MaxLinear qualifies SilTerra for manufacture of high-volume TV tuner and demodulator SoC products

CARLSBAD, USA: MaxLinear Inc., a leading provider of integrated radio frequency (RF) and mixed-signal integrated circuits for broadband communication applications, has qualified its high-volume silicon tuner products for manufacturing by SilTerra Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

The qualification of SilTerra as a CMOS semiconductor wafer foundry gives MaxLinear a second source for the manufacture of its high-volume tuners to support customer demand in television, cable TV and mobile TV applications.

The silicon tuner market size for the company’s main markets has been estimated at $7.6 billion in 2008 by iSuppli. Several trends are causing this market to grow, including a worldwide transition to digital television, emerging demand for multi-tuner and portable (PC, automobile, mobile phone) TV, and a growing mandate to lower the power consumption of all entertainment systems.

“This is an important collaboration with SilTerra because it provides MaxLinear with access to additional manufacturing capacity across a broad range of our volume products. In doing so, we have not only expanded our silicon wafer manufacturing capacity, but have also successfully implemented a multiple-supplier based manufacturing capacity across wafer manufacturing, chip assembly, test, and packaging,” said Kimi Imura, MaxLinear VP of Operations.

“We are delighted to partner with MaxLinear in bringing our advanced mixed signal technology and manufacturing capability to this important and growing market,” said Lai Yit Loong, VP, World Wide Sales and Marketing of SilTerra.