1. What is SPG?
Signal Processing Group Inc., is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in the design, development, manufacture and supply of MMICs, RFICs and mixed signal ASICs.

2. SPG LOCATION AND BACKGROUND
SPG is located in Chandler, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix.
SPG has been in business continuously since 1988.
SPG has always been a very small, specialized custom IC capability provider.

3. SPG custom IC service features
Low risk design – total lowest cost development.
No minimum volume restrictions
Low cost prototyping/ low cost fabrication available.

4. How can an MMIC/RFIC/ASIC help the customer?
Cost reduction
Size reduction
Power savings
Increased reliability
Increase in ease of manufacture
Enhance the overall product
Replace obsolete devices
Hide the R&D for a customer’s invention.

5. What technologies are used at SPG?
SiGe BICMOS
CMOS
BICMOS
BIPOLAR
GaAs

6. Design Tools used
Agilent ADS
Cadence Virtuoso
Tanner Research LEDIT

7. Examples of recent projects ( 2005-2012)
SiGe Block Up Converter at Ku Band MMIC with external higher power GaAs power amplifier.
Log Amps ( various) ( 850 Mhz to Mhz)
Combined RSSI and Quad detector ( 850 Mhz – 1036 Mhz)
Medium power Cascode amplifier up to 5 Ghz
Gilbert cell mixer ( 2.4 Ghz max, 16 dB)
Complete FM transmitter including MPX and RF amplifier
RFID transceivers ( passive and active, 400 Mhz to 2.4 Ghz)
Various functional blocks for the MMICs ( VGA, Mixer, PA, IF Amp, VCO,frequency synthesizer)
A/D Converters ( Sigma-Delta, SAR, Pipeline)
D/A Converters
Display drivers
Families of analog switches and muxes
Analog signal processor

8. Design and Manufacturing Options
Full custom
Semi-custom ( standard cell)
Macro – Cell ( IP ) based design

9. Design and Manufacturing Options
Multi project Wafer (MPW)
Multi Layer Mask (MLM)
Full Mask Set (FMS)

10. Design and Manufacturing Options
Multi-Project-Wafer (MPW)
Semiconductor wafer is shared with multiple customers.
Substantially ( at least 10:1) reduced fabrication cost.
Used for low volume ( 10 – 20 pieces) prototype fabrication.

11. Design and Manufacturing Options
Multi - Level - Masking (MLM)
Multiple masks share the same piece of glass.
Reduces the cost of masks for the wafer.
The entire wafer is dedicated to customer.

12. Design and Manufacturing Options
Full Mask Set
Most expensive option
Used exclusively for high volumes (>100k units/annum)

13. Typical Investments
Design investment $10k to $200k depending on complexity of the device.
Fabrication investment $10k to $50k depending on option chosen.
Test investment $0.10 to $1.00 per device for high volume test
Package investment $0.5 - $3.0 for a 24 pin package (includes setup charge).

14. Typical Timelines Semi – Custom: ( 8 weeks – 20 weeks)
Macro-cell: ( 12 weeks to 1 year)
Full Custom: ( 12 weeks to 18 months)
( Timing depends on complexity and technology)

15. Deliverables for chip Layouts and layout plots and databases,
Test programs,
Prototype packaged parts,
Test results
Production volume devices.
Schematics and simulation results

16. Why go SPG instead of someone else?
Total lowest cost
Low risk
Fast moving, quick to respond, efficient.
User friendly.
Tried and trusted infrastructure
Focused on higher performance operation
Very structured operating procedure for low risk

17. Why go to SPG instead of someone else?
SPG is focused on higher performance operation.
Higher voltage ( up to 400V),
Higher frequency ( up to K band),
Higher accuracy ( up to16 bits+ ) etc.
Reduction of risk as a primary principle
Total lowest cost ( TLC) solution

18. Business model for custom chip supply from SPG
Prototype fabrication: ( based on development agreement)
Milestone based payments to complete prototype development.
Production: ( based on supply agreement) Purchase order or L/C, plus purchase order for volume deliveries of complete parts.

19. Ownership issues – who owns what?
SPG owns the functional blocks used to build the overall device.
Customer owns the overall device if customer pays for the development.

20. What are confidentiality issues?
SPG and customer mutually agree that all information exchanged during the course of the project and during the delivery of the device in production is confidential and proprietary

21. How does a customer engage SPG?
Please see SPG Background Information. for detailed descriptions. Please request SPG publication:
“ Doing business with Signal Processing Group Inc”

22. Certifications
SPG supplies custom devices with all the relevant certifications, ISO, FCC, Automotive. Military.

23. Development and supply agreements
Please see SPG development agreement for an example.
Please see SPG supply agreement for an example.
Documents available upon request.

24. Warranties
These are part of the supply agreement. See the example in SPG supply agreement.

25. Engineering Change Request
Changes are handled through the ECR procedure.
ECR document available upon request.

26. Conclusions Contact SPG for all your custom device needs!!
Web Site:
Tel:
Street Address: Signal Processing Group Inc.
561 E. Elliot Road, #170, Chandler, Arizona 85225

27. Thank You! Thank you for your time Thank you for your interest in SPG
If engaged we will provide the highest quality service we are capable of.
You will love our total lowest cost and low risk service!