IC’Alps, French expert in design and supply of application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), today announced it has joined the design and supply chain partner network of spe-cialty foundry X-FAB.

Under the name of X-Chain, this platform provides X-FAB’s customers with data about qualified design and supply chain partners worldwide. This unique network from X-FAB brings together companies that have ei-ther already worked or been engaged with X-FAB in chip development, or other areas such as test, assembly, supply chain management or turnkey IC solutions.

Most customers with limited prior expertise in creating a custom ASIC circuit need turnkey solutions. This collaboration will allow IC’Alps to position itself as prime contractor, providing end-to-end ASIC solutions from customers’ concept, specifying the ASIC architecture, through circuit design, silicon, production, and ASIC supply across diverse applications. It will also give IC’Alps greater visibility in Europe.

“We are proud of our experience in X-FAB technologies and of the strong relationships built with this Europe-an foundry in the past years”, says IC’Alps COO Lucille Engels. “We have a good track record providing custom-ers’ exclusive analog, mixed-signal, or digital ASIC solutions based on X-FAB technology platforms. For exam-ple, we have recently carried out a µLED driver ASIC project in 180 nm. The XT018 platform was the ideal technology to enable high layout density and post-processing such as TSV (featuring specific planarization options and BOX)”.

Luigi Di-Capua, X-FAB’s Vice President Product Marketing adds “X-FAB as a specialty foundry relies on skilled and experienced partners. We are very happy to have IC’Alps joining our partner program, so that our cus-tomers can leverage from their expertise in mixed-signal IC design and supply chain management.”

X-FAB operates a wafer manufacturing plant in France for 130 and 180 nm CMOS and RF-SOI processes. Part-ners’ location is a cornerstone in IC’Alps’ strategy, striving to offer the optimum supply chain on such criteria as ITAR free supply and EU located.

To discuss a potential ASIC project, please contact Thierry Villard our Business Manager: thierry.villard@icalps.com