NXP and TSMC Unveil Seven Innovations at IEDM Conference

NXP Semiconductors, the independent semiconductor company founded by Philips, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s leading foundry, are jointly presenting seven technological papers at the 2007 International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), the world’s premier forum for the presentation of microelectronic advances, which started on December 10 in Washington DC. NXP and TSMC worked together through the joint NXP-TSMC Research Center to develop these innovations.

Among the technological breakthroughs presented by NXP-TSMC Research Center is a revolutionary embedded memory technology with superior performance, up to 1000 times faster than traditional non volatile memories, coupled with scalability and reduced power consumption. The estimated power consumption is at least one order of magnitude lower than existing solutions. This new memory technology is also 5-10 per cent cheaper to manufacture than regular embedded memory. This technology will be helpful, for example, to prevent data stream interruptions and increase security of transactions when using NFC (Near Field Communication) to complete mobile payment transactions or content upload.

At the IEDM conference, NXP-TSMC Research Center will also present a Quartz-replacement Resonator breakthrough for producing smaller and thinner clocks in silicon chips than it is currently possible with traditional quartz crystals. This makes it possible to embed clocks into smart cards or SIM cards, which can be used to improve the cryptographic protection of a smart card.

In addition, the joint research center will introduce its outstanding work on transistors. The research shows the performance of a new generation of transistors and how they could function in different environments. A new method created helps assess the advantages of a new transistor technology at circuitry level, helping engineering teams design systems with specific requirements.

The seven papers NXP-TSMC Research Center will present are:

• High Frequency Breakthrough: A novel fully self-aligned SiGe:C HBT architecture featuring a single step epitaxial collector-base proces
• Process Simplification For Low Power CMOS Processes (For Portable Applications) : Tuning PMOS Mo(O,N) metal gates to NMOS by addition of DyO capping layer
• New Generation Transistor: Demonstration of high-performance FinFET devices featuring an optimized gatestack
• Demonstration Of High Performance Full CMOS Process: Low Vt CMOS using doped Hf-based oxides, TaC-based Metals and Laser-only Anneal
• Reducing Power Consumption Effectively By 80%: rapid circuit-based optimization of low operational power CMOS devices.
• Faster, Low Power, Scalable Embedded Memory: Evidence of the thermo-electric Thomson effect and influence on the program conditions and cell optimization in phase-range memory cells
• Resonator Technology Breakthrough: Scalable 1.1 GHz fundamental mode piezo-resistive silicon MEMS resonator

About NXP Semiconductors

NXP is a top 10 semiconductor company founded by Philips more than 50 years ago. Headquartered in Europe, the company has 37,000 employees working in more than 20 countries and posted sales of EUR 5 billion in 2006. NXP creates semiconductors, system solutions and software that deliver better sensory experiences in mobile phones, personal media players, TVs, set-top boxes, identification applications, cars and a wide range of other electronic devices. News from NXP is located at http://www.nxp.com.

About TSMC

TSMC is the world’s largest dedicated semiconductor foundry, providing the industry’s leading process technology and the foundry industry’s largest portfolio of process-proven libraries, IP, design tools and reference flows. The Company’s total managed capacity in 2006 exceeded seven million (8-inch equivalent) wafers, including capacity from two advanced 12-inch GigaFabs, four eight-inch fabs, one six-inch fab, as well as TSMC’s wholly owned subsidiaries, WaferTech and TSMC (Shanghai), and its joint venture fab, SSMC. TSMC is the first foundry to provide 65nm production capabilities. Its corporate headquarters are in Hsinchu, Taiwan. For more information about TSMC please see http://www.tsmc.com.