Ovonyx Expands Scope of OUM Memory License and Extends Joint Development Program with STMicroelectronics
Santa Clara, Calif., February 4, 2003 – Ovonyx, Inc. today announced that STMicroelectronics [ST] (NYSE:STM) will expand the scope of its license from Ovonyx for thin-film OUM nonvolatile semiconductor memory technology, and the two companies agreed to extend their joint development program. OUM technology offers potential benefits over existing nonvolatile memory technologies, including lower cost, faster read/write, higher endurance and improved scalability. OUM technology is an electrical version of the reversible crystalline to amorphous phase-change process that has been commercialized in popular rewritable CD and DVD optical memory disks.
The expanded license agreement permits ST to use OUM technology in both discrete I.C. memory applications for Flash replacement and embedded applications with its microcontrollers, MOS logic, and other products that benefit from the enhanced performance and endurance of OUM. The joint development program integrates thin-film OUM memory material into ST’s silicon wafer fabrication process.
“We are very pleased that ST has exercised its option to expand the scope of its license for use of OUM technology, and we look forward to continuing to work with them in our joint development program. The market for Flash and embedded nonvolatile semiconductor memory is growing rapidly, and ST is an excellent partner to work with towards commercializing OUM thin-film memory technology in a wide range of integrated products,” said Tyler Lowrey, President and CEO of Ovonyx.
“The results obtained so far on the OUM development are increasing our confidence in this technology. We are considering OUM as a solution both in stand-alone applications with its small, scalable cell and fast write and also in embedded applications due to the low write voltage and process cost,” said Giulio Casagrande, R&D Director at ST’s Memory Products Group.
About STMicroelectronics
ST is one of the world’s leading suppliers of nonvolatile memories with a portfolio that includes EPROM, EEPROM and both general purpose and application-specific Flash memories, and it is a world leader in embedding Flash and EEPROM memory in complex chips for use in system on a chip, smartcards, disk drives, automotive engine management units, and other applications.
About Ovonyx
Ovonyx was formed with the charter to commercialize proprietary phase-change semiconductor memory technology invented by Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. Ovonyx OUM nonvolatile memory technology offers significantly faster write and erase speeds and higher cycling endurance than conventional Flash memory. It also has the advantage of a simpler fabrication process that allows the design of economical semiconductor chips with embedded nonvolatile memory. Additional information about Ovonyx and its memory technology is available at www.ovonyx.com.
For further information please contact:
Ovonyx, Inc.
Tyler Lowrey
Email: tlowrey@ovonyx.com
Tel: 248-872-7225