CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
9 September 2008
Implementation Investments
Analog Devices Selects Virage Logic's AEON® Non-Volatile Memory Technology for High-Reliability Applications
Virage Logic Corporation announced that Analog Devices, a global company in high-performance semiconductors for signal processing applications, has licensed the company's AEON embedded non-volatile memories (NVM) for use in a broad range of analog and mixed-signal products. The AEON product line, acquired by Virage Logic as part of its recent purchase of the NVM IP business of Seattle-based Impinj, Inc., is part of the company's comprehensive portfolio of embedded NVM solutions.
Manufactured on standard CMOS and high voltage processes and qualified for use in a range of demanding environments, Virage Logic's AEON technology eliminates the costly manufacturing steps normally associated with floating gate memory, while reducing the engineering effort and associated costs of integrating NVM into system-on-chip (SoC) designs. AEON memory features high yield and reliability and is designed to operate over a wide temperature range with a minimum 10-year data retention, making it ideal for demanding automotive applications. AEON memory undergoes a rigorous qualification process including full characterization and reliability testing over extended temperatures and manufacturing process conditions.
"Flexible embedded multi-time programmable (MTP) non-volatile memory is a key functionality benefit for many ADI products," said Mike Britchfield, product line director, precision signal processing, Analog Devices.
"Now, more than ever, Virage Logic provides a full complement of reliable, flexible and highly secure embedded multi-time programmable NVM solutions in a package that is cost-effective and consistently high-yielding," said Brani Buric, vice president of marketing at Virage Logic. "We are certainly pleased that Analog Devices has chosen to validate our technology with their commitment to deploying AEON in a variety of high-reliability applications."
Virage Logic's AEON embedded MTP NVM provides full read and program operation at temperatures ranging from -40C to 150C, with 10-year data retention at 150C. The AEON memory system supports 100,000 write-erase cycles over the life of the memory and provides bit counts from eight bits to 8K bits. Designed for high yield and reliability, AEON enables 100-percent electrical testing at wafer sort, eliminating costly field programming failures associated with one-time programmable solutions. Designed to enable considerable manufacturing and operational flexibility, final calibration can be performed at wafer test, post-packaging or in the field. Moreover, identical integrated circuits (ICs) can be calibrated and configured to implement different features at final test immediately prior to shipping.
Virage Logic currently offers more than 700 AEON instances from 250-nanometer (nm) down to 65-nanometer (nm) on standard CMOS, and is in development on TSMC's 180-nm 5V process that includes high-voltage BCD options.
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