Microsemi

Microsemi Corporation

Company type	Public
Industry	Semiconductor, System solutions
Predecessor	Microsemiconductor
Founded	February 1959 (1959-02)
Founder	Arthur Feldon, Steve Manning
Defunct	May 2018 (2018-05)
Fate	Acquired by Microchip Technology
Successor	Microchip Technology
Headquarters	Aliso Viejo, California , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	James J. Peterson (CEO and Chairman), Paul H. Pickle (COO & President)
Products	FPGAs, SoCs, RAID and NVMe controllers, Power over Ethernet components, atomic clocks, PLLs, MMICs, GaN transistors, SiC MOSFETs, power modules, ASICs, timing and synchronization solutions, RF components, enterprise storage and communication technologies, security and anti-tamper systems
Number of employees	4,400 (2016)

Microsemi Corporation was a semiconductor and system solutions company headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California, catering to sectors including aerospace and defense, communications, data centers, and industrial applications.

Established in 1959 by Arthur Feldon and Steve Manning, Microsemi operated on a global scale with top executives such as CEO and Chairman James J. Peterson and COO & President Paul H. Pickle. Its extensive product lineup featured FPGAs, SoCs, RAID and NVMe controllers, Power over Ethernet components, atomic clocks, PLLs, MMICs, GaN transistors, SiC MOSFETs, and power modules.

In 2016, Microsemi reported revenues of $1.655 billion but experienced operating and net losses of $53.7 million and $32.6 million, respectively. The workforce numbered around 4,400 employees worldwide.

Microchip Technology, based in Chandler, announced in February 2018 its acquisition of Microsemi for more than $10 billion to broaden its semiconductor market presence and enhance its business strategy. The deal was finalized in May 2018. However, by August 2018, Microchip disclosed operational difficulties inherited from Microsemi, including significant discounted distributor shipments prior to closing and an entrenched culture of high spending, raising concerns about integration challenges and future financial outcomes.

1959 to 1970: Founding and Initial Development

Microsemi originated in February 1959 in Culver City, California under the name MicroSemiconductor and was formally incorporated in Delaware on September 27, 1960. Early trade catalogs are archived at the Smithsonian Institution. In 1963, A. Feldon represented the company at an IEEE session focused on "Components for Miniaturized Electronic Assemblies". By 1964, its molecular packaging technology was recognized for application in the Improved Minuteman missile program.

In 1965, the firm supplied miniature silicon diodes utilized as beam profile detectors at the University of California's Ernest O. Lawrence Radiation Laboratory. Company engineers published findings on high voltage oscillators in 1966. As of 1969, its headquarters remained at 11250 Plaza Court in Culver City.

On August 13, 1969, Standard Resources Corporation—a management investment firm from Copiague, New York—filed for a merger with Microsemiconductor. At that time, major stakeholders included Arthur Feldon (31%), Steve Manning (31%), and Thomas C. Hall (10%). The merged entity retained the Microsemiconductor name. JemKap Inc., under J.M. Kaplan’s ownership of 37.7% of Standard Resources shares, held an effective 18.9% interest post-merger. The consolidation was completed by November 1969.

1971 to 2000: Era Under Philip Frey Jr.

In 1971, Microsemiconductor separated from its New York operations with Philip Frey Jr.—previously with Teledyne Inc.’s semiconductor division—appointed as leader. At that time, annual revenue stood near $500,000, predominantly from defense sector clients. By 1972, the company had moved to Santa Ana, California. While still defense-focused by 1987, sales had increased to nearly $50 million. That year saw a $35 million convertible bond issuance aimed at acquiring about a dozen primarily struggling firms; however, these acquisitions strained profitability and led to divestitures beginning in 1989. Sales peaked at $104 million in 1989 but declined to $83 million by 1991 before rebounding with forecasts exceeding $150 million by 1996.

On July 1, 1982, Jemkap Inc acquired a 48.6% stake of Microsemiconductor's Class A shares concurrent with Microsemiconductor’s purchase of Siemens Components Group based in Scottsdale, Arizona. The company adopted the name Microsemi in February 1983.

By March 1986, Microsemi was supplying high-performance semiconductor diodes for military and industrial applications and raised $26 million through a common stock offering. Jacob M. Kaplan controlled a 38.4% shareholding before his death in 1987. Initially traded Over the Counter as MicrSm, Microsemi joined NASDAQ on March 1, 1990.

