FEB. 20 Santa Clara, California–Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc. (ASE) and Conexant Systems, Inc. today announced a cross-licensing agreement in which both companies will exchange advanced semiconductor assembly technologies.

Under the agreement, ASE will acquire Conexant’s radio frequency (RF) land grid array (LGA) design and process technology, and Conexant will receive ASE’s fine pitch ball grid array (BGA) technology.

The agreement will establish ASE as an additional source for Conexant’s high-volume RF LGA package technology for the expanding wireless semiconductor market. This package is used for pin counts under 100 in RF and other semiconductor applications that require very small component footprints such as miniaturized cellular phones, wireless personal digital assistants, and internet devices.

ASE’s fine pitch BGA technology will be qualified for production in Conexant’s internal assembly and test manufacturing facility in Mexicali, Mexico. The fine pitch BGA package provides a small form factor component of a broad range of wireless baseband, computing and other semiconductor devices at pin counts up to 256.

“We are pleased to collaborate with ASE to provide our customers with the latest in state-of-the-art packaging technologies,” says Joe Adam, vice president, packaging and test technology for Conexant. “In addition, this agreement will allow the industry at large to utilize Conexant’s RF LGA technology, a significant step in establishing this package as an industry standard.”

“Teaming through technology transfers, and related vehicles, is part of ASE’s strategy in providing leading-edge packaging technologies to the IC industry,” says Dr. Tien Wu, senior vice president, ASE Worldwide Marketing & North America/Europe Sales. “We are continually expanding our packaging and testing portfolio worldwide to meet the growing demands of leading-edge integrated device manufacturers such as Conexant.”