Peregrine Semiconductor (FRA:34P) Risk Assessment

Peregrine Semiconductor Corp was incorporated in Delaware in February 1990. The Company is a fabless provider of high performance radio frequency integrated circuits or RFICs. The Company operates in one segment related to the design, manufacturing and marketing of high performance RFICs for the space and military, broadband, industrial, mobile device, test and measurement equipment, and wireless infrastructure markets. The Company's solutions leverage its proprietary UltraCMOS technology, which enables the design, manufacture, and integration of multiple RF, mixed signal, and digital functions on a single chip. Its solutions target a broad range of applications in the space and military, automotive, broadband, industrial, mobile device, test and measurement equipment, and wireless infrastructure markets. It designs, develops, markets, and sells high performance RFICs based on its patented UltraCMOS technology. UltraCMOS technology combines the ability to achieve the high levels of performance of traditional specialty processes, with the fundamental benefits of standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor, or CMOS, the widely used semiconductor process technology. UltraCMOS technology utilizes ultra thin silicon on an insulating substrate, providing greatly reduced unwanted electrical interaction between the RFIC and the substrate (referred to as parasitic capacitance), which enables high signal isolation and excellent signal fidelity with low distortion over a broad frequency range (referred to as broadband linearity). These two technical attributes result in RF devices with excellent high-frequency performance and power handling performance, and reduced crosstalk between frequencies. In addition, increased broadband linearity provides for faster data throughput and greater subscriber capacity over a wireless network, resulting in enhanced network efficiency. UltraCMOS technology also provides the benefits of standard CMOS, such as high levels of integration, low power consumption, reusable circuit libraries, widely available design tools and outsourced manufacturing capacity, and the ability to scale to smaller geometries. It owns fundamental intellectual property, or IP in the UltraCMOS technology consisting of more than 170 U.S. and international issued and pending patents, and over 300 documented trade secrets covering basic circuit elements, RF circuit designs, manufacturing processes, and design know-how. The Company sells its products worldwide through its direct sales force and field applications engineering staff, its network of domestic and international independent sales representatives, both worldwide and regional distribution partners. The Company's products are sold directly and indirectly to leading companies in each of its target markets, including space and military, broadband, industrial, mobile device, test and measurement equipment, and wireless infrastructure markets. It currently competes in the mobile