ams (SIX: AMS), a leading specialist in high-performance analog ICs and sensors, today announced that its Full Service Foundry division is extending its foundry platform to 0.35µm CMOS optoelectronic ICs, offering chip designers greater sensitivity, precision and superior optical filtering performance.

This platform is an extension of ams' portfolio to realize "More Than Silicon", and follows the content that ams provides technology modules, intellectual property (IP), cell libraries, engineering consulting and service packages to help customers successfully develop cutting-edge analog and mixed-signal circuit designs based on its specialized technologies.

ams' specialized optoelectronics foundry platform is based on a state-of-the-art 0.35µm CMOS optical process. This platform includes technology enhancements and developments at the front-end (at the device level), back-end (at the wafer manufacturing post-processing stage), and packaging and assembly stages.

At device level, ams provides foundry customers with access to PN diodes that offer optimized response and minimized dark current at specific wavelengths (from blue to near-infrared), as well as PIN diodes that combine very low capacitance with high quantum efficiency.

In the backend of the wafer manufacturing process, the performance of optoelectronic devices can be further improved by applying various coatings to the top of the CMOS wafer. ams is introducing anti-reflective coatings (ARCs) as well as interference filters. These elements are composed of highly transparent multi-oxide layers in a stacked form, enabling the realization of highly accurate edge and bandpass filters (IR and UV blocking), sophisticated reflective mirrors, or beam splitters. Filter characteristics, such as wavelength and slew rate, can be customized to suit the customer. Furthermore, the application of adhesive color layers (red, green, and blue) optimized for specific wavelengths helps optimize the performance of light-sensitive devices.

Cost-effective transparent plastic packages (substrate-based or leadframe-based) are available for low-pin-count ICs. State-of-the-art 3D-WLCSP, using ams' patented Through Silicon Via (TSV) technology, enhances the package level of ams' opto platform by enabling optimization for transmittance, humidity levels, temperature range and high pin counts.

ams' diverse portfolio of optoelectronic device types and backend processes enables analog/mixed-signal designers to optimize critical parameters of integrated circuits (ICs) 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 hitkit, our benchmark process design kit. The ams foundry team looks forward to working with product developers developing cutting-edge optoelectronic systems,” said Markus Wuchse, General Manager of ams’ Full Service Foundry business unit. “Our industry-leading design environment, backed by expert consultancy services, enables our partners to minimize development risk and effort while bringing high-performance optoelectronic solutions to market faster.”