TriQuint foundry supports Sarda's entry into global smartphone and mobile PC market

HILLSBORO, USA: TriQuint Semiconductor Inc., a leading RF solutions supplier and technology innovator, announced that its Foundry Services division is supporting start-up Sarda Technologies to bring a new line of high-efficiency DC-DC converter switches to the global marketplace.

Sarda, a ‘clean-tech’ company based in Durham, North Carolina (USA), plans to offer cost-saving solutions for increasing efficiency and reducing component size in smartphones, mobile PCs and similar applications.

“Sarda Technologies is a good example of the innovative commercial and defense start-ups our Foundry Services division supports. Sarda is developing an impressive family of power semiconductors for high-volume applications,” remarked VP and GM for Defense Products and Foundry Services, James L. Klein. “We offer a complete support system that enables a company’s first-to-market strategies including best-in-class modeling, program management and applications engineering teams dedicated to customer success.”

The global market demand for highly-efficient DC-DC switches for power converters is significant. According to the Darnell Group’s December 2011 report, the market is projected to grow from nearly 20 billion units in 2011 to just under 32 billion units in 2016, a 9.7 percent CAGR; global revenue is expected to grow to $4.3 billion.

Power switching process technology currently utilized in DC-DC converters is not highly efficient. The switch is seen as an increasingly critical consumer electronics design element since power consumption dramatically impacts end-user product experiences. The higher efficiency, reduced size and cost-effectiveness of compound semiconductor-based technologies can be a definitive marketplace advantage.

Jeff Shepard, Darnell Group president, said: “Sustained growth built on delivering improved DC-DC converters depends on innovative solutions. Sarda is a good example of a high tech company striving to deliver products that aim to meet these emerging requirements. TriQuint’s ability to deliver proven, high-volume foundry services and direct experience manufacturing products for smartphones and mobile PC’s can enable Sarda’s market plans and growth.”

“TriQuint's foundry business enables Sarda to quickly and cost-effectively develop a power semiconductor product line,” said Bob Conner, Sarda’s CEO and co-founder. “Sarda employs TriQuint’s proven high-volume manufacturing processes to bring the performance advantages of compound semiconductors to cost-sensitive power electronics applications.”