NEC Electronics America Announces New 55-Nanometer Standard CMOS Process

Company to Lead Next-Generation SoC Market With New CMOS Process Technology for Ultra-Low-Power Devices

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- June 9, 2006-- NEC Electronics America, Inc. today announced to the Americas' markets the industry's first 55-nanometer (nm) standard CMOS process technology, UX7LS, that will be used to produce next-generation systems on chips (SoCs) with ultra-low power consumption. A shrink version of NEC Electronics' 65 nm technology, the UX7LS process enables SoCs to consume less power and achieve the same performance as 45 nm-based devices.

Combined with NEC Electronics' UltimateLowPower(TM) technology, UX7LS successfully reduces power consumption in standby mode to approximately one-tenth of conventional 65 nm devices, and also boosts the transistor's on-current by 20 to 30 percent. These ratings were achieved through NEC Electronics' new low-power CMOS transistor technology that uses a hafnium-silicate film as a high-dielectric-constant (high-k) insulator film. UX7LS inherited the "on-grid design-ruled design for manufacturing (DFM) scheme" from the previous 65 nm generation, and adopted immersion lithography technology for minituriazation, which can reduce SRAM size to 0.446 square micrometers and enable a smooth migration path from 65 nm technology.

The new process will support NEC Electronics' unique CMOS-compatible embedded DRAM technology and also be applied to SoCs designed for a broad range of future products-from mobile equipment to digital consumer devices.

"The industry's demand for faster and lower-power devices continues to increase and is driving the current push to develop microfabrication technology," said Kazu Yamada, vice president, custom SoC solutions strategic business unit, NEC Electronics America. "With our new process technology, SoC designers will be able to reduce power consumption and costs through device miniaturization compared to conventional 65 nm transistors. The advancements achieved by our UX7LS technology mark another milestone in our continuing effort to pioneer the design and development of revolutionary process technologies to meet ever-changing market demands."

Shipping of engineering samples based on the UX7LS technology is expected to begin in the summer of 2007, and mass production is expected in the same year. (Availability is subject to change.) More information about NEC Electronics' advanced process technology can be found at http://www.am.necel.com/process.

UltimateLowPower Technology

NEC Electronics' UltimateLowPower is a device-circuit collaborative technology for achieving power reduction. Its basic components are (1) a transistor that uses a hafnium-silicate film as a high-dielectric-constant (high-k) insulator film, (2) a transistor channel design that enhances body-bias effect, and (3) monitor circuit technology for determining optimum supply and threshold voltages controlled through the body bias. More information can be found at http://www.am.necel.com/ulp.

About NEC Electronics America, Inc.

NEC Electronics America, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Electronics Corporation, a leading provider of semiconductor products encompassing advanced technology solutions for the broadband and communications markets; system solutions for the mobile, PC, automotive and digital consumer markets; and multi-market solutions for a wide range of customer applications. NEC Electronics America offers a local manufacturing facility in Roseville, California, and the global manufacturing capabilities of its parent company. NEC Electronics America also is the marketing and sales channel in the Americas for industrial-type, active-matrix LCD modules from NEC Technologies, Ltd., a global leader in innovative display technologies. More information about NEC Electronics America's products can be found at http://www.am.necel.com.