Non-volatile memory (NVM) IP vendor Kilopass Technology and United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) have expanded their existing manufacturing license deal, according to the companies. In addition to the 40nm low-power process in the current agreement, the extension will cover UMC technology processes spanning from 55nm to 130nm.

Future plans include UMC's 28nm HKMG and poly-SiON processes, based upon customer demand, the companies said.

The agreement will start with UMC's 55SP (standard performance 55nm) process. Both companies expect to start delivering 55SP solutions in the fourth quarter of 2011 with the rest of the roadmap delivered in 2012.

"We see Kilopass' OTP roadmap, customer adoption, and broad portfolio of unique offerings as convincing factors for an ideal OTP partner for UMC," SC Chien, VP of Customer Engineering & IP Development & design Support at UMC. "Their logic NVM solutions will nicely complement UMC's existing embedded NVM portfolio, which includes eFlash, eE2PROM, eMTP, eOTP and eFuse."

For Kilopass, its expanded collaboration with UMC will help the company break into the supply chain of China-based IC design firms.

The partnership between Kilopass and UMC started in 2010.

Source:digitimes