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TLC has 5 processes that work independently or together for the customer's needs.
- Process 1: Micro Circuit Design & Simulation
- Process 2: Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE)
- Process 3: Microfabrication
- Process 4: Testing
- Process 5a: Dedicated Packages
- Process 5b: Standard and Custom Modules
TLC's overall process consists of designing the circuits (microchips) for various communication functions
(amplifiers, mixers, oscillators, modulators, etc.). To convert the design into an actual chip, several
molecular thin film semiconductor layers are evaporated (grown) with precision engineering on a substrate
to create the molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) wafer. Then, using a series of masks with miniaturized circuit
design, the circuit designs are fabricated.
These wafers are then separated (scribed) into thousands of individual MMICs and tested based on the MMIC type and
frequency. The tested and scribed chips are then ready for customers or TLC to assemble (bonded down and
microspically wired together) to a high performance functionality module unit (i.e. radar, detector, converter,
transmitter, receiver, etc.). While TLC is enhancing its development of next generation InP based products,
TLC has also established standard production capabilities for the advanced GaAs products in addition to performing
R&D for both innovative GaAs and InP products.
Although each process can produce a saleable, "finished product," TLC also integrates these to perform
major R&D and production contracts.
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This is the initial process for the development or manufacturing of all other processes. The
circuit design process must develop or take into consideration the wafer structure design and
performance, the fabrication capabilities, the testing configuration and procedure as well as
the performance objectives of the module. The circuit design simulates the capabilities and
performance of the wafers, fabrication process, and module assembly as well as develops the circuit design and
layout. TLC utilizes these capabilities, along with capability circuitry configuration, to
obtain high performance chips or modules that meet or exceed customers' targeted performance.
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TLC enhances the electronic and optical performance of the bulkdisk of semiconductor material
(substrate) by atomic lattice controlled, high precision evaporation of ultra-thin layers (epitaxy)
onto the substrate in a Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) ultra-high vacuum system. TLC has the ability
to uniquely engineer the epi-growth to provide advanced electroonics and photonic circuit performance.
The wafer production process contributeds to the competitive advantage for TLC.
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TLC has exclusively licensed Honeywell gallium arsenide and Indium Phosphide T-Gate MMIC
fabrication and has acquired the MMIC fabrication equipment for sub-quarter micron (0.25 µm) circuit processing.
Using micro lithography, etching step and other chemical processes, a series of masks with micro-miniature
copies of the design are micro-fabricated into the surface of the epi wafer. This results in thousands
of Monolithic Millimeter-wave Integrated Circuits (MMICs) fabricated onto each epi wafer.
To Manufacture custom or standard chips, TLC uses the product from Process 2. In addition to supplying
a ready market for high frequency chips, custom chips also become the start of the Package
(See Process 5a below) and Module (See Process 5b below)
process. Also, this process provides TLC as a MMIC foundry service for fabricating custom chips designed by others.
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The wafer, full of fabricated MMICs, are then separated (scribed) into thousands of individual MMICs which are tested
for MMIC function (amp, osc, mix, etc.) and frequency. The chips fabricated require special high frequency testing to
measure various performance characteristics. Many commercial and government customers purchase raw (unpackaged) chips
that meet their performance specifications. TLC has progressed to automated chip testing, by which the computer is
programmed to auto segregate chips to customer specifications.
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To meet the requirements of customers who want chips to be delivered in a packaged configuration, single chips or a
few chips assembled together are packaged into a surface mount (SMT) package. After Process 3
and Process 4, the MMICs are bonded down and asssembled together in a series with gold wire bonding
and wired to the leads of the single or two chip small flat container package. Although currently focused on the BGA
configuration, the production line could be adapted to other customer-required configurations.
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Design and assemble a combination of chips and components to provide a specific function for a customer;
e.g., a radar module. The module structure allows TLC customers to use the functions of the circuits immediately
by having it configured into a machined housing with connections compatible to plug directly into the customer system
(i.e. satellite, automotive, etc.) with only simple connections to the module. TLC has
secured several government and commercial contracts for innovative modules and is currently creating
modules that can perform beyond the current state-of-the-art functions. Currently, few companies have
the innovative capability to package high frequency products like TLC.
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Copyright 2004 TLC, All Rights Reserved
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