POCATELLO, Idaho -- AMI Semiconductor (Nasdaq:AMIS), a designer and manufacturer of state-of-the-art integrated mixed-signal and structured digital products for the automotive, medical and industrial markets, today renewed its partnership with MOSIS, a prototype and low volume production integrated circuit fabrication service, to participate in the MOSIS multi-project wafer (MPW) program and MOSIS education program (MEP). These programs provide access to wafers for IC development, semiconductor prototyping and test chips as an inexpensive method to prove out silicon to small businesses, start-ups, educational facilities and other MOSIS customers.

Through the MPW program, development and manufacturing expenses are shared across multiple MOSIS customers by consolidating separate chip designs onto a single wafer. The wafers are processed in AMIS fabs in a variety of mixed-signal/analog CMOS process technologies, ranging from 1.5- to 0.35-micron.

AMIS will continue to provide a quarterly run of wafers at no cost to MOSIS for use with its education program -- MEP. "We are proud to have AMIS as a key sponsor of the MEP program," said Cesar Pina, director of MOSIS. "The prototyping costs of many new designs make them impractical to manufacture on a dedicated run basis. MOSIS' MEP program, in conjunction with AMI Semiconductor's generosity, enables educational facilities to bring these designs to life."

"Through its support of MEP, AMIS is helping to educate and train future semiconductor design engineers," said Al Morrison, vice president of AMI Semiconductor's mixed-signal foundry business. "Graduating students and small or start-up businesses using these programs represent possible future employees, partners or customers of AMIS who will have experience designing and working with our manufacturing processes."

With the support of AMIS, the MEP program supports more than 5,000 students per year and generates more than 1,000 designs per year. These designs are used for classroom instruction and un-sponsored research, giving engineering students hands-on, practical IC design and manufacturing experience using AMIS technologies at an affordable price.

"The whole U.S. IC design community owes MOSIS and AMIS a debt of gratitude for the opportunities they are affording our students," said Richard B. Brown, chairman of the MOSIS Advisory Council for Education and dean of engineering at the University of Utah. "By providing students access to real-world technology, AMIS enables them to test the circuits that they have designed in class, gaining valuable maturity as chip designers, as well as a great sense of accomplishment. Without AMIS support, the number of IC design courses and qualified engineering graduates would drop precipitously."

About MOSIS

MOSIS is part of the Information Sciences Institute (ISI) of the University of Southern California. It provides prototyping and short-run production access to technologies ranging from 1.5-micron analog processes to 0.18-micron digital processes. MOSIS has fabricated more than 50,000 integrated circuit designs for commercial firms, government agencies and universities. For more information about the MOSIS organization, please visit www.mosis.org.

About AMI Semiconductor

AMI Semiconductor (AMIS) is a leader in the design and manufacture of silicon solutions for the real world. As a widely recognized innovator in state-of-the-art integrated mixed-signal and structured digital products, AMIS is committed to providing customers with the optimal value, quickest time-to-market semiconductor solutions. Offering unparalleled manufacturing flexibility and dedication to customer service, AMI Semiconductor operates globally with headquarters in Pocatello, Idaho, European corporate offices in Oudenaarde, Belgium, and a network of sales and design centers located in the key markets of North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. For more information please visit the AMIS Web site at www.amis.com.