Between 1986 and 1990, Microsemi acquired controlling interests in eleven companies. In June 1991 it established two joint ventures in Taiwan focused on packaging semiconductor dies produced in Santa Ana. The company further expanded globally by acquiring a facility in Ennis, Ireland in 1992 dedicated to semiconductor development and high-reliability testing for aerospace and medical sectors.

In July 1992 Microsemi purchased Unitrode’s semiconductor products division but faced financial difficulties by February 1993 when its stock plunged by 54% amid cash flow constraints linked to restructuring efforts triggered by defense budget reductions. Since 1989 it had been divesting non-core subsidiaries to concentrate on core semiconductor operations.

International growth continued with a joint venture formed with Shanghai Electrical Apparatus in China during April 1994 where Microsemi held a majority stake of 60%. In 1999 it acquired Linfinity—the first integrated circuit company within its portfolio—under CEO Jim Peterson.

This timeframe was characterized by substantial expansion through targeted acquisitions and international partnerships under Philip Frey Jr.'s leadership that shaped Microsemi’s competitive positioning within the semiconductor industry.

2000 to 2018: Leadership under James J. Peterson

On November 30, 2000, Microsemi appointed James J. Peterson as its president and CEO. Prior to this role, Peterson had been at the helm of Linfinity.

In 2001, the company shifted its corporate headquarters from Santa Ana, California to Irvine, California, and later in 2011, it relocated once more to Aliso Viejo, California.

From 2006 through 2010, Microsemi pursued growth via acquisitions spanning multiple sectors, including space and high-reliability markets (MDT, TSI, Babcock), defense and security (Endwave, White Electronics, Arxan), discrete and integrated circuit power solutions (Advanced Power Technology, PowerDsine), communications (VT Silicon, Zarlink), programmable logic devices (Actel), and analog mixed-signal ASIC design (ASIC Advantage).

Celebrating two decades in Ireland in 2012, Microsemi designated Ennis as its European headquarters and initiated engineering scholarships at the University of Limerick. This expansion was supported by IDA Ireland, underscoring the company's commitment to international operations.

Between 2012 and 2013, Microsemi strengthened its portfolio by acquiring timing-related businesses such as Maxim Integrated Products’ timing division and Symmetricom, along with Zarlink.

In November 2013, Peterson elevated Paul Pickle to the roles of COO and president while maintaining his positions as CEO and chairman.

The year 2014 saw Microsemi establish a design center in Cork through the acquisition of Mingoa, focusing on advanced system-on-chip (SoC) software development centered around ARM processors. Subsequently, between 2014 and 2015, the company acquired several communications and data-center firms including Centellax, Vitesse, and PMC-Sierra.

In March 2016, Microsemi divested its defense-related businesses acquired from 2009 to 2011. The following month, it sold its Broadband Wireless Division for $21 million.

October 2017 marked Microsemi’s purchase of Vectron International’s timing business from Knowles for $130 million.

Microsemi’s PolarFire FPGA earned recognition as "Product of the Year" by Electronic Products China in March 2018.

Later that month, Microchip Technology revealed intentions to acquire Microsemi for an estimated $10 billion.

Products

Microsemi offers an extensive array of electronic components including high-performance analog mixed-signal integrated circuits with radiation-hardened capabilities, FPGAs, SoCs, ASICs, power management devices, timing and synchronization solutions, voice processing hardware, RF components, discrete semiconductors, enterprise storage and communication technologies, security and anti-tamper systems, Ethernet products, as well as Power-over-Ethernet integrated circuits.

The company maintains a significant footprint within aerospace and defense sectors by supplying semiconductor solutions supporting numerous U.S. space initiatives since the inaugural Atlas rocket launch. Microsemi’s components played a vital role in the Mars Curiosity Rover mission in 2012 and are extensively utilized across critical applications such as launch vehicle systems, avionics platforms, telemetry equipment, navigation aids, drive controllers, mission computing units, and instrumentation.

