TSMC updates BCD process with Analog help

Analog Devices (ADI) has helped developed a new version of TSMC’s 180nm BCD process for analog and mixed-signal circuits that slashes noise tenfold compared with the original version released in 2009.

The updated process that supports a mixture of bipolar, CMOS and DMOS transistors has been used in a number of products launched by ADI recently, including isolated controller-area network (CAN) interfaces, an audio codec and analog front-end for electrocardiograms. TSMC said it will support use of the process by other customers.

According to the foundry, the 5V-compatible 180nm process cuts leakage by 70 per cent compared with the older version and improves by 50 percent both linearity and capacitor and resistor matching. 

“ADI has worked with TSMC since the 0.6µm and 0.35µm analog processes,” said Rick Cassidy, president of TSMC North America. “Our collaboration on this important, new platform demonstrates the ADI/TSMC commitment to specialty technology development.”

TSMC said in March it is working on a 130nm BCD process with UK-based Dialog Semiconductors.