Spansion and XMC expand partnership to include 32nm flash production

Date: 18/03/2013
Spansion Inc. and China based chip foundry XMC have expanded partnership, to develop and manufacture Spansion 32nm NOR Flash memory. The agreement expands XMC's current 300mm manufacturing of Spansion's proprietary 65nm and 45nm Flash memory technology.

Spansion says demand for Flash memory from embedded applications continues to rise as devices become more interconnected and applications are increasingly more feature-rich with enhanced graphics and immersive user interfaces. Continued investment in Flash memory technology is critical as these connected devices demand higher densities, fast read performance, and Spansion-grade quality to ensure consistent operation.

"XMC has proven to be a strong partner for Spansion and is a critical component of our manufacturing strategy. The agreement with XMC will help Spansion meet the industry's growing demand for advanced Flash memory solutions across a range of embedded applications," said John Kispert, president and CEO of Spansion. "The combination of our leading edge 32nm technology and their manufacturing expertise will deliver innovative and high-quality products that will drive differentiation for our embedded customers."

"Spansion's MirrorBit product line continues to scale providing performance and cost advantages. XMC has been a quiet but important part of that success. There is obviously a lot of trust and confidence in the relationship," said Joanne Itow, managing director, Semico Research. "The move to 32nm takes the partnership to the next stage, and is a notable milestone for XMC as they establish themselves as a significant player in the industry."

Spansion's MirrorBit charge trapping technology is an alternative to floating-gate technology for trapping few electrons in the flash memory cell. Parallel and serial NOR products based on Spansion 32nm MirrorBit Charge Trap Technology from XMC are expected to be launched in 2015.