Nexcom enters Flash market with new technology for portable and mobile "media-storage" applications; patented single-transistor NexFLASH technology enables high density, low-voltage, low-power, and fast programming Flash memory products.

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 4, 1995--Nexcom Technology, Inc., a privately held company, today announced its entrance into the Flash memory market with new technology and products tailored for emerging portable and mobile "media-storage" applications (defined as the transfer and storage of data, audio and images).

Nexcom has invested more than four years of research to successfully develop its NexFLASH technology. The NexFLASH technology enables high-density non-volatile FLASH memories to quickly erase, write, and read at low voltages with minimal power consumption. The company currently holds 11 patents for its technology and products with more pending.

In addition, the company has developed a strategic alliance with Oki Electric Corporation of Japan, a technology licensee, that involves development, wafer fabrication and second source rights. Initial NexFLASH product lines include: high-density Serial Flash Memory, PC Card ATA Solid-State Disks, and Application-Specific Flash Modules.

The Company

Nexcom Technology was founded in 1990 by Nagesh Challa, President and CEO, and Mike Gannage, Vice President of Engineering and Operations. The two founders, with a combined 30 years of memory/logic IC design experience, have been quietly developing the company's Flash technology while building a diverse team of semiconductor and systems professionals. Joining the Nexcom team as Vice President of Marketing and Sales in Robin Jigour, who brings more than 20 years of semiconductor and systems experience.

"Our organization's capabilities go beyond that of IC memory design and process development," stated Challa. "Nexcom's team also includes ASIC, systems, software, firmware and applications engineers. Such expertise, combined with our NexFLASH technology, uniquely positions Nexcom to address emerging Flash media-storage applications."

The Market

Nexcom Technology enters the fast growing Flash memory market with the intent of becoming a leading supplier of products for emerging portable and mobile media-storage applications. According to market research firms Dataquest (San Jose, Calif.) and Instat (Scottsdale, Ariz.), the Flash IC market is headed for significant growth. Up from $992M in 1994, Dataquest forecasts growth to $1.49B in 1995 and to more than $4.6B by 1999.

Traditionally, the Flash IC market has been dominated by large manufacturers who primarily supply Flash memory for embedded code-storage used for updatable BIOS and general EPROM replacement. Densities in this segment typically range from one to four megabits and are read-intensive but seldom erased and written to.

About 10 percent of the market is data or mass-storage which includes Flash Cards at density ranges of two to 20MB and, like hard-disks, spend about 75 percent of operation time being read from and 25 percent being written to. According to Instat, the Flash Card market is forecast to grow from approximately $160M in 1995 to more than $1.3B by 1999.

Flash Memory For Portable and Mobile "Media-Storage"

"Nexcom is focusing on the emerging media-storage applications which use Flash memory to transfer and store data, audio and images in a portable or mobile environment," said Jigour, vice president of marketing and sales.

The most common forms of Flash media storage include:

-- DATA -- Computer Files, Email, Data Acquisition

-- AUDIO -- Voice Recordings, Voice Messages, Sound Clips

-- IMAGES -- Digital Film Video Clips, Scanned Images, Drawing, Writing, Fax

"Different than code-storage, or ordinary mass-storage applications, media-storage requires efficient write-intensive Flash technology to handle an estimated 50 percent read and 50 percent erase/write operation. Flash products must be high-density, support read, erase and write at 3V (for battery operation), and have small sectors sizes than can be programmed quickly to efficiently use battery-power and to keep pace with high-speed portable and mobile applications."

Jigour continued, "Portable and mobile media-storage applications require a variety of Flash solutions, including ICs, cards, and modules, to satisfy diverse customer needs. NexFLASH technology and products meet these needs, making them ideal for a wide range of portable and mobile media-storage applications." (as listed below)

Communications:

-- Voice/data pagers

-- Cellular phones/accessories

-- Mobile answering systems

-- Wireless fax/modems

Portable Computing:

-- Flash PC Cards (Solid-State Disks) for notebooks and PDAs

-- Combo and Multi-function PC cards

-- Portable scanners

Industrial:

-- Talking sales displays

-- Hand-held terminals/meters

-- Portable bar-code readers

-- Data recorders 

Consumer:

-- Digital voice recorders 

-- Digital cameras

-- Video capture

-- Pen-based tablets

NexFLASH Technology

"Existing EPROM-Flash (NOR) technologies may be sufficient for some portable and mobile code-storage applications, but they're less suitable for low-power, battery-operated, and write-intensive media-storage applications," stated Challa.

EPROM-Flash technologies have been unable to support sub-5V erase/write operation because of the high-current hundreds of microAmps per cell Channel Hot Electron (CHE) mechanism and the need to increase already slow programming time (from one to 30 seconds per block or sector for 5V operation).

