TSMC Announces Foundry Industry's First Automated FlashROM Service; New Service Helps Convert On-chip Flash into MROM, Reducing Manufacturing Cost and Accelerating Time-to-volume.Business Editors/High Tech Writers HSIN-CHU, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2001 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :TSM TSM Tivoli Storage Manager TSM Transportation System Management TSM Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (stock symbol) TSM Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. ), the world's largest dedicated semiconductor foundry, today announced the foundry industry's first automated FlashROM(TM) service in support of its EmbFlash(TM) process technology. The new FlashROM service is provided to EmbFlash customers who need help reducing manufacturing cost and accelerating time-to-volume by automatically converting on-chip flash into "mask-based" ROM (MROM MROM - Mask Read-Only Memory ). TSMC's EmbFlash technology is used by designers who need flexible system blocks for code or data reprogrammability. The EmbFlash technology is particularly advantageous for designs requiring in-system programming, product re-use, or last-minute code alterations. Once the design is relatively stable in the field, some companies choose to look for lower-cost alternatives to large amounts of embedded flash in high-volume production. TSMC's FlashROM provides that flexibility without requiring a complete redesign of the chip. This is significant, as all other foundry-based alternatives require removing the flash block and replacing it with an MROM block. Through TSMC's new FlashROM service, designers can convert the flash-based portion of the product to MROM version directly, without modifying other portions of the logic design. All design, layout and manufacturing is accomplished in a very short cycle. "TSMC's FlashROM service saves redesign efforts and accelerates time-to-volume, compared to earlier conversion methods," said Mike Pawlik, vice president of corporate marketing for TSMC TSMC Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd TSMC Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation TSMC Traffic Systems Management Center TSMC Toll Station Management Controller TSMC Transportation Supply Maintenance Command TSMC Technical Services Manager Code . "Moreover, it reduces the number of masking and testing steps while improving overall wafer yield. TSMC will continue to develop these and other innovative EmbFlash technologies and services to meet the evolving requirements of today's SoC designers." The FlashROM service will be a major focus at TSMC's Technology Symposiums, which will be held on April 23rd in San Jose, Calif.; April 25th in Austin, Tex.; April 27th in Boston, Mass.; and April 30th in Costa Mesa, Calif. To register for any Symposium, go to www.tsmc.com and click on the Technology Symposium registration button. About EmbFlash(TM) TSMC's EmbFlash is the foundry industry's leading embedded flash technology. This reliable and cost-effective technology allows designers to customize a broad range of products found in MCU (1) (MicroController Unit) A computer on a single chip. See microcontroller. (2) (Multipoint Control Unit) A device that is used to moderate a videoconference of three or more end points (users at computers or groups of users , DSP (1) (Digital Signal Processor) A special-purpose CPU used for digital signal processing applications (see definition #2 below). It provides ultra-fast instruction sequences, such as shift and add, and multiply and add, which are commonly used in math-intensive , smart card, cellular communications, automotive, CPLD (Complex PLD) A programmable logic device that is made up of several simple PLDs (SPLDs) with a programmable switching matrix in between the logic blocks. CPLDs typically use EEPROM, flash memory or SRAM to hold the logic design interconnections. See PLD and SPLD. , and other applications. Combining TSMC's industry-leading logic process and SST's SuperFlash(TM) split-gate flash cell, EmbFlash delivers a high-performance, logic-compatible flash memory technology. EmbFlash can also increase device functionality by integrating SRAM See static RAM. SRAM - static random-access memory , RF and analog functions on the same chip. EmbFlash is currently available in TSMC's 0.5 micron, 0.35 micron, and 0.25 micron. The 0.18 micron process generation is planned to launch in the third quarter of this year. EmbFlash features small flash block sizes and low masking steps. Most popular flash blocks are provided, with densities ranging from 4Kb to several megabits, as well as data bus widths of 8 bits, 16 bits, and 32 bits. High performance and low power consumption are implemented in the memory design. Designers can choose from an array of flexible sector sizes down to 4 bytes/sector, close to EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM) A rewritable memory chip that holds its content without power. Although EEPROMs spawned flash memory, EEPROMs are byte addressable at the write level, whereas flash chips must erase a block of bytes before rewriting. capability. Availability TSMC's FlashROM service is currently available for customers targeting TSMC's 0.5 micron process. The service will be ported to TSMC's 0.35 micron process by mid-2001 and to the 0.25 micron process by the fourth quarter of 2001. About TSMC TSMC is the world's largest dedicated semiconductor foundry, providing the industry's leading process technology, library and IP options and other leading-edge foundry services. TSMC operates two six-inch wafer fabs and nine eight-inch wafer fabs in three countries, including its two joint ventures fabs - Vanguard and SSMC SSMC Sound Shore Medical Center (New Rochelle, New York) SSMC Sustainable San Mateo County SSMC Symbology Standards Management Committee SSMC Sungei Way Subang Methodist Church SSMC Surveillance Strike Maneuver Capability SSMC St. - and its North American subsidiary, WaferTech. In 2000, TSMC produced the foundry industry's first 300mm customer wafers and began constructing two dedicated 300mm fabs. TSMC's corporate headquarters are in Hsin-Chu, Taiwan. More information about TSMC is available through the World Wide Web at http://www.tsmc.com. Note: EmbFlash(TM)and FlashROM(TM)are trade marks of TSMC. TSMC's EmbFlash(TM)flash cell is based on SuperFlash(TM) technology from SST SST: see airplane. (Silicon Storage Technology, Inc In the late 1980s, Bing Yeh and his cofounder assembled a small team of engineers in a rented office on Apollo Way in Sunnyvale, Calif., to develop a new breed of nonvolatile memory technology—SuperFlash—for code or data storage in electronic systems and embedded memory for .) |
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