HONG KONG — Hua Hong Semiconductor Limited (“Hua Hong Semiconductor” or the “Company”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”; stock code: 1347.HK), a global leading pure-play 200mm foundry, today announced the successful mass production of its second-generation 90nm eFlash (90nm G2 eFlash) process platform, which has further enhanced the Company’s technical capabilities and competiveness.
Based on the first-generation 90nm eFlash (90nm G1 eFlash) process technology, Hua Hong Semiconductor realized technological advancement of its 90nm G2 eFlash process platform in multiple aspects. 90nm G2 has a shrinked Flash cell size, which is about 25% smaller than that of the first-generation – the smallest around the globe among all foundries’ 90nm process node eFlash technology. In addition, the new Flash IP architecture adopted in 90nm G2 ensures high reliability (100,000 write/erase cycles and data retention for 25 years) while having a Flash IP with low power consumption and extremely compact area. This significantly reduces the overall chip size of the 90nm G2 eFlash, so that single wafers can accommodate more dies. This advantage of the 90nm G2 eFlash is particularly significant for chips with higher eFlash density. It is also worth noting that based on the foundations laid down in the first-generation, the 90nm G2 eFlash further reduced one more layer of masks, which has pushed the manufacturing cost down to an even lower level.
Now in mass production with high and stable yield, the 90nm G2 eFlash has already been applied on large-scale production of SIM card ICs, and it will provide manufacturing solutions that are more cost-effective for the ICs of diversified products, such as smart cards, security chips, and micro-controller units (MCUs).
“The successful mass production of 90nm G2 eFlash marks another success for Hua Hong Semiconductor in the area of specialty technology of embedded Flash,” said Dr. Kong Weiran, Executive Vice President of Hua Hong Semiconductor. “Embedded NVM (Non-Volatile Memory) technology, as one of our strategic focuses, has always been well-recognized by the industry for its high security, reliability, cost-effectiveness and technical sophistication. As the leading foundry for smart card ICs, Hua Hong Semiconductor will stay on course to optimize its technologies and upgrade its platforms to maintain its leadership in the area of smart card ICs, and tap potentials in high-growth emerging markets such as IoT (Internet of Things) and new energy vehicles.”