EEPROM technology, on the other hand, uses low-current (nano-Amp) Fowler Nordheim (FN) tunneling with fast programming time (5-10 per sector) and low supply voltages. Traditionally, the primary drawback with EEPROM has been the required two-transistors per cell that limit density and cost effectiveness.

The NexFLASH technology, however, addresses these limitations with a patented single-transistor NexPROM EE-NOR memory cell. Incorporating special mixed-polarity isolation techniques, the cell eliminates the need for the second select transistor used in ordinary EEPROM memory cells. This results in a high-density, low-cost per bit Flash technology with read, write, and erase operations at 5V, 3V or lower, and fast erase/write times (5ms per sector) that are key for ultra-low power consumption.

Additionally, the technology lends itself to data or code storage with small sector sizes that simplify interface and endurance management. Compared to other Flash offerings, NexFLASH technology is ideal for emerging mobile and portable media-storage applications.

"We don't rely on an exotic process or unique architecture, our technology simply uses an industry standard EEPROM process with special design techniques in a NOR array," said Challa. "This means we can install our process in almost any fab running EPROM, EEPROM or Flash with confidence of manufacturing success."

Currently, the NexFLASH technology yields 8-Megabit devices fabricated at Oki using a 0.7 micron process. With the technology now proven at 0.7 micron, migration to 0.45 micron, and later to 0.35 micron, will allow for higher densities and improved manufacturing cost. To insure ample capacity, a second (to be announced) fab partner, is also ready for volume production of NexFLASH devices.

NexFLASH Products

The first Nexcom products to incorporate the NexFLASH technology include: high-density Serial Flash Memory, PC Card ATA Solid-State Disks, and Application-Specific Flash Modules.

NexFLASH Serial Memory provides a low-voltage and low-power solution to high-density media-storage. The 8-Megabit NX26F080, the first in a planned family, is ideal for microcontroller-based portable and mobile applications. Supporting 5V or 3V supply operation during read, erase, and write, the devices feature ultra-low power consumption with stand-by modes and minimized power-on time via fast erase/write timing.

A simple, yet powerful, two-wire multi-device interface (one to 16 devices) requires only two pins for operation supporting clock speeds of up to 20MHz. The serial interface also simplifies PC-board layout and generates less noise than traditional parallel interfaces that experience signal-transitions of several lines simultaneously.

The NX26F080 NexFLASH Serial Memory is available in a variety of voltage, speed, and test grade versions at prices ranging from the low $20s to low $30s in 10,000 piece quantities with 8-12 week lead times. Nexcom also offers users its NexFLASH NX-FDB1 Firmware Library and Development Board (with optional voice recorder interface) for designing the NexFLASH Serial Memory. Versions of the NX-FDB1 NexFLASH Development Board and Firmware Library start at $575 each.

NexFLASH PC Card ATA Solid-State Disks provide a removable, rugged, and reliable storage solution for applications where traditional rotating hard-disks are not suitable. Fully compliant with industry standard PC-Card (PCMCIA) ATA specifications, they eliminate the overhead, compatibility and licensing issues associated with ordinary "linear" Flash Cards.

NexFLASH Solid-State Disks have small erase/write sector sizes of 512 bytes each and high-speed integrated ATA controller circuitry. Sustained read and erase/write transfers of over 1MB/second are achieved without using cache or pre-erase techniques. Fast transfer rates result in less overall active time minimizing battery power drain. Integrated controller circuitry performs dynamic error correction, defect/wear management, diagnostics and power-management.

NexFLASH Solid-State Disks come in standard 2.5, 5.5, 7.5 and 11 MB capacities in 5V and 3.3V versions with custom packaging and labeling available. Evaluation units are available for purchase now to qualified customers. Volume production is scheduled for the second quarter of 1996.

NexFLASH Application-Specific Modules provide a complete solution for emerging media-storage applications. Typical modules include: NexFLASH Serial Memory, microcontroller with firmware, and application-specific interface circuitry on a small "OEM-ready" printed circuit board. The company's first application-specific module, a Cellular Phone Answering Machine (CAM-1), is planned for introduction in the first quarter of 1996.

Nexcom Technology, Inc. designs, manufactures and markets advanced Flash memory IC products tailored for emerging portable and mobile media-storage applications. The company's patented state-of-the-art NexFLASH technology and products are ideal for designers of computers, communications, industrial, and consumer electronics systems requiring data, audio, and image storage in a portable/mobile environment. For further information about the complete family of NexFLASH products, write or call Nexcom Technology, 532 Mercury Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94086; telephone [phone] Ext.49; fax [phone]. -0-

Note to Editors: NexFLASH and NexPROM are trademarks of Nexcom Technology, Inc. All other marks are held by their respective owners.

CONTACT: Nexcom Technology, Inc.

Robin Jigour, 408/730-3690 Ext.49

or

Porchivina & Associates

Deborah Porchivina, 415/382-9134