FPGAs and SoCs

• Flash-based FPGAs and SoCs ranging from 5K to 150KLUTs
• Space-qualified FPGAs with analog front-end integration

Storage

• RAID controller cards along with SAS/SATA host adapters
• SAS/SATA switches and expanders
• Flashtec NVMe controllers plus NVMRAM drives
• PCIe switching devices

Ethernet and Network Processors

• Ethernet switches and physical layer transceivers (PHYs)
• Ethernet protocol software
• Winpath network processor units

Optical Products

• Optical Transport Network (OTN) equipment
• Optical line driver components

Power over Ethernet

• PoE injectors and switches
• PoE power sourcing equipment (PSE) and powered device (PD) ICs

Audio and Voice

• Timberwolf audio processing units
• Subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC) devices

Timing & Synchronization

• Time servers coupled with atomic clocks
• Ruggedized oscillators
• Phase-locked loops (PLLs) and frequency synthesizers
• Precision Time Protocol grandmasters along with related software

Power Management

• Switching regulators and linear voltage regulators
• Electronic fuses plus ideal solar bypass devices
• Space-grade power supply units

Power Discretes and Modules

• Silicon carbide diodes and MOSFETs along with power modules
• IGBTs, BJTs, diodes, JFETs

RF Transceivers

• Ultra-low-power radios designed for wearable or implantable applications

WLAN RF Front End

• Power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), front-end modules (FEMs)

RF/Microwave Discretes

• Monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs), PIN diodes, varactors, Gunn diodes
• Gallium nitride transistor devices

Circuit Protection

• Transient-voltage-suppression diodes
• Medical-grade surge protection components

Acquisitions in the 1980s

• Second half of 1982: Siemens Components Group located in Scottsdale, Arizona
• July 1986: Bikor (sold off in July 1993)
• July 1986: RPM Enterprises
• June 1987: Rectifier Assembly Unit of Solitron
• July 1987: Hybrid Components Inc
• August 1987: Acquired a 20% stake in Diodes Incorporated (stake sold in January 1990)
• September 1987: Majority ownership (60%) of Vitarel
• August 1987: Omni Technology (divested by December 1993)
• September 1987: Salem Scientific, also known as Sertech Labs
• November 1987: Coors Porcelain, specializing in silicon wafers and high-performance diodes for automotive and microwave sectors
• January 1988: Acquired an 80% interest in Surface Mounted Technology
• January 1988: General Microcircuits (divested in January 1998)
• June 1989: Varo Quality Semiconductor

Acquisitions during the 1990s

• July 1992: Semiconductor Product Division of Unitrode
• October 1996: Radio Frequency Semiconductor division from SGS Thomson (focused on high-reliability products)
• October 1996: National Semiconductor’s high-reliability monolithic diode arrays
• September 1997: PPC Products
• May 1998: BKC Semiconductors (ceased operations in November 1999)
• January 1998: Acquired a 19% share in Xemod
• April 1999: Linfinity Microelectronics division from Symmetricom
• June 1999: Narda Microwave Semiconductor

Acquisitions in the 2000s

• February 2000: Infinesse’s HBT Business Product Group
• August 2001: New England Semiconductor along with Compensated Devices
• April 2006: Advanced Power Technology (APT)
• January 2007: PowerDsine Ltd
• November 2007: MDT Corporation
• January 2008: TSI Microelectronics
• October 2008: Electro Module, Inc. including its subsidiary Babcock, Inc.
• April 2009: Spectrum Microwave, Inc.’s Space Level Power Products business
• April 2009: Defense and security division of Endwave Corp (later sold to Mercury Systems in May 2016)
• June 2009: Nexsem

These acquisitions strategically broadened Microsemi’s range of products and increased its market presence in semiconductors and reliable components, thereby strengthening its position within aerospace, defense, and communications industries.

Acquisitions throughout the 2010s

• April 2010: White Electronic Designs Corp, later divested to Mercury Systems in May 2016.
• September 2010: VT Silicon and Arxan Technologies, both divested to Mercury Systems in May 2016.
• November 2010: Actel Corp, acquired for $430 million.
• May 2011: AML Communications, divested to Mercury Systems in May 2016.
• June 2011: Brijot Imaging Systems, Inc.
• July 2011: ASIC Advantage, Inc.
• October 2011: Zarlink Semiconductor, Inc.
• January 2012: Timing, synchronization, and synthesis business from Maxim Integrated Products.
• October 2013: Symmetricom, Inc.
• July 2014: Mingoa, enhancing FPGA capabilities.
• September 2014: Centellax.
• March 2015: Vitesse Semiconductor Corp acquired for $389 million.
• November 2015: PMC-Sierra acquired for $2.5 billion; Broadband Wireless Division sold to Maxlinear in April 2016.
• June 2017: Phonon.
• November 2017: Vectron.

