Wave Issue 0207 3/4/02 Article 4-03

***Peregrine Semiconductor Announces Industry's First 10 Gbps
QUAD VCSEL Transceiver Optical Engine
(February 28)

Peregrine Semiconductor, a supplier of mixed-signal integrated
circuits for the optical networking, RF, and wireless
communications markets, today announced the PE7200, the
industry's first 850nm VCSEL based Optical Engine. The PE7200 is
a low power 10 Gbps fully integrated parallel optical Quad
transceiver (TRX) component built using Peregrine's patented UTSi
(Ultra Thin Silicon on Sapphire) CMOS technology.

The PE7200 is the industry's first Optical Engine product
containing all opto-electronic functions required to create
parallel optical interconnects -- including thermal and
mechanical interfaces -- in a single BGA/CSP-like device. Using
Peregrine's Photonic Enabling Technologies (PETs), which include
UTSi, FOCUTS, and FOCUTSpak technologies, the PE7200 is
fabricated using standard semiconductor packaging equipment and
processes, allowing high volume manufacturing. The PE7200 can be
incorporated into optical modules, or other high-speed parallel
optical interconnect products, to provide increased throughput in
communication systems.

The PE7200 is built using Peregrine's PETs, which are based on
Peregrine's UTSi Silicon on Sapphire CMOS IC technology and
employ the patent-pending FOCUTS and FOCUTSpak packaging and
assembly technologies. FOCUTS utilizes the transparent Sapphire
substrate to flip-chip bond O-E devices onto the UTSi circuitry
to form the four transmitter (Tx) and four receiver (Rx) data
channels. The UTSi based Laser Diode Drivers (LDD) and integrated
Transimpedance Amplifier -- Limiting Amplifier (TIA/LA) are the
industry's first Tx and Rx PMD functions to be integrated onto a
single IC. Peregrine states that the assembly results in better
channel-to-channel isolation, less power consumption, and lower
parasitics than bulk CMOS, or more exotic technologies such as
SiGe Bipolar and BiCMOS based devices, while providing the
performance required by today's communications systems.

The PE7200 consists of a Quad Tx section -- Quad LDD and Quad
850nm VCSEL array and a Quad Rx section -- Quad TIA/LA and Quad
PIN diode array. Additionally, each LDD channel provides an
Integrated Photo Detector (IPD) to directly monitor each VCSEL
channel's optical output. Using the IPDs with an Automatic Power
Control (APC) circuit reduces the variations in output power
associated with temperature changes and device aging. IPDs are
another important industry first. In traditional parallel
modules, compensation for changes in laser output is provided,
indirectly, using temperature compensation schemes that
compensate for light output based on the temperature of the VCSEL
array -- not based on individual VCSEL channel performance.
Furthermore, changes occurring from aging effects are not
accommodated (using temperature compensation) since each channel
is not actively monitored.

Also notable is the environmental seal provided to the O-E
devices, removing the need for expensive hermetic packaging. This
is especially important in condensing environments and surface
mount assembly processing.

Applications for the PE7200 include high-speed interconnects
within and between switches, routers, and transport equipment,
low cost OC-192VSR (Very Short Reach) connections, ESCON, gigabit
Ethernet, Fibre Channel, Infiniband, and proprietary optical
interconnects, including board-to-board, shelf-to-shelf and
chasis-to-chasis interconnects. Each channel of the PE7200
operates from 155 Mbps to 2.7 Gbps covering the data rate range
of several common SONET/SDH standards including OC-3, OC-12 and
OC-48. The PE7200 is the first of a family of parallel optical
interconnect products that will use FOCUTSpak technology.

Product samples are available starting second quarter 2002.
Product pricing is $300 in one thousand piece quantities.

www.peregrine-semi.com