Process development
Kilopass Technology has developed its patented XPM one-time programmable memory intellectual property (IP) for use in ASICs and SoCs using standard logic CMOS 90nm silicon processes. This adds to current XPM products using 0.18, 0.15, and 0.13micron technology. Kilopass describes XPM as a 1.5 transistor per memory cell fuse-programmable technology. Read access time is in the range 40-70nsec (for 1Mbit, 0.18micron process).
Dr Jack Peng, CEO, Kilopass Technology, reports: "We have shipped our patented XPM technology to over a dozen customers." The company has tested and verified 90nm silicon with 1000hours of burn-in. "Our customers expect to move from silicon prototypes to high volume manufacturing in the next few months," adds Peng.
As a replacement for external memory chips XPM technology can be used in high density embedded memory applications for publishing games, movies and other multimedia content, as well as for secure firmware storage in embedded MCU and DSP-based systems. XPM can also be used for secure ID and data storage for smart cards, for embedded ID and parameter storage, for storing encryption keys, for analogue trimming and calibration parameter storage, for storing unique configuration codes and for embedded memory repair.
Data is permanently retained for the life of most systems (more than 20 years), and is protected from reverse engineering, since it is not possible to detect the stored data with a microscope or by voltage contrast testing, the company reports.
