TahoeRF

Full Service Solutions
Tahoe RF Semiconductor provides turnkey development and delivery of production ready customer-specific Analog & RFIC chips and chipsets. We manage all aspects of complete cradle-to-grave IC development engagements.
Our capabilities include system and chip architecture definition, front-end circuit design and simulation, back-end layout, post layout simulation, assembly and test development, wafer fabrication support and management, and delivery of the final product in production volumes.

Our Commitment
As product development cycles become more aggressive, achieving time-to-market goals is critical today’s highly competitive electronics markets. Tahoe RF Semiconductor's greatest strength is utilizing our creative, flexible and proven design techniques to provide our customers with superior solutions. Tahoe RF Semiconductor uses most appropriate technology processes to develop optimum total systems solutions.

Tahoe RF Semiconductor maintains a corporate commitment to recruit, train and maintain the best engineers and designers in the IC industry. We pride ourselves in superior performance at all levels, consistently achieving the highest standards. We also have a select network of superior quality subcontractors who perform as an integral part of our team.

What we do
Tahoe RF Semiconductor's commitment starts with a front-end analysis of the customer’s need to determine the system level requirements. This analysis typically results in a formal chip level specification that is mutually agreed by both the customer and Tahoe RF. The next phase, the detailed design and implementation of the project, is executed using a formal and proven design methodology flow. This methodology includes periodic formal design reviews, milestones and formal documentations The production phase includes development of test hardware and software for ATEs, product qualification and transition into volume production. All of these have contributed to first pass silicon successes of many of our recent projects.

Irshad Rasheed, CEO & President

With over 20 years in the industry in diverse roles and diverse end markets. Irshad has worked in startups and large multi-national companies developing ICs for communication and PC markets. He has held individual development roles and senior management positions during his career. His recent experience was in IBM leading a design group to develop integrated chipsets for GSM and WCDMA cellular markets using CMOS and SiGe technologies. Previous companies also include CommQuest Technologies and Cirrus Logic. He is a member of the Board of Directors.

Christopher Saint, Vice President, Engineering

Chris has over 30 years in the industry. With experience ranging from GaAs processing, foundry support, RF/Microwave circuit design, CAD tool support and management, Chris has a very extensive skill set to choose from. His most recent position was managing the IBM Wireless Products Division Design Center in Auburn, California. The Design Center was part of the team responsible for developing integrated chipsets for GSM and WCDMA cellular markets using CMOS and SiGe technologies. Chris is also the author of two best selling technical books, IC Layout Basics: A Practical Guide and IC Mask Design: Essential Techniques. Previous companies also include CommQuest Technologies, Analog Devices, Mosaic Microsystems, LSI Logic and Plessey Research Caswell. He is a member of the Board of Directors.

Hans Dropmann, Vice President, Marketing and Business Development

Hans has over 17 years of industry experience in a variety of technical and business roles. He brings to Tahoe RF a wealth of hands-on experience as a proven executive in the Semiconductor Business. He previously worked for Maxim Integrated Products, Inc as a Director and Business Manager of Wireless Products where he grew the handset and cellular component business from zero to an aggregate reaching well into the triple digit million dollars.

External Board of Directors

Don Levy

Mr. Levy has been a founding Board Member of Tahoe RF and has instrumental in much of its development. He is an industry veteran in Semiconductors and has lived and worked in Europe, Asia and the U.S. He is currently President of another start up Kidthing™.

Prof. Lawrence Larson

Prof. Larson became a Director of the company in July 2004. He is currently Professor and the Director of the Center for Wireless Communications at University of California at San Diego. Dr. Larson has a long history in the development of RFICs. During the late 1980's he was a key member and leader of the team at Hughes Research Laboratories that developed the first high-reliability InP-based HEMT technology for spaceborne 60 GHz low-noise amplifier applications. During the early 1990's he lead the development of first microwave and mmW applications of microelectronic-mechanical (MEMS) technologies, including the first MEMS switches for microwave applications. Dr. Larson holds many of the fundamental patents in this field. He also led the technical effort with a Hughes/IBM alliance for developing commercial applications of Si/SiGe HBT technology. He has published over 150 papers, co-authored three books, has received 25 US patents, and is a Fellow of the IEEE. Dr. Larson's research interests are in the area of microwave and millimeter wave devices and circuits, data conversion, and communications systems.

Tom Riordan

Mr. Tom Riordan became a Director or the company in March of 2006. He is a semiconductor industry veteran and is currently the president and chief executive officer of Exclara, a fabless semiconductor supplier of ICs for Solid-State Lighting. Most recently, Mr. Riordan was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Bessemer Venture Partners. Prior to Bessemer Venture Partners, Mr. Riordan was vice president of PMC-Sierra's microprocessor division. Mr. Riordan joined PMC-Sierra when it purchased Quantum Effect Devices (QED), the company he co-founded in 1991. Mr. Riordan holds a B.S. in Engineering, a B.A. in Government, and an M.S. in Engineering, all from Florida Technological University/University of Central Florida.