New Process Supports Clock Speeds of Up to 1 GHz and Features 100 Million Gates for High-Performance and Low-Power ASIC Designs
Kawasaki, Japan, SANTA CLARA, Calif., DUSSELDORF, Germany, November 11, 2002 - NEC Electronics Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, NEC Electronics America Inc. and NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH, today announced the company has completed development of its new CB-90 system LSI design platform featuring NEC Electronics' UX6 90-nanometer (nm) process technology. The new design platform provides customers with leading-edge process technology for next generation application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) solutions that require low power consumption and high performance for applications such as broadband communications, high-end computing and storage systems, and mobile computing devices. NEC Electronics is scheduled to begin accepting customer orders in March 2003, with volume production capabilities scheduled for availability in the third quarter of 2003.
"With this announcement, NEC Electronics Corp. continues its commitment to the global ASIC market by providing customers with leading edge 90-nm process technology for next-generation ASIC development," said Kazu Yamada, general manager of the Technology Foundation Development Division, NEC Electronics Corporation. "Our standardized manufacturing processes and broad IP library will enable the design and manufacturing of ASIC solutions that address the wide range of performance and functionality requirements required by our broad ASIC customer base."
NEC Electronics' UX6 process technology is compliant with the industry's STARC and ASPLA standards, allowing easy implementation of either NEC Electronics or third party intellectual-property (IP) blocks. The CB-90 platform can support clock speeds of up to one gigahertz (GHz), a 20 percent increase in performance over NEC's previous generation UX5 130-nm ASIC platform. Furthermore, with the CB-90 platform, NEC Electronics is introducing a new one-volt (V) CMOS transistor, created using a high-K transistor gate oxide that reduces current leakage, resulting in greatly reduced power consumption. The UX6 process also features high levels of integration with support for up to 100 million usable gates.
Multiple Cell-Based Libraries Optimized for Applications Ranging from High-Performance to Low-Power
NEC Electronics has developed three different cell-based libraries for customer use when designing CB-90-based ASICs. Each library is customized to provide the performance and features characteristic of its target application. The CB-90H library, with its high-drive cells, offers the heightened reliability and low capacitance needed to transfer large quantities of data at very high speeds, making it ideal for broadband communications and high-end computing and storage applications. Its efficient use of chip surface area makes the CB-90M library a strong solution for cost-sensitive, digital consumer electronics applications. The CB-90L library uses cells that offer reduced current leakage in standby mode, which when combined with the active current reduction, makes the library a compelling design solution for mobile battery-powered applications.
Furthermore, NEC Electronics is planning to offer a wide range of IP cores, including memory compilers, digital and analog PLLs, and AD/DA converters, as well as high performance I/Os such as HSTL, SSTL, LVDS and USB to meet the design requirements of CB-90 customers.
Fast Design Time with C-Based Design Environment
The CB-90 platform is capable of providing customers with ASIC designs that support high-volume production but only require a minimal design turnaround time. This is achieved through NEC Electronics' C-based design environment. C-based design environments are increasingly important in advanced processes, in order to minimize design turn around times that tend to become longer when designs are more complicated. NEC Electronics is also offering a 3-D RC (resistance capacitance) extraction tool, which enables more precise verification of a design, and number of other verification tools which minimize the crosstalk and electromigration characteristic of high-performance, small process geometry ASIC designs.
Availability and Packaging
NEC Electronics offers a variety of packaging configurations for CB-90 customers to support the broad number of applications their designs will address. The 90-nm CB-90 platform offers packaging solutions ranging from flip chips that support high pin counts to chip-size packages.
Performance verification libraries for the CB-90 platform are scheduled for release in December 2002. NEC Electronics is scheduled to begin accepting customer orders in March 2003, and first samples of CB-90-based ASICs are scheduled for delivery in June 2003. Volume production is targeted for the third quarter of 2003.
About NEC Electronics Corporation
NEC Electronics Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation (NASDAQ: NIPNY) (FTSE: 6701q.l), one of the world's leading providers of Internet, broadband network and enterprise business solutions. NEC Electronics specializes in semiconductor products encompassing advanced technology solutions for the broadband and communications markets, system solutions for the mobile handsets, PC peripherals, automotive and digital consumer markets, and platform solutions for a wide range of customer applications. NEC Electronics Corporation has 24 subsidiaries worldwide including NEC Electronics America, Inc. and NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH. For additional information, visit the company's website at http://www.necel.com.
About NEC Electronics America, Inc.
NEC Electronics America, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Electronics Corporation, a leading provider of semiconductor products encompassing advanced technology solutions for the broadband and communications markets; system solutions for the mobile, PC, automotive and digital consumer markets; and platform solutions for a wide range of customer applications. NEC Electronics America offers solutions ranging from standard products to system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions, customized products for next-generation designs, a local manufacturing facility in Roseville, California, and the global manufacturing capabilities of its parent company. NEC Electronics America is also the exclusive sales supplier of NEC active matrix LCD and PDP modules in North America. More information about the products offered by NEC Electronics America, Inc. can be found at http://www.necelam.com.
About NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH
NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH, headquartered in Duesseldorf, Germany, is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of semiconductor products in Europe. Committed to meeting customers' cost, performance and time-to-market requirements, the company offers solutions ranging from standard products to system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions, as well as customized products for next-generation designs. NEC Electronics also offers customers the benefit of state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Ireland, and the global manufacturing capabilities of its parent company, NEC Electronics Corporation. For more information, visit the NEC Electronics website at http://www.ee.nec.de.
