Press Releases (2003)
Impinj's AEON TM Nonvolatile Memory Technology Licensed to Asahi Kasei Microsystems
Tokyo, Japan and Seattle, WA., November 17, 2003 – Impinj and AKM today announced a broad licensing agreement to integrate Impinj's AEON nonvolatile memory (NVM) technology into products developed by Asahi Kasei Microsystems (AKM), a leading supplier of mixed-signal integrated circuits for audio, video, networking and wireless communications. Under the terms of the agreement, AKM will design and manufacture AEON memory, which provides crucial chip functionality at a fraction of normal cost, into embedded memory applications across many of AKM's product lines.
AEON memory, based on Impinj's award winning and patented Self-Adaptive Silicon™ technology, allows designers to embed the low density NVM required to store and retain key data in standard logic CMOS chips without incurring the high cost of specialized manufacturing processes required for traditional embedded memory techniques such as FLASH or EEPROM. In addition to providing a turnkey NVM solution in logic CMOS, AEON memory delivers the smallest area and lowest power consumption, while maintaining industry standard 10-year retention and 100,000 cycle endurance.
AEON will enhance AKM's products by enabling nonvolatile storage of calibration and configuration data, a method that allows chip design specifications to be achieved while increasing overall manufacturing yield. AKM's first products incorporating Impinj's AEON memory will be available in early 2005.
"Impinj's AEON memory is the ideal solution for our mixed-signal product line and will provide us with competitive advantage," said Mr. Kaoru Takasuka, Executive Vice President and CTO, AKM. "A key advantage of AEON is the process portability and Impinj's ability to deliver the memory IP cores and technology we require. We look forward to working closely with Impinj on AEON and future offerings based on Self-Adaptive Silicon technology."
"We are pleased that AKM selected Impinj as a technology partner for their nonvolatile memory solution and have already begun the work to adapt AEON to AKM's CMOS processes," said Todd Humes, CTO at Impinj.
About Asahi Kasei Microsystems
Since its establishment in 1983, Asahi Kasei Microsystems has based its corporate operation and development in two fast-growing areas vital to the growth of information and communication system custom and application-specific LSIs. It has, in particular, developed CMOS technology for circuits that were generally considered impossible to implement in CMOS form, and rapidly expanded the development and application of this technology. This has led to world leading design and process technologies for high quality, low power consumption products for communications and multimedia applications, in a range that now includes analog-digital mixed circuit ICs for mobile communications equipment, A/D and D/A converters based on Delta-Sigma self-calibration technology, and data storage ICs incorporating lossless data compression and error correction technology. The underlying corporate tenet at AKM is the development of technology, production, and products conducive to the human well-being and to the creation of an environment for life and livelihood of true value. As a vital, energetic corporation driven by the constant development of technology and its application to the growth of the information-communications society, AKM will continue to meet the rising expectations of its customers and the end users.
About Impinj, Inc.
Impinj, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company developing CMOS integrated-circuit products and intellectual property, was founded in May 2000, in Seattle, Washington, by semiconductor industry veterans Carver Mead and Chris Diorio. Impinj holds 15 patents on its innovative Self-Adaptive Silicon technology, which greatly improves the performance of analog and digital CMOS integrated circuits. In addition to many prior awards, in 2002, Impinj garnered the "Most Promising New Technology" award from the WSA, Washington State's influential technology association as well as the "Comet Award for Innovative Technology, Market Vision and Management Focus" from Communications Systems Design and EE Times. More information about Impinj is available at http://www.impinj.com.