Spansion and UMC announce joint technology development and licensing agreement

USA & TAIWAN: Spansion Inc., a leading innovator of flash memory solutions, and United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), announced the joint development of a 40nm process that integrates UMC's 40nm LP logic process with Spansion proprietary embedded Charge Trap (eCT) Flash memory technology. As part of this non-exclusive agreement, UMC is licensed to manufacture products based on this technology for Spansion.

Spansion embedded Charge Trap is a new high performance, low power, and cost- effective NOR Flash technology optimized for integration with advanced logic process in system-on-chip (SoC) products. The technology is scalable beyond 40nm and can be integrated into High-k manufacturing process.

Products based on Spansion eCT will drive the development of faster, more intelligent connected technologies in industrial, automotive and consumer applications. Spansion eCT technology is a key enabler for expanding the roadmap for Spansion's Programmable System Solutions (PSS), which combine Flash memory with configurable logic to enhance processing performance for applications that are memory, processing and MIPS intensive.

"Collaborating with UMC furthers Spansion's licensing strategy," said John Kispert, president and CEO of Spansion. "By working with a leading foundry such as UMC, we can more effectively expand our PSS product roadmap and licensing business. In addition, we will enable others to take advantage of our Charge Trap technology, extending into new markets and bringing additional value to our customers."

W.Y. Chen, COO of UMC, said: "We look forward to working with Spansion to offer an industry leading logic platform that integrates our robust 40nm production process with their well established Charge Trap memory technology. The result of the collaboration will deliver a cost-effective, innovative technology solution for customers designing into a wide range of market segments."