austriamicrosystems to produce Triad's via-configurable SoC solution

Design Automation Conference 2009, UNTERPREMSTAETTEN, AUSTRIA & WINSTON SALEM, USA: austriamicrosystems business unit Full Service Foundry announced that Triad Semiconductor has selected austriamicrosystems for the production of its Via-Configurable Array (VCA) technology.

The VCA technology has been developed using austriamicrosystems advanced analog specialty 0.35um CMOS embedded EEPROM process technology and is manufactured in austriamicrosystems state-of-the-art 8-inch SMIF fab. Triad is extending its already successful line of VCAs fabricated at austriamicrosystems with the introduction of the Mocha product line.

Mocha is a complete system-on-chip (SoC) solution combining a high performance, low power 32-bit processor with Triad’s via configurable analog, digital, and memory resources. Unique to Triad’s patented VCA approach is the ability to configure and interconnect this rich set of resources using only a single via mask layer.

This approach enables the re-use of silicon-proven IP, reduces engineering and tooling costs, and improves development time.

“The austriamicrosystems C35 specialty process contains the superior analog/mixed-signal features that our applications demand” states James Kemerling, CTO and Co-Founder of Triad Semiconductor. “Highest manufacturing quality standards and the C35 process’ mixed signal capabilities combined with the ability to embed EEPROM and high voltage options makes this an ideal process to support our new Mocha-family of configurable SoCs.”

“Triad’s via-configurable array technology enables ASIC customers to rapidly develop prototypes of their products.” states Thomas Riener, General Manager Full Service Foundry at austriamicrosystems. “It helps shorten the development phase and supports fast product ramp-ups which ultimately results in a reduced time-to-profits. Once requiring high volume production, customers can either further optimize the VCA or easily change to pure ASIC manufacturing.”