Virage Logic qualifies industry’s first million-cycle CMOS-based MTP NVM IP

FREMONT, USA: Virage Logic Corp. announced that its AEON MTP (Multiple Time Programmable) NVM (non-volatile memory) EEPROM IP has been qualified for a million cycles at an elevated temperature of 105o C in a standard 250-nanometer (nm), 5V CMOS process.

Dedicated EEPROMs typically guarantee one million cycle performance only at room temperature. AEON MTP NVM not only exceeds that performance, but comes with additional major advantages: the ability to be integrated into standard CMOS as well as high-voltage, analog processes.

Thus, Virage Logic becomes the first IP company to develop and qualify MTP EEPROM IP at 90nm and 65nm, and now the first ever MTP NVM EEPROM IP with a million cycles endurance.

NVMs, supporting bit counts from 8 bits up to 16k bits, are ubiquitous in every analog System-on-Chip (SoC) design shipped. These memories are used for data collection, parameter storage, and other computing functions that require data be preserved when the power is turned off. Virage Logic’s NVM products are found in seven of the top ten analog semiconductor companies shown in the 2010 Databeans listing.

“Virage Logic’s AEON MTP NVM EEPROM IP is ideally suited for use in such end applications as digital power management and battery fuel gage applications,” said Dr. Yankin Tanurhan, vice president and general manager of Virage Logic's Processor and NVM Solutions business units.

“Furthermore, having million-cycle MTP NVM EEPROM IP that can be implemented on a standard CMOS process opens up entirely new applications. A million cycles means an AEOM MTP EEPROM written every 5 minutes can last 10 years for real-time data logging applications. For example, over this time embedded battery power management software can monitor the aging profile and environmental conditions of a battery and modify its operation to maintain consistent performance over the life of the battery.”

The potential total available market for MTP NVM EEPROM IP in SoCs for battery power management is large and growing. The United Nations' International Telecommunications Union put the total number of mobile phone subscribers at 4.6 billion at the end of 2009.

MTP NVM EEPROM IP for managing power in batteries for smartphones, the most power hungry, could potentially reach nearly 200 million units this year if past growth is any indication. Market research firm Gartner predicted Smartphone sales of 172 million for 2009 -- a 24 percent growth over the previous year.