X-FAB adds eFlash to high-voltage 0.18 micrometer foundry offering

ERFURT, GERMANY: X-FAB Silicon Foundries enhanced its XH018 0.18 micrometer high-voltage process with a highly reliable new embedded Flash solution. It offers the industry’s lowest mask count of 32 mask layers in total for the modular combination of digital, analog and high-voltage features with embedded Flash.

The flash module itself requires only two masks. This new solution results in the industry’s most cost-effective System-on-chip (SoC) platform. Supporting operating voltages up to 45V, and parallel integration of EEPROM, NVRAM and eFlash storage architectures, the new embedded on-chip memory solution is ideal for high-speed microcontroller, digital power and automotive applications.

X-FAB will host a free webinar to discuss the new solution, “Reliable Non-Volatile Memories Made Easy – eFlash & Other Embedded NVM Solutions in 0.18 Micrometer,” on July 12, 2011 for North and South America, and on July 13, 2011 for EMEA and Asia.

Available in two different ready-to-use blocks – 8K x 32-bit and 16K x 32-bit – the new XH018 eFlash solution is easy to integrate, offers fast access, and is more robust than external memory solutions. It includes optional error-correcting code (ECC) capability, allowing errors to be corrected on the fly.

The new solution requires 1.8V and 3.3V operating voltage, and offers a fast 50-nanosecond access time independent of temperature, voltage and process changes within the entire operating range. It also offers a very low current consumption of 200 microampere per MHz, and supports high-temperature read operation for junction temperature up to 175 degrees Celsius.

X-FAB’s CEO Rudi De Winter, said: “Our customers tell us they use eFlash technology as a platform for developing entire product families. With our XH018 embedded flash solution, they can modify the performance and configuration of their ASSPs simply by making software changes. Thus they can develop complete product families based on a highly reliable single NVM architecture that is easy to integrate, configure and use. XH018 eFlash is the perfect combination of high voltage and embedded flash for cost-effective complex SoCs.”

The XH018 eFlash solution joins X-FAB’s existing embedded NVM offering, which currently includes both one-time programmable TrimOTP and non-volatile random-access memory NVRAM options. These include a compiler tool that enables designers to customize the memory blocks by configuring them according to their requirements.

The XH018 NVM design kit and Flash IP blocks can be licensed and are available now from X-FAB’s online technical information platform X-TIC. The EEPROM IP blocks will be available in the fourth quarter of 2011. The ready-to-use blocks currently are undergoing comprehensive testing as part of the qualification process. X-FAB plans to offer additional memory sizes and high-temperature characterization early next year.