HSIN-CHU, Taiwan -- Adding to its industry-leading portfolio of advanced CMOS-logic process technology, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) (NYSE:TSM) today became the first pure-play foundry to offer silicon germanium (SiGe) BiCMOS technology, which is expected to be in high demand for certain high performance and low power communications applications. TSMC's 0.35-micron SiGe BiCMOS technology performs at higher speeds and lower power than standard CMOS and is less expensive than gallium arsenide (GaAs) alternatives, making it an ideal technology for cell phone, wireless LAN and optical networking. TSMC's SiGe process combines CMOS and bipolar technologies in a new generation of communications applications, particularly in the cell phone, wireless and optical networking spaces. Technology data, including SPICE models, design rules and electrical specifications, are now available to designers who want to target their designs to this process. "The communications market is on the verge of exploding with new applications, a good number of which will rely on SiGe for critical functions," said Dr. Genda Hu, vice president of Corporate Marketing for TSMC. "In certain application spaces, designs that use SiGe will perform faster and use significantly less power than those using all-CMOS, and cost less than those employing exotic alternatives. This is an important technology for designers at the cutting edge of wireless and wired communications capabilities."Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)