Dongbu Electronics Drives Toward 0.13-Micron CMOS Process.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 4, 2002

Strong technology momentum continues at Korea's largest pure-play

foundry; Targets 0.13-micron process addition to robust

CMOS portfolio in 2002

Maintaining the strong momentum it has established in qualifying advanced 0.18- and 0.25-micron CMOS process technologies, Dongbu Electronics today announced that it is on track to qualify its 0.13-micron CMOS process (DL013GD) at its Class-1 wafer fab in Eumsung, Korea during the third quarter of this year. Today's announcement closely follows the company's launch of its low-voltage 0.18-micron process (DL018LVT), which demonstrated high yields after 1,000 hours of burn-in.

"Our recent DL018LVT process launch put us solidly in the middle of the current 0.18-micron CMOS design window," said Peter Hillen, executive vice president of worldwide business development. "In a similar fashion, we expect our DL013GD process to launch at an ideal time later this year to meet the growing production demand for next-generation system-on-chip (SOC) designs for wireless, networking and advanced consumer electronics applications."

According to Brian Matas, vice president of market research for IC Insights, "Demand for smaller line widths will continue to accelerate as chip designers shift ASIC development into the realm of SOCs, which implies integration of a processing engine and memory with logic. Dongbu's drive to offer a 0.13-micron CMOS process this year should be well timed to participate in the expanding market for more highly integrated SOCs."

Ed Chow, VP of technology support for Dongbu, confirmed that the Korean foundry's 0.13-micron technology will feature FSG and low-k inter-metal dielectric options to reduce R-C delay and improve performance. He noted that Dongbu's DL013GD process will employ up to eight layers of metal and a poly transistor gate lengths as small as 0.08-micron, and that the generic family will include standard-logic, high-performance, and low-power processes. "With a 1.2V core and I/Os of 2.5V and 3.3V, plus a 6-T SRAM cell measuring only 2.40 square microns -- our 0.13-micron process will be ideal for implementing SOC designs that integrate high density SRAMs," he added.

Dongbu expects to offer both foundry-compatible and Toshiba-compatible versions of its 0.13-micron process when it is released for production later this year. The Korean foundry also expects to provide early adopter access to its complete 0.13-micron baseline, including both digital and mixed-signal technologies. This will enable early access to Dongbu's 0.13-micron process design kit, cell libraries and EDA tool flows as well as support for multiple IP platforms.

Dongbu Electronics

Dongbu Electronics is a privately held wafer foundry specializing in advanced CMOS processing for logic, mixed-signal, embedded flash, and system-on-chip designs. With worldwide business development offices based in the Silicon Valley city of Mountain View, California, Dongbu operates a state-of-the-art pure-play foundry in Eumsung, Korea, near Seoul. Dongbu is a key global supplier within Korea's vibrant semiconductor manufacturing, test and assembly infrastructure. Major investors include Toshiba Corporation, Japan's largest semiconductor manufacturer, and the Dongbu Group, a multi-billion dollar industrial and financial conglomerate. For more information, visit www.dsemi.com.