UMC Expands Embedded Memory Portfolio to Target Fast Growing Smart Card Market; Foundry's First 0.25um Embedded EEPROM Delivers Reliability and Low Power Advantages
HSINCHU, Taiwan—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Sept. 20, 2004—
UMC (NYSE:UMC)(TSE:2303), a world leading semiconductor
foundry, today announced that it has developed the foundry's first
true embedded EEPROM based on UMC 0.25um Logic and Mixed-signal
Platform. The embedded EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable
Read-only Memory) targets the rapidly emerging IC card market, which
includes mobile SIM cards, debit cards, credit cards, ID cards, USB ID
keys or any other application where secure identification is required
and information needs to be updated and programmed frequently.
UMC's EEPROM technology is based on a conventional two-transistor
EEPROM cell architecture, proven to be one of the most reliable cells
in the industry, to guarantee more than 500K program/erase cycling.
The EEPROM IP offering by UMC features both page and byte re-writable
capability. These EEPROM IPs exhibit very low power characteristics
(1mA at below 2V operation), allowing them to be used for both contact
and also contact-less smart cards that need only come into close
proximity of the card reader for transactions to be recorded.
Nai-Chen Peng, director of the Embedded Memory Division at UMC,
said, "UMC has been very active in pursuing embedded memory solutions
based on our popular logic and mixed-signal platform to make sure
customers may seamlessly add embedded memory features to their
existing IP. The performance characteristics of our latest embedded
EEPROM offering deliver a very attractive solution for designers of
today's smart card ICs that require reliability and low operating
power."
UMC is planning to provide Silicon Shuttle prototyping services
for this embedded EEPROM technology, with the first shuttle scheduled
to launch in November 2004. In addition to EEPROM, UMC is also
developing 0.25um embedded Flash IPs, expected to become available by
the end of 2004. Embedded Flash for 0.18um and 0.13um technologies is
scheduled for availability in 2005.
About EEPROM
Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-only Memory (EEPROM),
similar to flash memory, is a variation of Non-Volatile Memory (NVM).
However, EEPROM offers many advantages for certain applications in
that it can be frequently programmed, reprogrammed and erased byte by
byte within the system. NVM is capable of retaining its contents
without a power supply for up to a few years.
About UMC
UMC (NYSE:UMC)(TSE:2303) is a leading global semiconductor foundry
that manufactures advanced process ICs for applications spanning every
major sector of the semiconductor industry. UMC delivers cutting-edge
foundry technologies that enable sophisticated system-on-chip (SOC)
designs, including 90nm copper, 0.13um copper and mixed signal/RFCMOS.
UMC is also a leader in 300mm manufacturing; Fab 12A in Taiwan and
Singapore-based UMCi are both in volume production for a variety of
customer products. UMC employs over 10,500 people worldwide and has
offices in Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Europe and the United States. UMC
can be found on the web at http://www.umc.com.
Contact:
UMC
Alex Hinnawi, 886-2-2700-6999 ext. 6958 (In Taiwan)
or
KJ Communications
Eileen Elam, 650-917-1488 (In the USA)
eileen@kjcompr.com
