This marks the third SONOS technology collaboration in the last three years between the two companies. UMC licensed Cypress's 55-nm SONOS process technology in 2014 and qualified Cypress's 65-nm technology in 2013.
Cypress's 40-nm SONOS embedded nonvolatile memory (NVM) process provides significant advantages over other embedded NVM offerings. SONOS requires fewer additional mask layers to insert it into a standard CMOS process, specifically, five additional masks at the 40-nm node compared with a minimum of twelve additional masks needed for other embedded Flash technologies. In addition, SONOS does not alter standard device characteristics or models when added to baseline CMOS processes, preserving existing design IP. SONOS delivers intrinsically high yields and reliability, 10 years of data retention, 100,000 program/erase endurance cycles, and robust resistance to soft errors. Cypress and UMC have demonstrated the ability to scale SONOS to smaller nodes, expediting future IP development.
"In addition to offering an IoT-specific technology and design platform, UMC offers design kits and IP specialized for our IoT processes to expedite our customers' designs to market," said S.C. Chien, vice president of Specialty Technology Development at UMC. "We are happy to expand our diverse range of eFlash solutions with the addition of Cypress's SONOS on UMC's high-volume and high-demand 40-nm process, providing customers with a high-performance, low power embedded memory option for customer IoT products."
"We are pleased to continue working with UMC to extend the adoption of our SONOS IP as the top choice for embedded nonvolatile memory," said Sam Geha, Vice President of the Technology and Intellectual Property Business Unit at Cypress. "The 40-nm SONOS process is embedded in an ultra-low power process technology and other 40-nm variants. It will benefit a broad range of UMC's customers looking to develop smart, power-efficient products for the Internet of Things and wearable electronics markets. 40-nm SONOS also enables faster processing speeds and lower power consumption for microcontrollers."
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About Cypress
Cypress delivers high-performance, mixed-signal, programmable solutions that provide customers with rapid time-to-market and exceptional system value. Cypress offerings include the flagship PSoC® 1, PSoC 3, PSoC 4 and PSoC 5LP programmable system-on-chip families. Cypress is the world leader in capacitive user interface solutions including CapSense® touch sensing, TrueTouch® touchscreens, and trackpad solutions for notebook PCs and peripherals. Cypress is a world leader in USB controllers, which enhance connectivity and performance in a wide range of consumer and industrial products. Cypress is also the world leader in SRAM and nonvolatile RAM memories. Cypress serves numerous major markets, including consumer, mobile handsets, computation, data communications, automotive, industrial and military. Cypress trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol CY. Visit Cypress online at
www.cypress.com.
Note from UMC Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Some of the statements in the foregoing announcement are forward looking within the meaning of the U.S. Federal Securities laws, including statements about future outsourcing, wafer capacity, technologies, business relationships and market conditions. Investors are cautioned that actual events and results could differ materially from these statements as a result of a variety of factors, including conditions in the overall semiconductor market and economy; acceptance and demand for products from UMC; and technological and development risks. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in UMC's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its registration statements and reports on Forms F-1, F-3, F-6, 20-F and 6-K, in each case as amended. UMC does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.
Cypress, the Cypress logo, PSoC, CapSense and TrueTouch are registered trademarks of Cypress Semiconductor Corp. All other trademarks are property of their owners.
Contacts: Samer Bahou Cypress PR (408) 232-4552 Email Contact Richard Yu UMC Corporate Communications (886) 2-2658-9168 ext. 16951 Email Contact