA cards; today’s cards require chips built into both sides of the board. MLF packages will enable one-sided PCMCIA PWB surface mount assemblies, thus reducing OEM manufacturing costs.

Initial designs with Amkor’s MLF technology have resulted in a 75 percent footprint reduction (16 mm. SQ vs. 62 mm. SQ) in the PRISM HFA3983 Power Amplifier. MLF designs are also in progress for the RF and IF functions of the chip set’s RF front end. Intersil’s Baseband Processor and Medium Access Controller (MAC) product families will incorporate Ball Grid Array (BGA) packaging, which also significantly reduces the footprint size and opens the door for small form factor WLAN modules.

About PRISM II
Intersil’s PRISM II Chip Set is the world’s most complete silicon solution for the design of Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). Comprised of five highly integrated ICs incorporating advanced silicon germanium (SiGe) and sub-micron CMOS technology, PRISM II delivers all the required analog and digital circuitry for the PHY and MAC layers, providing a complete, "antenna-to-computer" solution for high-data rate WLANs. PRISM II has been chosen by the world’s leading telecom, networking, and computer companies as a key part of high performance wireless products for home or office.

Adoption of PRISM WLAN Technology
Since introducing the PRISM WLAN chip set in 1996, over fifty companies have incorporated PRISM chips in more than 100 product designs. PRISM technology is designed to comply with the IEEE’s 802.11 global standard, and Intersil is a founding sponsor of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA). Intersil has a continuing program to rapidly introduce better performing, more highly integrated generations of PRISM. PRISM chips are used in WLAN systems from industry-leading companies including Nokia, Siemens, Compaq, 3Com, Nortel, Samsung, Dell Computer, Zoom Telephonics, Aironet, and SpectraLink. Experience the latest PRISM technology at the upcoming Wireless Symposium & Exhibition in San Jose, Calif., on February 22-24.

About Intersil
Intersil Corporation uses semiconductor expertise to enable highly integrated voice, data and video communications. Intersil's integrated communications portfolio includes PRISM® Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) chip sets that enable mobile connectivity products for the home and office; analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits for broadband access to wireless and wired Wide Area Networks (WANs); and power management products that enable 24x7 reliability in network servers, next generation PCs and information appliances. For more information about Intersil, visit the company's Internet homepage at www.intersil.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current assumptions and estimates of future performance and economic conditions. Specific risks include worldwide demand and product pricing for integrated circuits, and reductions in the U.S. and worldwide defense and space budgets. In addition, Intersil cautions investors that any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and future trends and events to differ materially from those matters expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements.

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PRISM is a registered trademark and "Antenna-to-Computer" is a trademark of Intersil Corporation.