Enables high performance, low heat operation, significantly smaller transistors

    HILLSBORO, OREGON & RICHARDSON, TEXAS (USA) - April 30, 2013 - TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc.(NASDAQ: TQNT), a leading RF solutions supplier and technology innovator, today announced that it has produced the industry's first gallium nitride (GaN) transistors using GaN-on-diamond wafers that substantially reduce semiconductor temperatures while maintaining high RF performance. TriQuint's breakthrough technology enables new generations of RF amplifiers up to three times smaller or up to three times the power of today's GaN solutions.

    TriQuint received a Compound Semiconductor Industry Award in March commending its new GaN-on-diamond achievements. TriQuint's James L. Klein, Vice President and General Manager for Infrastructure and Defense Products, remarked that unlocking the true potential of high-efficiency GaN circuits will depend on achievements like those of TriQuint's advanced research and development program.

    Operating temperature largely determines high performance semiconductor reliability. It's especially critical for GaN devices that are capable of very high power densities. "By increasing the thermal conductivity and reducing device temperature, we are enabling new generations of GaN devices that may be much smaller than today's products. This gives significant RF design and operational benefits for our commercial and defense customers," he said.

    TriQuint demonstrated its new GaN-on-diamond, high electron mobility transistors (HEMT) in conjunction with partners at the University of Bristol, Group4 Labs and Lockheed Martin under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Near Junction Thermal Transport (NJTT) program.

    NJTT is the first initiative in DARPA's new 'Embedded Cooling' program that includes the ICECool Fundamentals and ICECool Applications research and development engagements. NJTT focuses on device thermal resistance 'near the junction' of the transistor. Thermal resistance inside device structures can be responsible for more than 50% of normal operational temperature increases. TriQuint research has shown that GaN RF devices can operate at a much higher power density and in smaller sizes, through its highly effective thermal management techniques.

    TriQuint's New GaN Achievement in Detail
    TriQuint's breakthrough involves the successful transfer of a semiconductor epitaxial overlay onto a synthetic diamond substrate, providing a high thermal conductivity and low thermal boundary resistance, while preserving critical GaN crystalline layers. This achievement is the first to demonstrate the feasibility of GaN-on-diamond HEMT devices. Results to date indicate TriQuint achieved the primary NJTT goal of a three-fold improvement in heat dissipation while preserving RF functionality; this achievement supports reducing power amplifier size or increasing output power by a factor of three. Additional fabrication improvements and extensive device testing are underway to optimize the epitaxial layer transfer process and fully characterize enhancements that can be achieved in these new HEMT devices.

    TriQuint Gallium Nitride Product Innovation, Honors & Resources:
    Heritage
    Leader in defense and commercial GaN research since 1999
    Research
    Leader in performance and reliability GaN development
    University Partners
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Notre Dame, University of Colorado at Boulderand University of Bristol
    The Global GaN Impact
    Strategy Analytics recognizes TriQuint's GaN R&D / GaN Product Innovation
    Active R&D Programs
    DARPA NEXT program for highly complex, high frequency GaN MMICs
    Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III program for GaN on SiC; Radar and EW MMICs: Air Force and Navy sponsors
    DARPA Microscale Power Conversion program to develop ultra-fast power switch technology and integrate technology into next-generation amplifiers
    DARPA Near Junction Thermal Transport (NJTT) GaN program to increase circuit power handling capabilities through enhanced thermal management

    Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to jointly develop advanced GaN circuits

    Recent Honors
    2013 CS Industry Award for DARPA NJTT program; 2012 CS Industry Award for DARPA MPC program; 2011CS Industry Award for DARPA NEXT
    GaN Products
    Wide selection of innovative GaN amplifiers, transistors and switches
    GaN Foundry
    0.25-micron GaN on SiC; 100mm wafers; DC-18 GHz applications

    For more information about defense / aerospace products and foundry services, including GaN-based amplifiers, transistors, high-power switches and integrated assembly capabilities, visit us atwww.qorvo.com/gan.

    FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
    This TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TQNT) press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. The cautionary statements made in this press release should be read as being applicable to all related statements wherever they appear. Statements containing such words as ‘leading’, ‘exceptional’, ‘high efficiency’, ‘key role’, ‘leading supplier’, or similar terms are considered to contain uncertainty and are forward-looking statements. A number of factors affect TriQuint’s operating results and could cause its actual future results to differ materially from any results indicated in this press release or in any other forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, TriQuint including, but not limited to: those associated with the unpredictability and volatility of customer acceptance of and demand for our products and technologies, the ability of our production facilities and those of our vendors to meet demand, the ability of our production facilities and those of our vendors to produce products with yields sufficient to maintain profitability, as well as the other “Risk Factors” set forth in TriQuint’s most recent 10-Q report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This and other reports can be found on the SEC web site, www.sec.gov. A reader of this release should understand that these and other risks could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations expressed / implied in forward-looking statements.

    FACTS ABOUT TRIQUINT
    Founded in 1985, TriQuint Semiconductor (NASDAQ: TQNT) is a leading global provider of innovative RF solutions and foundry services for the world's top communications, defense and aerospace companies. People and organizations around the world need real-time, all-the-time connections; TriQuint products help reduce the cost and increase the performance of connected mobile devices and the networks that deliver critical voice, data and video communications. With the industry's broadest technology portfolio, recognized R&D leadership, and expertise in high-volume manufacturing, TriQuint creates standard and custom products using gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium nitride (GaN), surface acoustic wave (SAW) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) technologies. The company has ISO9001-certified manufacturing facilities in the U.S., production in Costa Rica, and design centers in North America and Germany.

    Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

    TriQuint Media Contact: Mark W. Andrews
    Strategic Marketing Communications Mgr.
    TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc.
    Tel: +1 (407) 884-3404
    Mobile : +1 (407) 353-8727
    E-mail: mark.andrews@tqs.com

    Infrastructure and Defense Products: Douglas H. Reep, PhD,
    Research Sr. Director
    TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc.
    Tel: +1 972 994 8323
    E-mail: douglas.reep@triquint.com