Hua Hong Semiconductor Limited today announced the latest enhancements to its low-cost, high-efficiency 0.18um mixed signal and embedded OTP/MTP process platform. This will further consolidate the company's leadership in the booming MCU (Microcontroller Unit) market and lay a solid foundation for the company to expand its existing 0.18CE platform to the field of mixed signal IC and power management ICs (PMICs).
The enhanced 0.18CE process platform version, upgraded from Hua Hong Semiconductor's low-cost, high-efficiency 0.18um OTP (One-Time Programming) platform, enables the company to deliver optimized OTP IPs, which has smaller IP macro size, faster read speed, and lower power consumption, through combining optimized OTP Cell licensed by a third party, and company's superior integration capability of IP design, process and IP testing of embedded memories. These enhancements differentiate the platform from its competitors in terms of cost, performance and power consumption. Currently a few domestic and international customers of the company have achieved volume production on this platform.
Catering to the huge demand of the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) and smart energy markets for low-power MCUs, Hua Hong Semiconductor has been working with its partners to introduce additional embedded memory solutions. Amongst, the OTP + LogicEE (Logic Technology Compatible EEPROM) solution that replaces the higher-cost external EEPROM with an embedded IP in the 8-bit MCU significantly reduces the production cost. In addition to such benefits as faster write/read speed, lower power consumption and longer standby time, this solution could further protect data from hacking, thereby enhancing information security.
Another MTP (Multiple-Time Programming) solution from the company allows customers to change program code on a system by adopting MTP IP, which helps customers to enhance product functionality and effectively improve inventory management. As the upgraded version of OTP MCU, the MTP delivers an IP density range from 1K x 8-bit to 8K x 16-bit, with competitive IP marco size, well accommodating customers' requirements for diversification and price-performance ratio.
Besides, by introducing Low Vt, NPN BJT, depletion device, zener diode and 18V LDMOS devices, Hua Hong Semiconductor expands its mixed signal IC and power management IC portfolios, to deliver high-performance and low-cost solutions for such applications as gauge IC, temperature sensor, smart meter, power bank and MEMS ASIC.
"The enhanced 0.18CE process platform version is a result of continued R&D efforts of Hua Hong Semiconductor in collaboration with its partners," said Mr. Heng Fan, Executive Vice President of Hua Hong Semiconductor, "It can provide our customers with a full spectrum of competitive eNVM (embedded non-volatile memory) IPs, innovative and high-performance solutions. The semiconductors manufactured on this platform may be widely used in wearable device, mobile communication, IoT and smart energy fields. We will continue to improve R&D investment and work with domestic and international partners to add to the IoT momentum."