These targeted acquisitions expanded the company’s offerings and market share across semiconductors, timing solutions, and defense markets, further solidifying its competitive edge and international footprint.

Awards

• TMCnet.com's Internet Telephony Product of the Year Award 2008 for the PD-7000G Series PoE Midspans
• TMC Labs Innovation Award in 2009 recognizing the PD-9000G PoE Midspan family
• SOLAR Industry Award 2010 granted for the LX2400 IDEALSolar (Solar Bypass IC)
• ZTE Corporation's Best Delivery Support Award in 2011
• Electronic Products' Product of the Year Award 2011 for SmartFusion Mixed Signal FPGAs
• Military Embedded Systems Magazine Editor's Choice in 2012
• ITsAP Corporate Social Responsibility Award received in 2013
• EDN China Innovation Award 2013 honoring SmartFusion2
• OC Tech Alliance’s Innovative Product/Technology Award 2013 for SmartFusion2 SoC FPGA
• Business Journal and CalCPA CFO of the Year Award in 2013
• Electronics Weekly’s Elektra Renewable Energy Design Award 2014 for a solar-powered DC PoE Midspan Injector
• Outstanding CEO in Technology accolade by OC Tech Alliance in 2014
• DesignCon’s DesignVision Award 2014 for IGLOO2 FPGAs
• European Commission Innovation Award 2014 for the SOI-HITS Research Project focusing on high-temperature Smart Silicon-on-Insulator sensing systems
• Cryptography Research DPA Logo Certification awarded to FPGA/Rambus
• OC Tech Alliance’s Public Outstanding Technology Company recognition in 2015
• EDN China Innovation Award for Best Telecom & Networking Product 2015 for SimplyPHY VSC8502 IC
• ESTnet’s Innovative Product/Software Application Award in 2016 for MiniSIM
• Security Industry Association’s Network Support Solutions ISCWest 2016 Award for PDS-104GO, a 4-port Outdoor PoE Switch
• Global Semiconductor Alliance's Favorite Analyst Semiconductor Company Award in 2016
• IoT Breakthrough Awards’ M2M Network Equipment Technology Company of the Year 2016
• China Electronic Market (CEM) magazine Editor's Choice Award 2016 for Adaptec® Series 8E RAID adapter
• Electronic Products Magazine named PolarFire FPGA "Product of the Year" in 2018 due to its energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness
• Light Reading’s Leading Lights Outstanding Components Vendor recognition in 2018

James Peterson Education Allegations

In 2009, Barry Minkow, co-founder of the Fraud Discovery Institute, accused James Peterson, then president and CEO of Microsemi, of falsifying his academic qualifications by claiming possession of a bachelor's degree and an MBA on STEC Inc.’s documents as well as on a US government security clearance form. Peterson refuted these accusations. Brigham Young University confirmed that no such degrees were awarded to him. An independent investigation conducted by Munger, Tolles & Olson corroborated that Peterson had misrepresented his educational background. Consequently, he reimbursed Microsemi with a financial penalty and relinquished his bonus from 2008 due to this falsehood.

Backdoor Vulnerability

In 2012, a security backdoor was identified within Microsemi’s ProASIC3 chip. This flaw enabled malicious actors to deactivate security features, alter cryptographic keys, retrieve unencrypted configurations, or impair the device, thereby threatening the integrity of secure systems relying on this technology.

Offices

Microsemi maintained its headquarters in Aliso Viejo, California, supported by numerous offices throughout the United States including locations such as Camarillo, Cupertino, Garden Grove, San Diego, San Jose, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa (all California); Boulder (Colorado); Atlanta (Georgia); Beverly, Lawrence, Lowell (Massachusetts); Allentown and Reading (Pennsylvania); Austin and Dallas (Texas). Internationally, it operated offices in Ottawa (Canada); Macau, Shanghai, Shenzhen (China); Herlev (Denmark); Bruges (Belgium); Ennis (Ireland); Hod HaSharon (Israel); Manila and Cabuyao (Philippines); Caldicot (United Kingdom); and Hyderabad (India). This list does not account for additional locations acquired through PMC-Sierra.

External links

• Microsemi on Glassdoor