HILLSBORO, Ore. and PALO ALTO, Calif. -- TriQuint Semiconductor (Nasdaq:TQNT - News), a leading supplier of foundry services for the fabrication of custom integrated circuits, and Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A - News), today introduced a next-generation design kit created to accelerate design and simulation in TriQuint's advanced GaAs IC fabrication processes.

The new design kit helps to shorten the design cycle time for high-frequency integrated circuits (ICs) by quickly and accurately generating artwork for use with TriQuint's TQTRx MESFET foundry process. Jointly designed by TriQuint and Agilent, and distributed by TriQuint, the new kit offers added features that support the physical design capabilities available in Agilent's Advanced Design System (ADS) electronic design automation (EDA) environment.

"We are constantly looking for ways to improve the customer experience," said Paul Litzenberg, TriQuint foundry applications engineering manager, "and making a good product better certainly fits into that mission. Quicker design cycles build value for the customer and should lead to an overall increase in cost-effectiveness."

Litzenberg explained that the new kit was created to continue shortening design cycles by providing a more integrated process flow. This new design functionality is also planned for TriQuint's TQHBT (Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor) and TQPHT (.5 um pHEMT) foundry processes.

Design engineers using ADS can now discover a complete set of schematic symbols, simulation models, and parameterized artwork macros that allow them to create and simulate high-frequency IC designs. Synchronized layouts may also be directly generated in the same environment. When modifications are needed, both the design schematic and the layout can be annotated automatically and bi-directionally. The kit also supports sophisticated layout design features such as stacked metal traces and arbitrary-shaped MIM (metal-insulator-metal) capacitors.

Agilent ADS provides complete, front-to-back simulation and layout capabilities in an integrated design flow to help engineers develop high-frequency ICs more efficiently. With ADS and foundry design kit support, engineers are able to design specifications to processes that are used by leading custom IC manufacturers worldwide.

"The TriQuint TQTRx design kit provides significant new functionality for our mutual customers," said Joe Civello, ADS product manager for Agilent EEsof EDA. "The introduction of this new design kit signifies our commitment to support foundry processes as they continue to evolve."

TriQuint Semiconductor Inc.

Agilent Technologies Inc.