Novocell Announces the Development of NovoBits: an Antifuse Alternative to Polyfuse

April 21, 2011; Hermitage, PA: Novocell Semiconductor, Inc. today announces the development of NovoBits, a register architecture antifuse non-volatile memory developed as an alternative to e-fuse and polyfuse memories. NovoBits offers a secure, highly reliable, drop-in solution that is foundry independent and promotes design portability. Targeted at smaller bit counts, block sizes range from 8bits to 256bits. The memory is completing qualification now and will be available late Q2’11.

“We developed NovoBits to provide our customers working in larger geometries, 180nm and above, a denser solution for their trim or calibration data storage within the same area currently allocated for other NVM. Using an antifuse solution in place of a poly or e-fuse solution allows for a 25-45% increase in bit density - a significant improvement when part configuration also becomes a design requirement,” says Steve Warner, Novocell’s President.

About the Technology

NovoBits is an antifuse memory featuring a register-type architecture. The memory is designed on Novocell’s patented SmartBit technology enabling it to be truly foundry independent. SmartBit technology is inherently portable because of its dynamic programming technique that accounts for oxide splits and/or process variants. Dynamic programming programs each bit until an irreversible hard breakdown of the oxide is achieved, creating a permanent silicon link proven not to degrade over time and temperature.

About Novocell Semiconductor, Inc.:

Novocell Semiconductor, Inc. specializes in developing and delivering advanced non-volatile memory intellectual property (IP) to the semiconductor industry. Novocell is the only provider of 2nTP, the first multi-time write antifuse memory IP. NovoBlox OTP, 2nTP, and NovoBits are the only antifuse memories proven to have zero tail bit failures within operating ranges and 30 years of data retention. The technology is available and scalable from 350nm to 65nm and beyond. For more information, please visit: www.novocellsemi.com.