Fairchild Semiconductor Purchases the RF Components Division Commercial Business Unit of Raytheon Company
South Portland, Maine—Fairchild Semiconductor, a leading supplier of high performance products that optimize system power for multiple end markets, announced it has purchased the commercial unit of the RF Components Division of the Raytheon Company. The purchase provides Fairchild with an immediate entry into the advanced radio frequency (RF) market for applications that include Wireless LANs and handset power amplifiers. The agreement also adds gallium arsenide millimeter wave integrated circuits (GaAs MMICs) to Fairchild’s extensive portfolio of high performance building block components that power multiple end market products. The business will report to Fairchild’s Power Discrete Group, led by Dr. Izak Bencuya, executive vice president and general manager.
“The addition of RF power amplifiers to our current power product offering strengthens Fairchild’s presence in the wireless communications market, while enabling expanded design opportunities in the areas of Wireless LANs (WLANs) and handsets,” said Bencuya. “The total market size for gallium arsenide power amps is projected by Strategy Analytics to grow to between $770 million and $1.2 billion by 2006, with a compound annual growth rate of 16%, adding another dimension to Fairchild’s Power Franchise(TM). We expect this business should ramp to revenues of more than $5 million per quarter towards the latter half of 2004.”
Fairchild has also acquired Raytheon’s foundry partnership agreement for the supply of gallium arsenide wafers and an equity stake in WIN Semiconductor, as well as access to foundry and support services at Raytheon’s Andover, Massachusetts facility. As part of the asset purchase agreement and transfer of intellectual property, more than thirty Raytheon designers, test engineers and business development employees will join Fairchild.
Russ Wagner, former Raytheon RF Components vice president of Business Development, will lead the group.
“This acquisition strategically aligns the global, commercial capabilities of power components industry leader Fairchild Semiconductor with the RF Components Division,” said Wagner. “We look forward to leveraging new opportunities in product development and customer support as part of Fairchild’s Power Discrete Group.”
Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
For more information visit: www.fairchildsemi.com.
(October 30)