Samsung announces 0.35 micron ASIC family featuring 24Mb of embedded DRAM in a unified process

[Samsung Semiconductor by way of hbaker@netcom.com Henry Baker]

Samsung announces 0.35 micron ASIC family featuring 24Mb of embedded  
DRAM in a unified process; ASIC design centers support core-based 
"system-on-a-chip" design methodology; ASIC family backed by Samsung's 
high volume manufacturing 
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   SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 5, 1997--Samsung  
Semiconductor, Inc. today announced the introduction of a new deep 
submicron ASIC family based on its 0.35 micron process technology. 
   This new ASIC family is the industry's first to be simultaneously  
available in cell-based (STD90), gate array (KG90), customer-owned 
tooling (COT), and merged DRAM and logic (MDL90) options. 
   Samsung's cell-based ASICs offer more than 2 million gates of  
random logic, while the MDL ASICs allow designers to embed up to 24 
megabits (Mb) of single transistor EDO DRAM or SDRAM.  This new 0.35 
micron ASIC family also provides a wide offering of processor cores, 
I/O and analog blocks, as well as a comprehensive library of digital 
macrocells. 
   Samsung's diversity in consumer electronics, telecommunications  
and semiconductors has provided the company's ASIC group with a 
wealth of system-level knowledge and experience.  This expertise 
helped Samsung craft its "system-on-a-chip" design methodology and 
identify the right combination of cores and macrocells its customers 
would need.  Samsung gives its ASIC customers a time to market 
advantage by providing this "system-on-a-chip" design capability at 
all of its ASIC design centers. 
   The company has established submicron ASIC manufacturing capacity  
at four facilities and also plans to manufacture 0.35 micron and 
below technologies at the Austin, Texas, plant.  Samsung will continue 
its ASIC roadmap with plans to reach a 0.25 micron geometry by 1998, 
and 0.18 by 1999. 
   "Samsung has become the global market leader in several product  
categories, such as DRAMs, SRAMs and CDMA handsets, and has similar 
plans for the ASIC market," said Farzad Zarrinfar, Sr. Product 
Marketing Manager for Samsung's ASIC Group.  "The combination of 
Samsung's merged DRAM and logic capability, industry standard cores, 
library of function blocks, design center expertise and high volume 
manufacturing allows us to provide the 'system-on-a-chip' designer 
with the total solution necessary to move their high integration 
designs into the next century." 
   Key markets for Samsung cell-based, COT and gate array ASICs  
include networking, telecommunications and computers.  The MDL ASIC 
architecture is best suited for high integration applications, such 
as 3D/2D graphics, wireless communications, set-top boxes, digital 
video disk (DVD) systems, interactive video games, Ethernet/ATM 
switches, graphics/MPEG frame buffers and on-chip cache for CPU 
subsystems. 

Samsung Perfects MDL Process Technology  

   Samsung is leading the merged DRAM and logic technology movement,  
having developed a unified process for optimizing system-on-a-chip 
performance.  Samsung achieves optimized performance by using a 
three-well merged DRAM and logic process.  This allows Samsung's MDL 
customers to gain an advantage with designs that provide superior 
price/performance. 
   Other manufacturers offering ASICs with on-chip DRAM are using a  
basic DRAM process rather than merged DRAM logic integration.  Using 
a DRAM process results in "system-on-a-chip" ASICs that experience 
up to a 40 percent degradation in performance.  This is because the 
DRAM process has a higher threshold voltage (VT), which reduces 
switching (speed) performance. 
   The MDL cell-based architecture allows the designer to bring  
large memory blocks on-chip to achieve a true "system-on-a-chip" 
implementation.  This architecture provides several benefits, 
including superior price per performance, higher speed and 
reliability (because of fewer solder joints and packaging 
interconnects) and a smaller form factor due to fewer components 
occupying the printed circuit board. 
   Merged DRAM and logic also reduces power consumption and  
minimizes the number of pins required for memory interface by 35 to 
150 pins, depending upon configuration.  As a result, cost-effective 
plastic packages such as PQFP, TQFP, PLCC and PBGA, can be used. 
   With the high granularity of the memory banks, designers are able  
to further reduce costs because they can select and use exactly the 
amount and organization of memory required by their specific 
application. 
   Samsung's 0.35 micron MDL90 ASIC technology is already being used  
in the design of Trident Microsystems' next-generation notebook 
multimedia accelerator, where Trident is combining SDRAM, logic and 
analog circuitry all on the same die. 
   "Samsung is one of the few ASIC companies that truly understands  
the integration of mixed analog and digital circuitry," said Frank 
Lin, president and CEO of Trident Microsystems, Inc.  "Samsung's 
merged DRAM and logic architecture and process technology has enabled 
us to develop a notebook multimedia accelerator that will offer OEMs 
significant power savings, a smaller footprint and vastly improved 
performance." 
   Chips and Technologies has also selected Samsung's MDL90  
technology for its new family of HiQVideo(TM) flat panel 
video/graphic accelerators with embedded memory.  "Samsung is a 
leader in merged DRAM and logic ASIC technology," said Keith Angelo, 
vice president of marketing at Chips and Technologies, Inc.  "By 
adding leading edge embedded memory to our HiQVideo family, we can 
offer new highly integrated, low power, high performance products for 
value line notebook designs." 

