Gothenburg, Sweden and Shanghai, China -- February 16, 2010 -- Fingerprint Cards (hereinafter referred to as “FPCâ€), a leading provider of fingerprint sensors, and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC", NYSE: SMI and SEHK: 0981.HK), the largest and most advanced foundry in China, today jointly announced that the companies will work in collaboration to bring FPC1080A, the world’s smallest and most power-efficient fingerprint swipe sensor optimized for mobile phones and tablets, to the China market.
FPC1080A, is extremely small, has uniquely low power consumption and offers world-leading image quality with a resolution of 508 dpi. The chip combines FPC’s well-known quality with ease of integration, making it the ideal sensor for high-volume devices such as mobile phones, laptops, smart cards and USB keys. The FPC1080A has integrated hardware support for finger navigation, which enables the sensor to be used as navigation device to replace joysticks or other similar navigation systems.
“Quality assurance and product recognition go hand in hand, and in working with SMIC we are able to provide our customers with products of the highest possible quality at a competitive price,†said Johan Carlstrom, CEO of Fingerprint Cards. “We are very pleased that SMIC and Fingerprints are working together on the new swipe-sensor product in addition to our other products in commercial production at SMIC. With FPC’s innovative design and patented technology combined with SMIC’s outstanding manufacturing capabilities and excellent yield performance, we are confident that FPC will keep its promise to continue to deliver fingerprint sensors with superior performance, quality and value for our customers.â€
Fingerprint Cards and SMIC have agreed to work together in China to promote the swipe sensor and FPC’s existing area sensor products, as well as to further penetrate the fingerprint-sensor market. The two companies and HST, FPC’s distributor in China, will work closely together to bring the next-generation swipe sensor products to the China market.
“It is a great opportunity to work with Fingerprint Cards to strengthen our strategic and synergistic relationship,†said Joseph Xie, Vice President and General Manager of Eurasia Business Unit of SMIC. “We have confidence that with SMIC’s mature technologies and our strong local network, we will be able to bring a true next-generation product to better serve China's rapid growing consumer electronics market and to enhance the market penetration of swipe sensors.â€
About SMIC
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (“SMICâ€; NYSE: SMI; SEHK: 981) is one of the leading semiconductor foundries in the world and the largest and most advanced foundry in Mainland China, providing integrated circuit (IC) foundry and technology services at 0.35-micron to 45/40-nanometer. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, SMIC has a 300mm wafer fabrication facility (fab) and three 200mm wafer fabs in its Shanghai mega-fab, two 300mm wafer fabs in its Beijing mega-fab, a 200mm wafer fab in Tianjin, a 200mm fab under construction in Shenzhen, and an in-house assembly and testing facility in Chengdu. SMIC also has customer service and marketing offices in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, and a representative office in Hong Kong. In addition, SMIC manages and operates a 300mm wafer fab in Wuhan owned by Wuhan Xinxin Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation. For more information, please visit http://www.smics.com/