X-FAB Releases First 0.18 Micrometer Foundry Solution for Integrated Hall Sensors

High-Performance Hall Sensor Capability Proven to Enable Cost-Effective SoCs

ERFURT, Germany -- June 10, 2009 – X-FAB Silicon Foundries, the leading analog/mixed-signal foundry and expert in “More than Moore” technologies, today announced the industry’s first foundry process for the production of integrated Hall sensor ICs in 0.18 micrometer technology. Its 0.18 micrometer low-power CMOS process, known as XH018, allows the combination of Hall sensor elements with high-voltage devices and Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) options. This capability augments the industry-leading analog/mixed-signal capabilities inherent in the XH018 process, enabling cost-effective and energy-efficient System-on-Chip (SoC) solutions.

X-FAB’s customers gain the many advantages that Hall effect sensors have over traditional mechanical and reed discrete devices. Silicon-based contactless implementation of Hall sensors improves reliability and durability by virtually eliminating mechanical wear. These sensors enable high-precision measurement and analysis of magnetic fields.

X-FAB’s 0.18 micrometer foundry technology for Hall sensors enables the sensing element to be integrated on the same chip as its control logic and interface circuitry. Due to its small geometry resulting in high integration density, high magnetic sensitivity can be achieved with minimal parasitic effects. On a test chip with a sensor size of 50 by 50 square micrometers, X-FAB has proven a magnetic sensitivity of up to 360 V/(A*T) with high linearity.

Hall sensor technology has been replacing conventional sensing techniques in many applications. X-FAB’s Hall sensor foundry offering is ideal for a variety of applications including magnetic field measurements, position control, speed detection, contactless switches as well as position and angle sensors. System costs for such applications can be substantially lowered with X-FAB’s integrated approach due to lower part count, simpler assembly, and higher reliability.

Availability

X-FAB’s XH018 technology for integrated Hall sensor solutions is available today. It comes with comprehensive design support including characterization data and layout examples.

About X-FAB

X-FAB is the leading analog/mixed-signal foundry group manufacturing silicon wafers for analog-digital integrated circuits (mixed-signal ICs). X-FAB maintains wafer production facilities in Erfurt and Dresden (Germany), Plymouth (UK), Lubbock, Texas (US) and Kuching, Sarawak (Malaysia), and employs approximately 2,600 people worldwide. Wafers are manufactured based on advanced modular CMOS and BiCMOS processes with technologies ranging from 1.0 to 0.18 micrometers, for applications primarily in the automotive, communications, consumer and industrial sectors. For more information, please visit www.xfab.com.