SAN JOSE, Calif., and GRENOBLE, France — April 20, 2010 — Presto Engineering Inc., a pioneer of the labless business model for bringing semiconductor products into volume production, and CEA-Leti today announced that they have begun a three-year collaboration to develop test and analysis capability for 3D semiconductor devices.

The project, a common lab that will include Presto’s new R&D center at CEA-Leti, will focus on extending the company’s test, reliability and failure analysis solutions to through-silicon vias (TSVs), the interconnects between levels on 3D devices.

“IDMs and fabless companies are increasingly outsourcing critical test and analysis functions. The adoption of 3D technologies will fuel this trend and product engineering will require new skills, reliable processes and specialized equipment,” said Michel Villemain, CEO of Presto Engineering. “CEA-Leti has industry-leading expertise in 3D integration, advanced interconnects and TSVs, and by working side by side with CEA-Leti’s experts, Presto will build on our proven product engineering capabilities for the arrival of TSVs.”

Presto’s R&D program with CEA-Leti is focused on:

• Characterization of TSVs reliability, defect susceptibility and electrical performance aspects
• Identifying existing test protocols that are appropriate for 3D structures while developing new ones to meet new challenges, and
• Bringing up new diagnostic methods or tools to identify root cause of failures

The common lab will make the ATE and debug process as well as the product engineering platform available for third parties.

“This partnership with Presto is a natural complement to CEA-Leti’s many 3D integration projects and joint labs,” said Laurent Malier, CEO of CEA-Leti. “We will identify the key challenges of 3D product engineering, so semiconductor manufacturers will have reliable, state-of-the-art test and analysis options when they are ready to go to market with 3D devices that feature TSVs.”

In addition to its broad goals, the joint lab will enable Presto to develop critical test and analysis techniques, such as probing specific areas of TSVs without affecting the device itself.

“Testing 3D-IC prototypes will require detecting, recognizing and understanding the failure modes, and mechanisms through their electrical signature,” said Cédric Mayor, R&Ddirector for Presto Engineering Europe, a subsidiary of Presto Engineering Inc. “Faulty TSVs may have many root causes that have to be investigated and catalogued in such a way that our ultimate test program and diagnostic tool detect them efficiently.”

Presto, which recently opened a hub in Caen, France, offers enhanced RF and 3D-integration expertise and advanced test, reliability, fault-isolation and failure-analysis services. Its Design Success Analysis™ offering includes first-silicon validation, as well as characterization of new processes, new designs, and process transfers.

About Presto Engineering

Presto Engineering introduced the labless business model to the semiconductor industry in 2007 when it acquired Cypress Semiconductor’s product-engineering lab. The company helps IDMs and fabless customers improve new device predictability and speed to market by complementing their internal resources with comprehensive chip test and analysis. Supported by unique technical skills and extensive industry experience, Presto’s product-engineering services include RF and 3D integration and state-of-the-art ATE, reliability testing, failure analysis and fault isolation. The company recently expanded into Europe by acquiring lab infrastructure of NXP Semiconductor in Caen, France, and establishing a subsidiary Presto Engineering Europe. Presto Engineering, an ISO 9001 company, is based in San Jose, Calif. Additional information is available on the company’s website at www.presto-eng.com.

About CEA-Leti

CEA is a French research and technology public organization, with activities in three main areas: energy, technologies for information and healthcare, and defence and security. Within CEA, the Laboratory for Electronics & Information Technology (CEA-Leti) works with companies in order to increase their competitiveness through technological innovation and transfers. CEA-Leti is focused on micro and nanotechnologies and their applications, from wireless devices and systems, to biology and healthcare or photonics. Nanoelectronics and microsystems (MEMS) are at the core of its activities. As a major player in MINATEC excellence centre, CEA-Leti operates 8,000-m² state-of-the-art clean rooms, on 24/7 mode, on 200mm and 300mm wafer standards. With 1,200 employees, CEA-Leti trains more than 150 Ph.D. students and hosts 200 assignees from partner companies. Strongly committed to the creation of value for the industry, CEA-Leti puts a strong emphasis on intellectual property and owns more than 1,400 patent families. In 2008, contractual income covered more than 75 percent of its budget worth 205 M€. For more information, visit www.leti.fr.

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – April 19, 2010 – Yageo Corporation, a leading global passive components supplier, announced today the release of the smallest ceramic chip antenna (PIFA mode) for GPS applications. The new PIFA GPS antenna is an advanced design of the 2.45GHz PIFA antenna that was released last year. Although the same size, it can now reach the same efficiency on lower frequency. This antenna is specifically designed for use in high-end handheld GPS devices, such as mobile phones, PDAs, portable navigation devices, notebook computers, and mobile internet devices. Samples were sent to customers earlier this year while mass production began in March.

Yageo’s 3216 ceramic PIFA GPS antenna features ultra compact volume and high performance with a dimension of only 3.2mm x 1.6mm. With less clearance needed, it greatly helps reducing the overall GPS design block. The antenna supports central frequency of 1.575GHz, unprecedentedly breakthrough in size limitation on low frequency chip antennas, performing on par with CP GPS antennas. Moreover, the use of SMD packaging along with the compact size of the component makes it easier to mount on circuit boards, thus effectively reducing manufacturing costs. This makes it the best solution for handheld GPS devices- designing with limited space.

According to Yageo “The miniaturization of GPS devices is already an irrevocable trend and built-in GPS functions are an integral part of new generation smart phones. Handheld devices are often subject to environmental interference due to being in contact with human body, which in turn has a major affect on the stability of the GPS antenna. One of the more pressing concerns for mobile phone manufacturers is coming up with stable GPS functions for the limited design space. Yageo’s introduction of the 3216 ceramic PIFA GPS antenna will revolutionize the chip antenna product application market while helping system design houses strengthen GPS design capabilities. This once again underlines our competitive advantage in the manufacturing and innovative design process.”
Another point worth mentioning is the design refinement of the 3216 ceramic PIFA GPS antenna, which is a breakthrough from the traditional mono-polar circuit design mode. This allows a simplified manufacturing process that results in superior product performance in both efficiency and size. Additionally, the use of coupling and parasitic effects reduces the frequency, thus strengthening low frequency performance. Yageo offers a variety of ceramic PIFA antennas, with the 3216 size supporting 1.575GHz to 2.45GHz bandwidths. This not only provides an industry-leading product portfolio, but also gives wireless device manufacturers the best value-added choice available.

Yageo’s outstanding manufacturing capabilities and ceramic technology has been integrated into antenna circuit design for maximum efficiency. As a global leader in passive components, Yageo provides an incomparable selection of antenna products, including metal, patch, and chip antennas. Yageo plans to expand its antenna product portfolio continuously in order to service the potential antenna market.

About Yageo Corporation

Founded in 1977, Yageo Corporation has become a world-class provider of passive-component services with capabilities on a global scale, including production and sales facilities in Asia, Europe and Americas. The corporation is uniquely positioned to provide one-stop-shopping, offering its complete product portfolio of resistors, capacitors and inductors in both commodity and specialty versions, plus design-in capability, distribution, e-commerce connection and logistics. Yageo currently ranks as the world No.1 in chip-resistors, No. 3 in MLCCs and No. 3 in ferrite products. Yageo Corporation has 20 sales offices, 8 production sites, 6 JIT logistic outfits and 3 R&D centers.