Key Features of 0.35 Micron ASIC Family  

   The new Samsung ASIC family features a 0.35 micron channel length  
for extremely high integration.  The deep submicron design rules 
allow for a 3.3 volt core for high performance and low power 
consumption.  All Samsung ASIC options are compatible with I/O 
voltages ranging from 3.3 to 5.0 volt tolerant I/O. 
   Samsung's deep submicron ASIC architecture is based on 3- and  
4-level metal with 3-level Poly/Ti Salicide on S&D.  These new ASICs 
achieve a high density of up to 18,000 raw gates per square 
millimeter.  The gate delay for a 2-input NAND device is 
characterized to achieve 150 picoseconds (ps) at 3.3 volts, in a 
loaded condition. 
   Samsung's 0.35 ASIC technology offers compiled SRAM in  
organizations such as 16K x 128 and 16K x 256.  The MDL90 version is 
capable of integrating single transistor DRAM memory organizations 
such as 256K x 4, 128K x 64, 64K x 256 and 96K x 256. 
   Samsung provides an unsurpassed level of ASIC quality by  
supporting a comprehensive test methodology that includes IEEE 1149.1 
JTAG boundary scan, internal scan-based Automatic Test Pattern 
Generation (ATPG), RAMBIST, fault grading, IDDQ and mixed-signal 
testing. 

I/O Library Support  

   Samsung offers a comprehensive portfolio of I/O buffers for its  
sub-half micron technology.  These include I/Os such as: 

   -- Accelerated graphics port (AGP)  
   -- Peripheral component interconnect (PCI)  
   -- ATA-3 ("mobile disk interface")  
   -- SCSI-3 (small computer systems interface)  
   -- Cardbus  
   -- Universal Serial Bus (USB)  
   -- Low voltage differential signaling (LVDS)  

   Spice models for high performance I/Os are also provided for  
crosstalk analysis at the system level. 

Core and Macrocell Support  

   Samsung's deliverables for embedded cores include items such as  
Verilog/ VHDL models, Synopsys models, and wire-bonded test chips 
(e.g.  packaged ARM7TDMI core, Oak DSP Core and video encoder).  A 
software development toolkit featuring items such as assembler, 
debugger, compiler, linker is available, as well.  Samsung provides 
the following cores and macrocells: 

   -- ARM7TDMI Core  
   -- A to D, D to A Converter  
   -- Oak DSP Core  
   -- 300MHz RAMDAC/PLL  
   -- 80C52 Microcontroller  
   -- video encoders/decoders  
   -- Z-80 processor core  

   In the future, Samsung plans to comply with VSI (Virtual Socket  
Interface) compliant cores and design methodology. 

Packaging  

   Samsung's STD90, KG90 and MDL90 family of highly integrated ASICs  
are available in a variety of different packaging options.  These 
include PQFP, TQFP, PLCC and PBGA packages, which are best suited for 
high volume applications. 

Design Tool Support  

   The new Samsung 0.35 micron ASIC family is supported by "open"  
EDA design tools from industry leaders such as Avant!, Cadence, 
Mentor, Synopsys and Viewlogic.  Samsung customers can also enhance 
their toolset with value-added Samsung tools, such as delay 
prediction and automatic test program generation. 
   "Because Samsung allows sign-off with "open" design tools, the  
customer does not have to learn the ASIC vendor's proprietary tools 
-- that saves valuable time," added Zarrinfar.  "Open design tools 
and methodologies from the industry leaders, along with global access 
to Samsung design centers and applications support, are critical for 
the successful implementation of 'system-on-a-chip' designs." 

Pricing and Availability  

   Pricing is dependent on design specifications, architecture,  
complexity of design, package type and customer required services. 
Non-recurring engineering (NRE) charges begin at $100,000.  Contact 
Samsung directly for business negotiation and pricing details. 
   Design kits for all Samsung 0.35 micron ASIC options will be  
available in August 1997.  The STD90, KG90 and MDL90 ASICs will 
sample in September 1997, with production volumes beginning in Q4 
1997.  Samsung's COT option is available now. 
   Samsung used the Alpha 21164 processor, running at 500MHz, to  
qualify its "now available" 0.35 micron process.  In comparison, 
some ASIC manufacturers use simple logic to qualify their process. 

Samsung Semiconductor  

   Samsung Semiconductor is a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung  
Electronics, an $18.8 billion dollar division of the $88 billion, 
Korean-based, Samsung Group.  Samsung's Semiconductor Division is the 
seventh largest semiconductor manufacturer and the leading producer 
of memory products in the world. 
     Samsung Semiconductor's North American headquarters are located  
in San Jose.  Samsung was the first company to introduce the 
64-Megabit DRAM and the first fully functional 256-Megabit DRAM in 
1994.  In November 1996, Samsung developed the world's first 
1-Gigabit DRAM.  Samsung's non-memory products, called System LSI, 
include ASICs, microcontrollers, power devices and the Alpha 
processor. 
         
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