Kilopass Expands XPM Non-Volatile Memory IP Enablement On Two 180nm Dongbu HiTek BCD Process to Serve Increased Customer Demand

Power Management Designs Use Kilopass XPM IP in Applications from Analog Trim, Product configuration, to Code Storage

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – August 6, 2012 – Kilopass Technology, Inc., a leading provider of semiconductor non-volatile memory (NVM) intellectual property (IP), announced today that it has successfully expanded enablement of its XPM (eXtra Permanent Memory) NVM IPon the Dongbu HiTek AN180 and BD180 BCD (Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS) processes.  Kilopass has also begun enablement of its XPM solutions at additional 180nm BCD foundries due to customer demand. Power management designs targeting mobile devices, hard drives, and the wide range of electronic systems being designed into automobiles, smart cities, and homes are driving increased demand for JEDEC-qualified Kilopass embedded NVM IP to store analog trim, product configuration data, and code storage in BCD process technology.

"As the market for smart power in portable devices as well as automobiles, homes, and computer equipment continues to develop so too does the demand for embedded NVM in BCD process technology," said Linh Hong, vice president of sales and marketing at Kilopass Technology Inc. "Traditionally, a few bits to a few kilobits are needed for storing trim and calibration in power management designs. However, we are seeing a trend where power management designs are becoming embedded systems where code storage integration is required. Kilopass has solutions to meet a wide variety of usages from 16b to 256kb in BCD."

Field programmability and the low cost to integrate Kilopass embedded NVM IP in BCD make the memory ideal in power management and power conversion designs: to supply mobile phones and tablets; to provide control and sense for MEMS gyroscopic, accelerometer and compass sensors; to drive LCD and OLED displays; and to drive motors such as optical zoom lens and shutter control of digital cameras or mobile phone vibrate function. Kilopass XPM can provide a few hundred bits for trimming analog components up to 256kb for program code storage in the microcontrollers being incorporated on power management integrated circuits. Kilopass’ NVM solutions can be over-provisioned to enable multi-time programmability that allow for changing program code over time.

“We are seeing increased customer demand for one-time programmable NVM in our 180nm BCD processes for power management in home consumer, mobile, and hard disk drive applications,” said Byung Joo Park, vice president of Marketing at Dongbu. “Offering up to six layers of aluminum interconnects and supporting 1.8V/3.3V operation, our 180nm BCD processes employ shallow trench isolation structures to optimize chip density and transistor characteristics. We are pleased that our NVM IP partner Kilopass has qualified their XPM NVM IP on our AN180 and BD180BCD processes. Our customers now have a field programmable NVM memory solution for trimming analog and mixed signal components that can drift over time and to store program code that may need to be altered occasionally during the life of a device.”

About Kilopass NVM Solutions in 180nm BCD

Design for 180nm BCD leverages technology know-how from 180nm standard logic CMOS process development. Kilopass’ 2T bitcell utilizes the 1.8V core NMOS devices incorporated in the BCD process. As a result, the memory array does not change from standard logic process to BCD. Only the array’s high voltage peripheral circuits need to be redesigned using the 5V I/O device available in BCD. Using the 5.0V I/O devices improves performance and reliability for the high voltage paths. Given Kilopass antifuse technology is temperature and voltage invariant, qualification work on the standard logic process can be leveraged to enable faster time to market for 180nm BCD.

Availability

Kilopass’ XPM memory IP for Dongbu AN180BCD, Dongbu BD180BCD are available for licensing now and the foundry is accepting designs for immediate manufacturing. For more information, contact info@kilopass.com.

About Kilopass

Kilopass Technology, Inc., a leading supplier of embedded NVM intellectual property, leverages standard logic CMOS processes to deliver one-time programmable (OTP) memory. With 58 patents granted or pending and more than 800,000 wafers shipped from a dozen foundries and Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDM), Kilopass has more than 100 customers in applications ranging from storage of firmware and security codes to calibration data and other application-critical information. The company is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. For more information, visit www.kilopass.com or email info@kilopass.com. Follow Kilopass on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/Kilopass_.

About Dongbu HiTek

As the World Leader in Specialty Foundry, Dongbu HiTek Co., Ltd. specializes in delivering superb analog and mixed-signal processing technologies. The leading specialty foundry adds high value to advanced ICs with a processing portfolio that encompasses Analog CMOS, BCDMOS, High Voltage CMOS, CMOS RF, CMOS Image Sensor (CIS), Display Driver IC (DDI), and NOR Flash technologies. Dongbu’s best-in-class BCDMOS technology enables power management chip designs that serve numerous applications ranging from home and handheld electronics to automotive and industrial systems. Currently processing technologies at nodes ranging from 0.35 microns to 90 nanometers, the company complements its world class foundry capabilities with top quality design support, prototype verification and packaging/module development. Headquartered in Seoul, Dongbu HiTek publicly trades its stock under 000990 on the Korea Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.dongbuhitek.com.