DRS Technologies and Cypress Semiconductor Reach Agreement to Manufacture Uncooled Detectors

ARLINGTON, Va., and SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- DRS Technologies, Inc., a Finmeccanica Company, and Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ: CY) today announced that DRS will transfer its state-of-the-art Microbolometer technology for uncooled infrared detectors to Cypress for high-volume manufacturing.

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The proprietary production process, developed by the Network and Imaging Systems (NIS) division of DRS Technologies, will be transferred to Cypress's 65nm Class 10 8-inch wafer fabrication facility in Bloomington, Minnesota.  The exclusive agreement will allow DRS Technologies to continue to improve sensor production by taking advantage of Cypress's advanced manufacturing for significantly reduced wafer costs.

The agreement will leverage Cypress's advanced process technology and transfer expertise along with its Trusted Fab accreditation and quality certifications for TS16949 and ISO14001. DRS and Cypress expect to have qualified product by early 2014.

Cypress manufactures high-performance, mixed-signal, programmable solutions for a variety of markets, proving an ideal partner for DRS Technologies, a leader in infrared solutions for military and commercial applications.

"The partnership with Cypress will allow us to better meet the growing demands of the thermal imaging market," said NIS President Mike Sarrica. "With our advanced, proprietary microbolometer production process and Cypress's proven technology and manufacturing expertise, we can achieve the high-volume, high yield and low-cost capabilities that have become requirements of both the commercial and military markets."

"This partnership validates Cypress's commitment to high-quality, low-cost manufacturing in the United States," said Minh Pham, Executive Vice President of Worldwide Manufacturing at Cypress.  "This partnership expands our base of foundry customers for our Minnesota wafer fab, and will add new MEMS processing capabilities to support fabrication of Microbolometers.  We expect growth in our wafer foundry business as more companies see the value and service we can offer."

About DRS Technologies

DRS Technologies is a leading supplier of integrated products, services and support to military forces, intelligence agencies, prime contractors and commercial security operations worldwide.  The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica S.p.A. (FNC.MI), which employs 70,000 people worldwide. Within DRS, the Network and Imaging Systems (NIS) Company manufactures and supports advanced electro-optical sensor systems, and develops innovative networking capabilities that integrate these sensors in a broader tactical C4 environment. NIS is based in Dallas, Tex.; Melbourne, Fla.; Cypress, Calif.; Huntsville, Ala.; Columbia, Md.; and the UK. For more information about DRS Technologies, please visit www.drs.com.

About Cypress's Fab 4

Cypress operates its own wafer fabrication facility in Bloomington, Minnesota, and offers access to this facility as a Specialty Foundry Solutions provider.  This 8-inch wafer fab manufactures in high volume down to the 90-nm node with 65nm capability. It offers process technologies that integrate SONOS-based non-volatile memory and precision analog/mixed signal capabilities.  The facility can handle ITAR material, and has been accredited as a Category 1A Trusted Fab for fabrication, design, and testing of U.S. DoD Trusted Microelectronics. Learn more about the Cypress Foundry Solutions online at www.cypress.com/go/foundry.

About Cypress

Cypress delivers high-performance, mixed-signal, programmable solutions that provide customers with rapid time-to-market and exceptional system value. Cypress offerings include the flagship PSoC 1, PSoC 3, and PSoC 5 programmable system-on-chip families and derivatives, CapSense^® touch sensing and TrueTouch^® solutions for touchscreens. Cypress is the world leader in USB controllers, including the high-performance West Bridge^® solution that enhances connectivity and performance in multimedia handsets, PCs and tablets. Cypress is also the world leader in SRAM memories. Cypress serves numerous markets including consumer, mobile handsets, computation, data communications, automotive, industrial and military. Cypress trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol CY. Visit Cypress online at www.cypress.com.

For additional information, please contact:

Joseph Militano, DRS Public Relations
Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications
(703) 236-4659
[email protected]  

Samer Bahou, Cypress Public Relations
(408) 232-4552
[email protected]

SOURCE DRS Technologies