TowerJazz USA Aerospace and Defense Division selected by General Dynamics and US Air Force for large die ROIC manufacturing program

NEWPORT BEACH, USA: TowerJazz, the global specialty foundry leader, announced its USA Aerospace and Defense Division has been awarded a contract by General Dynamics Information Technology, a business unit of General Dynamics, to support the MATES (MAnufacturing TEchnology Support) program within the US Air Force for large-die read-out-integrated-circuit (ROIC) production.

The MATES program contract was originally awarded to General Dynamics in 2004. TowerJazz is a leading manufacturer of ROICs which are key elements in many commercial and military detectors, sensors, and imaging systems spanning air, land, sea and space. With this award, it will enhance the ability to support production requirements of increasingly complex future ROIC designs.

TowerJazz has recently expanded CMOS production for ROICs used in imaging arrays in both un-cooled and cooled applications in support of increased demand spanning 0.5-micron to 0.18-micron technology nodes. The two year program with General Dynamics will focus on 0.18-micron large-die, stitched ROICs.

In the 0.18-micron node, TowerJazz is making available to its ROIC customers a wide range of features from its commercial technology including high density capacitors (up to 5.6fF/um2), 1.8, 3.3, and 5V FETs, native devices, bipolar devices, resistors with near-zero temperature coefficients and a wide array of metal options. TowerJazz also provides cryogenic models for its devices ensuring a high degree of confidence in the first time success of cooled ROIC designs.

TowerJazz supports the manufacture of ITAR designs in its Newport Beach, CA 8-inch silicon factory. This is a full on-shore operation with ITAR mask suppliers continuing a tradition started over 20 years ago when this facility was the primary semiconductor manufacturing site for Rockwell International.

“TowerJazz is extremely excited to have this opportunity to partner with General Dynamics in support of the Air Force’s MATES Program for large die ROIC fabrication. This program will leverage past and ongoing accomplishments at TowerJazz in support of on-shore fabrication critical to our National Defense and assist in enabling the next generation of essential Aerospace and Defense applications,” said Mike Scott, Director of Sales and Marketing, USA Aerospace and Defense Division, TowerJazz.