[September 21, 2012]

TriQuint Wins DARPA GaN Contract to Triple the Performance of New RF Power Amplifiers

TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TQNT), a leading RF solutions supplier and technology innovator, has received a $2.7 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to triple the power handling performance of gallium nitride (GaN) circuits. The Near Junction Thermal Transport (NJTT) effort will build on TriQuint's advanced GaN on silicon carbide (SiC) technology and the reliability of its state-of-the-art RF integrated circuits.

"We are very pleased that DARPA selected TriQuint to develop this critical technology. Like other programs we have supported, NJTT will set the stage for substantial MMIC performance enhancements including reduced size, weight and power consumption while increasing reliability and output power," said TriQuint Vice President and General Manager for Infrastructure and Defense Products, James L. Klein.

The NJTT initiative is the latest in DARPA's overarching Thermal Management Technologies program. NJTT focuses on thermal resistance at the 'near junction' of the transistor die as well as the device substrate. These areas can be responsible for more than 50% of operational temperature increases. By combining its industry-leading GaN on SiC process technology with diamond substrates and new thermal handling processes, TriQuint seeks to significantly reduce heat build-up to enable GaN devices that can generate much more power.

TriQuint's partners in the program include the University of Bristol (United Kingdom), Group4 Labs and Lockheed Martin (News - Alert). The University of Bristol is recognized for its leadership in thermal testing, modeling and micro Raman thermography. Group4 Labs is a pioneer in the use of diamond substrates and has worked with TriQuint to demonstrate diamond's potential as a substrate material. Lockheed Martin will evaluate the results of the program for its projected impact on future defense systems.

TriQuint has pioneered GaN technology since 1999 and currently leads multiple process and manufacturing initiatives for DARPA as well as the U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy laboratories. TriQuint has won multiple awards for GaN innovation and service to major defense and commercial manufacturers.

For more information about GaN-based amplifiers, transistors, high-power switches, integrated assembly capabilities and Foundry Services, visit www.triquint.com/defense, or register to receive product updates and TriQuint's newsletter.

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This TriQuint Semiconductor (News - Alert), Inc. (NASDAQ: TQNT) press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. The cautionary statements made in this press release should be read as being applicable to all related statements wherever they appear. Statements containing such words as 'leading', 'exceptional', 'high efficiency', 'key role', 'leading supplier', or similar terms are considered to contain uncertainty and are forward-looking statements. A number of factors affect TriQuint's operating results and could cause its actual future results to differ materially from any results indicated in this press release or in any other forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, TriQuint including, but not limited to: those associated with the unpredictability and volatility of customer acceptance of and demand for our products and technologies, the ability of our production facilities and those of our vendors to meet demand, the ability of our production facilities and those of our vendors to produce products with yields sufficient to maintain profitability, as well as the other "Risk Factors" set forth in TriQuint's most recent 10-Q report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This and other reports can be found on the SEC (News - Alert) web site, www.sec.gov. A reader of this release should understand that these and other risks could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations expressed / implied in forward-looking statements.

FACTS ABOUT TRIQUINT

Founded in 1985, TriQuint Semiconductor (NASDAQ: TQNT) is a leading global provider of innovative RF solutions and foundry services for the world's top communications, defense and aerospace companies. People and organizations around the world need real-time, all-the-time connections; TriQuint products help reduce the cost and increase the performance of connected mobile devices and the networks that deliver critical voice, data and video communications. With the industry's broadest technology portfolio, recognized R&D leadership, and expertise in high-volume manufacturing, TriQuint creates standard and custom products using gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium nitride (GaN), surface acoustic wave (SAW) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) technologies. The company has ISO9001-certified manufacturing facilities in the U.S., production in Costa Rica, and design centers in North America and Germany. For more information, visit www.triquint.com.

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